Italy's video game sector reached more than €2.3 billion in turnover in 2023, a 5% increase over 2022 and 28% above 2019 levels, according to figures cited in the catalogue. The industry comprises roughly 160 companies employing about 2,400 professionals. This catalogue, produced as the Italian Pavilion listing for Gamescom 2024, uses these figures to position Italian developers and publishers as an increasingly visible presence at the Cologne trade fair, with a foreword from the Italian Trade Agency and promotional commentary from the trade body IIDEA.
The core of the publication is a directory of 15 Italian studios and publishers exhibiting at the event. Each entry lists a featured project, genre, platform, development stage, and the partner sought, which most often means a publisher, networking contacts, or investors. The roster spans mobile specialists, extended reality startups, and established publishers, and it covers projects from early development through released titles such as Shattered Heaven and GLOS: The Game. Quantitative market data is limited to company histories and occasional player counts, the most notable being nearly 900,000 players for Soulstice.
The catalogue also profiles Milan-based We Are Muesli, an independent studio focused on narrative games with cultural, historical, and artistic themes. It showcases the studio's 2023 release Siheyuan, published on Steam by Fantastico Studio, and its prototype-stage title In Their Shoes, planned for Android, iOS, PC, and Mac. The studio is seeking publishers and funding for the latter. Overall, the publication functions primarily as a trade promotion and matchmaking resource, highlighting the scale of Italy's industry while connecting its studios with international partners.
