MolFest 2025: Discover MolFree - Freedom in a Visual Novel Adventure!

Welcome to Hoken Tech.

After nearly six months of preparation, the second edition of MolFest kicks off from 27 to 29 of June 2025. It is the biggest cosplay, video game, and Japanese culture-themed event in Puglia, attracting participants from all over Italy.

This project focuses on local communities such as associations, organizations, and even the local entrepreneurial network, featuring various startups, including Hoken Tech. This year, Hoken Tech once again had the opportunity to collaborate on the event by developing its official video game.

The theme of this year’s MolFest is “Freedom,” and the contributions from various associations and participants will center on this topic. Likewise, our video game was developed around this concept.

MolFree, a completely free video game accessible [here], is a Japanese-style visual novel set in the historic center of Molfetta. It narrates the city’s story through characters skillfully designed by local artist Lucrezia Ciccolella.

Lucrezia Ciccolella is a local artist specializing in illustration and manga. Self-taught, her passion for comics flourished during her years at Molfetta’s Classical High School, where her school desk turned into a battlefield against cleaning solvents as she refined her skills.

Deeply inspired by the Japanese manga tradition, she finds intense inspiration in Riyoko Ikeda (Lady Oscar) while also drawing from other Japanese authors such as Chie Shinohara (Yami no Purple Eye), Leiji Matsumoto (Uchuu Senkan Yamato), and Go Nagai (Devilman).

Raised in Molfetta, Lucrezia continued her artistic journey through university. She later launched an Instagram page where her artwork can be admired, including glimpses of her project titled Harem’s Conspiracy. Recently, she contributed to the creation of the MolFest video game, lending her artistic touch to its visuals.

This second edition of MolFest is even bigger than the first, boasting a massive 150,000 square meters of exhibition space. There, various artists, associations, and even national organizations will take over the city of Molfetta for a unique and free event open to all.

We will also have a dedicated area where attendees can try out the video game created for the occasion and explore the history of Molfetta in an innovative, interactive way.