Media Release
ALT: GAMES, a new games festival for Sydney
Powerhouse today announced a major new Australian games festival for Sydney, presented at Parramatta this April 12–13. ALT: GAMES brings together the Australian games industry and community, featuring digital showcases, sessions with industry leaders and a large-scale interactive game installation.
A Powerhouse initiative, presented in partnership with City of Parramatta, Screen Australia and Screen NSW, ALT: GAMES is a celebration of the Australian games industry and is the first of its kind in Sydney.
Created for all levels of gamers, game developers, design studios and artists, the two-day festival will be headlined by industry leaders including award-winning Canadian creator of Inscryption Daniel Mullins, Magic the Gathering American creator Richard Garfield, Sydney-based game developer Ally McLean-Hennessy, GamesHub Editor Steph Panecasio, and Melbourne’s Massive Monster’s JoJo Zhou.
The two-day festival will be presented at PHIVE, Parramatta Town Hall and will feature a large-scale interactive game installation by Japanese and UK art collective Playfool in Parramatta Square.
A highlight of the program is ALT: Play, a free public digital games showcase that invites audiences to discover and test upcoming Australian titles, local works-in-progress and newly released games by independent Australian developers.
NSW-based games collective Serenade (Cuauhtemoc Moreno, Duncan Corrigan, George Mak, Jae Stuart and Kaveh Tabar) will present ALT: Ex, a curated experience that will showcase experimental work that represents the diversity of practice within the games industry. Workshops at PHIVE will include a First Nations game workshop facilitated by Melbourne-based studio GUCK and a deep-dive into games practice led by Richard Garfield.
Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah said, ‘Powerhouse is proud to support the Australian games industry through ALT: Games. This newly imagined festival captures the undeniable level of engagement that our communities have with games and the distinctive voices that are emerging from across Australia.’
Screen Australia Head of Games Joey Eggar said, ‘ALT: GAMES is an exciting addition to Australia’s creative calendar, and it’s fantastic to see Western Sydney becoming a hub for games culture. With talent like AGDA Rising Star Chloe Appleby shaping the program, this festival is set to be a brilliant showcase of Australian independent games and the innovation driving our industry. Screen Australia is proud to support this initiative, which highlights the incredible diversity of local gamemakers and fosters a stronger, more connected community.’
Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth said, ‘Screen NSW is pleased to support Powerhouse bring ALT: Games to Parramatta and showcase the depth of talent we have here in NSW, including one of the festival’s headliners and Screen NSW-supported developer Ally McLean-Hennessy. With over 80% of people in Australia now playing digital games, I’m thrilled NSW is home to an event of this scale that is dedicated to supporting and elevating our local developers and studios.’
Powerhouse Games Curator Chloe Appleby said, ‘ALT: GAMES has been curated and designed to support both the games industry and community, not only through the promotion of games but through fostering creativity and connection. As a major initiative from Powerhouse Games, Powerhouse is committed to highlighting the breadth of games as a leading contemporary cultural medium.’
City of Parramatta Council Lord Mayor Cr Martin Zaiter said, ‘City of Parramatta is proud to partner with Powerhouse to support local gamers and our homegrown games industry through ALT: GAMES. As the epicentre of culture and creativity, hosting ALT: GAMES in PHIVE, Parramatta Town Hall and Parramatta Square just makes sense. This growing, global City looks to the future, and it’s great we can provide a platform for innovation and connection in the local games industry.’
ALT: GAMES is a Powerhouse Games initiative. Powerhouse Games supports and elevates the Australian games industry through innovative programs, commissions, acquisitions, learning and research activities dedicated to exploring new interpretations of play.
For more information about ALT: GAMES, visit https://ph.au/4hbLpMx
PROGRAM INFORMATION
ALT:GAMES
Saturday 12 April–Sunday 13 April
Visit https://ph.au/4hbLpMx
ALT: GAMES is a new festival that brings together the Australian games community and industry. Featuring digital showcases, sessions with industry leaders and a large-scale interactive game installation. A Powerhouse initiative, presented in partnership with City of Parramatta, Screen Australia and Screen New South Wales.
ALT: Play
PHIVE Parramatta
Saturday 12 April–Sunday 13 April, 10–3pm
Free admission
Visit https://ph.au/3QKb1oX
ALT: Play is an Australian digital games showcase, that puts the spotlight on independent game makers. Featuring local works-in-progress and newly released games. Join us to discover and playtest upcoming Australian titles. All ages welcome.
ALT: Ex
PHIVE Parramatta
Saturday 12 April–Sunday 13 April, 10–3pm
Free admission
Visit https://ph.au/3Xu4vX4
ALT: Ex will showcase experimental games that explore and emphasise the breadth of the medium. Curated by Serenade, a NSW based collective of artists and developers Cuauhtemoc Moreno, Duncan Corrigan, George Mak, Jae Stuart and Kaveh Tabar. All ages welcome.
ALT: Sessions
PHIVE Parramatta
Saturday 12 April – Sunday 13 April, 10–3pm
Visit https://ph.au/3QM58re
ALT: Sessions is a series of deep dive sessions for emerging developers to gain industry knowledge. Hosted by industry leaders the workshops are designed to elevate the growing games community in NSW and provide opportunities for local industry.
Daniel Mullins
PHIVE Parramatta, Civic Gallery Level 4
Saturday 12 April, 11–12.30pm
Tickets $10
Visit https://ph.au/4i2i4p4
Award-winning Canadian game maker and creator of Inscryption, Daniel Mullins, will provide creative advice to game makers in this informal pitching session. Makers will bring their game to discuss informally their process with Mullins in front of an audience.
To apply to pitch your game: games@powerhouse.com.au
GUCK
PHIVE Parramatta, Civic Reception Level 4
Saturday 12 April, 10.30–11.30am (ages 7–13) and 12.30–2pm (ages 14+)
Free admission
Go behind the scenes with the creators of Australia’s first Aboriginal mobile game Blaktasia to learn the secrets of making art for games. Led by studio GUCK developers, you will create your own Murk Bug enemies and Bush Jewellery as see it come to life in the Blaktasia game. This is a First Nations focused workshop.
To apply: games@powerhouse.com.au
Richard Garfield
PHIVE Parramatta, Civic Gallery Level 4
Saturday 12 April, 1.30–3pm
Tickets $10
Visit https://ph.au/4hYMnNi
Join American game designer and creator of Magic the Gathering, Richard Garfield, as he examines the importance of game balance in game design.
JoJo Zhou
PHIVE Parramatta, Civic Gallery Level 4
Sunday 13 April, 10.30–11.30am
Tickets $10
Visit https://ph.au/3Xr4Vxn
Join JoJo Zhou, from Melbourne-based studio Massive Monster, for a game writing workshop where participants learn how to apply the fundamentals of storytelling to game creation.
Steph Panecasio
PHIVE Parramatta, Civic Reception Level 4
Sunday 13 February, 11.30–12.30pm
Tickets $10
Visit https://ph.au/3DhWptM
Join local award-winning GamesHub Managing Editor Steph Panecasio for a deep dive into the intricacies of games journalism and how to write about games, for games.
Daniel Coppen and Tomo Kihara
PHIVE Parramatta, Civic Gallery Level 4
Sunday 13 April, 1.30–2.30pm
Tickets $10
Visit https://ph.au/3QHAteH
Join the pioneering Tomo Kihara and Daniel Coppen from Japanese and UK artist collective Playfool for a discussion about their practice and how they engage with play.
ALT: Installation (Australian Premiere)
Parramatta Square
Saturday 12 April–Sunday 13 April, 10–4pm
Free admission
Visit https://ph.au/3F6qNYH
Japanese and UK artist collective Playfool will present their work How (not) to get hit by a self-driving car for the first time in Australia. The work challenges audiences to avoid being detected by an AI-powered camera and aims to become a platform to understand how these systems work. Playfool’s work has been presented at institutions including Victoria and Albert Museum, London and the MAK, Vienna.
ALT: Features
Parramatta Town Hall
Saturday 12 April, 5–7pm
Tickets $10
Visit https://ph.au/3XsxkDu
ALT: Features will connect Australian game makers with the wider international industry for networking and knowledge-sharing. Join us for a keynote address from leading artist, game developer and writer Ally McLean-Hennessy, who will reflect on why we make games, and an in-conversation with the esteemed US game designer Richard Garfield (creator of Magic the Gathering) and Canadian game developer Daniel Mullins (creator of Inscryption) discussing deck building and design process.
Media Contacts
About Powerhouse
Powerhouse sits at the intersection of arts, design, science and technology and plays a critical role in engaging communities with contemporary ideas and issues. We are undertaking a landmark $1.2 billion infrastructure renewal program, spearheaded by the creation of the new museum, Powerhouse Parramatta; expanded research and public facilities at Powerhouse Castle Hill; the renewal of the iconic Powerhouse Ultimo; and the ongoing operation of Sydney Observatory. The museum is custodian to over half a million objects of national and international significance and is considered one of the finest and most diverse collections in Australia. We are also undertaking an expansive digitisation project that will provide new levels of access to the Powerhouse Collection.
About Ally McLean-Hennessy
Ally McLean-Hennessy is an artist, game developer and writer from Sydney. Her recent projects include Mystiques Haunted Antiques, which won the SXSW Sydney People’s Choice award; Solium Infernum with League of Geeks, which was crowned one of the best games globally of 2024; and the FREAKON Short Film Festival. McLean-Hennessy’s games have been shown in museums and festivals around the world, and she has spoken at conferences globally about game making.
About Daniel Coppen
Daniel Coppen is, alongside Maruyama Saki, one of the leaders of Playfool — a UK-based design and art unit whose work explores the nature of relationships between society and technology through the medium of play. Playfool’s multidisciplinary and experimental practice comprises objects, installations and multimedia productions that emphasise play’s experimental, reflective and intimate qualities. Playfool’s works have been widely exhibited at institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the MAK in Vienna.
About Daniel Mullins
Daniel Mullins is an award-winning indie game developer and the creator of Pony Island, The Hex, and Inscryption. Based in Canada, he is currently hard at work on a spiritual sequel to his first game called Pony Island 2: Panda Circus.
About GUCK
GUCK is a First Nations led games studio based in the Kulin Nation in Victoria. GUCK is currently working on Blaktasia, Australia’s first Aboriginal-led mobile game.
About JoJo Zhou
JoJo Zhou is the Head of Narrative at Melbourne-based games studio Massive Monster. A writer and dramaturg, she is passionate about the mechanics of storytelling, and how can they be transformed across the mediums of games, performance, prose, and more. Her work seeks to facilitate artists creative processes while creating powerful and unique experiences for players, audiences, and artists alike.
About Richard Garfield
Richard Garfield is a US-born mathematician, inventor and game designer who created Magic: The Gathering, considered the first trading card game. Soon after it was published, he left academia to design and study games full time. Since then, he has designed many games, consulted widely on game design and coauthored a textbook used in many game design courses: The Characteristics of Games. Game design remains a passion and he considers himself a lifelong student of games.
About Steph Panecasio
Steph Panecasio is an award-winning culture and games journalist, and is the Managing Editor of GamesHub.
About Tomo Kihara
Tomo Kihara creates ‘toys for thought’ which are games and experimental software that bring new perspectives to society through play. After graduating from Japan’s Keio University Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, he completed a Masters of Science in interaction design at TU Delft in the Netherlands. Kihara later worked for the Amsterdam-based research institute Waag, where he undertook research at AI Culture Lab on the social impact of artificial intelligence. His projects have been exhibited at Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria, and the Design Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum in London.