The PAX Aus Indie Showcase is a celebration of independent game developers from Australia and New Zealand, with recipients of the annual program being granted a free spot on the PAX Aus show floor, and hefty promotion in marketing materials. Each year, an expert industry panel selects participants from a range of submissions – and this program is now officially open for PAX Aus 2023.
If you’re an independent developer based in Australia or New Zealand, you don’t have a traditional publisher-developer relationship in place, and you don’t have funding from any third party (excluding government funding or crowdsourcing), you’re now able to submit your projects, as long as they’re past the beta stage.
In 2022, the Indie Showcase played host to a number of excellent independently-made games, including Gubbins from Studio Folly, Tempopo from Witch Beam, and Rooftop Renegade from Melonhead Games. A number of tabletop games were also represented, including Yum Cha, The Score, Pixel Star: Frontier, and Aethermon: Tower of Darkness.
Read: Announcing the PAX Aus 2022 Indie Showcase Winners
In the past, the Indie Showcase also helped introduce the world to Unpacking, Mini Metro, Ring of Pain, Wayward Strand, The Gardens Between, Paradigm, Hollow Knight, and more. For those who can’t necessarily afford a booth on the PAX Aus showfloor, the Indie Showcase provides an alternative means to join in the festivities, and connect with a new audience.
As an opportunity for greater visibility within the Australian games scene, the program provides essential support for small and growing developers looking to make an impact.
Those looking to submit their projects for consideration will need to fill the submission criteria found on the PAX website, and pay an entry fee of US $25. Submissions close on 18 June 2023, and winners will be informed in the weeks after.
PAX Aus 2023 takes place on 6-8 October 2023 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in Melbourne, Australia.
