Live Games
Live Games
Pixel art video games played together, live, with your phone as the controller.
Pixel Art & Game Design for live events
On a big screen in a square, in a shop window, at a trade fair stand:
passers-by scan the QR code and are in the game within seconds.
What they are
A live game is a multiplayer video game made for a real, in-person audience. The big screen shows the match and the leaderboard, and each player’s phone becomes the controller. No app to download: you play from the browser.
The result is a small crowd in front of the screen: people playing, people cheering, people waiting for their turn to beat the record.
How to play
- Scan the QR code on the screen
- Pick your character and move it from your phone
- Climb the leaderboard, visible for the whole event
What I design
- Characters and animations
- Environments themed on the brand or event
- Big screen and phone interfaces
- Set-up graphics, like the Dante Inferno shop window
My live games
Dante Inferno
A shop window in Ravenna turned into a giant arcade cabinet. Passers-by scan the QR code and take on Hell from their phone, with Dante, Beatrice, Virgil, Charon and the devils in pixel art.
I designed the game and the window graphics too, so that from the street it looked like a real arcade cabinet.
Client:
Dante Plus 700
Year:
2026
Pixel art & gameplay:
The_Oluk
Programming:
Dinobros
Adventure Time
The live game created for the Boing App corner (Universo Boing App) at the Fiestón Boing. Finn, Jake, Princess Bubblegum, Marceline and friends on the big screen, dodging angry toasts and monsters, while kids play from their phones and cheer for their own character.
Client:
Boing Spain
Year:
2026
Pixel art & gameplay:
The_Oluk
Programming:
Dinobros
Fuori&Strada
A live game for Fuori&Strada’s 35th anniversary party in Rovato: pixel art riders dodging helmets, gloves and boots on an outdoor big screen. Nicola from Fuori&Strada welcomes the players at the start.
It’s the same game as Dante Inferno, fully redrawn for the world of motorbikes: same mechanics, all-new characters, objects and settings.
Client:
Fuori&Strada
Year:
2026
Pixel art & gameplay:
The_Oluk
Programming:
Dinobros
More live games
Christmas on the big screen
Urban Vision · 2025
The Dante Inferno game in a Christmas version, on a big screen in the city.
Buon Compleanno Boing Tour
Boing · 28-29 September 2024
Run & Jump redrawn for Boing, at the Boing App stand.
Tennis
Dinobros stand · 2024
A one-on-one match, with your phone as the racket.
Run & Jump
Dinobros stand · 2024
A platformer for groups, later redrawn for the Boing Tour.
Flying saucers
Dinobros stand · 2024
Each player flies their own saucer.
Where they work
- Trade fairs and stands
- Brand events and parties
- Shop windows
- City big screens
- Kids’ tours and events
- Corporate conventions
- Product launches
- Cinema screens
Who develops the game
I bring the pixels, Dinobros brings the code. The idea, the gameplay and all the graphics are mine; the programming is by Dinobros, the development studio I co-founded with my partner Samuele Sciacca. I’m no longer part of it, but we keep making live games, like many other games, together: we deliver the complete game, ready for the event.
FAQ
Who designs these live games?
Manolo Saviantoni, aka The_Oluk, a pixel artist and game designer based in Rome. He designs the characters, environments and interfaces of the live games, developed together with Dinobros, the studio he co-founded with Samuele Sciacca. Clients include Boing (Italy and Spain), Urban Vision, Dante Plus 700 in Ravenna and Fuori&Strada.
What is a live game?
It’s a multiplayer video game played live: the match and the leaderboard are on a big screen, and each player uses their own phone as a controller.
Do players need to download an app?
No. You play from your phone’s browser by scanning the QR code on the screen. No installation and no sign-up.
Can I have a live game with my brand?
Yes. Characters, environments and objects are designed around your brand, your products or your mascot. In the Fuori&Strada game, for example, the riders dodge helmets, gloves and boots.
Can an existing game be reused?
Yes. A proven game mechanic can be fully redrawn with your graphics: it’s faster and more affordable than a brand-new game. That’s what happened with Dante Inferno, redrawn for Fuori&Strada and for Urban Vision’s Christmas, and with Run & Jump, redrawn for the Boing Tour.
How many people can play at once?
Several players on the same screen at the same time. The right number depends on the event, the space and the size of the screen.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the event, the number of days and how custom the game is. Write to me with the date, place and an idea of what you need, and I’ll prepare a proposal.
Want a live game for your event?
Tell me where, when and for whom: we can redraw a proven game with your graphics, or invent a brand-new one. And if we’ve already worked together, we’ll pick up where we left off.