Picture: Austin VoigtAt PAX East, we had an opportunity to sit down down with the full of life 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 wished 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 group 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 truth! I bit into it and was like, ‘I really feel like this meshes with me,’ and I felt prefer it appeared like what I used to be making. Undoubtedly impressed by Pokémon on Recreation Boy Advance, performed numerous that. I additionally performed numerous Citadel Crashers – The Behemoth are my buddies, so I talked to them so much, and we’re truly discussing engaged on one thing collectively too — very slapstick-y, you already know — however they’re so tight about their IPs, so… we’re nonetheless speaking.
I had large concepts – however I by no means knew programming, I went to high school 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’s extremely private.
“Slapstick-y” is unquestionably the best phrase for these video games, they’re hilarious.
Yeah, it would not take itself too significantly, so the inspiration for the world is simply principally my life, my buddies, and what I believe is humorous for the time being. I will simply throw humorous issues in there as I consider them – and the gamers appear to like it. I am a solo dev, so I can sort of have the ultimate say and simply do no matter I need. 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 one was going to search 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 search out in Tales of Tuscany?
There aren’t too many secrets and techniques but – I am nonetheless growing it, and I simply completed the principle story, so now I’ve to do the ‘evil’ story, and I will sort of simply throw some further stuff in there earlier than it releases, in all probability round spring 2026.
Inform us just a little extra about how the 2 video games differ.
, making Athenian Rhapsody was sort of sluggish. I began with GameMaker, and it simply sort of snowballed. So I actually 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, you already know, it involves porting it and I am like… “Oh no.”
So, Tales of Tuscany is within the RIGHT decision. It is also obtained 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 digicam 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 numerous 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’d simply keep within the beginning space and mess with stuff – I by no means progressed within the sport, and that was truly in all probability 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 shaped that inspiration for me.
Picture: High Hat Studios
Attention-grabbing – so are you a little bit of a completionist then? As a result of this sport — with the entire totally different selections and storylines — appears a bit overwhelming for a completionist, like you would by no means *truly* full it solely.
what, once I was a young person, I used to be extra of a completionist; I’d 100% full Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze and stuff like that. However numerous 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 via the plots, I by no means obtained Rayquaza [in Pokémon Emerald] – so I’d simply go and do random issues. And now, I am truly sort of the other 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 virtually like a continuing dopamine hit. Gamers are allowed to only be mischievous and do no matter they need. And there is in all probability no method you would expertise each single alternative accessible to you within the video games.
That is precisely it! That is sort of what me and my buddies like. You sort of should get in there just a few instances, and the way in which it labored out, some gamers like that, and a few do not. Some persons are that goal, numeric, “I am achieved, test the field” factor – however with these video games, the expertise is all the time going to be totally different, relying on who you’ve in your get together and the alternatives you make. One other factor is that, it would not really feel ‘good’, and lots of people like that.
Did you all the time intend for the sport to be a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ model like that?
Yeah, I all the time meant for it to be like that, however I did not precisely know the right way to do it at first. I could not determine it out. So, Athenian Rhapsody was not programmed very effectively… Tales of Tuscany is programmed a lot 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 large concepts – however I by no means knew programming, I went to high school 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’s extremely private.
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As somebody who studied artwork and went to high school for it, did that assist with the event of the sport itself – no less than, the artwork side of it?
That is truly a sick query – it will need to have! I went to SUNY Oneonta, superior college, I had numerous 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 once 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 actually led to this sense of extraordinarily hyper tempo, issues round each nook…
Nevertheless 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 wished to do. I obtained fortunate that folks favored it. Some folks assume it is just a little an excessive amount of, however I’ve additionally heard from numerous gamers who actually prefer it, saying they love the story. One other publication, the reviewer mentioned he thought the story “modified vibes an excessive amount of,” and that is the place he wrote me off for factors. However I’ve obtained different folks — particularly youthful youngsters, however numerous adults, too — saying they love that concerning the story!
And I personally assume it’s extremely wanted. Numerous instances on this business, folks can take themselves just a little too significantly, and I admire that you just’re simply doing what you wanna do. It looks as if persons are drawn to that.
Yeah, I attempt 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 screen displaying “At this time I did this,” and I used to be simply being actual. However I am fortunate, I nonetheless simply get to do no matter I need. Like for Tales of Tuscany, the workforce thought it was just a little little bit of a threat, 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 mentioned that! So I used to be identical 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. , it would not all the time should be this “Maintain X, cost your sword…” – you’ll be able to simply have enjoyable with it. So the ‘Baa’ changed into an interplay instrument – you’ll be able to 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.
Photos: High Hat Studios
I am nonetheless shocked you hadn’t performed the Earthbound / Mom video games previous to beginning your first sport. It looks like such a non secular successor to these video games.
Proper? And in terms of 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 virtually unlocked one thing, once 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, possibly? And I had buddies from my college who had been attempting to inform me: “Yeah, it’s important to block the entire sport out” and all of these items, and I used to be like: “Dude, however I am altering it each day?”. So there are numerous 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 seek advice from 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” generally — “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’d say to get them to try this collection?
Out of the entire RPGs and JRPGs on the market, there are so much, and an excellent one that basically makes it to the end line is tough to search out. This sport has numerous 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 cherished Recreation Freak’s early philosophy of attempting to strike a stability 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 wished everybody to get one thing out of it. In Pokémon, you’ll be able to 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 every little thing. This new characteristic appears fairly merciless, and I am questioning what occurred to you as a toddler that made you wish to torture folks?
HA! So, within the first sport, I had a debug choice within the ‘pause’ menu — only a placeholder — and it was known 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, it’s important to wait, like, 8-10 hours to obtain them, and you’ve got a 50% probability 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% probability of failing on the finish… however there WILL be weasels… and the weasels come and slowly go throughout the display screen, and once they inform you, it’s important to press an enter, in any other case they’re going to corrupt the munchkin.’ I believed, ‘I am unable to simply do the identical factor once more’, so I modified it up just a little bit. No person else is doing munchkins! No person else is doing one thing to the participant the place they’re like, ‘No, you do it the way in which I need you to do it, or else you fail, and I am not making it simpler since you’re complaining.’
@athenianrhapsody Revolutionary new gameplay mechanic. Wishlist Tales of Tuscany on Steam #pixelart #indiegames #undertale #deltarune #earthbound #nintendo #athenianrhapsody #pokemon #indiegame #gaming #jrpg #omori #yumenikki #fearandhunger #lisathepainful #chainedechoes #talesoftuscany #warioware ♬ unique sound – Athenian Rhapsody
You are simply going to make the sport you wish to make, and purposely reside 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 the right way to skirt the road now, however there have been just a few elements which may have to alter. There’s this character from Athenian Rhapsody known 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 searching again on it, I am like, “I am unable to simply be throwing ‘wiener’ round like that.” Or like, I wished to have an enemy with a plumber’s crack, and a mechanic the place it’s important to throw issues in it. And I truly vetoed that for Athenian Rhapsody, as a result of it was sort of disgusting.
…Ask forgiveness, not permission?
Yep, that is my motto!
Picture: High Hat Studios
Do you’ve plans so as to add any extra to this universe, or do you assume you may go in a very totally different path?
Truthfully, I believe this IP was an excellent one, it is sturdy. I did particularly wish to do three RPGs.
Why three, due to Earthbound?
Oh, I did not even take into consideration that! I simply thought it will be a pleasant quantity.
You must do three, and simply by no means launch the ultimate one right here.
HA, yeah, I will simply say there is a third! , I did initially wish to do three, however making this sport, I am nearing the tip of the inventive growth, and I sort of wish to take a break from RPGs for a bit. We’re doing the cellular sport, too – it is known 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 will all the time come again to it. However I believe for my subsequent console sport, I would love to do one thing just a little extra easy, mechanic-based… possibly a battler? I would love to do a roguelike sport. Undecided but although!
This interview has been flippantly 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 might be coming to PC and consoles in 2026.
Will you be taking part in Tales of Tuscany when it releases? Did you play Athenian Rhapsody? Tell us within the feedback beneath.
Austin began gaming at 2 years outdated and has been addicted ever since. Her Zelda, Mario, Pokémon & Animal Crossing obsessions freak folks out. She habitually carries a mini projector round to play her Change in console mode in bizarre locations. Her favourite gaming snack is pizza rolls, as a result of greasy controllers are her bugaboo.
