Authoring worlds.

Award-winning Game Creator, Director, and Author.
Exploring the intersection of gameplay and emotions.

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DYING LIGHT

A legendary open-world survival horror saga embraced by over 30 million players worldwide. One of the most successful and enduring horror-action IPs of the last decade.

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GUNGRAVE G.O.R.E.

A resurrection drenched in bullets and betrayal. Grave returns from the dead to carve a path of vengeance through a world where loyalty is sacred and violence is ritual.

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LAST DAY OF JUNE

An emotional tale about love, loss, and the unbearable weight of a single day. Revisit memories, reshape choices, and discover how far the heart will go to defy fate. Created and Directed by Massimo Guarini

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MURASAKI BABY

A fragile child wanders through a living nightmare. By holding her hand, you guide her across a surreal journey in search of safety and meaning. Created and Directed by Massimo Guarini.

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SHADOWS OF THE DAMNED

The cult action-horror punk rock descent into hell from Goichi Suda (SUDA51), Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil), and Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill), directed by Massimo Guarini.

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NARUTO - Rise of a Ninja

The first 3D open-world action-adventure based on the iconic anime, developed entirely outside Japan. Critically praised for its faithful adaptation and innovative design.

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Massimo Guarini is an award-winning Game Creator, Director and Author.With over 25 years in the industry, he has collaborated with visionary talents like J.J. Abrams, Steven Wilson, Goichi Suda, Shinji Mikami, and Akira Yamaoka.
Massimo has created, directed, and written titles for Techland, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe, and 505 Games.His work earned a BAFTA nomination and won the Italian Video Game Awards’ Game Beyond Entertainment honor, alongside an Individual Recognition Award for his impact on the industry.

Widely known as Game Director and Co-writer of the Japanese cult horror Shadows of the Damned (Electronic Arts), Massimo recently collaborated with Techland on the creative direction of the Dying Light franchise.With his independent studio, Ovosonico, he created and directed award-winning titles Last Day of June (505 Games) and Murasaki Baby (Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe). At Ubisoft Montreal, he directed the critically acclaimed Naruto – Rise of a Ninja, with other notable credits including Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3 – Raven Shield, the cult horror The Mummy, and the classic Rayman.

Creative Direction

With over 25 years of experience, Massimo brings a deep understanding of how systems, mechanics, and narrative converge to shape player experience. His creative direction is grounded in emotional intent as much as design discipline, ensuring that gameplay serves feeling, and vision guides every decision. His work consistently favours clarity over complexity, prioritising coherence, tone, and experiential integrity over feature accumulation.

Executive Leadership

As a studio founder and international creative lead, Massimo has built and led multidisciplinary teams across Europe, Japan, and North America. His leadership combines creative authority with strategic oversight, bridging vision, production realities, and long-term IP thinking. At Ovosonico, he grew a team of 25, established partnerships with Sony and 505 Games, and led projects from concept through release, while guiding the studio through growth and transformation.

Creative Advisory

Massimo collaborates with studios, publishers, and investors at pivotal moments of development, when projects need clarity, cohesion, or a creative reset. His work focuses on vision, authorship, and experience design, helping teams re-anchor creative intent, align gameplay with emotional goals, and transform complex projects into cohesive, distinctive experiences. He either advises at Creative Director level or assumes full Game Director responsibilities, leading projects from concept to launch, working directly with founders, executive producers, and leadership teams.

Through his holding company JUNO PARTNERS, Massimo manages and licenses his original intellectual properties across video games, film, and television.

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