The inaugural SXSW Sydney will feature a Games Festival Showcase designed to spotlight new and upcoming, independently-made games from Australia and around the world – and this program is now open for game submissions. Developers with unreleased projects, or titles published ‘no early than 1 January 2021’ can submit an application to be a part of the showcase, which will grant complimentary support, exhibition spaces and equipment, and entry to the festival.
‘The SXSW Sydney 2023 Games Festival will be the place to experience the current trends and exciting future of the Games industry in Australia and beyond,’ the Games Festival description reads. ‘If you’re a game developer, SXSW Sydney will offer you unprecedented access to a massive audience of industry professionals, media, creatives, and new fans and consumers.’
‘There’ll be a keen focus on the movers and shakers in the Games industry in the Asia-Pacific region, but SXSW Sydney will stretch to every corner of the globe. From virtual and augmented reality projects to cinematic RPGs and tabletop games, the Games Festival will cover it all.’
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Submissions to appear during the Game Festival will need to be lodged by 2 July 2023 at 11:59pm AEDT, and applicants will later be informed of their success. Those granted a place in the showcase will receive a spot among the SXSW Sydney exhibition spaces – which includes a station equipped with a PC, monitor, mouse, and keyboard, and two exhibitor badges (with the option to purchase more badges at a lower rate).
Additional equipment, transport, accommodation, and required visas will not be covered, so teams will need to budget accordingly.
Submission entrants will be judged on strict criteria that include the focal points of: originality, technicality, graphical, narrative game design, and gameplay. These submissions will be reviewed by multiple parties – although as the team is anticipating a high volume of entries, it will not be able to accomodate every application.
Those with a project to submit should head to the SXSW Sydney website to browse application criteria, and determine whether the festival’s Game Showcase will provide the right opportunity.
Successful applicants will be given the spotlight when the SXSW Sydney Games Festival Showcase is held from 18-22 October 2023 across several venues in central Sydney.
