Feature: ‘Tales Of Tuscany’ Dev’s Goal Is To “Let Players Do Whatever They Want”

During PAX East, we had the opportunity to connect with the energetic Nico Papalia from Top Hat Studios, the creators of Athenian Rhapsody and its recently announced prequel, Tales of Tuscany (set to release on “any platform you enjoy gaming on,” including Switch, in 2026).

Curious about what sparked such a whimsical universe, we aimed to uncover the origins of the WarioWare / EarthBound / Pokémon-inspired concepts. Amidst the loud laughter echoing from the demo booth crowd, we managed to gain insight into Papalia’s unexpected background and his contributions to both projects.

Below is our conversation with Nico, filled with as much amusement and quirkiness as the worlds these titles inhabit…

Nintendo Life: To kick things off — what motivated the creation of the Tales of Tuscany and Athenian Rhapsody universe? There’s a hint of EarthBound in there…

Nico Papalia: Interestingly, I didn’t even play EarthBound until AFTER I initiated Athenian Rhapsody—funny story! I dived in and felt a strong connection, as if it resembled what I was crafting. I was definitely influenced by Pokémon on Game Boy Advance; I played loads of that. Plus, I enjoyed Castle Crashers — I regularly chatted with my friends at The Behemoth. We’re currently exploring a collaboration — it’s going to be very slapstick, you know — though they are quite protective of their IPs, so… we’re still in talks.

I had grand aspirations — but I lacked programming skills, having studied art and focused on traditional pencil work. I didn’t have a clear direction initially. It evolved gradually, and I’m very thankful that I could share this at such a scale, transforming it into my profession. It’s profoundly personal.

“Slapstick-y” is absolutely the perfect description for these games; they’re hilarious.

Exactly, the tone is light-hearted, and the foundation for the world mirrors my life, my friends, and my current sense of humor. I often toss funny elements in as they come to me, and players seem to enjoy it. As a solo developer, I hold the creative reins and can pursue my ideas freely. It’s a blast. In the first game, I took some chances, like including an ‘invisible grilled cheese’ item in the map; I thought it would be overlooked—but someone discovered it within eight hours of launch! I flopped on social media; it was a blunder!

Will there be hidden secrets or easter eggs in Tales of Tuscany?

Not too many secrets as of yet—I’m still working on it, having just finalized the primary storyline. Next, I’ll tackle the ‘evil’ narrative and plan to toss in a few extra features before its release, likely around spring 2026.

Could you elaborate on how the two games differ?

Creating Athenian Rhapsody was somewhat slow-paced. I began with GameMaker, and things expanded from there. Honestly, I went into the first game without much knowledge about programming. It was in a 4:3 aspect ratio, reminiscent of Game Boy Advance—because I’m a huge GBA fan. Initially, I thought, “This is fantastic!” But when it came to porting it, I was like… “Oh no!”

So, Tales of Tuscany features the correct resolution. It also offers enhanced control customization and various quality-of-life improvements. Round 2: bigger, better, and stronger. I’d say Athenian Rhapsody resembles Pokémon Emerald, while Tales of Tuscany aligns more with Pokémon Black & White—focused on battles, camera movements, and sprite designs.

Clearly, you’re a big Pokémon enthusiast! What games did you enjoy during your childhood?

I played numerous Game Boy Advance titles—Madagascar, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Minish Cap, among others. My grandma used to buy them for me. I also played Crash Bandicoot on the PS2, where I’d just experiment in the initial area, never advancing. That was how I approached most games. I was more interested in exploring than progressing, and that all contributed to my creative inspiration.

Interesting perspective—are you a bit of a completionist? Because this game, with its multitude of choices and storylines, seems overwhelming for someone keen on completing everything.

You know what? As a teenager, I was more of a completionist; I aimed to fully complete Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze and similar games. But often, I was a clueless player, struggling to progress. I missed out on Rayquaza [in Pokémon Emerald] and would just drift off to random activities. Now, I’m rather the opposite. While crafting Athenian Rhapsody and Tales of Tuscany, I want players to have the freedom to explore and enjoy themselves.

The games appear crafted to provide a continual flow of enjoyment. Players can engage in mischief and pursue what they wish. It seems virtually impossible to experience every possible choice in the games.

Exactly! That’s precisely what my friends and I appreciate. You are encouraged to revisit the game multiple times, and the experience changes based on your party members and choices. Additionally, it doesn’t come across as ‘perfect,’ which many players appreciate.

Did you always envision the game as a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ type?

Yes, I’ve always aimed for that, but initially didn’t know how to achieve it. I struggled to conceptualize it. Athenian Rhapsody wasn’t programmed adeptly… Tales of Tuscany boasts much improved programming techniques, allowing me to realize my vision better. However, I had to start small and build up from there because…

I had grand visions – yet I was unfamiliar with coding. My education focused on art, and I was engaged in traditional pencil drawing, without a clear direction. Gradually, it evolved, and I feel incredibly fortunate that I could share my work on such a large scale and transform it into my profession. It’s quite personal.

As someone with an art background, did it influence the game’s creation, particularly the artistic side?

That’s a fantastic inquiry – it undoubtedly must have! I attended SUNY Oneonta, an excellent institution with remarkable instructors. I was deeply interested in anatomy — specifically transformational anatomy — but it took time to master using space and character creation.

When I first began Athenian Rhapsody, my pixel art was quite basic. I hadn’t grasped the concept of fully-saturated colors yet, and my sprites often showed pillow shading. It required time to understand it. There’s definitely a connection, but that ability didn’t come effortlessly; I needed to tap into that part of my creativity and learn pixel art fundamentals. Even in Athenian Rhapsody, as you play, you might notice there are numerous elements in one setting—that’s because I was still figuring out space! This honestly contributed to a frantic atmosphere, with surprises at every turn…

But it works! The absurdity is what makes it so charming. It seems part of it was unintentional, through experimentation, yet it became something really special.

Absolutely! I was merely pursuing what I enjoyed. Fortuitously, others appreciated it. Some feel it might be overwhelming, yet I’ve heard from many players who adore the storyline. One critic commented that the tone “shifted too rapidly,” and he deducted points for that. However, other individuals—especially younger audiences, but also many adults—indicate they love that aspect of the narrative!

And I genuinely believe it’s crucial. Often, in this industry, people can take themselves too seriously, so I admire that you’re focusing on your vision. It seems that resonates with people.

Indeed, I aim to be authentic and present myself genuinely. That’s how I developed this, creating tutorials online and building a community by being myself. I would just take my phone and record my screen, sharing, “Today I accomplished this,” while being honest. I’m grateful that I still get to create whatever I desire. For Tales of Tuscany, the team thought it was slightly risky to make the lead character a sheep…

Lambypoo – it reminds me of my dog’s toy, Lambchop!

Oh, absolutely! That’s precisely it! I have countless of those scattered around my home, all torn up! That’s where the inspiration came from; I’m thrilled you mentioned that! I had this idea—what if there was a button that made the lamb “baaa”? That’s how the concept of the ‘Baa’ button emerged. It doesn’t always have to be “Hold X to charge your sword”—you can just enjoy the process. So the ‘Baa’ turned into an interaction feature—you can break plants and cars because people want to engage in entertaining activities, like the dopamine boosts we discussed earlier. I’m honing in on that.

I’m still amazed you hadn’t played the Earthbound/Mother games before creating your first game. It appears like a spiritual successor to those titles.

Right? The flavor text in those games—like options such as “Yeah,” or “I’m lactose intolerant”—matches my writing style perfectly. Experiencing that was enlightening; I realized, ‘Okay, this irreverence is acceptable.’

I viewed a documentary about Earthbound where the director explained his intuitive process—he didn’t plan everything meticulously; he built it section by section, and that’s how I operate as well. I suppose it’s a similar mindset? Friends from school advised me to block out the entire game, and I was like, “But I’m changing it every day?” While there are differences in how meticulously I planned Tales of Tuscany, they share the same essence.

Speaking of Earthbound, I’ve heard you refer to your games as “JRPGs” several times—what does that term mean to you personally?

Honestly, I’ve used “JRPG” lately simply because I think of a long narrative-driven game, while “RPG” feels too generic. However, I sometimes refer to it as “IRPG” — “Italian RPG” — since I’m Italian, and we do enjoy lengthy conversations.

For someone who hasn’t encountered your games, what would you say to entice them to explore this series?

Among all the RPGs and JRPGs available, many struggle to deliver a truly satisfying experience. This game contains immense love, and there’s something for everyone—this was pivotal in its creation. I admired Game Freak’s early philosophy of balancing ‘cute’ and ‘cool,’ ensuring everyone has a favorite Pokémon. With Athenian Rhapsody, I aimed to create a character that everyone could appreciate. The game adapts to your preferences, providing something for all. The ‘rhapsodies’ resemble Gen 1 trading; I wanted to ensure everyone gained something meaningful. In Pokémon, you can transfer your Pokémon across consoles, which is the concept I aspired to. We’ll see how it unfolds!

So, the ‘munchkins’ are returning, but this time, the weasels are keeping an eye on you and stirring trouble. This new feature seems rather cruel; what influenced you as a child to want to challenge players?

HA! In the first game, I had a debug option in the ‘pause’ menu—a mere placeholder called ‘munchkins,’ with various silly elements. I decided to make ‘munchkins’ a real feature! Essentially, you must wait about 8-10 hours to download them, with a 50% chance of failure; if it succeeds, it’s just an artwork of mine congratulating players—but I was unaware that everyone went wild over it!

For Tales of Tuscany, I thought, ‘Okay, I won’t include a random 50% failure rate this time… but there WILL be weasels… and they will appear and gradually move across the screen. When they notify you, you must input a command, or they’ll spoil the munchkin.’ I wanted to avoid repeating myself, so I modified it. No one else is implementing munchkins this way! No one else is crafting scenarios where players must comply, or face consequences, and I won’t make it easier just because someone complains.

You’re intent on creating the game YOU want, living beyond conventional paths. Have any ideas for Tales of Tuscany been scrapped?

Yes, my publishers have asked me to edit a few aspects… I’ve learned to navigate this better, but there were elements that required alterations. A character from Athenian Rhapsody, Uncle Billiard, returns because he’s fantastic—he operates a hot dog stand, but everyone refers to the hot dogs as ‘wieners’… there’s one character who mentions, “Oh yes, my double wiener sandwich…” and reflecting on it, I think, “I can’t just keep using ‘wiener’ all the time.” I even wanted to create an enemy featuring a plumber’s crack, with a mechanic involving throwing items inside it. I ultimately decided against that for Athenian Rhapsody, as it felt rather off-putting.

…Ask for forgiveness, not permission?

Exactly! That’s my mantra!

Are there plans to expand this universe, or do you foresee a completely different direction?

Honestly, I believe this IP is strong and valid. I specifically aimed to create three RPGs.

Why three? Because of Earthbound?

Oh, that hadn’t crossed my mind! I simply thought three would be a nice count.

You should release three, then never publish the final one!

HA, right! I’ll just claim there’s a third! Initially, I wanted to complete three, but now that I’m nearing the conclusion of this game’s creative process, I’m leaning towards a break from RPGs for a while. We’re also developing a mobile game, called Goobie Garden, which features Thunder Goober—he definitely triggered something! So even if I step away from this IP, I’ll eventually return. But for my next console project, I’d prefer something simpler, perhaps mechanics-based… maybe a battler? Not yet decided!

This interview has undergone light editing for clarity.

Thank you, Nico Papalia (@AthenianRhapso1 on X) and the Top Hat Studios team, for taking the time to respond to our inquiries. Tales of Tuscany is set to release on PC and consoles in 2026.

Will you play Tales of Tuscany upon its launch? Did you experience Athenian Rhapsody? Share your thoughts in the comments below.