A MAZE. / Berlin 2026

Note: This is a satellite event at an external location. Register here.

Throughout Sybil’s Arc 2 program we have proposed the idea that the solo-dev - a  post-2000s neologism with roots in 1980s conceptions of computer programmers as savant whizz-kids and enlightened loners - could be emblematic of a third way in gaming: A different strategy for the game-maker that replaces hierarchical AAA studio assembly lines with small teams and more aesthetically oriented working methods.

What the myth of the solo-dev borrows from the traditional framework of “the artist” is the pursuit of self-determination. That is, a drive that is tied to a particular expression of an idea or a question in a practice, and this is what sets it apart from more commercially traditional strategies pertaining to both AAA and Indie-development. Part of this, is also understanding that the game industry is no-longer as off-limits to art driven developers and small scale teams as it once might have felt.

Panelists are: Alex Declino, Beth von Undall, Elliott Burns, Rico Norwood and Shuruq Tramontini.

No extra costs, but limited seats. Please register here. 

Satellite event at external location with regular admission and free entry with A MAZE. / Berlin ticket.

GAMERAUSCH - RELOOTED (Live cinegaming session with introduction by David Zabel (Popcultural Educator, Germany) and Q&A with Ben Myers (Nyamakop, South Africa) supported by Alexandre Suzanne (Playful, France)
RELOOTED (South Africa 2026, Nyamakop, approx. 120 min, original language with subtitles)

In recent years, there have been increasing efforts to return artifacts stolen during colonial times. Yet Western museums and private collections continue to exploit loopholes to retain these treasures. Rather than wait for justice, in the game RELOOTED, a pan-African group of friends decides to take matters into their own hands: they simply steal the artifacts back. RELOOTED is a platformer by South African studio Nyamakop. We play as Nomali and her crew as they execute elaborate heists in museums and private collections. What makes the game special: the studio has researched with great documentary care the real histories, cultural significance, and circumstances of theft for all objects featured in the game. Rarely has the complex issue of restitution been so successfully integrated into a video game. At the same time, the studio has invested tremendous care into the soundtrack, voice acting, and Afrofuturist aesthetic. RELOOTED is full of empowerment and ultimately poses the question: What if someone simply took back what was stolen?

As part of A MAZE / BERLIN, we'll play selected passages of the game together on the big screen. Guests will provide insights into the production history and contextualize the themes explored in the game