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Freeplay Independent Games Festival
The Freeplay 2018 logo
The Freeplay 2018 logo
The Freeplay 2019 logo.
The 2018 Freeplay visual identity art
StatusActive
GenreIndependent video game development
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s)Melbourne, Victoria
CountryAustralia
Years active20
Established21 May 2004 (2004-05-21)
FounderKatharine Neil & Marcus Westbury
Most recent5 October 2023 (2023-10-05)
Previous eventParallels (2023)
Next event2024 Awards
Participants50+
Attendance500+
Sponsors
Websitefreeplay.net.au

The Freeplay Independent Games Festival is Australia's longest-running and largest independent games festival, first established in 2004.[1] The Festival celebrates fringe artists and game makers, and highlights grassroots developers and art games. It gathers artists, designers, programmers, writers, gamers, creators, games critics, games academics and students to celebrate the art form of independent games and the culture around them.

Freeplay is funded primarily through arts grants. Past and present sponsors include Australia Council for the Arts, Film Victoria, Victoria State Government, City of Melbourne, Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), and RMIT University.

With the aim of celebrating game making as arts practice, Freeplay has consistently aligned itself with the arts, and over the years has partnered with arts organisations such as Australian Centre for the Moving Image, State Library Victoria, Next Wave Festival, Wheeler Centre, Federation Square, Arts Centre Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria, City of Melbourne, Arts House, National Young Writers' Festival, and more.[2]

The current director of Freeplay is Chad Toprak (2017–).[3] Previous directors have included Dan Golding (2014–2017),[4] Katie Williams and Harry Lee Shang Lun (2013–2014),[5] Paul Callaghan and Eve Penford-Dennis (2008–2012).[6] The founding directors of Freeplay were Katherine Neil and Marcus Westbury.[7]

History

[edit]

The Freeplay Independent Games Festival began in 2004 as Next Wave Festival's three-day-long Melbourne-based indie games conference 'Free Play', to celebrate independent game development and games culture. Since then, it has run in a variety of formats and venues across Melbourne.

In 2009, Freeplay hosted its first festival away from Next Wave, and rebranded itself from 'Free Play: The Next Wave Independent Game Developers Conference' into 'Freeplay Independent Games Festival'. Since 2009, Freeplay events have generally run annually.

In 2014, inspired by Venus Patrol's alternative E3 press conference Horizon, Freeplay introduced Parallels, a one-night event that serves as a counterpart to the main Freeplay festival. It takes place as part of Melbourne International Games Week, and highlights "unique, experimental, personal, and culturally significant games" made in the region. Parallels "is notable for providing the public first looks at games that would go on to be global gaming phenomena,"[8] including Untitled Goose Game, Necrobarista, Florence, Paperbark, Heavenly Bodies, the Frog Detective series, Unpacking, and Cult of the Lamb.

In 2015, Freeplay held, for the first time, both a multi-day Freeplay festival (10–19 April 2015) and a Parallels event (24 October 2015).

2020 and 2021 saw a virtual festival take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the online Parallels showcases, Freeplay created an online pixel art version of the event's in-person venue, The Capitol, called The Zone, described by Kotaku as "a pixel-art version of an art gallery, except its for video games and you're doing the whole thing through your browser."[9]

In 2022, Parallels took place at RMIT, marking Freeplay's return to in-person events.

Freeplay Festival

[edit]
Date Theme Keynote Speaker(s) Venue
21–23 May 2004[1] (As part of Next Wave Festival: 'Unpopular Culture') Harvey Smith The World Wing Chun Kung Fu Association

3rd Floor, 96 Flinders Street, Melbourne

15–17 July 2005 Greg Costikyan, Kieron Gillen Australian Centre for the Moving Image
18 August 2007 Jonathan Blow[10] Australian Centre for the Moving Image
14–15 August 2009[11] Petri Purho[12] State Library Victoria
14–15 August 2010 Play Is Everywhere[13] Brandon Boyer, Adam Saltsman[13] State Library Victoria
17–21 August 2011[14] Handmade No keynote State Library Victoria
19–23 September 2012[15] Chaos and Grace[15] Mare Sheppard, Morgan Jaffit State Library Victoria
25–29 September 2013[16] Volume of Revolution[17] Erin Robinson, Steve Swink State Library Victoria
10–19 April 2015[18] Austin Wintory Australian Centre for the Moving Image
22–27 May 2018[19] Intersections[20] Zuraida Buter, Auriea Harvey and Michaël Samyn Australian Centre for the Moving Image
7–12 May 2019[21] Introspection[22] Hannah Nicklin, Richard Lemarchand RMIT University
10-14 June 2020[23] Belonging[24] Bahiyya Khan Online (due to COVID-19 pandemic)
8-13 June 2021[25] Soft Voices, Loud Roars[26] Squinky, Zedeck Siew Online (due to COVID-19 pandemic)

Freeplay Parallels

[edit]
Date Game Creator Venue
2014
18 October 2014[27] Push Me Pull You House House Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI)
Gonubie Hotel

Booot
Action Painting Pro

Ian MacLarty
Magister Ludi Christy Dena, Marigold Bartlett, Trevor Dikes, Cameron Owen
Movement Study 1 Sam Crisp, Marigold Bartlett, Jamie Anderson, Adrienne Owen, Alexander Perrin
FUTUREVOXIMAGINARIUMDOTEXE Ben Weatherall, Jason Bakker
Magenta Sunset

Spacething

Impromptu Games
Provision Supply Cat Alexander Perrin
Bush Bash SK Games
CTRL_CODA Josh Cousins, Maize Wallin, Sine Morris, Amani Naseem
2015
24 October 2015[28] Knuckle Sandwich Andrew Brophy Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI)
Undercity_Discotech Chalk in Rain
Vertex Meadow Ian MacLarty
Project Ven (later renamed Necrobarista) Joe Liu, Ngoc Vu, Kevin Chen
Broken Sounds Lee Shang Lun, Amani Naseem, Harrison Smith
Untitled Project Marigold Bartlett, Lizzie Bartlett
Intergalactic Space Princess Izzy Gramp, Laura Stokes
Polymodal Arcade Andrew Trevillian
Paperbark Nina Bennett, Kael Jessup, Terry Burdak, Ryan Boulton
2017
26 October 2017[29] Wayward Strand Ghost Pattern RMIT University
Totem Teller Grinning Pickle
Putty Pals Harmonious Games
OfficeBots: Reality Bytes FutureStateMachine
Road Trip

Do You Remember

Joanna Tran
A Moment Between Us Ruby Simpson, Aaron Williams
Sandstorm

Reap Planetarium

Daniel Linssen
It Will Be Hard Hien Pham
Florence Mountains
Action Loop PlayReactive
Untitled Goose Game House House
2018
25 October 2018[30] Rise Dakoda Barker RMIT University
Unpacking Wren Brier, Tim Dawson
Pigeon Game Leura Smith
if not us Ruqiyah Patel
Sign In / Sign Out Tegan Webb
Novena

Touch Melbourne

Cecile Richard, Andrew Gleeson
Desert Child Oscar Brittain
SIMULACRA LeeYing Foo
Dead Static Drive Mike Blackney
Vignettes Pol Clarissou
2019
10 October 2019[31] Paint Game Max Myers The Capitol Theatre
Dollhouse Olivia Haines
I Must Reach the Top

Every Brick Laid

Fenreliania
Need 4e+9 Speed Kalonica Quigley, Jason Bakker
Heavenly Bodies 2pt Interactive
The Library of Babble Demi Schänzel
سايبر تصوف Cyber Tasawwuf Mohamed Chamas
Acrylic Lucy Morris
Mutazione Die Gute Fabrik
Way to the Woods Anthony Tan
Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard Worm Club
2020
8 October 2020[32] Dap Melting Parrot Online (due to COVID-19 pandemic)
Umurangi Generation ORIGAME DIGITAL
Street Tape Games Helen Kwok
Spiritwell David Chen
Completely Stretchy and Uncomfortably Sticky Daniel Ferguson
Webbed Riley Neville
variations on the word ghost Shastra Deo
The Stranger Next Door Fae Daunt
Short Creepy Tales: 7PM Cellar Vault Games
2021
7 October 2021[33] A Long Goodbye Dana McKay Online (due to COVID-19 pandemic)
Monomyth Billy Dent
Blueberry Mellow Games
An Altogether Different River Aaron Lim
Soup Pot Chikon Club
Where the Snow Settles Myriad Games Studio
Cult of the Lamb Massive Monster
2022
6 October 2022[34] Mars First Logistics Shape Shop RMIT University
Future Folklore Guck
Gubbins Studio Folly
Wizard Chess

Song of the Fae

TWO PM
Letters to Arralla Pink Clouds
Isopod: A Webbed Story Sbug
Bits and Bops Tempo Labs
Conscript Catchweight Studio
Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County Worm Club
2023
5 October 2023[35] Moss Island Iris Anstey Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI)
Beyond the Lens Ben Koder
Knuckle Sandwich Andrew Brophy
Bell's Beach Chloe Kilroy, Billy Dent
Janet DeMornay Is A Slumlord (and a Witch) Pete Foley, Scott Ford
The Dungeon Experience Jacob Janerka
Video Shop Algorithm Jessie Scott
Mystiques: Haunted Antiques Ally McLean Hennessey
Proximate Cain Maddox

Freeplay Awards

[edit]
Year Awards[36]
2010

Best Australian Game: Jolly Rover
Best Design in a Game: Up Down Ready
Best On-Paper Design: iCrazy Man
Best Art in a Game: Captain Forever (Series)
Best Concept Art: Exodus
Best Technical Innovation: Colourbind
Best Game Writing: Transumer
Best Audio: Train Conductor
Best International Game: Last Hope

2011

Best Australian Game: Antichamber
Best International Game: The Swapper
Best Design: Antichamber
Best On-Paper Design: Dead Eye
Best Art: Warco
Best Concept Art: Firo
Best Technical Innovation: Kingspray
Best Game Writing: MacGuffin's Curse
Best Audio: Solar 2

2012

Best Australian Game: Stickets
Best Design in a Game: They Love You
Best International Game: Splice
Best Art in a Game: Toybox
Best Concept Art: Peleda
Best Audio in a Game: Lunar Flight
Best Technical Innovation: Automation
Best Writing in a Game: Flatland: Fallen Angle

2013

Best Game: Framed
Design: Framed
Visual Art: The Paper Fox
Audio Design: Particulars
Narrative: Particulars
Technical Innovation: Turnover
Non-Digital: Outside These City Walls
People's Choice: Turnover

2015

The Freeplay Award: Push Me Pull You
Best Design: Push Me Pull You
Best Visual Art: Movement Study 1
Best Audio: Submerged
Best Narrative: Project Ven
Best Tech: Space Dust Racers
Best Non-Digital: Rise to Power

2018

The Freeplay Award: The Catacombs of Solaris
Excellence in Design: Dissembler
Excellence in Visual Art: Paperbark
Excellence in Audio: Florence
Excellence in Narrative: Bound By Blood
Non-Digital Game Award: {<>}
Micro-Game Award: Rise
Experimental Game Award: Thomas Bowker's Draw
Student Game Award: Lacuna
Across The Ditch Award: Echo Grotto

2019

The Freeplay Award: New Ice York
Excellence in Design: JUMPGRID
Excellence in Visual Art: Necrobarista
Excellence in Audio: Skyward Journey
Excellence in Narrative: The Haunted Island, a Frog Detective Game
Non-Digital Game Award: Edible Games Cookbook
Micro-Game Award: Novena
Experimental Game Award: The Common Campfire
Student Game Award: Pigeon Game
Across The Ditch Award: Toripon 鳥ポン

2020

The Freeplay Award: A Hand with Many Fingers
Excellence in Design: Colestia
Excellence in Visual Art: Endless Scroll
Excellence in Audio: Unfamiliar
Excellence in Narrative: Life Tastes Like Cardboard
Non-Digital Game Award: The Outer Whorls
Micro-Game Award: Something Looks Weird
Experimental Game Award: If We Were Allowed to Visit
Student Game Award: Ascent of Grob's Domain
Across The Ditch Award: Leap of Leaf

2021

The Freeplay Award: Umurangi Generation
Excellence in Design: Webbed
Excellence in Visual Art: Completely Stretchy and Uncomfortably Sticky
Excellence in Audio: Mealmates
Excellence in Narrative: A Long Goodbye
Non-Digital Game Award: The Lighthouse at the Edge of the Universe
Micro-Game Award: Under a Star Called Sun
Experimental Game Award: Neon Cyborg Cat Club
Student Game Award: The Snowgardens
Across The Ditch Award: Before We Leave

See also

[edit]
[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Free Play: NextWave Independent Game Developer Conference - tsumea". Tsumea.com.
  2. ^ "About Freeplay". Freeplay Independent Games Festival. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  3. ^ "A very Freeplay update: New director and suite of events for 2017-18". Freeplay Independent Games Festival. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  4. ^ Dominguez, James 'DexX' (23 October 2014). "Freeplay, Australia's premier indie games festival, gets a shake-up". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  5. ^ "INTERVIEW: Katie Williams and Harry Lee, the new directors of the Freeplay Independent Games Festival". Game On. 12 December 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  6. ^ "More Freeplay coming soon". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  7. ^ "The Age Blogs: Screen Play". blogs.theage.com.au. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  8. ^ Tran, Edmond (18 August 2022). "Freeplay: Parallels returns in 2022 to showcase new Australian games". GamesHub. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  9. ^ "Melbourne International Games Week Is Absolutely Stacked This Year". Kotaku Australia. 29 September 2020. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  10. ^ Boyer, Brandon. "Braid 's Blow To Keynote AU Indie Game Conference". www.gamasutra.com. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Your Turn: Freeplay".
  12. ^ "Playing creatively - Screen Play - Digital Life - Blogs". blogs.theage.com.au. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  13. ^ a b "Freeplay for all". The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 July 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  14. ^ "Freeplay 2011 - Handmade". freeplay.net.au.
  15. ^ a b "Freeplay 2012 - Chaos and Grace".
  16. ^ "Sessions - Freeplay Independent Games Festival". 2013.freeplay.net.au.
  17. ^ Pitcher, Jenna (12 September 2013). "Freeplay Independent Games Festival tickets open, keynote speakers announced". Polygon. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  18. ^ "2015 Program - Freeplay". freeplay.net.au.
  19. ^ "Freeplay 2018 Festival".
  20. ^ "Freeplay 2018 - Keynotes & Theme Reveal".
  21. ^ "Freeplay 2019 Festival". Freeplay Independent Games Festival. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  22. ^ "Freeplay 2019 – Keynote & Theme Reveal". Freeplay Independent Games Festival. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  23. ^ "Freeplay 2020 - 10-14 June, 2020". Freeplay. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  24. ^ "Freeplay 2020 - 10-14 June, 2020". Freeplay. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  25. ^ "Freeplay 2021 Conference". Freeplay. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  26. ^ Toprak, Chad (9 April 2021). "Freeplay 2021 - Dates & Theme Announced". Freeplay. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  27. ^ "Freeplay Parallels 2014". Freeplay Independent Games Festival. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  28. ^ "Parallels 2015". Freeplay. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  29. ^ "Freeplay Parallels 2017". Freeplay. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  30. ^ "Freeplay Parallels 2018". Freeplay. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  31. ^ "Freeplay Parallels 2019". Freeplay. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  32. ^ "Freeplay Parallels 2020 - 7PM, October 8th". Freeplay. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  33. ^ "Freeplay Parallels 2021 - 7PM Oct 7th". Freeplay. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  34. ^ "Freeplay Parallels 2022 - 7PM, October 6th". Freeplay. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  35. ^ "Freeplay Parallels 2023". Freeplay. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  36. ^ "The Freeplay Awards". Freeplay Independent Games Festival. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
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