Case File 097 · Inside Murder Book
Meet the Team Behind Murder Book
The people credited on Murder Book and the independent Zagreb studio behind it.
Murder Book is made by a small team at Gungrounds, an independent game studio founded in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2016. The official Murder Book press kit credits the following people:
- Kristian Macanga: game design, development and programming.
- Andrej Mrkonjic: programming.
- Antonio Villamandos: concept art.
- Sinisa Bahun and Matija Vigato: storytelling, game design and level design.
- Noemy De Guzman: marketing.
Together they are building a narrative-driven interrogation game inspired by real police footage and psychological interviews, with cases designed for 5–10-minute sessions.
Key takeaways
- Murder Book is developed by Gungrounds, based in Zagreb, Croatia.
- The studio was founded in 2016 and is led by Kristian Macanga.
- Six people are credited in the official press kit across design, programming, art, story and marketing.
- Gungrounds previously made Serious Sam: Tormental.
- Murder Book is co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA and the Croatian Audiovisual Centre.
Who is Gungrounds?
Gungrounds is an independent video game developer established in 2016 in Zagreb, Croatia. According to the studio's website, it began by developing and porting Flash games for clients including Armor Games, Newgrounds and Kongregate. It has since worked with or for companies including Devolver Digital, Croteam, Mad Head Games, Miniclip and Fumi Games.
The studio's original work includes Serious Sam: Tormental, which the studio lists with the ID@Xbox GDC Choice 2018 and SGC Indie Choice Award 2017. Gungrounds is also developing Immunauts, alongside Murder Book.
Who is on the Murder Book team?
The team listed below comes from the credits in the official Murder Book press kit.
| Name | Role on Murder Book |
|---|---|
| Kristian Macanga | Game design, development, programming |
| Andrej Mrkonjic | Programming |
| Antonio Villamandos | Concept art |
| Sinisa Bahun | Storytelling, game design, level design |
| Matija Vigato | Storytelling, game design, level design |
| Noemy De Guzman | Marketing |
Kristian Macanga
Kristian Macanga leads Gungrounds and is credited as Murder Book's game designer, developer and programmer. His portfolio site notes that he is developing Murder Book and Immunauts with support from Creative Europe MEDIA.
Andrej Mrkonjic
Andrej Mrkonjic is credited as a programmer on Murder Book.
Antonio Villamandos
Antonio Villamandos is credited with concept art, which shapes the look of the game's interrogation rooms and characters.
Sinisa Bahun and Matija Vigato
Sinisa Bahun and Matija Vigato are credited with storytelling, game design and level design. In a game built around unreliable stories, that means shaping what each suspect says, what they leave out and where their accounts come apart.
Noemy De Guzman
Noemy De Guzman is credited with marketing for Murder Book.
How is the team supported?
Murder Book is co-funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe MEDIA programme, which listed the project in its 2023 video game development results. The Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC) has also supported the project. Public support of this kind helps independent European studios develop original games.
What is the team making?
Murder Book is a detective game about interrogation. Players read suspect behaviour, connect contradicting statements and choose how to press, in short, self-contained cases. For an overview, read What Is Murder Book? To follow the project's progress, see The Development of Murder Book.
Murder Book is in development, with release currently planned for the end of Q2 2027 on PC (Steam) and mobile.
How can press or partners contact the team?
Press and partnership enquiries can be sent to Gungrounds at kristian@gungrounds.com. More information is available on the Murder Book website and the official press sheet.