Melbourne International Games Week has respawned bigger and better, loading up 70 events across an expanded nine-day open world extravaganza.
The Asia Pacific’s biggest gaming celebration transforms the city into an interactive playground, where major international publishers rub shoulders with indie developers, families discover new worlds through cutting-edge exhibitions, and the future of gaming gets shaped through industry summits and experimental showcases.
The full program reveal today follows a series of exciting announcements over the past few weeks, from High Score’s deep dives into audio design, to nationwide events like Steam Page Festival’s digital showcase, to industry-defining events like the Games for Change APAC.
It’s all shaping up to be Melbourne’s most epic gaming takeover yet.
Melbourne International Games Week 2025
- 4-12 October
- Across Melbourne, with home bases at ACMI and Fed Square
- Satellite events at Bunjil Place and Hobsons Bay Altona Library
- The Steam Page Festival will run nationwide
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
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This year’s festival introduces Little Games Night Out for families starting at 3pm, before the main Big Games Night Out takes over Fed Square with cosplay parades, dance-offs and the centrepiece Electric Arcadia exhibition. The event also expands beyond central Melbourne for the first time, with satellite programs at Bunjil Place in Narre Warren and Hobsons Bay Altona Library.
ACMI serves as the festival’s home base, hosting the blockbuster Game Worlds exhibition featuring over 30 videogames from the 1970s to today. The museum also presents an exclusive evening with Celeste creators Maddy Thorson and Noel Berry, plus four new Australian microgames commissioned specially for the festival.
The program explores gaming’s intersection with culture through 11 Melbourne Fringe crossover shows, experimental arcade installations and the three-day Games for Change Asia Pacific event examining games’ real-world impact. Professional development opportunities include the Games Connect Asia Pacific conference and the Careers and Frontiers: Games Education Symposium featuring international industry guests.
International speakers include Lis Moberly from 20th Century Games/Walt Disney Company, Donald Barrett from Marvel’s Spider-Man development team, and Josh Sawyer from Obsidian Entertainment. The festival culminates with PAX Aus, Australia’s biggest gaming culture celebration, running 10-12 October.
High Score for game audio enthusiasts
The Victorian Music Development Office and Creative Victoria present High Score on 4 October, diving deep into how composition and sound design shape video game experiences. The conference brings together top Victorian studios including League of Geeks, Spoonful of Wonder and Sub Zero Sound alongside musician Sarah Wolfe to explore innovative audio systems and evocative scoring techniques.
“Melbourne International Games Week celebrates Victoria’s thriving games industry with 10 days of action-packed programming, proudly backed by the Victorian government,” acting creative industries minister, Danny Pearson said.
“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.”
Check out the full program at gamesweek.melbourne.
