‘Tales Of Tuscany’ Dev’s Purpose Is To “Let Gamers Do No matter They Need”

At PAX East, we had an opportunity to sit down down with the energetic Nico Papalia and High Hat Studios – developer of Athenian Rhapsody, and its newly-announced prequel, Tales of Tuscany (releasing on “no matter you play video games on,” together with Change, in 2026).

We needed to be taught a bit extra about what impressed such a mad-cap universe, and the place the WarioWare / EarthBound / Pokémon-esque concepts all stemmed from. Whereas it was a little bit of a problem to speak over the raucous laughter coming from the gang gathered on the demo sales space, we managed to get an inside glimpse at Papalia’s shocking backstory and his work on each video games.

Right here is our interview with Nico, which was simply as entertaining and zany because the universe these video games are primarily based in…

Nintendo Life: So, let’s begin from the highest — what was the inspiration behind the universe of Tales of Tuscany and Athenian Rhapsody? There appear to be some Earthbound vibes in there…

Nico Papalia: Truthfully, I did not even play Earthbound till AFTER I began Athenian Rhapsody – enjoyable reality! I bit into it and was like, ‘I really feel like this meshes with me,’ and I felt prefer it regarded like what I used to be making. Undoubtedly impressed by Pokémon on Recreation Boy Advance, performed a number of that. I additionally performed a number of Fortress Crashers – The Behemoth are my associates, so I talked to them loads, and we’re really discussing engaged on one thing collectively too — very slapstick-y, — however they’re so tight about their IPs, so… we’re nonetheless speaking.

I had massive concepts – however I by no means knew programming, I went to highschool for artwork, I used to be doing conventional pencil artwork and stuff – I did not know what I used to be doing. So it constructed over time, and I am very lucky and fortunate that I used to be in a position to share this on the scale that I did, and switch it into my job. It is very private.

“Slapstick-y” is certainly the precise phrase for these video games, they’re hilarious.

Yeah, it would not take itself too severely, so the inspiration for the world is simply principally my life, my associates, and what I believe is humorous in the intervening time. I am going to simply throw humorous issues in there as I consider them – and the gamers appear to adore it. I am a solo dev, so I can sort of have the ultimate say and simply do no matter I would like. It is enjoyable. Within the first sport, I took some dangers and had this ‘invisible grilled cheese’ within the map, like an merchandise, and I believed no person was going to seek out it – however somebody discovered it inside eight hours of launch! I crashed out on social, I bugged out.

Will there be any secrets and techniques or easter eggs to seek out in Tales of Tuscany?

There aren’t too many secrets and techniques but – I am nonetheless creating it, and I simply completed the principle story, so now I’ve to do the ‘evil’ story, and I am going to sort of simply throw some further stuff in there earlier than it releases, most likely round spring 2026.

Inform us a little bit extra about how the 2 video games differ.

You understand, making Athenian Rhapsody was sort of sluggish. I began with GameMaker, and it simply sort of snowballed. So I truthfully did not actually know what I used to be doing, going into the primary sport. It was in 4:3 ratio, like Recreation Boy Advance – as a result of I am a giant GBA man. So at first I used to be like, “Yeah, that is superior!” Then, , it involves porting it and I am like… “Oh no.”

So, Tales of Tuscany is within the RIGHT decision. It is also received extra management customisations, quality-of-life stuff like that. Spherical 2: larger, higher, stronger. I prefer to say, Athenian Rhapsody is like Pokémon Emerald, and Tales of Tuscany is extra like Pokémon Black & White – primarily based on the battles and stuff, with the digital camera motion, sprite work, stuff like that.

So that you’re clearly a giant Pokémon fan too! What are among the totally different video games you performed rising up?

I performed a number of Recreation Boy Advance video games – Madagascar, Energy Rangers Dino Thunder, Minish Cap, and issues like that. My grandma would simply go purchase them for me. Or I performed Crash Bandicoot on the PS2, and I might simply keep within the beginning space and mess with stuff – I by no means progressed within the sport, and that was really most likely what I do with most of those video games. I by no means progressed; I simply did issues. And I assume all of it sort of simply fashioned that inspiration for me.

Fascinating – so are you a little bit of a completionist then? As a result of this sport — with the entire totally different decisions and storylines — appears a bit overwhelming for a completionist, like you would by no means *really* full it fully.

You understand what, after I was a young person, I used to be extra of a completionist; I might 100% full Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze and stuff like that. However a number of instances, I used to be simply sort of a silly man who did not know what I used to be doing. I could not advance by means of the plots, I by no means received Rayquaza [in Pokémon Emerald] – so I might simply go and do random issues. And now, I am really sort of the alternative of that. So making Athenian Rhapsody and Tales of Tuscany, I need a child to have the ability to simply go round and have enjoyable.

The video games appear to be designed nearly like a relentless dopamine hit. Gamers are allowed to simply be mischievous and do no matter they need. And there is most likely no means you would expertise each single selection obtainable to you within the video games.

That is precisely it! That is sort of what me and my associates like. You sort of should get in there just a few instances, and the best way it labored out, some gamers like that, and a few do not. Some individuals are that goal, numeric, “I am achieved, test the field” factor – however with these video games, the expertise is at all times going to be totally different, relying on who you’ve got in your occasion and the alternatives you make. One other factor is that, it would not really feel ‘excellent’, and lots of people like that.

Did you at all times intend for the sport to be a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ fashion like that?

Yeah, I at all times supposed for it to be like that, however I did not precisely know find out how to do it at first. I could not determine it out. So, Athenian Rhapsody was not programmed very nicely… Tales of Tuscany is programmed significantly better, I used to be in a position to pull it off higher. However I simply needed to begin small and construct off of it, as a result of I had massive concepts – however I by no means knew programming, I went to highschool for artwork, I used to be doing conventional pencil artwork and stuff, I did not know what I used to be doing. So it constructed over time, and I am very lucky and fortunate that I used to be in a position to share this on the scale that I did, and switch it into my job. It is very private.

As somebody who studied artwork and went to highschool for it, did that assist with the event of the sport itself – at the least, the artwork side of it?

That is really a sick query – it should have! I went to SUNY Oneonta, superior faculty, I had a number of nice academics. I used to be all into anatomy — transformational anatomy — and it took me sort of some time to determine it out, utilizing area and character design.

So after I began Athenian Rhapsody, my pixel artwork was very poor – I did not have these fully-saturated colors but, I did not determine that out but. My sprites, I used to be doing the pillow shading… so it took me some time to get it. There’s some sort of interlink, however that ability undoubtedly wasn’t quick; I needed to be taught to entry that a part of my mind, studying the fundamentals of pixel artwork. Even in Athenian Rhapsody, once you play it, you may see there are 10 issues happening in a single room; that is as a result of I did not know what I used to be doing with the area! That truthfully led to this sense of extraordinarily hyper tempo, issues round each nook…

However it works! The absurdism is what makes all of it so endearing. A part of it sounds prefer it was unintentional, trial-and-error, however that really turned a extremely cool factor.

Precisely! And I used to be simply doing what I needed to do. I received fortunate that individuals preferred it. Some folks assume it is a little bit an excessive amount of, however I’ve additionally heard from a number of gamers who actually prefer it, saying they love the story. One other publication, the reviewer stated he thought the story “modified vibes an excessive amount of,” and that is the place he wrote me off for factors. However I’ve received different folks — particularly youthful children, however a number of adults, too — saying they love that concerning the story!

And I personally assume it is very wanted. A number of instances on this business, folks can take themselves a little bit too severely, and I recognize that you just’re simply doing what you wanna do. It looks as if individuals are drawn to that.

Yeah, I try to get very private and present myself as I’m. That is how I constructed this, doing tutorials on-line and constructing a following simply being myself. I simply took my cellphone and filmed my display displaying “Right this moment I did this,” and I used to be simply being actual. However I am fortunate, I nonetheless simply get to do no matter I would like. Like for Tales of Tuscany, the workforce thought it was a little bit little bit of a danger, making the principle character a sheep…

Lambypoo – it jogs my memory of my canine’s toy, Lambchop!

Oh my god, YES! That is precisely it! I’ve 100 of these laying round my home, ripped up! That is the place it got here from, I am so glad you stated that! So I used to be similar to… yo, what if I had a button, the place the lamb simply began “baaa”-ing? And that is the place the concept for the ‘Baa’ button got here from. You understand, it would not at all times should be this “Maintain X, cost your sword…” – you possibly can simply have enjoyable with it. So the ‘Baa’ changed into an interplay instrument – you possibly can break crops and vehicles and stuff, as a result of folks simply wanna do enjoyable stuff, just like the dopamine hits we talked about earlier. So I am attempting to hone in on that.

I am nonetheless shocked you hadn’t performed the Earthbound / Mom video games previous to beginning your first sport. It seems like such a religious successor to these video games.

Proper? And relating to the flavour textual content in these video games, just like the choices are: “Yeah”, or “I am lactose illiberal” – that is precisely how I write, too. It nearly unlocked one thing, after I noticed that. I used to be like, ‘Okay, so that is okay what I am doing, this irreverence.’

I watched a documentary on Earthbound, and the director was saying he had a really intuitive method – he did not plan all of it out, he simply did it block-by-block, and that is precisely what I do, too. So I assume it is that very same mind kind, perhaps? And I had associates from my faculty who had been attempting to inform me: “Yeah, you must block the entire sport out” and all of these things, and I used to be like: “Dude, however I am altering it every single day?”. So there are a number of variations between the 2 video games and the way a lot I deliberate out Tales of Tuscany, however they’re the identical spirit.

Talking of Earthbound, I’ve heard you check with your video games as “JRPGs” just a few instances – what does that label imply to you particularly?

Truthfully, I have been saying “JRPG” recently simply because I consider a long-narrative-based sport, and “RPG” is just too broad. However I do not know… I additionally name it an “IRPG” typically — “Italian RPG” — as a result of I am Italian, and Italians do like lengthy conversations.

For somebody who’s by no means heard of both of your video games, what is the one factor you’ll say to get them to check out this collection?

Out of the entire RPGs and JRPGs on the market, there are loads, and an excellent one that basically makes it to the end line is tough to seek out. This sport has a number of love in it, there’s one thing to like in it for everyone, that is a giant a part of how I made the sport. I liked Recreation Freak’s early philosophy of attempting to strike a steadiness between ‘cute’ and ‘cool’, and the way everybody has a favorite pokémon. And with Athenian Rhapsody, I attempted to make one follower that everybody might love. It is the sport that conforms to what you want, and everybody will get one thing out of it. The ‘rhapsodies’ are like Gen 1 buying and selling; I needed everybody to get one thing out of it. In Pokémon, you possibly can port your Pokémon throughout the entire consoles, and that is sort of what I used to be attempting to do. We’ll see how that works!

So, the ‘munchkins’ are making a comeback, too, solely this time, the weasels are watching you and ruining all the pieces. This new function appears fairly merciless, and I am questioning what occurred to you as a baby that made you need to torture folks?

HA! So, within the first sport, I had a debug possibility within the ‘pause’ menu — only a placeholder — and it was referred to as ‘munchkins’, and all these silly issues. And I used to be like, eff it, I am gonna make ‘munchkins’ an actual factor. So principally, you must wait, like, 8-10 hours to obtain them, and you’ve got a 50% likelihood of failing… and if it really works, it is only a image of some artwork of mine that claims like, “Congratulations” – however I did not understand everybody was going loopy over that!

So with Tales of Tuscany, I believed ‘Okay, I will not have a random 50% likelihood of failing on the finish… however there WILL be weasels… and the weasels come and slowly go throughout the display, and after they let you know, you must press an enter, in any other case they will corrupt the munchkin.’ I believed, ‘I can not simply do the identical factor once more’, so I modified it up a little bit bit. No one else is doing munchkins! No one else is doing one thing to the participant the place they’re like, ‘No, you do it the best way I would like you to do it, or else you fail, and I am not making it simpler since you’re complaining.’

@athenianrhapsody

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♬ authentic sound – Athenian Rhapsody

You are simply going to make the sport you need to make, and purposely stay outdoors of the field. Was there something too loopy in Tales of Tuscany that ended up getting vetoed but?

Yeah, there are some things my publishers inform me I’ve to edit… I do know extra find out how to skirt the road now, however there have been just a few components which may have to alter. There’s this character from Athenian Rhapsody referred to as Uncle Billiard, and he is on this one once more as a result of he is an important character – and he has this scorching canine place, however all of them name the new canines ‘wieners’… and there is this one character who’s like, “Oh yeah, my double wiener sandwich…” and looking out again on it, I am like, “I can not simply be throwing ‘wiener’ round like that.” Or like, I needed to have an enemy with a plumber’s crack, and a mechanic the place you must throw issues in it. And I really vetoed that for Athenian Rhapsody, as a result of it was sort of disgusting.

…Ask forgiveness, not permission?

Yep, that is my motto!

Do you’ve got plans so as to add any extra to this universe, or do you assume you may go in a completely totally different route?

Truthfully, I believe this IP was an excellent one, it is robust. I did particularly need to do three RPGs.

Why three, due to Earthbound?

Oh, I did not even take into consideration that! I simply thought it might be a pleasant quantity.

You must do three, and simply by no means launch the ultimate one right here.

HA, yeah, I am going to simply say there is a third! You understand, I did initially need to do three, however making this sport, I am nearing the tip of the inventive growth, and I sort of need to take a break from RPGs for a bit. We’re doing the cell sport, too – it is referred to as Goobie Backyard, and Thunder Goober is in it, he clearly hit one thing, so even when I do determine to take a break with the IP, I am going to at all times come again to it. However I believe for my subsequent console sport, I might love to do one thing a little bit extra easy, mechanic-based… perhaps a battler? I might love to do a roguelike sport. Unsure but although!

This interview has been calmly edited for readability.

Thanks, Nico Papalia (@AthenianRhapso1 on X) and the workforce at High Hat Studios, for taking the time to reply our questions. Tales of Tuscany can be coming to PC and consoles in 2026.

Will you be enjoying Tales of Tuscany when it releases? Did you play Athenian Rhapsody? Tell us within the feedback under.