Doneref Studios

05/03/2026

How do we model a Zym for our game?

Usually we carefully set up Blender… a sphere, brush, smooth edges...
However, it seems the Artistic Director has… a very unique approach:

Let’s start with traditional Italian ragù. 🍅
Add béchamel. Boil the pasta. 🍝
Layer it all with grated Parmigiano Reggiano. 🧀

Ah questo sì che è buono.

Into the oven it goes… and boom!
A Zym is born. 👽

Interesting pipeline, right?

20/02/2026

STUDIO NEWS | February 2026 Update is Live 🚀

Huge progress on EIN’s first Demo, new Unity tech in the works, and our Feb–June 2026 plans are officially underway.

Catch up on everything here:
🔗 https://doneref.com/news/february-2026-update

12/02/2026

"EIN: The Zyms' Pathkeeper" is officially on all socials. 🎉

We’ll be sharing devlogs, updates, moments, and behind-the-scenes content as we continue to build.

Follow along: https://linktr.ee/ein.pathkeeper

29/10/2025

Big studio shake-up 👀
Our new Social Plan is launching soon: new content, new platforms, same passion.

See what’s next 👉 https://doneref.com/news/social-plan

09/10/2025

We might’ve gone a bit quiet 👻 but we’ve got news to make up for it!

Check out our October 2025 Update 👉 https://postly.click/WFX

01/07/2025

🔪 Something’s slicing its way back…

We’re playtesting Line Slice 2.2 on Discord!
Wanna be part of the testing?
(Android 8+ only | Ends July 9)

Join now — https://doneref.com/discord 💎

20/06/2025

It’s all fun and games until fun isn’t easy anymore.

At Doneref, talking about what it means to be a gamer is tricky.
We are gamers. But we’re also making games. So yeah, there’s a conflict of interest.

Still, let’s try a simple exercise: We’ll say what gamers want. You tell us how far off we are.

🎮 We want respect.

Not endless systems pretending to be “depth.” Not engagement loops disguised as content.
Just a clean, honest space to have fun, where choices feel real, and they matter.

Yes, we’re in it to make a living. But we still believe there’s a sweet spot where what we want as Doneref
can meet what we want as players.

Let’s aim for that.

10/06/2025

🚫 We’re not here to chase virality.
📈 We’re here to chase meaning.

In today's gaming landscape, it’s easy to get distracted by trends and hype. But we believe that true impact comes from something deeper.
When mechanics and creativity work together, games become more than just entertainment. They become experiences you can feel and resonate with.

They invite players to connect on a real level. This is where game design is headed: thoughtful, intentional, and meaningful. And we are excited to be part of that future.

06/06/2025

🎮 Indie games don’t follow trends, they set them.

AAA titles might rule the charts, but it’s the indie scene that keeps gaming alive, raw, and innovative.

From Undertale to Hollow Knight, from Celeste to Disco Elysium, indie developers have always dared to take creative risks that big studios simply can’t.

They bring new mechanics, bold stories, and unforgettable experiences to the table, built with heart, not just budget.

We wrote a piece about why Indie Games are reshaping the future of gaming, and why they always will.

📝 Read it now:

👇 And tell us your favorite indie game in the comments.

Indie games drive innovation with bold ideas, emotional stories, and unique design. Discover why they're shaping the future of gaming, without big budgets.

03/06/2025

🚀 We’ve just launched our new website.

Why?
Because things change.
Tech moves forward.
And so do we.

As we grow in ambition and sharpen our vision, our site needed to match that energy, bolder, clearer, and built for what’s next.

The old one? It got us here.
But this one?
It’s built for where we’re going.

Check it out → https://doneref.com

30/05/2025

🎧 Meet Antonio, Doneref's Audio Director, who doesn’t wait for inspiration.
He waits for the deadline. And when it hits? He delivers.

Before he was crafting soundtracks, Antonio was getting lost in Ape Escape 2, Kingdom Hearts, and Skyrim.
Not just playing, more like studying. Feeling. Letting those games shape what he’d one day create.

Now at Doneref, Antonio’s building more than music.
He’s building atmosphere.
His process?
📚 Dig into references.
🧪 Experiment with sound.
⏳ Let the pressure do its magic.
🎵 Compose with purpose.

Antonio’s not in this for the spotlight.
He’s here to leave something behind, something that works emotionally, mechanically, musically.
Because when it clicks?
You feel it.