Gaming is not just about fun; it has a positive impact on many aspects of our lives, including memory, reflection, and mood. While games are often seen as a form of light entertainment, there are numerous cognitive and psychological benefits that can come from playing. In particular, AudioGames, which rely on audio game mechanics and immersive sound, offer unique advantages. This article will explore how gaming, especially AudioGames, can improve memory, stimulate creativity, and contribute to better mental well-being, especially for commuters.

Those who spend a lot of time on public transportation know how important it is to find ways to pass the time. Commuters have specific needs: they look for content that’s accessible, brief, and engaging without requiring constant visual interaction. AudioGames, audio-based games, and gamebooks are emerging as ideal solutions, offering immersive audio experiences that let players enjoy the journey without staring at a screen, with the added benefit of being easy to pause and resume.

The collaboration with Lucca Comics & Games brings you to Lucca! Play the second chapter of Lapis in Fabula, written by Roan Johnson and narrated by actor Stefano Fresi, offers a unique immersive sound experience, featuring cover art by Paolo Cioni.

We are thrilled to announce the release of PlayNook's new audio gamebook, "Lapis in Fabula", created in collaboration with Lucca Comics & Games. This innovative audio gamebook, written by Roan Johnson and narrated by actor Stefano Fresi, offers a unique immersive sound experience, featuring cover art by Paolo Cioni.

Valerio Acampora is one of the authors of PlayNook. He was born 41 years ago in Torre del Greco but grew up in the province of Livorno (Tuscany) where he currently lives. Following his graduation in Pisa, he specialised in screenwriting at Rome’s Centre for Experimental Cinematography. After living for some time in Canada, Rome and Turin, collaborating on screenplays and creative projects of all kinds, Valerio discovered his other great vocation, teaching. He is a teacher now, but since he has never lost his passion for screenwriting, writing and great stories, he decided to return to his first love by joining the PlayNook gang, and more specifically the team of authors led by Roan Johnson. Here’s what he told us in a wide-ranging conversation.

Celeste Trionfo Fineo is a PlayNook author. Twenty-four years old and originally from Matera, she has been living in Milan for some time now, and after a three-year degree in Communication and Media at IULM (and a Master’s degree in the art of storytelling), she started contributing to the PlayNook revolution. In this conversation, she tells us about her creative journey, the authors who have influenced her the most, and the AudioGame she is working on over the coming months.

Stefano De Vivo, COO and audio director of PlayNook, is from the southern Italian city of Bari, but he has lived in Milan for a long time. He is only 28 years old but already has a lot of artistic and creative experience: after training as a jazz guitarist, he toured Italy, then worked in record, theater and audio/video media productions before finally landing at PlayNook. In this interview he talks about why AudioGames are a real revolution and tells us more about himself.

Stefano De Vivo, COO of PlayNook: “Our innovative storytelling puts people back at the center of stories, making them the protagonists of wonderful adventures that they will create themselves. Through technology and sound, we want to give everyone the freedom to imagine.” After the gamebooks of the 1980s and the podcasts of the early millennium, a new way of experiencing great stories is born, diving into vast narrative universes of adventure, suspense, twists. The first audio game, “Marco Polo: Adventures”, – available in English and Italian – will take audio gamers from Venice to the China of the legendary Kublai Khan, testing them with all kinds of decisions and adventures. The first chapters will be released on the PlayNook app in May.