Freeplay Independent Games Festival

16/09/2022

Get Involved - Freeplay

We're hiring!🪐 Apply now for a short-term Production Manager role in the Parallels 22 team, get involved in our new Community Advisory Group or throw your hat in the ring to join the dedicated volunteers on the Freeplay Board.

More:

Would you like to contribute to Freeplay? In addition to the positions listed below (scroll down for more detail), we are currently seeking a Production Manager to join the Parallels team. This is a short-term role to assist on event delivery between now and October 4. Applications due 22 September....

18/08/2022

We have some exciting news ...

Freeplay: Parallels will be returning *in person* this year as part of Melbourne International Games Week on the 6th of October!! ✨

Also Paper House Games have been chosen to curate the event!😋📀🐟👾🐨🔌💿
Read more: https://www.freeplay.net.au/paper-house-to-host-independent-game-festival-freeplay-parallels/

#Parallels22

24/03/2022

⚡Throwback⚡ You can still play the first-ever winner of the Freeplay Awards non-digital category: Anthony Sweet's Outside These City Walls, 2013 https://www.handwrittengames.com/outside-these-city-walls

Love the breadth of games practice showcased at Freeplay? We're keeping our short survey open until 31 March, it'll take five minutes: https://bit.ly/3sLVR7m

15/03/2022

Remember this night? Big shout-out to Hovergardenfor sharing so many fun times with Freeplay over the years🌈

Been part of a Freeplay event in the past? Tell us what you think we should do next - survey closes Friday: https://www.freeplay.net.au/australian-gamers-and-games-makers-what-do-you-need/

11/03/2022

Freeplay Parallels 2017 Trailer

While we’re asking for your feedback on Freeplay, we’ve been strolling back through the archives. Can you believe that Untitled Goose Game, Wayward Strand AND Florence were all in the one Parallels lineup? Check out the trailer from 2017.

And don’t forget to take our survey! https://bit.ly/3sLVR7m Thanks to everyone who's given feedback so far

07/03/2022

What should Freeplay do next? We'd love your help with a ⭐5-minute survey⭐ as we take some time to think about our future. Have your say by March 18: https://www.freeplay.net.au/australian-gamers-and-games-makers-what-do-you-need

Direct survey link: https://bit.ly/3sLVR7m

Image: The Freeplay Zone from Parallels 2021, showing a pixel-art rendition of the outside of RMIT's Capitol theatre. There is a tree and a street and cool people waiting to see some great games.

08/12/2021

✨ ANNOUNCING Freeplay's 2021 Commission Series! ✨

Earlier this year, Freeplay received funding from Victoria Together to commission a series of micro-scale experimental games. We're excited to unveil 7 new games by Victorian game makers!

👉 https://together.vic.gov.au/games/freeplays-games-series

✨ Curated by Freeplay Director Chad Toprak, the commission series features games made by local creators including Phoebe Watson, Dakoda Barker, Max Myers, Lexie Mason-Davis & Jon Tree, Mohamed Chamas, Olivia Haines & Andrew Brophy, and Kalonica Quigley.

------------------------------------------------------------------
✨ Everyday by Phoebe Watson

A short visual novel where players help the main protagonist, Abigail, make decisions on how to spend her day - balancing work, school, and relationships.

👉 https://together.vic.gov.au/games/phoebe-watson-everday
------------------------------------------------------------------
✨ all we can do is try by Dakoda Barker

A short, 'active' idle game reminding us of the interconnected web that is our minds, our bodies, our environment, and our communities.

👉 https://together.vic.gov.au/games/dakoda-baker-all-we-can-do-try
------------------------------------------------------------------
✨ 37°49S 145°08E by Max Myers

A game about a specific location in the artist's local area in Victoria; using it as a terrarium to explore our relationship with often overlooked pieces of nature.

👉 https://together.vic.gov.au/games/max-myers-37deg49s-145deg08e
------------------------------------------------------------------
✨ Another Island by Lexie Mason-Davis & Jon Tree

A game that explores communication in isolation by letting players write and draw messages to one another on a serene island.

👉 https://together.vic.gov.au/games/lexie-mason-davis-jon-tree-another-island
------------------------------------------------------------------
‎✨ قلبي قلبكم (My Heart is Your Heart) by Mohamed Chamas

Unveil five personas who inhabited a strange enclave known as Here. Their personal rituals, cosmologies and experiences are revealed through poetic form.

👉 https://together.vic.gov.au/games/mohamed-chamas-qlby-qlbkm-my-heart-your-heart
------------------------------------------------------------------
✨ Station Street by Olivia Haines & Andrew Brophy

Station Street is an homage to country Victoria. Players experience a day in the life of a country town from the perspective of its residents and the roles they play.

👉 https://together.vic.gov.au/games/olivia-haines-andrew-brophy-station-street
------------------------------------------------------------------
✨ Apartment by Kalonica Quigley

You’re invited to my place~
When all this began, I left my home and most of my belongings behind. My apartment, recreated from memory.

👉 https://together.vic.gov.au/games/kalonica-quigley-apartment
------------------------------------------------------------------

👀 We'll have additions to this line-up in 2022, watch this space! 💖 Until then, we hope you enjoy playing some playful, poetic, and personal micro-scale experimental games by local artists 🥰

👉 All games can be found on the #VictoriaTogether website: https://together.vic.gov.au/games/freeplays-games-series

07/10/2021

The Freeplay Parallels 2021 Showcase is happening at 7pm AEDT tonight! 🎉

We've got seven fabulous speakers presenting their games and taking us through their journeys. ✨

Watch on YouTube or via The Zone: https://www.freeplay.net.au/

There's still time to pick up your merch: https://freeplay.bigcartel.com/

14/09/2021

✨ANNOUNCING PARALLELS 2021✨

💖 Short talks, heartfelt games.
📆 7pm, Thu 7th Oct @ MIGW 2021
🎫 FREE TIX: https://trybooking.com/BTUYG
🔥 Speaker Lineup: https://freeplay.net.au

Join us for an online showcase of unique, experimental & personal independent games!
📰 https://freeplay.net.au/announcing-parallels-2021/

Our Parallels identity this year was made by the amazing
Cole Williams! You can grab a t-shirt, tote bag, or tea towel featuring Cole’s artwork at our NEW Freeplay merch store! ✨
👕 https://freeplay.bigcartel.com

(Get a discount code when you grab a ticket 👀)

We’re super excited to announce that the Parallels ZONE, lovingly crafted by Jae Stuart & Cecile Richard, will be back again this year! 😊💖 Watch the Parallels ‘21 showcase in this lovely pixel-art rendition of our venue, The Capitol. ✨ ZONE URL will drop closer to the event!

A big shout-out to Dan Golding for the amazing trailer, as always 💖

A heartfelt thank you to the Parallels 2021 team: Chad Toprak, Ben Turner, Pritika Sachdev, Terry Burdak, Goldie Bartlett, Jae Stuart, Cecile Richard, Cole Williams, and Dan Golding.

Thank you to Creative Victoria for having us on board Melbourne International Games Week 2021.

#Parallels21 #MIGW21

28/06/2021

Freeplay 2021 - Feedback Form

Hi folks! If you tuned in to the Freeplay 2021 Festival or Awards night, please fill out this survey. It helps us out a lot! 🙏

Thank you for attending Freeplay 2021! We hope you had a delightful, inspiring, and engaging experience. Your feedback is important to us. We would love for you to fill in this form to help us make future Freeplay festivals even better. We use this information to report to our partners and help shap...

27/06/2021

Freeplay Parallels 2021

The Freeplay Parallels Showcase will be returning to Melbourne International Games Week (MIGW) for 2021! 🎉

✨ Local Makers.
✨ Independent Games.
✨ Short Talks.
✨ Your Next Favourite Game.

📅 Thursday, October 7th

27/06/2021

Freeplay 2021 Digital Awards Ceremony

The Freeplay 2021 Awards Ceremony is live in just ONE HOUR! 💖

This is shaping up to be a really fun ceremony, complete with a secret announcement at the end! 👀

Don't miss it!

https://youtu.be/IsKa6-vjM7o

Join us for the final event of the festival, the Freeplay Awards Ceremony.The Freeplay Awards have been a long-standing cornerstone of the festival and the A...

22/06/2021

Hello everyone! 📣 We have a new date for Street Tape Games! 👀✨

Due to the extended lockdown in Melbourne, the event is now rescheduled with the following date and sessions. There will be two facilitated play sessions to introduce the public to the games. Each session runs for 60-90 minutes.

Registration is free but essential, as spots are limited.

📅 Date: Saturday 10 July 2021
🕑 Session 1: 2:00–3:30pm
🕓 Session 2: 4:00–5:30pm
🗺 Location: Queensbridge Square (Southbank)

👉 Register: https://forms.gle/i3sD86tPmcNYRmq89
👉 More info: https://streettape.games

ℹ Please note that this event may be rescheduled based on weather conditions and latest COVID-19 restrictions in Melbourne. Registered participants will be notified before the event if there are any changes.

We hope you can still make it! 🙂

16/06/2021

Freeplay Awards 2021 | Freeplay

The 2021 Freeplay Award Nominations are out now! Congrats to all the nominees. 🎉

We'll see you online for the Awards Night on June 27th. 💖

The Freeplay Awards highlight and celebrate bold, personal, experimental, diverse, delightful, and culturally significant independent games being made in Australia and New Zealand.

09/06/2021

We know you've been waiting patiently: we're super excited to announce that this year's Freeplay Awards nominees will be revealed Sunday after our closing keynote with Zedeck Siew.

Our other news is that the Freeplay Awards Ceremony will be postponed to 27th June. It's been a hard decision, but we're confident this means we can do justice to the incredible submissions we've received this year, and give our team some extra support during a challenging time, especially for those in Victoria.

We're very sorry, but we promise you won't be disappointed. We can't wait to celebrate some incredible games with you. ❤️

09/06/2021

✨ Freeplay Z•O•N•E ✨

Freeplay 2021 has officially kicked off! You can watch all talks in the Freeplay ZONE!

✨ https://freeplay-zone.glitch.me ✨

View the full schedule here ➡️ https://www.freeplay.net.au/2021-festival/conference/

A ZONE for Freeplay 2020 by @jemztones and @haraiva

02/06/2021

Due to the latest lockdown, Freeplay will now be taking place entirely online. This means:

🟠 The Freeplay Awards will be streamed online on June 13.
🟠 The Night Market and Street Tape Games are indefinitely postponed for now and we hope to be able to bring it back later in the year

🎟 If you were a lovely person who bought a ticket to the awards, check your emails. We will be refunding tickets to all unless you reach out to us and specify otherwise.

🎵 We're waiting for confirmation from our partner events, Games Gig and Sound Byte, and will have more information for you later today or early tomorrow.

✨ The Freeplay ZONE will be back and will likely have a much larger presence than before. We’re still working out the details, but Freeplay has always been about the community, and the ZONE brings so much life to our festival.

That’s all for now. Honestly we’re all pretty disappointed that things have turned out the way they have. But the safety of everyone is our first and foremost priority. Look after yourselves friends, and we’ll see you online. ❤️

27/05/2021

Let's meet our wonderful keynotes, shall we? ✨

D. Squinkifer, aka Squinky (they/them), is a transgender and neurodivergent new media artist who makes weird videogames about feelings while somehow continuing to survive in a late capitalist cyberpunk dystopia. They'll be opening the online conference on June 9th.

Our closing keynote is Zedeck Siew (he/him). Zedeck is a writer, translator and designer based in Port Dickson. His prose fiction and RPG work has been published in Malaysia, the UK, and the USA.

A reminder to reserve your FREE tickets to our online festival now: https://www.freeplay.net.au/2021-festival/2021-ticketing/

27/05/2021

Freeplay 2021 Speakers | Freeplay

We have 40 speakers joining us online from around the world this year. A huge thank you to them for sharing their knowledge with us!

Let's get to know them, shall we? 🥰

Freeplay is the world's longest-running independent games festival. Join over 40 speakers streaming live from across the world, tune in from the comfort of your home!

26/05/2021

Freeplay 2021 Conference | Freeplay

📣 The Freeplay 2021 conference schedule is live! 📣

We've got a huge 6 days planned, shaped by some absolutely excellent speakers. Join us from June 8th! 💖

Freeplay is the world's longest-running independent games festival. Check out our 2021 festival programme, featuring talks, panels, performances, and more!

20/04/2021

Freeplay 2021 - Call for Volunteers

The Freeplay 2021 Call for Volunteers is now open! 📣

This year we're looking for for some amazing people to help us run our physical events. You'll get a free pass to the event you work at and the awards ceremony. ❤️

➡️ https://forms.gle/cHNg5xCxL4E3tNdo6 ⬅️

Hello and thanks for your interest in volunteering for Freeplay 2021. This year, Freeplay is hosting a hybrid digital/physical festival. Our limited physical events will take place in Melbourne, Australia between the dates June 8–13. You are expected to volunteer approx. 3–6 hours in the physica...

13/04/2021

Freeplay would like to clarify that the music event we’re co-hosting with Sinister Creative is completely separate from Square Sounds Presents: SoundBytes, Australia’s longest running chiptune event.

We’re sorry for any confusion caused and wish them all the best!

12/04/2021

🎟 Tickets for Freeplay are out now! 🎟

Reserve your FREE ticket for our online conference lineup, taking place from June 8th–13th. 🧡

PLUS purchase your tickets for our amazing live events! Let's find out what they are, shall we? 👀

~~~

We’re hosting 2 incredible music events during Freeplay 🎶

✨GAMES GIG: Indie musicians perform their music from indie games
📅June 10, The Toff

✨SOUND BYTE: A concert showcase of Australian video game music
📅June 11, Skydeck

~~~

The Night Market makes its return! We’ve teamed up with Hovergarden once more to bring you a night of playful games & music. 🐸

Plus Voiceworks will be launching an upcoming issue and hosting a series of live readings for us all to enjoy! 📖

📅 June 12, Siteworks

~~~

Last but not least, we can’t forget the Freeplay Awards Ceremony! 🎉

Hosted in-person (and streamed live around the world) we’ll be celebrating the incredible talent and voices this industry has to offer. 💖

📅 June 13, TBA 👀

TICKETS HERE ➡️ https://trybooking.com/events/landing?embed&eid=746356 ⬅️

09/04/2021

Freeplay 2021 - Dates & Theme Announced | Freeplay

📣 ANNOUNCING FREEPLAY 2021 📣

Join us for a week of online talks and in-person events.

When: June 8-13
Theme: Soft Voices, Loud Roars.
More info: https://www.freeplay.net.au/freeplay-2021-dates-theme-announced/

---
🎨 Our 2021 theme, "Soft Voices, Loud Roars", emphasises the importance of our collective power while acknowledging and valuing each individual's unique voice. We believe that with all our voices combined we can make for a loud roar!

---
🗣 Call for Speakers 🗣

We're accepting submissions for talks, panels & performances! We really want our theme to inspire & encourage first-time speakers to apply, so send us your ideas! No pitch is too small.

Submit: https://forms.gle/c5MsXM37eXfF7TkH7
Deadline: 11:59pm (AEST), Sunday 2nd May.

---
🏆 2021 Freeplay Awards are still open! 🏆

The Freeplay Awards have been a long-standing cornerstone the ANZ games community, celebrating new and emerging voices, creative talent, and bold experimental ideas.

Submit: https://www.freeplay.net.au/awards/
Deadline: 11:59pm (AEST), Sunday 25th April.

---
This year's visual identity was made by Rory Sampson with guidance from our Visual Art Lead Goldie Bartlett.

"A cacophony of frogs singing together, each adding its unique song to the chorus, which is much larger than any individual."

---
🎥 All conference talks will be streamed live throughout the week and will be FREE! ✨

We’re also hosting a suite of in-person events. Here’s to seeing you all for live music, playful games, our Night Market, and the #Freeplay21 Awards, IRL in June!

More details, including events, tickets, and more next week! 💖👀

Freeplay 2021 – Dates & Theme Announced Apr 9, 2021 | Announcements, Awards, Online Festival Hello and welcome to Freeplay Independent Games Festival 2021! The Freeplay team have been working hard over the last few months, and we’re delighted to announce a hybrid physical-digital festival for 20...

31/03/2021

Freeplay Awards 2020 | Freeplay

📣 The 2021 Freeplay Awards are now open for submission! 📣

✨ Open to artists across ANZ ✨

📅 Submissions close 11:59PM (AEST) on Sunday 25th April so get them in as soon as possible! #Freeplay21

The Freeplay Awards highlight and celebrate bold, personal, experimental, diverse, delightful, and culturally significant independent games being made in Australia and New Zealand.