Freeplay is the world’s longest-running independent games festival, located in Melbourne, Australia. Established in 2004, the festival embraces the fringes, spotlights grassroots artists and game makers, and acts as a response to and critique of the status quo. For over 19 years, Freeplay has been exploring the vital margins of independent, alternative, and experimental games culture. The festival continues to champion artistic exploration and experimentation in games and play, and positions game making as arts practice.
Memory Lane
Latest News
The Shape of Games to Come
Hello, please welcome our brand new branding! As Freeplay enters its 20th year, we realise we need to move out of home and spread our wings. We will always carry the anarchic, resistant flame that created us, but we need to stand tall and be seen as a beacon...
More Call Outs!
It's time to ramp things up and we need your help! FREEPLAY X ACMI WIP NIGHT / June 6 As part of Angles '24 we will be hosting the Freeplay x ACMI WIP night on June 6th (the first day of our conference). If you're available to come in and show your game to our lovely...
Call for Speakers open!
[UPDATE]: Deadline extended to 1st May! We're very pleased to open submissions for the first Angles festival! Talks, workshops, panels, let us have your most interesting ideas and hold nothing back! [button link="https://forms.gle/PixvGzrMaHS8P5zN7" color="red"...
Freeplay acknowledges the Wurundjeri & Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the Lands upon which the festival takes place.
We pay respect to their Elders past and present, and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the wider community and beyond.
Sovereignty was never ceded, and this always was and always will be Aboriginal land.