2024,
August 21 – 25

Location : Cologne gamescom Hall 10.2. f 030

A MAZE. Digital PlayGround is the first time at gamescom in Cologne. Discover the experimental site of games that take playful and captivating human-human-machine interaction to a new level. On that special selection visitors can experience games beyond the mainstream. Arthouse Games, Alternative Controller Games and more amazing gems. A MAZE. has put together a program to specifically immerse yourself in the experimental world of games and playful media. Also check out our selective curated and inspiring stage programme including hypertalks, talks, conversations and more mind blowing audience interactions.

Early Bird Tickets here

A MAZE. / Berlin 2024

A MAZE. Digital PlayGround

Our 100m² booth will feature digital interactive exhibits, alternative controller, arthouse video games, hypertalks, music and more amazing stuff around the A MAZE. universe.

Games
(Hyper) TALKS
MUSIC
Hyperwobbler by Robin Baumgarten + Philipp Helldorfer (DE) A MAZE. Awards Nominee 2024

Hyper Wobbler is an interactive multiplayer art installation, where 3 participants control multi-dimensional beings trying to make sense of their universe and navigate it to reach their goals. The installation uses metal spring joysticks and a dodecahedron with 900 LEDs and two-way mirror faces.

Crashboard by Emilie Breslavetz + Léon Denise (FR) A MAZE. Awards Nominee 2024

Crashboard is a surfing cyberspace game controlled by a real skateboard. In the game, you have to avoid waves of operating system windows pop-up interface scrolling in your direction. You control the player position by leaning on the skateboard. The aesthetic of the game is crafted from glitch, retro web design and error system.

Between Claire Kwong (US) A MAZE. Awards Nominee 2024

Between is a game that uses projection to illuminate the space between two people. Two players sit face to face and hold hands, which creates a geometric shape between them. They move their bodies together to fit outlines on the floor, creating a performance for the audience.

Waxwing by common opera (US) A MAZE. Awards Nominee 2024

A two-player cooperative navigation game where players work together to guide a series of tragic heroes through obstacle-filled corridors en route to a climactic confrontation with the sun.

Non-Virtual Reality Games by 3m Jump (DE) A MAZE. Audience Award 2024

VR without the headset! A collection of games you only play with the VR controllers, no headset needed. Instead of visuals, these games only use vibrations and sound to convey the game, while you play in the real world.

Singing Rainbow by Thorsten S. Wiedemann + Katpatat (DE/NL)

This work is inspired by crowd games. This audio-reactive playful art piece brings people together to sing along different notes. The more you sync with the sound pattern the more bright and dense you paint colors to the dome and move the clouds above away. The game has 7 levels as a rainbow has colors.

Rakete by Mario v. Rickenbach (CH)

Rakete is a cooperative multiplayer game for up to 5 players. Each player controls one thruster of the ship with the goal of landing it safely. Let the insanity commence!

BlueSuburbia by Nathalie Lawhead (SI) A MAZE. Explorer Award 2024

BlueSuburbia is interactive poetry and literature. It is a haunted dreamscape where you explore poems through immersive environments. Wander through the world of poetry, seek out dark secrets, confront your demons, and delve deeper into a dream that dances between beautiful and terrible. Forgotten dreamscapes and open worlds are yours to explore as you venture on your quest to find hope in the darkness.

[ECHOSTASIS] by Enigma Studio (IE) A MAZE. Long Feature Award 2024

[ECHOSTASIS] is a psychedelic science-fiction horror game which presents a world where our reality is not only curated by algorithms, but created by them. The game gradually descends into a fully playable existential nightmare within a story that could only take place within the medium of games. [ECHOSTASIS] acts as the final chapter of solo developer Jamie Gavin’s trilogy of games, preceded by THE ENIGMA MACHINE in 2018 and MOTHERED - A ROLE-PLAYING HORROR GAME in 2021.

Grunn by Tom van den Boogaart (NL) A MAZE. Digital Moment Award 2024

Grunn is a game set in a mundane village in the far north of the Dutch countryside. A gardener gets hired to do some maintenance work over the weekend. The tall grass needs to be cut, the wild hedges trimmed, and the dead flowers could use some water. It’s a simple task, but strangely some tools are missing… The owner of the garden isn’t around, and their house is off-limits. Perhaps new tools can be found in the mysterious town, or maybe some of the reserved townsfolk have seen them?

No Case Should Remain Unsolved by SOMI (KR) A MAZE. Most Amazing Award 2024

No Case Should Remain Unsolved is a detective game where players uncover and piece together memory fragments to solve a long-forgotten case. Follow former police detective Jeon Gyeong as she acquires clues and testimony relating to the case of a missing girl.

Miniatures by Other Tales Interactive (DK/SE) WINGS Diversity Award 2024

A collection of handcrafted games about childhood, where imagination and reality merge with darker undercurrents of loneliness, mystery and magic.

Placeground by beyondthosehills (GR)

PLACEGROUND is a building spaces simulation game with a focus on architectural design aesthetics. In this game, you have the opportunity to create and decorate both your interior and exterior spaces. Meanwhile, NPCs interact with your creations, crafting unique and abstract narratives.

Mukke by Apetense Interactive

Mukke City is about to take its musical turn! Help the new music scene by getting your self-created music on the radio, rocking the local music venues and hanging out with your newfound friends! MUKKE lets you make your own way between laid-back everyday life and gripping intrigue!

To the Stars by Stellar Cartography Interactive (DE)

To the Stars is a fast-paced, whimsical and tactical planet-hopping game. Choose your own adventure as you conquer the universe - one constellation at a time.

Flick Shot Rogues by Butter By The Fish (DE)

Plan, aim, flick! Defeat enemies, collect treasures - or perish trying... FLICK SHOT ROGUES blends the tactile satisfaction of flicking stuff across a table with the tactical depth of your favorite turn based roguelikes!

Schrott by Ivy Juice Games (DE)

SCHROTT - the roguelite driving game: Pull off insane stunts, collect valuable loot, and customize your absurd vehicle.

The Code Must Be Alive by Brigitte Huezo (DE)

THE DEAD CODE MUST BE ALIVE! is a hybrid piece that combines choreography with live motion capture, algorithmic design, and experimental sound. A complex system transmits the dancing body’s movements live into a virtual world, wherein they are mirrored by an avatar.

Phantom Spark by Ghosts (IS)

Dive into the captivating high-speed world of Phantom Spark. Engage in precision time-trial racing to best the champions in the single-player campaign, challenge your friends in split-screen local multiplayer, or make your mark on the global online leaderboards.

Marina Diez (ES) Host of the Hypertalks

Marina Díez (she/they) is a Spanish award-winning game designer and filmmaker based in Berlin and London, UK. She's the CEO at Three of Cups Games, an ethical and diverse games studio based in London.

DJ ST0RN0 (DE)

Human Overdrive and Monster music! A mix of jump-core and woll-core. 50% of the infamous audio-wool performance Wr2old.

Patric Catani

Patric Catani is employing his composer skills to produce sophisticated video game soundtracks, living his childhood dream. The soundtracks he made for hit games like Pit People, BattleBlock Theater or Alien Hominid Invasion, developed by the San Diego based cult company The Behemoth for Xbox, Steam, and Nintendo Switch, are cherished by millions worldwide.

Programme schedule (more to come)

Wednesday August 21

12:00 – 12:45

“Pink Breakfast” by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg

14:00 – 14:30

Goethe-Institut presents Charles Games - Playing Kafka with Lukas Kolek

14:30 – 15:00

GoetheVRsum, the upcoming Cultural Metaverse with Marguerite Rumpf and Goran Vulinovic

15:30 – 16:00

Talk: Playing with Touch and Intimacy by Claire Kwong

18:00 – 18:30

Hip Hop Live Performance by dripLin

Thursday August 22

15:00 – 16:00

Hypertalks hosted by Marina Diez

18:00 – 20:00

DJ set Patric Catani

Friday August 23

16:00 – 17:00

Talk + Performance: "The Dead Code Must Be Alive“ by Brigitte Huezo

18:00 – 20:00

DJ St0rn0

Saturday August 24

11:00 – 12:00

Talk: 1001 Nights: How to make ChatGPT into an ancient King and (not) to break him by Yuqian Sun

15:00 – 16:00

Hypertalks hosted by Marina Diez

18:00 – 20:00

Music

Partners

Funded by
EVENT PARTNER
CURATED AND ORGANIZED BY

Location

Cologne, gamescom, hall: 10.2. - f 030