Melbourne International Games Week brings next-level gaming experiences to the city from 4-12 October with extensive programming.
Now in its second decade, Melbourne International Games Week has established itself as the Asia Pacific’s biggest games event and a fixture on the global calendar. The Victorian government-backed festival showcases Victoria as a global games capital and world-class development hub, with more than 125,000 people expected to attend across the comprehensive program.
Melbourne International Games Week transforms the city into a gaming wonderland featuring industry summits, workshops, exhibitions and interactive experiences for serious gamers, families and the games curious alike. ACMI in Federation Square serves as the event’s home base, hosting the blockbuster new exhibition Game Worlds featuring more than 30 videogames from the 1970s to today, plus four new Australian microgames.
Melbourne International Games Week
- Where: Various venues across Melbourne, with ACMI as home base
- When: 4-12 October
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
Key industry events include GCAP (Games Connect Asia Pacific) from 6-8 October, Australia’s foremost professional development and networking event with renewed focus on fostering connections and community building. High Score audio conference runs 4-5 October, uniting composers, sound designers and game developers, featuring Victorian studios League of Geeks, Spoonful of Wonder and Sub Zero Sound, plus musician Sarah Wolfe. Get earlybird tickets here before they sell out.
Freeplay Parallels takes over Melbourne Town Hall on 9 October for a showcase of experimental and culturally significant gaming work. Games for Change APAC runs 7-9 October, exploring how games can drive real-world impact through a three-day event examining the transformative power of video games.
Big Games Night Out returns
The largest free celebration of games in Australia, Big Games Night Out on 9 October transforms Melbourne’s centre into a games-themed wonderland with cosplay parades, dance-offs, live performances and prizes. The inaugural Little Games Night Out kicks off family-friendly festivities with interactive games and activities.
PAX Aus returns 10-12 October for its biggest year yet, featuring BAFTA-nominated voice talent, legendary RPG creators and world-class game designers. The Australian Game Developer Awards spanning 13 categories will be announced on 8 October, celebrating outstanding games and individual achievements by Australian developers. Visitors can cast their vote for the ACMI Audience Award.
Additional events include the King of Kart Tournament on 8 October, testing racing skills of 64 competitors for the title of King of Kart Champion. ACMI’s Careers and Frontiers Education Summit on 9 October explores careers in game design and creative technology. Play Now Melbourne on 9 October connects Australian developers with international publishers and investors.
Unique experiences include ReWorlding, a live action climate change experience building a sustainable community in futuristic Melbourne, the Digital Games Intimacies Summit examining online gaming themes, and The Flying Canoe, an interactive audio experience transporting families to Kiribati islands.
Regional Victoria joins the celebration with outer metropolitan and regional areas hosting satellite events, highlighting the hunger for games culture across the state.
For more information, head here.
