If you love games and want to level up your knowledge of the global industry, you won’t want to miss this year’s SXSW Sydney Games Showcase. With over 120 games to play from almost 40 countries, it’s a must-do for all gamers and casual enthusiasts alike.
Securing a pass or wristband to this October’s Games Showcase, part of the SXSW Sydney Games Festival, means a chance to playtest new and unreleased tabletop and video games, connect with the indie developers, and witness the next generation at the Student Showcase.
‘We do things a little differently,’ says Peak Distapan, SXSW Sydney’s Games Program Producer. ‘It’s all about discoverability. We have so many games, and we’ve got a mounted television on each booth so you can walk through and browse without having to commit to anything.’
The showcase is also rotated throughout the duration of the fest, so attendees can pop in ‘at least once a day, to see what’s there.’
SXSW Sydney Games: quick links
In terms of countries represented, Distapan reveals that the SXSW Sydney programmers have broken their previous years’ record of 33 (they are now at 38 countries), with Australian and New Zealand games representing a third of the titles on display. ‘We’ve got a game from South Africa, we’ve got a game from Bolivia’, he tells me, ‘… many festivals are focused more on promoting Australian games [only], but I think you need to look at the ecosystem holistically.’
SXSW Sydney: the best in global games
Peak Distapan himself is a lifelong gamer, whose earliest memories include being on the computer from the age of four, and playing Spyro the Dragon on the PlayStation in 1998. The nostalgia for that era is ripe in 2025, and is exemplified in SXSW Sydney’s special Memory Card showcase, which focuses on new games with deliberately low-poly graphics: ‘We’ve got some CRT TVs which we might put them on as well, which will be really rad,’ he says.
Another not-to-miss part of the fest is the Developer Commentaries, a revival of the DVD director’s commentary but for indie games. ‘It was a really popular format last year,’ says Distapan, ‘so we’re expanding our program.
‘It’s a great platform to give attending devs in our showcase some stage time to talk about some cool behind-the-scenes stuff about their game.’
Distapan mentions Don’t Stop Girly Pop, a local success story from 2024 when the Australian developer behind the first-person-shooter game was able to meet a publisher for the game as a result of showcasing at SXSW Sydney. ‘Making those moments happen is what we’re always trying to do,’ he says.
Distapan’s favourite game of all time is Pyre, the ‘black sheep’ of Supergiant games (who are behind the far more famous, rogue-like dungeon crawler Hades), but recently he’s been impressed by an indie titled called 1000xResist, a Canadian sci-fi RPG that showcased at SXSW Sydney last year (and won the title of Best International Game): ‘That game brutally, emotionally affected me,’ he says.
As for the highlights of 2025’s upcoming showcase and festival, Distapan listed the following games and talks:
SXSW Sydney Games Festival handpicked highlights
Must-play games:
As Long As You’re Here – Autoscopia Interactive – Netherlands, Denmark, USA
An emotional family drama seen through the eyes of a woman with Alzheimer’s disease. As the world around Annie shifts and changes, players share in her failing faculties.
Desktop Explorer – Recurring Dream – USA, Mexico, Canada
An interface mystery adventure set in a 90s computer. Rummage through forgotten files, abandoned games and outdated software. Face your fears to find the reason behind a teenager’s disappearance.
Relooted – Nyamakop – South Africa
Reclaim real African artifacts from Western museums in this African-futurist heist game. Recruit crew members, plan escape routes, acquire the precious cargo, and bounce out of the joint as fast as you can.
Compress(space) – B-deshi Interactive – Bangladesh
Compress(space) is a mind and space-bending puzzle game where you fold space to cheat your way through puzzles. Discover a variety of gameplay mechanics and break them in delightful ways with space folding.
KILLA – Black Tangerine – South Korea
Eight suspects. One name. Enter their minds. Dive into twisted dreams. Uncover hidden truths buried in subconscious worlds. KILLA is a dark mystery adventure where deduction means diving into the soul.
Must-see sessions:
This is Your Captain Screaming: Behind the Scenes of Night Plane – Liquid Static Studio (NZ)
A low-key and very unscripted live demo of the upcoming horror-comedy job-simulation game Night Plane. There’ll be a tour of the airport built for the game, the retro NPCs and the systems constructed around them, and the decisions behind the game’s development. Night Plane navigates the space between the familiar and unfamiliar, horrific and hilarious, banal and downright bonkers.
Taiwan Indie Games Showcase – Taipei Game Show
Experience a hand-picked showcase of incredible games direct from the Taipei Game Show. Play exclusive Taiwanese titles and discover why this region is one of the most exciting in global indie games right now. Come for the games, stay for the creativity.
The Lion, The Witch and the Audacity of this B*tch. Online Abuse, Conspiracy and Entitlement – Rachel Kowert, Calliope Ryder, Steph Panecasio (moderator)
This session unpacks the lasting impact of coordinated online harassment campaigns in the games industry, tracing their roots in misogyny, conspiracy thinking, and toxic entitlement. It explores how these forces have evolved over the past decade, and examines their impact on developer-community dynamics, as well as what individuals and organisations can do to protect themselves and their audiences.
90-Minute Game School: A Games Industry Crash Course – Oliver Lardner, Ceri Hutton, Daniel Teitelbaum, Vicky Wei, Lisy Kane, Ally Mclean
A rapid-fire crash course for indie developers covering everything they didn’t teach you in game dev school. From creative intention and team communication to data, finance, art, and pitching. Six expert-led micro-sessions give you practical tools, sharp insights, and fresh perspectives to level up your next project.
Opt Out or Burn Out: The Ethics of Saying No to AI in a Competitive Industry – Daniel Teitelbaum, Lilo Gordana, Emre Deniz
What if the most ethical choice is also the least sustainable? As more studios adopt generative AI to stay competitive, developers who resist face a tough dilemma: protect your values or risk falling behind. This panel confronts the uncomfortable truth that doing the right thing might cost you your game.
With so much to see and do, Distapan has a few tips for making the most of the festival: ‘You don’t want to stay in one place. You want to move around, talk to people, play as much as possible.’
Importantly, don’t just stick to the games section: ‘go to the concerts, go to the screenings. You can meet all sorts of cool people at every part of SXSW Sydney.’
Key Dates for SXSW Sydney Games Festival:
- Games Showcase: 15-18 October 2025
- Games Industry Networking: 15-17 October 2025
- Games Professional Development: 15-16 October 2025
The SXSW Sydney Games Festival is on from 15-18 October 2025. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for more information.
