Ghosts of Trastevere — Development Story
When we joined the ItaloCurso Game Jam 2025, the theme was Italian horror folklore. From the start, we knew we wanted to create something special that paid tribute to our city: Rome.
Our goal was clear: to tell the stories of some of the city’s most famous ghosts — not through jump scares or complex gameplay, but through atmosphere, narration, and visual storytelling. We wanted an experience that felt alive, yet frozen in time.
Concept
We designed a short, minimalist walking simulator, where the player doesn’t fight or solve puzzles but walks through memories, guided by the narrator’s voice and the whispers of a silent Rome.
It was essential that Rome be instantly recognizable, not only to outsiders but especially to Romans themselves. Every detail — from how light falls on a corner to the street signs — had to feel true to life.
We chose Trastevere, between Ponte Sisto and Piazza Trilussa, as the heart of the story.
We chose Trastevere, between Ponte Sisto and Piazza Trilussa, as the heart of the story.
Building Trastevere
To keep production time and file size reasonable, we reduced the map but meticulously preserved accuracy and atmosphere.
Every building was modeled in SketchUp, and all textures were hand-painted in Procreate, using a watercolor style to create a painterly, dreamlike tone.
Every building was modeled in SketchUp, and all textures were hand-painted in Procreate, using a watercolor style to create a painterly, dreamlike tone.
My contribution:
- Created all graphics and patterns using Procreate.
- Collaborated on story and character development, shaping the core ideas and ghost characters.
- Participated in testing, ensuring that visuals and storytelling integrated smoothly with gameplay.
Writing the Story
While the 3D model was being built, we wrote the narrative text — the voice of a man recalling ghost stories his grandfather once told him.
From a long list of famous Roman spirits, we selected:
From a long list of famous Roman spirits, we selected:
- Beatrice Cenci, wandering Rome holding her own severed head.
- Donna Olimpia, riding through the night on her flaming carriage.
- The Monk of San Pietro in Vincoli, condemned to haunt the church’s dark corridors.
The city is populated with frozen human figures, painted black with white eyes, like mannequins without identity. One figure at the end breaks the pattern, painted in gray as a symbolic contrast.
All human models were created in Adobe Fuse, with poses and animations from Mixamo.
From Art to Code
Once all assets were ready, we brought the world to life in Unity3D: player movement, subtitle timing, sound management, ghost animations, cutscenes, menus, and UI systems.
My contribution:
- Oversaw voice acting and localization, translating the narration into English and Spanish, and aligning subtitles.
- Integrated graphics and patterns into the game.
- The opening sequence features hand-drawn illustrations that accompany the narration — each created by me in Procreate, reinforcing the continuity between dream and reality.
Voice and Atmosphere
The voice acting, added late in development, became the emotional core of the game. It guides the player through the silent streets of the city, creating a melancholic and immersive atmosphere.
The Result
Ghosts of Trastevere became a 10–15 minute atmospheric experience, set in one of Rome’s most iconic neighborhoods, combining mystery, memory, and horror.
For me, it was more than an artistic project: I contributed to graphics, story, patterns, voice acting, and localization, helping to shape a fully immersive experience.
