Playtopia Festival

We're back for another year of Playtopia, Africa's largest indie games and interactive art festival! Here's the news: 🐢 For the first time ever, our summit has been recorded and uploaded to YouTube! 🐢 Early bird tickets are now available, it's the cheapest they'll ever be and you don't want to miss out! 🐢 Calls for participation are now out! Strut your stuff and help us make Playtopia beautiful! We'll see you at Playtopia, and keep an eye out for more announcements!

Watch the full talk by Khumo Moerane on our YouTube channel, linked in bio 🔗

I almost quit my game… 🥶 Then this Playtopia summit talk shifted up my approach 💪🏾🎮🐐 #gamedev #gamedesign #indiedev #indiegame #gaming

Search for Chipzel: Tell me what to feel on YouTube to watch the full video ✨ @playtopia_fest December 2025 #chipzel #chiptune #gameboy #music #videogames

Our call for volunteers is now open! Become a member of the Playtopia family and help us build this year's festival. Apply at the link in our bio.

Watch the full talk by @chipzel on our YouTube channel, linked in bio 🔗

The Playtopia Team hit the @comicconcapetown MAIN STAGE! @girlofpearl_ (@freelives_official ) & @ben_rausch (@teamlazerbeam ) joined a panel of 🇿🇦’s games industry leaders to talk about building the local games scene and connecting it to the rest of the world through conferences like Playtopia and @gamesweekafrica and spaces like our beloved @makersmassive 👾🦄 Also Ben & @superfriendship lore! #gamedev #indiegame #gamedesign #gamingnews #comiccon

True story. Here’s a recap of Playtopia’s recent arcade of indie game amazement (as told by a very reliable narrator). We curated some of the most mechanically innovative and narratively bold games from around the world to showcase at the historic Homecoming Centre in Cape Town, 🇿🇦 — and we’re currently gearing up to do it again, even bigger than the last! Submit your games at www.playtopiafestival.co.za This video features just glimpse of our epic selection of solo auteur developers and beloved indie studios who came together to share experiences, collaborate, and map a truly special interactive journey for players. Games featured: Get Yoked by Barking Dogs Baby Steps by Gabe Cuzzillo Maxi Boch Bennett Foddy Fool King by @lootdonkey @spudonkey @thebenmcinnes Free Market by @_cinemaleo Egg Harvester by @squidcor_ Dressmaker by @cozylivesgames @elyaradine Go North by @gazuntype Cabbie! by @cabbiethegame @teastainedgames Wee Boats by @weeboatsgame Eat The Rich by @freelives_official @giantswordgames And your boy TANUKI: Pon’s Summer by @denkiworks Please, Watch The Artwork @thomaswaterzooi Relooted by @nyamakop Reclaim by @disputedpeoplegames Hellbent by @boiledgoosegames Soulmates by @micky.bussey @hfjooste @jonkeevy @eric.pleb Don’t Get Your Hopes Up by @beijingbrown terminal connection by Art Game Thesis Side Effects by @hi_rohun @jaybootysutherland @seanhwright Flibbius McDoogle by Unsigned Double Collective @romylatter Lasse Manson despelote by Julián Cordero Sebastian Valbuena Fractures and Facades by @discovered_unicorn @nompumelelo_manyathi @kez_liquescent trubluIs High Above by DVision Games @unikatlabel Bungee Smuggler by @diyanka_dee Breadleg by @marytallontire Holy Moley by @garage_bug_games @bluelumin @chloegracedesigns @austen_byl @micaelaloubser @2bitdream Shroom & Gloom by @teamlazerbeam #gamedev #indiegame #gamedesign #playtopia

Watch the full talk by @iriscompiet on our YouTube channel, linked in bio 🔗

Our second talk is now up on our YouTube! 🥳 @iriscompiet giving one of the most inspirational talks from Playtopia, you don't want to miss it. YouTube link is in our bio, along with calls for participation and a place to buy tickets 💕 Iris Compiet is a traditional artist and Illustrator from the Netherlands. She is the illustrator of The Dark Crystal Bestiary, winner of the 2020 Jack Gaughan Award for Best Emerging Artist, and a 2020 nominee for the Chesley Award for Best Gaming Related Illustration. She is the illustrator of The Star Wars Bestiary vol1, The Labyrinth Bestiary, and most recently, winner of the 2021 Chesley Award for Best Interior Art for The Dark Crystal. Iris’s work has appeared in numerous publications including Spectrum, Infected by Art, ImagineFX, and 3D Total. Some of her other clients include Wizards of the Coast and Netflix, and her art has appeared in publications around the world. In her recent work Faeries of the Faultlines Iris guides readers through a world of fantastical creatures from beyond the veil.

4 player competitive sea creature battler where each fighter has their own little hologram. This might be one of the weirdest games we’ve ever made. 🦐 We smashed this out over an 8 hour game jam, so it’s still very tough around the edges, but we can’t wait to see where this game is headed! Wanna try this out? Come to the next Super Friendship Arcade! 💖 Mega thanks to our dear friend and long time collaborator @raxter_ for making this thing with us! #gamedev #gamejam #alternativecontroller #superfriendshiparcade #peppersghost

Watch the full conversation with @abubakarsalim on our YouTube channel, linked in bio 🔗