I'm a Game Designer with a strong technical background that lets me work across the full development cycle—from concept to prototyping, system design, and game economy—to live operations after launch. I specialise in progression systems, economy design, monetisation, live ops and product management, enabling me to work with PMs or take the lead myself. My experience covers AAA, mobile and indie projects, and I also design board games to broaden my perspective. I was part of BAFTA Crew Games from its inception in 2014 to 2019, and I co-authored Practical Game Design ( Packt, 2018 ), with a second edition in 2023. I’m passionate about new tech, player psychology, and creative writing. I’m continually taking online courses to sharpen my knowledge and I’m fascinated by the business side of games and the digital industry. I also give talks and lectures on game design at universities and conventions.

Ennio De Nucci

I'm a Game Designer with a strong technical background that lets me work across the full development cycle—from concept to prototyping, system design, and game economy—to live operations after launch. I specialise in progression systems, economy design, monetisation, live ops and product management, enabling me to work with PMs or take the lead myself. My experience covers AAA, mobile and indie projects, and I also design board games to broaden my perspective. I was part of BAFTA Crew Games from its inception in 2014 to 2019, and I co-authored Practical Game Design ( Packt, 2018 ), with a second edition in 2023. I’m passionate about new tech, player psychology, and creative writing. I’m continually taking online courses to sharpen my knowledge and I’m fascinated by the business side of games and the digital industry. I also give talks and lectures on game design at universities and conventions.

Available to hire

I’m a Game Designer with a strong technical background that lets me work across the full development cycle—from concept to prototyping, system design, and game economy—to live operations after launch. I specialise in progression systems, economy design, monetisation, live ops and product management, enabling me to work with PMs or take the lead myself. My experience covers AAA, mobile and indie projects, and I also design board games to broaden my perspective. I was part of BAFTA Crew Games from its inception in 2014 to 2019, and I co-authored Practical Game Design ( Packt, 2018 ), with a second edition in 2023. I’m passionate about new tech, player psychology, and creative writing. I’m continually taking online courses to sharpen my knowledge and I’m fascinated by the business side of games and the digital industry. I also give talks and lectures on game design at universities and conventions.

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Experience Level

Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
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Language

Italian
Fluent
English
Fluent

Work Experience

Co-Founder and Game Design Director at Studio Atelico
August 1, 2024 - November 25, 2025
Co-founded and lead game design initiatives at Studio Atelico, overseeing concept development, prototyping, systems design and live-ops planning for multi-disciplinary projects.
Author, Practical Game Design at Packt
April 1, 2018 - November 25, 2025
Author of Practical Game Design; co-authored with Adam Kramarzewski; book focuses on practical game design methods with emphasis on mobile and live-service strategies; second edition released in 2023.
Principal Game Designer at Fuse Games
August 1, 2024 - August 1, 2024
Led game design efforts for Fuse Games, coordinating systems design, balance, and live-ops planning.
Lead Game Designer at Creative Assembly
December 1, 2023 - December 1, 2023
Led game design for major projects, driving progression, economy and monetisation strategies; aligned with production and QA processes.
Game Designer at Creative Assembly
March 1, 2021 - March 1, 2021
Contributed to game design across multiple features and systems, with focus on player progression and live operations.
Game Designer at Another Place Productions Ltd
February 1, 2019 - February 1, 2019
Designed gameplay mechanics, rules and interfaces for social/mobile games; collaborated with cross-functional teams.
Freelance Game Design Consultant at Self-Employed
May 1, 2016 - May 1, 2016
Provided design consulting services for mobile/PC games, prototyping and gameplay balance.
Director and Game Designer at Onion Squire
January 1, 2016 - January 1, 2016
Directed game design and content creation; led team coordination and project planning.
Game Designer at Supermassive Games Ltd
November 1, 2015 - November 1, 2015
Designed gameplay elements and features for narrative-driven projects; collaborated with multiple departments.
Game Designer at GTECH S.p.A.
June 1, 2014 - June 1, 2014
Designed new games and improved player experience on F2P platforms; consulted on pitches and projects.
Junior Game Designer at Dreamslair Entertainment Srl
May 1, 2013 - May 1, 2013
Designed game contents including rules, gameplay mechanics, environments, storylines and characters; social/mobile focus.
Game Developer at Pm Studios srl
May 1, 2012 - May 1, 2012
V ideogame development; ActionScript and PHP programming.

Education

Computer Science Degree at Università degli Studi di Bari Informatica e tecnologie per la produzione del software
January 1, 2005 - January 1, 2013
Maturità Scientifica at Liceo Scientifico Tecnologico G.Marconi
January 1, 2000 - January 1, 2005

Qualifications

Social Psychology
January 11, 2030 - November 25, 2025
SAFe 5 Practitioner
January 11, 2030 - November 25, 2025

Industry Experience

Gaming, Media & Entertainment, Software & Internet