From Mixtape to Pro Jank Footy: the most exciting Australian indie games at SXSW Sydney 2025

<p>Hyperkinetic shooters, gorgeous animal adventures and even a charming puzzler where you play a postie: Australia’s developers are punching above their weight</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/newsletters/2019/oct/18/saved-for-later-sign-up-for-guardian-australias-culture-and-lifestyle-email?CMP=cvau_sfl">Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email</a></p></li></ul><p>There’s no escaping the fact that SXSW Sydney – Australia’s iteration of Austin’s tech, music and film event, now in its third year – is absolutely beset by brands. In Tumbalong park on Saturday, families who had arrived for a free concert for kids meandered around the garish yellow CommBank Tour zone, as a line wound its way into the giant L’Oréal tent. But metres away at the International Convention Centre, inside the halls dedicated to gaming, the corporate influence was more muted.</p><p>With the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2024/feb/08/why-is-the-games-industry-shedding-staff-epic-games-activision-blizzard">global gaming industry downturn</a> continuing with no end in sight, big studios are continuing to keep a wary distance from Australia, with its high cost of living – meaning that even at a conference that screams synergistic brand-o-rama from every pore, indie developers took centre stage. Larger teams were rare; most projects on show were the results of solo developers or couples. And, much like Australia’s gaming scene more broadly, many of them were punching above their weight.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/oct/21/australian-developers-indie-video-games-sxsw-sydney-2025">Continue reading...</a>