MIGW 2025 Program Announcement

The Asia Pacific’s biggest games event just got bigger – MIGW 2025’s expanded program
features esports, intimacy in the online world, international keynotes, music, live
performance, a careers symposium, games for good and events for all ages.

With 70 events across a jam-packed week, Melbourne International Games Week (MIGW) includes plenty
of unexpected surprises for gamers at every level plus all the industry must-haves and international guests.
Showcasing Victoria as a global games hub, the 2025 program celebrates the unique local community of
creators and studios making an impact on the international stage as well as an incredible line up of global
talent.

Big Games Night Out returns for a third big year with an invitation to all ages, kicking off at 3pm with the
inaugural Little Games Night Out for young families and the young at heart; and continuing until late for
the grown-ups with the centrepiece exhibition Electric Arcadia. For the first time, gamesweek expands to
greater Melbourne with satellite events at Bunjil Place in Narre Warren and Hobsons Bay Altona Library,
while online the Steam Page Festival goes national with over 200 games on offer.

MIGW continues to explore the impact and intersection of games across culture and society with: Eleven
Melbourne Fringe crossover shows including mind-bending live performance blending interactive game
play and the stage; the Science Gallery and Freeplay’s experimental arcade, Distraction; Australian
Writers’ Guild’s Interactive Narrative Social; High Score audio conference; Games for Change Asia Pacific
events over 3 days looking at games for good and real-world impact: Reworlding the City North, a futuristic
urban LARP; and Digital Gaming Intimacies exploring intimacy in online game worlds.

As gamesweek’s home base, ACMI will host a range of special games programming, including the
blockbuster new exhibition Game Worlds, four new Australian microgames to play, an exclusive evening
with the creators of iconic indie game Celeste, and a fan night for Elder Scrolls Online.

For budding game makers, ACMI’s Careers & Frontiers Education Summit features a must-see keynote
from game development researcher Brendan Keogh alongside local creators at the top of their game
(AGDA-winning makers of Massive Monsters). For those industry professionals, MIGW showcase
international guests include the best in the biz: Lis Moberly, creative lead at 20th Century Games/Walt
Disney Company; Donald Barrett, senior designer on Marvel’s Spider-Man, Jenny Windom, organiser for
Wholesome Games, Josh Sawyer, studio design director at Obsidian, Pete Ward of MachineGames and
Marie Foulston, studio lead at Good Afternoon.

Quotes attributable to Acting Minister for Creative Industries Danny Pearson
“Melbourne International Games Week celebrates Victoria’s thriving games industry with 10 days
of action-packed programming, proudly backed by the Victorian Government.”

“Melbourne International Games Week is the largest event of its kind in the Asia Pacific region,
attracting industry leaders from across the country and overseas. Our local games industry is
amongst the best in the world, creating jobs and fostering the next generation of talent, and we
are proud to back this action-packed event."

PROGRAM OUTLINE

Spanning over 50 years of play, ACMI’s major new playable exhibition Game Worlds (18 Sep 25-8 Feb 26)
features more than 30 videogames from the 1970s to today, with 44 playable moments alongside original
builds, rare design materials and hands-on prototypes you won’t find anywhere else. Open throughout
gamesweek and late night for Big Games Night Out.

Having expanded nationally in 2025 for the first time ever, MIGW Steam Page Festival (1-10 Oct) returns
with its biggest year yet. No matter where you are in the world, get ready to embark on a curated digital
festival overflowing with the finest games crafted by Australian developers. Dive into MIGW’s curated
digital showcase to find playable demos, discounts on a huge range of titles and discover some as-yet
unreleased gems.

Bunjil Place Games Week Satellite Program (1-10 Oct) Dive into nostalgia with Scratch Space Invaders
and MAME arcade games on the big screen. Compete or cheer at the Esports Player Experience and race
friends in Mario Kart on the Big Screen. Fantasy lovers can join a thrilling Dungeons and Dragons
Adventure, while tech enthusiasts explore new worlds in the Virtual Reality Taster Session. Cap off the
week with fun and strategy at Friday Night Board Games. It's a celebration of play, connection, and
interactive entertainment.

The free exhibition Distraction (until 26 May 26) features an experimental arcade in partnership with
Freeplay, the world's longest-running indie games festival. Play custom-built games by local developers on
bespoke arcade machines, dive into interactive student-designed games from Science Gallery's STEM
program and test your wits against AI in creativity-challenging works like Deviation Game.

ACMI Microgames (17 Sep 26-8 Feb 26) Play 4 microgames from established and emerging Australian
game developers, newly commissioned for Game Worlds. Feed and pet creatures, manoeuvre through
asymmetrical gameplay, restore colour to the world and answer calls on a videogame hint line. This year’s
4 outstanding commissioned microgames, playable across the museum, includes ACMI EGG by Apartment
809, What’s Your Angle by Callum Chatfield and Mally He, Salix8 Sunset by Tim Koch, and Hint Line '93 by
Secret Lab and Yarn Spinner.

Creating 3D Game Characters (4 Oct) Hone your art and design skills in this hands-on workshop where
you'll deep-dive into the shape language of character design and build your own 3D game character.
Explore the fundamental principles of art and design and play with shape, form and colour to create
characters with visual hierarchy. Designed for aspiring game artists, this workshop will equip you with a
practical understanding of character creation and will teach you how to critically consider the design of
characters from your favourite games.

High Score (4 Oct) Turn up the volume with High Score – Australia’s premier game audio conference,
presented by the Victorian Music Development Office (VMDO) and Creative Victoria. High Score
unpacks the integral relationship between composition, sound design and video game development.
Featuring top Victorian studios such as League of Geeks, Spoonful of Wonder and Sub Zero Sound, and
musician Sarah Wolfe, High Score unites creatives across music and game development, exploring how
evocative scores and innovative audio systems can enhance the player experience.

Rapid Game Prototyping using Unreal Engine (4 Oct) Accelerate your game development skills and
unleash your creative ideas in this hands-on workshop focused on rapid prototyping using Unreal Engine.
Designed for aspiring developers and designers, this session will guide participants through the essentials
of building quick, playable game prototypes.

The MNY (4 Oct) is a participative AR game designed for children. Starting at RMIT campus, this part
digital, part artist-guided experience invites players to snap a photo of any face-like form, draw a persona
directly onto that image, and then upload it to the digital map for others to discover.

At Are They A... Bard? (4 Oct) a party of comedians and drag performers will attempt to effectively work
together to achieve a shared goal. As the adventurers move along their journey the audience will be able
to vote on helping or perhaps even hindering them in their goal, add bardic inspiration to our character's
roles, and even suggest voices for NPCs.

Bits & Builds: Inside the Gaming Machine (4 Oct) hosted by Umart Online, is a hands-on workshop
introduces participants to the fundamentals of building a personal computer, with a focus on demystifying
the process and encouraging creative engagement with hardware. Designed for beginners and hobbyists,
the session walks attendees through each stage of assembling a PC, from understanding components to
exploring design choices like case aesthetics and lighting.

Hosted by ACMI and IGEA, Taking Up Space: A Networking Event for Women & Gender Diverse Game
Developers (5 Oct) is a friendly networking event that aims to amplify the voices of women and gender
diverse game developers while building community in the gaming industry. Featuring micro-talks from
industry professionals discussing the obstacles and triumphs of working in the games industry, this event is
aimed at mid-to-senior-level developers to focus on building community and demonstrating solidarity with
one another.

Presented by IGEA, Games Connect Asia Pacific - GCAP (6-8 Oct) is Australia’s premier professional
development and networking event for the game development industry, focused on up-skilling and
connecting the Australian sector via education, knowledge sharing and the provision of extended personal
and business networks. This year’s event features leading keynotes from Lis Moberly, Creative Lead at
20th Century Games/Walt Disney Company; Donald Barrett, senior designer on Marvel’s Spider-Man,
Australian Jenny Windom, organiser for Wholesome Games, Josh Sawyer, Obsidian’s Studio Design
Director, and Australian Jordan Mochi, the self-taught award winning solo indie developer who developed
WW1-themed survival horror game Conscript.

ACMI presents Celeste: In Conversation with Maddy Thorson & Noel Berry (6 Oct) an exclusive
Australian event with the 2 creative minds behind Celeste, Maddy Thorson and Noel Berry. Join them as
they discuss stories from throughout the game's development, explore their creative practice and reflect on
over a decade working as an internationally recognised indie developer in the videogame industry.

The Australian Writers’ Guild’s Interactive Narrative Social (7 Oct) is a networking event for narrative
designers and writers in video games, games for change, TTRPG, and XR. The evening will include an
informal panel with narrative director Alexander Swords and guests, followed by a chance for attendees to
chat and network with fellow practitioners.

Join V2S Games and friends at Elder Gods & Dragons for The King's Poisoner: The Last Kingdom (7 Oct)
a collaborative storytelling tournament-style event like no other. Every word, every card, will shape the fate
of kingdoms and change people's lives forever in a thrilling epic created as you play the game together.

Spanning 13 categories, the annual Australian Game Developer Awards - AGDAs (8 Oct) is a national
event celebrating outstanding games and individual achievements by Australian game developers. Visitors
can also drop into ACMI (7–12 Oct) and try out a selection of outstanding games, before casting their vote
for the highly coveted ACMI Audience Award.

Digital Gaming Intimacies (8 Oct) is a ticketed public event exploring intimacy in online game worlds.
Speakers from game makers, game livestreaming influencers, sex toy designers, digital media scholars,
and game curators will explore critical themes of identity, playfulness, design ethics, environment,
mentorship, and community across the spectrum of digital games, game livestreaming, gameplay, and
game design.

Player Night: The Elder Scrolls Online (8 Oct) Step into the world of Tamriel like never before in this
premium after-hours Game Worlds experience. Includes access to the exhibition, with content from The
Elder Scrolls Online and other fan-favourite titles. Hear from Studio Game Director Rich Lambert as he
takes you behind the scenes of one of the world's most popular MMORPGS. Enjoy a range of themed
activities and interactive experiences to explore throughout the night.

The Australian Role-Playing Industry Awards (8 Oct) night celebrates the work coming out of this
burgeoning industry by a creative, industrious and diverse community.

Australia’s leading international games market, Play Now Melbourne (9 Oct), returns for its third
action-packed year, bringing the global games industry to Melbourne International Games Week. This
year’s line-up features some of the world’s most exciting publishers and platform holders, including
ID@Xbox, Kepler Interactive, PlaySide Studios, Akupara Games, UltraPlayers, WINGS Interactive, Fellow
Traveller, Massive Monster, and Devolver Digital. Play Now Melbourne will welcome first-time publishers
such as Alt Ventures, Kwalee, Pqube, Outersloth, Silver Lining Interactive, The One Games, Thunderful
Games, and Wholesome Games Presents, making 2025 the biggest and most diverse Play Now yet.
Presented by VicScreen, with support from Screen Australia, Play Now Melbourne is where Australian
game developers, connect with global publishers, platform holders and investors.

Game Workers: Group Up 2025
Game Workers: Group Up 2025 (9 Oct) is a unique chance for union members and non-members to come
together, connect, and learn more about how we're building solidarity and stronger networks within the
game workers' community.

Esports Australia Summit 2025 (9 Oct) unites leading voices from across the esports ecosystem to
explore the future of competitive gaming. This year’s program takes a close look at the fast-approaching
Olympic Esports Games, the role of sports federations in shaping the grassroots to high performance
landscape, and the pathways driving player development towards national representation. We’ll spotlight
women in esports leadership, examine how high school educators are supporting the next generation of
talent, and offer a unique opportunity to get hands-on with the latest disability support technologies
transforming esports accessibility. Proudly hosted at RMIT University.

Careers and Frontiers: Games Education Symposium (9 Oct) is one-day symposium designed for
secondary and tertiary students, educators, career advisors, parents and gamers to explore the career
futures in the games industry. Keynote speaker Brendan Keogh will draw from a decade of teaching and
researching to dispel the most common industry misconceptions as well as provide insights into cultivating
diverse career paths from award-winning local creators like the makers of the Massive Monsters series,
and international guests such Donald Barratt of Insomniac Games and Marie Foulston, studio lead at Good
Afternoon.

Freeplay: Parallels (9 Oct) is a showcase of heartfelt talks by independent game makers alongside
playable installations of experimental works. Presented by Freeplay, the world’s longest running
independent games festival, Parallels puts a focus on the expressive and non-commercial games being
made in Australia and the surrounding regions.

Aimed at families with children aged 5-12 years, The Flying Canoe (1 Sep-1 Dec) is an on-demand,
interactive audio experience for families to do together that will transport them to the islands of Kiribati.
Featuring an oceanic soundscape that includes traditional Kiribati songs, families will transform their lounge
room into a world of myth and wonder.

Reworlding City North (4-5 Oct) Step into the year 2050, where Naarm Melbourne has become a
sprawling megacity grappling with change and crisis. Cardigan Street is remapped via Boon Wurrung
knowledge and language, becoming an urban commons. In this urban LARP, climate fiction meets urban
adventure at a street party with puzzles, factions and collective problem-solving.

Games for Change APAC (7-9 Oct) is a 3-day event that explores the transformative power of video
games; looking at how games can drive real-world impact, with a series of talks and a showcase of the
latest and greatest games that are masterfully designed to both educate and entertain. With a focus on
education, health and social change, Australian game developers are creating games that help us better
understand neurodiversity, mental health and reproductive health options; to experience little known parts
of the world, and to explore issues like over-consumption and the impact of plastics in our waterways.

The largest free celebration of games in Australia, Big Games Night Out (9 Oct) will once again transform
Melbourne’s Fed Square into a wonderland of games-themed fantasy and play, with cosplay parades,
dance-offs, live performances, prizes and more. Highlights include: the eye-catching centrepiece exhibit
Electric Arcadia, a tribute to the timeless Amusement Plaza from Callum Preston and Louie Roots;
Indiginerd’s 80s-inspired Dungeons & Dragons adventure inside a Stranger Things-themed room;
Melbourne Meeples Tabletop Takeover, featuring a special Games Market and life-size playable games,
and late-night programming from ACMI.

And for the next generation of gamers, the inaugural Little Games Night Out will kick off festivities from
3pm-6pm. A place where children and adults can dress up and party together, this family-friendly afternoon
will feature games, facepainting, Australia's Favourite Bubbleman Dr Hubble and Joey Lightbulbs' Family
Rave.

The action-packed King of the Kart event (10 Oct) at Fed Square is set to showcase the ultimate racing
skills of 64 skilled competitors as they vie for the coveted title of King of Kart Champion. The stakes are
high, with the winner being rewarded with a fantastic prize package including a brand-new Switch 2
Console, controller and a generous voucher.

Melbourne Fringe Festival and MIGW co-programmed events include: RPG-IRL, an interactive live role play
game exploring climate crisis and resource wars; Forests of Ash, an immersive projection work about forest
ecology; Power Move, a technicolour kinetic dancefloor where every shimmy, stomp, and spin pumps
clean, green energy straight into the party's heart. There’s also: MAFIA The Game: The Show, the hit
role-playing game come to life; Holographic Charizard, a comical music show about the greatest Pokemon;
Mel McGlensey is NORMAL, a collaborative clown experience exploring the depths of normaldom as
decided by the audience; LoveMachine, an intimate human-to-computer installation; and We Have Been
Called Many Things, an interactive exhibition sharing Chinese-speaking Australians' evolving identities and
stories.

PAX Aus (10-12 Oct) the biggest celebration of gaming and gaming culture in Australia, PAX Aus features
thought-provoking panels, a massive expo hall filled with the best publishers and independent studios, new
game demos, musical performances, tournaments, and a community experience unlike any other.

Elegant Skeleton (10-12 Oct) Dig deep into wiki pages you never thought you'd visit searching for answers
to propel your team forward, in this public aptitude challenge.

Costumed Life Drawing (10 Oct) is an immersive, narrative-driven drawing experience where no
experience is necessary.

Game in the Groove (11 Oct) demo games from local indie developers in a cosy bar space in the city.

Technically Games Lightning Talks (11 Oct) is an evening for industry game professionals to share
knowledge on the more technical aspects of game development, design, security, audio, production and
anything else in between. It will be attended in-person at Port Melbourne Town Hall, with up to 14 speakers
each presenting a topic in under 5 minutes. The evening platforms passionate game industry workers at
any stage in their career and allows audiences to not only build their technical knowledge, but access
professional development opportunities too - all within a safe and accessible space.

Megadev (12 Oct) every year, at the end of Melbourne International Games Week, the Australian games
industry comes together for our own version of a wrap party that we like to call Megadev – a friendly space
to unwind and end gamesweek on a high note. This year, IGDAM will once again be hosting Megadev.