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Welcome to the A MAZE. / Berlin 2026 program! Add sessions to your profile to get an easy overview of your own schedule!

Program is regularly updated with new sessions.
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Friday, May 15
 

09:30 CEST

A MAZE. Exhibition
Friday May 15, 2026 09:30 - 22:00 CEST
The main exhibition features the nominees and the honorable mentions of the 14th International A MAZE. Award including some extra gems which we showcase out of competition.

Nominees and Honorable Mentions
Extra Gems: (to be discovered)

Artistic and experimental games are often off the mainstream and allow for different experiences with forward-thinking and playful views, often not for entertainment only. Technology is used as playground for artistic expression and innovative interaction with audiences interested in critical reflection and meaningful interaction. Discover different experiences, local multiplayer games, interactive installations and many more of this versatile art-form.

For Festival Pass holders, One Night at A MAZE. Ticket holders 
Friday May 15, 2026 09:30 - 22:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

09:30 CEST

A MAZE. Village
Friday May 15, 2026 09:30 - 22:00 CEST
The A MAZE. / Village is the part of the exhibition where you can play new, and unpublished games presented by indie game studios, universities, institutions, and collectives.

This year we have the pleasure of showcasing games from:

Friday May 15, 2026 09:30 - 22:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

10:00 CEST

Coffee & Croissants with*
Friday May 15, 2026 10:00 - 10:30 CEST
Start your day off right and join Zuraida (A MAZE. program curator) plus guest for Coffee and Croissants! While you sit back, blissfully nomming away your breakfast (byob)*, she’ll fill you in on the latest news about the festival program and highlight the day’s speakers and panel discussions. 

*Bring your Own Breakfast
Artists
avatar for Zuraida Buter

Zuraida Buter

program curator, A MAZE.

Friday May 15, 2026 10:00 - 10:30 CEST
Kuppelhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

10:00 CEST

Start your day with energy and joy!: Smoothie & Movement Session
Friday May 15, 2026 10:00 - 10:30 CEST
Let’s wake up together! Sophia and Nicole will welcome you with light movement to nice sounds and tasty smoothies! Start your morning with a smile!
Powered by German Dance Association/Creative Cross Collaborations Berlin

//AUDIENCE:: Everybody is welcome
//REQUIREMENTS:: None
//BRING::
Happy vibes
//SENSITIVE TOPICS::
Everyone is welcome and invited, in case of body limitations we will adjust movements

For this workshop online registration is not required to attend. The spots will be assigned on a first-come first-served basis, so make sure to be at the workshop location at least 10 minutes before the starting time.

Artists
avatar for Nicole Fiedler (she/her)

Nicole Fiedler (she/her)

project manager, https://www.creative-cross-collaborations.de/home
Nicole Fiedler is Head of Funding and Projects at the German Dance Association, responsible for funding and programmes, co-managing Creative Cross Collaborations Berlin, coordinating the Association of German Dance Archives, and also working as a ballroom dance teacher.

Creative Cross Collaborations Berlin (CCCberlin) is a cross-disciplinary programme for Berlin’s arts and creative scene. It brings together artists, creatives and producers from the performing arts, visual arts, as well as film and video art. At its core are exchange, collaboration a... Read More →
avatar for Sophia Herzog (she/her)

Sophia Herzog (she/her)

German Dance Association / Creative Cross Collaborations Berlin
Sophia Herzog is a professional contemporary dancer, educator, and producer who creates playful, accessible movement & performance experiences that connect people through dance, curiosity, and shared physical exploration. 

Creative Cross Collaborations Berlin (CCCberlin) is a cross-disciplinary programme for Berlin’s arts and creative scene. It brings together artists, creatives and producers from the performing arts, visual arts, as well as film and video art. At its core are exchange, collaborati... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 10:00 - 10:30 CEST
Workshop Room 1

10:00 CEST

A MAZE. Bazaar - MeetToMatch
Friday May 15, 2026 10:00 - 16:00 CEST

The A MAZE. Bazaar - 7th International MeetToMatch for Games and Playful Media is a business module of A MAZE. / Berlin and is the only and first market for arthouse games, independent games and playful media productions which gives authors and digital artists the opportunity to meet with publishers, funding institutions, art institutions and collaborators. Our additional goal is to bring the vibrant Berlin art scene and the games industry closer together and foster the new digital and playful culture beat. The marketplace will be open on Thursday 14th and Friday, 15th of May from 10:00-16:00 CEST at Silent Green, Mars Restaurant and Cubus.
Additional Bazaar ticket for only 45€. (Get your ticket).

Tickets for MeetToMatch Networking Platform are available until Tuesday, May 12, 23:00 CEST. Join now and in April registered participants will get access to MeetToMatch.
Friday May 15, 2026 10:00 - 16:00 CEST
MARS | Küche & Bar Gerichtstraße 35, Seiteneingang, 13347 Berlin, Germany

10:30 CEST

As Long As You're Here: Designing Around a Feeling
Friday May 15, 2026 10:30 - 11:00 CEST
"As Long As You're Here" is a family drama seen through the eyes of an elderly woman with Alzheimer's disease. In this talk, co-developers Marlène Delrive and Ryan Wright discuss how the game was inspired by personal stories and is carefully designed around evoking a specific feeling of forgetfulness. They describe how a subtle design approach was necessary to blend player experience with the protagonist's perspective.

Content warning
This talk will discuss death and illness within families, particularly the deaths of siblings and elderly family members.
Artists
avatar for Marlène Delrive (she/her)

Marlène Delrive (she/her)

Marlène Delrive is a game and narrative designer passionate about games that make you feel something. She has experience with the full range of emotion – from award-winning comedy games like WHAT THE GOLF? and WHAT THE CAR?, to emotional games. She’s a co-founder of Autoscopia... Read More →
avatar for Ryan Wright (they/them & he/him)

Ryan Wright (they/them & he/him)

Ryan is a game and narrative designer at Autoscopia Interactive, and a PhD candidate at the University of California, Davis. Ryan is affiliated with the English and Science and Technology Studies departments. His research concerns how games have been historically used to represent... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 10:30 - 11:00 CEST
Betonhalle Stage [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

10:30 CEST

Why Computer Games are Puppet Shows
Friday May 15, 2026 10:30 - 11:00 CEST
Puppet shows are one of the oldest forms of entertainment and computer games are among the newest, but they have much in common!

Running a puppet show? Put up a booth and ready your puppets, your props and your backcloths. You have a story in mind, maybe even a script, and you play it. Making any kind of game with characters? Make your character assets, your props, your backgrounds. You’ve created a world. There may be narrative and pieces of script, but you set the player off with their puppet and tell them: have fun with it.

If you ever play with your toys and send them on adventures you’re playing a game and you’re giving yourself a puppet show. (And if you never send toys on adventures, you’re missing a treat!)

Content warning
A brief mention of mortality, but nothing grizzly or shocking.
Artists
avatar for Ben Swithen (she/they)

Ben Swithen (she/they)

Ben Swithen is a writer, music-maker and indie game developer who made the game ‘Buy Hyacinths’ (about one of the first sheep to go to a human university) and ‘Trans Theft Horso’ (about gender gladness in the feverish west). They do work for Geeks for Social Change, and in... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 10:30 - 11:00 CEST
Kuppelhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

10:30 CEST

a writing workshop (about storytelling through weird mediums)
Friday May 15, 2026 10:30 - 12:00 CEST
Get silly! Or get sad! Because it’s time to write! In this workshop, you’ll be tasked with pairing a personal topic with an esoteric structure. Maybe you'll write about the crippling nature of anxiety, but express it through a song meant for kindergarteners to dance to. Or perhaps you'll tackle complicated familial love through Deutsche Bahn train delay announcements.

It’s like creative writing meets improv. Come and explore the weird, the heartfelt, and the whimsy :)

(No LLM usage or Gen AI in this workshop)

//AUDIENCE:: Open to folks with any level of writing expertise (No Gen AI)
//REQUIREMENTS:: Just an interest in writing (No Gen AI)
//BRING:: Laptop or pen & paper
//SENSITIVE TOPICS:: Participants may explore personal topics, but the workshop itself is not centered around sensitive topics.

For this workshop online registration is not required to attend. The spots will be assigned on a first-come first-served basis, so make sure to be at the workshop location at least 10 minutes before the starting time.
Artists
avatar for Daisy Fernandez

Daisy Fernandez

Milktooth
Daisy is a London-based game designer and writer with credits on The Crush House, Card Shark, As Dusk Falls, Reigns: Three Kingdoms, Bird Alone, and South of the Circle. Last year she co-founded Milktooth, an indie studio currently working on its debut game. She has spoken at First... Read More →
avatar for Tanat Boozayaangool

Tanat Boozayaangool

Tanat is an indie dev from Bangkok, Thailand who quit his corporate job to make the most stupid game possible. He’s known for his work on the upcoming dating adventure game, Building Relationships, where he explores earnest feelings through surreal contexts.

From houses fishing up cars to buildings pole dancing, there’s definitely something going on (so attend his talk/workshop to find out... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 10:30 - 12:00 CEST
Workshop Room 2

11:00 CEST

10 things i wish i knew 10 years ago
Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 11:30 CEST
i wrote this talk for my younger self.

i gave a talk at A MAZE. in 2017--almost a decade ago. Last week i turned 32. i spent nearly my entire twenties working on same project, and for the next 20 minutes i will share the most valuable lessons i learned along the way.

this talk will NOT cover technical details. instead, it will focus on the wisdom i accumulated while painfully making this semi-autobiographical role-playing game about my life in high school.

if you're an indie developer who has already sold a million copies of your video game: congratulations. you probably do not need to listen to my advice. 

Content Warning
substance abuse, mental health challenges
Artists
avatar for Jenny Jiao Hsia (she/her)

Jenny Jiao Hsia (she/her)

Independent
Jenny Jiao Hsia spent almost a decade making this one award-winning video game called Consume Me and now she posts one video a day until that same game sells one million copies. She is the mother of two pomeranians ( Zwergspitz in German) and attends ballet class 6 days of out of... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 11:30 CEST
Betonhalle Stage [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany
  Talk
  • about <br>

11:00 CEST

Aspirational Imperfections - why we care about making digital worlds you can touch
Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 12:00 CEST
This panel will assemble game developers crafting digital games with art made from physical objects. In a medium so centered on technological developments and frame rates, what exactly is the value in making so many small detailed physical objects? How do we handle these handmade objects once they are in these digital worlds? This panel will explore both the logistics and the love of this method of game creation.
Artists
avatar for Antonio Kos Pinheiro de Andrade (he/him)

Antonio Kos Pinheiro de Andrade (he/him)

Hapshapen Games
Antonio grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For a while he worked as a full-stack software engineer, then he moved to Brooklyn and started making games. He enjoys horror movies, crossword puzzles and staring wistfully into the ocean. Currently working on Abigail at hapshapen games... Read More →
avatar for Biagi (he/him)

Biagi (he/him)

Hapshapen Games
Whether he’s building narrative adventures, party games, or systems-driven experiments, Biagi’s work explores the peculiarities of human existence—with humor, with play, and with deep love for the weird little bonds that form when we interact.
avatar for Ilena Pegan (they/them)

Ilena Pegan (they/them)

martianwho studios & Godot Foundation
Ilena is a making a handcrafted solarpunk elder bricklayer game about repairing community. During the day, they work with Godot as a Project Manager.
avatar for Isabelle Smith (she/her)

Isabelle Smith (she/her)

hapshapen games
Isabelle Smith is a game developer and writer who makes digital games you can reach out and touch. Her work in digital games has been nominated for awards by IGF, A MAZE., and the Student BAFTAs.  She had seven wisdom teeth but they’re not in her mouth anymore.
avatar for Jack King-Spooner (he/him)

Jack King-Spooner (he/him)

Makes things. Had to fill this form out twice.
avatar for Lukáš Kunce (he/him)

Lukáš Kunce (he/him)

Lukáš has been passionate about games all his life. After a few years of games journalism and agency jobs, he joined Amanita Design in 2017 to help the studio with all marketing-related work, communication and production.
Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 12:00 CEST
Kuppelhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

11:00 CEST

Make your game look unique
Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 12:30 CEST
With the democratization of game engines, it's now possible for a solo developer to make a game with the same visual fidelity as what only AAA studios made twenty years ago, but these breakthrough in rendering technologies pushes games to have the same mainstream aesthetic. In this workshop we'll deconstruct this so-called "Unreal Engine look", firstly by understanding how Unreal Engine renders a 3D scene, then deep dive into how make shaders and tweak inner workings to make post processing effects like dithering, cell shading, and even more obscure techniques like datamoshing and hall of mirrors.

//AUDIENCE:: Students and professionals looking to push further the art of their games and CGI
//REQUIREMENTS:: Familiarity with Unreal Engine and 3D concepts is welcome, but not required, as everything will be reintroduced.
//BRING:: A reasonably performant (RTX1080 or equivalent) laptop, or a parsec (or equivalent) connexion to one
Unreal Engine installed (NOT just the epic games launcher, make sure you install one version of unreal afterward), version 5.7 if possible. (https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/download)

For this workshop online registration is not required to attend. The spots will be assigned on a first-come first-served basis, so make sure to be at the workshop location at least 10 minutes before the starting time.
Artists
avatar for Nino Filiu

Nino Filiu

Artist & developer, Distraction Collective
I am a tech artist exploring novel digital experiences enabled by emerging technologies. What if a sculpture got scared when you got too close? How does it feels to control a video game with DJ hardware? What do the bioelectricity of plants sound like? Can the web be used as a medium... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 12:30 CEST
Workshop Room 1

11:00 CEST

Open Screens: Cloud Posting
Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 14:00 CEST
Talking is really really hard, thankfully people don’t need to talk when they have a lad with an airplane and countless cannisters to do it for them! You are that lad, soar through the skies writing messages that were left unspoken; relationships will live, die, and evolve based on the quality of your writing. In this comedy satire on the absurdity of social media, you fly through the skies drawing messages in the clouds provided to you in cursive strokes, and get judged based on your accuracy.

Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 14:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

11:00 CEST

Open Screens: Concrete Tweet
Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 14:00 CEST
Explore the traumas and experiences contained within another's psyche in this vast, dream-like experience of the broken world of his, with a unique audio-visual style.

Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 14:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

11:00 CEST

Open Screens: Prophet Margin
Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 14:00 CEST
The Gods hunger for tribute! Build settlements and weave trade routes, feed temples and earn divine boons in this board-game inspired peaceful strategy-puzzler

Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 14:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

11:00 CEST

Open Screens: Swimpossible!
Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 14:00 CEST
A swimming rage-game where you play as Craig, a reverse mermaid who is bad at swimming

Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 14:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

11:00 CEST

Open Screens: Tea Tale
Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 14:00 CEST
As the town tea reader it is your mission to give readings to lost clients. But be careful of what guidance you give, because your advice may lead to unexpected consequences.

Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 14:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

11:00 CEST

Open Screens
Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 20:00 CEST
Open Screens are back!
Following the success of previous years, our goal remains the same: to provide a convenient platform for developers to showcase their creations to the press and their peers. These exhibits will be on display at the physical A MAZE. venue.

See for the full line up: https://2026.amaze-berlin.de/openscreens/
Individual Times exhibited projects Open Screens
Friday May 15, 2026 11:00 - 20:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

11:30 CEST

Experimental comics, hybrid languages and mutant realities
Friday May 15, 2026 11:30 - 12:00 CEST
A talk about how experimental comics can act as a space where different languages, media, and narrative forms meet, opening the door to projects that move across diverse creative territories. It is also a personal journey through key milestones and projects, both solo and as a member of the Shaman Garage studio.
Artists
avatar for Iván McGill (he/him)

Iván McGill (he/him)

Shaman Garage
Understanding comics as a vessel for multiple formats and media, Iván McGill experiments in his work with a blend of languages, animation, video games, and illustration, to address new paradigms such as digital identity, dataism, and information overload. For Iván, experimental... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 11:30 - 12:00 CEST
Betonhalle Stage [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany
  Talk
  • about <br>

12:00 CEST

Experiential Game Design
Friday May 15, 2026 12:00 - 12:30 CEST
In this talk, Farfama explores games as experiential art: evocative spaces of atmosphere, awe, and emotional resonance that bring the player's conscious and unconscious experience to the surface. His games city::ephemera and ocean::ephemera will be examined alongside other games, artists, art forms, and experiences where meaning comes not from explanation, but individual perception.
Artists
avatar for Farfama (he/they)

Farfama (he/they)

Farfama
Farfama (he/they) is an artist, games curator, and experimental game creator currently based in Japan. His work explores themes of awe, wonder, and playful joy, drawing inspiration from nature, ritual, and everyday observation. He helps run GÆMZ Tokyo, a monthly experimental games... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 12:00 - 12:30 CEST
Betonhalle Stage [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

12:00 CEST

Your Body Is the Controller: Designing Physical Play through How To Pet Your Cat and InSync XR
Friday May 15, 2026 12:00 - 12:30 CEST
Most controllers are designed to disappear. These ones are designed to be touched, watched, and cared for.
In this talk, Quinn Liu reflects on the making of How To Pet Your Cat and InSync XR — two physical-digital works that turn interaction into a tactile encounter between body and object. A giant plush cat becomes public comedy and a social magnet. A responsive animatronic creature in XR becomes something quieter: a presence that notices how you move, and asks to be approached with care. Across these projects, the talk explores how material, sensors, sound, feedback, and movement shape the way we read — and come to trust — machines that feel almost alive.
Artists
avatar for Quinn

Quinn "Qingyun" Liu (she/her)

Quinn "Qingyun" Liu is a Los Angeles-based creative technologist and interaction designer working between games, XR, and physical installation. Her work explores physical interfaces that feel alive, rethinking our relationship with machines through touch-based play and soft responsive... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 12:00 - 12:30 CEST
Kuppelhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

12:30 CEST

Betonhalle Stage - BREAK - (12:30 - 14:00)
Friday May 15, 2026 12:30 - 14:00 CEST
Enjoy the sun, play some games, eat some food, catch up with other people! See you after the break!
Friday May 15, 2026 12:30 - 14:00 CEST
Betonhalle Stage [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

12:30 CEST

Kuppelhalle Stage - BREAK - (12:30 - 14:00)
Friday May 15, 2026 12:30 - 14:00 CEST
Enjoy the sun, play some games, eat some food, catch up with other people! See you after the break!
Friday May 15, 2026 12:30 - 14:00 CEST
Kuppelhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

12:30 CEST

Rabbit Alumni Picnic
Friday May 15, 2026 12:30 - 14:00 CEST
A casual hangout for Rabbit alumni, friends, and curious devs during A MAZE. / Berlin.. Hop by!

Further opportunity:
The Rabbit Indie Games Residency 2026 / Call for applications 2026 now open - until June 7.

Friday May 15, 2026 12:30 - 14:00 CEST
The Garden [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

12:30 CEST

Playable for Everyone — Designing Accessible Games Through Collaborative Experimentation
Friday May 15, 2026 12:30 - 14:00 CEST
This workshop explores accessibility in games through a mix of short input and hands-on, gamified ideation. After a concise introduction to common barriers and existing solutions, participants engage in structured exercises to generate new ideas for inclusive game design. The focus lies on experimentation, perspective shifts, and actionable concepts. The session aims to expand how developers and players think about accessibility beyond current standards.

//AUDIENCE:: Game developers, designers, students, and players interested in accessibility, inclusive design, and experimental ideation methods.
//REQUIREMENTS:: No coding or technical knowledge required. Basic interest in games and openness to collaborative work.
//BRING:: Optional: laptop or tablet.
//SENSITIVE TOPICS:: Accessibility may touch on disability, exclusion, and bias in design. The workshop will be conducted respectfully and inclusively and I encourage everyone to do so.

For this workshop online registration is not required to attend. The spots will be assigned on a first-come first-served basis, so make sure to be at the workshop location at least 10 minutes before the starting time.
Artists
avatar for Alice Di Pinto

Alice Di Pinto

Hi, I’m Alice Di Pinto — a Berlin-based game designer, artist, and workshop facilitator. My work explores storytelling, visual design, and interactive experiences that foster empathy and critical thinking.

I study Game Design at HTW Berlin, focusing on inclusive systems, UI/UX... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 12:30 - 14:00 CEST
Workshop Room 2

13:00 CEST

Self-Publishing and Marketing Your Indie Game: What Actually Works?
Friday May 15, 2026 13:00 - 15:00 CEST
This workshop explores what it really takes to self-publish and market an indie game today. Combining current market data with hands-on experience from recent releases, it focuses on practical strategies that lead to visibility and sales.

Topics include pre-launch planning, the role of Steam Wishlists and their conversion into sales, indie performance trends across 2025 and early 2026, and marketing approaches that have proven effective, especially on social media.

Participants may apply with an unreleased PC game to receive live feedback from guest marketeer and indie publisher Thomas Reisenegger (Future Friends Games), or join as audience members.

//AUDIENCE:: This workshop is aimed at indie developers, studio owners, or others who are currently developing/publishing a game and want to better understand how to approach today’s games market. It's ideal for those looking to gain or share insights from recent indie game launches, including strategies around visibility, marketing, and business development
//REQUIREMENTS:: Participants should have at least some experience in game development, publishing, or marketing. Or want to explore business and marketing strategies within the indie game space.
//BRING::
Optional to bring something to take notes with.

To receive feedback o your game, you can submit it here:
https://forms.gle/CdSvSftHWMnbMpwm7

For this workshop online registration is not required to attend. The spots will be assigned on a first-come first-served basis, so make sure to be at the workshop location at least 10 minutes before the starting time.

Artists
avatar for Maria Aloupi

Maria Aloupi

Bizz Dev / Producer, beyondthosehills
Maria Aloupi is the founder and business developer of the indie studio beyondthosehills. Over the past eight years, she has worked across game production, business development, publishing, and creative direction. She has led the development of award-winning indie titles such as reky... Read More →
avatar for Thomas Reisenegger

Thomas Reisenegger

Future Friends Games
Thomas is co-founder and CEO of UK-based indie publisher Future Friends Games, which is behind titles like CloverPit, Slots & Daggers, Summerhouse, and The Cabin Factory and helped indie hits like Vampire Survivors, Content Warning, Duck Detective, Thronefall and What the Golf? with... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 13:00 - 15:00 CEST
Workshop Room 1

14:00 CEST

PlayLabs: Reimagining Creative Space Through Play
Friday May 15, 2026 14:00 - 14:30 CEST
PlayLabs was born from a lack of space to play, experiment, and create without pressure. This talk explores how PlayLabs builds inclusive, African-centred spaces across games, art, and interactive media. As a lab, failure becomes research, and play becomes process. From game jams to workshops, PlayLabs empowers people to create freely, amplifying voices and redefining who gets to belong in game development.

Content warning
Discrimination
Artists
avatar for Kamogelo Makhoba (she/her)

Kamogelo Makhoba (she/her)

I’m Kamogelo Makhoba, a game designer, game writer, and creative technologist whose work centers African storytelling through games, interactive media, and XR experiences. My focus is on designing games that tell African stories and explore real, relatable experiences stories we... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 14:00 - 14:30 CEST
Betonhalle Stage [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

14:00 CEST

CLIPPED HORIZON
Friday May 15, 2026 14:00 - 14:45 CEST
This talk explores Alice Bucknell’s work through the lens of clipping: the moment in a video game when the player slips through a wall or falls beyond the map. Often treated as a technical error, clipping becomes a method for breaking open systems and exposing their ecological, political, and epistemic structures. Across video games such as The Alluvials (2024), Small Void (2025), Nihghtcrawlers (2025), and Earth Engine (2026), Bucknell uses gamespace as a site for speculative experimentation, blurring boundaries between human and nonhuman, natural and synthetic intelligence, self and world. In this framework, play offers an affective encounter with the world that’s grounded in total feeling rather than totalized knowledge.
Artists
avatar for Alice Bucknell (they/them)

Alice Bucknell (they/them)

Alice Bucknell is an artist, writer and educator based in Los Angeles. Their work explores the affective dimensions of video games as interfaces for understanding complex systems, relationships, and forms of knowledge. Bucknell is interested in the ecological dimensions of play as... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 14:00 - 14:45 CEST
Kuppelhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

14:00 CEST

Open Screens: ECTO-TERMINATOR 20000
Friday May 15, 2026 14:00 - 17:00 CEST
The Ecto-Terminator 20000 is a state-of-the-art ghost capturing machine that needs to be operated by two players.   One will be in the front and privy to the ghost’s location as well as able to press in the capture sequence, while the other will be in the back, unjamming the gun and able to see the necessary capture sequence and share it with the player upfront.   Taking a second-hand leaf-blower as a starting point, the goal of the game was to make a cooperative and physical two-player experience.   The control is the game as there is no screen. The visuals including paint, ectoplasm, and LED lights add to make this an immersive experience.   Capturing ghost as the game fits harmoniously with not having screens, as it allows players to interact directly with their surroundings and increases the player’s immersion.    * results may vary depending on the pair operating the ECTO-TERMINATOR 20000

Friday May 15, 2026 14:00 - 17:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

14:00 CEST

Open Screens: Factories in Factories in Factories
Friday May 15, 2026 14:00 - 17:00 CEST
Build a fractal world. Automate the automation of your automation. Put Factories in Factories in Factories.
Friday May 15, 2026 14:00 - 17:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

14:00 CEST

Open Screens: NAMTAR
Friday May 15, 2026 14:00 - 17:00 CEST
Namtar unfolds in an alien purgatory—a world shaped from dreams—where rebirth is not salvation but an endless cycle of transformation, decay, and becoming. Set within a psychedelic, color-saturated landscape that feels both grotesque and mesmerizing, the game explores metamorphosis as a violent yet necessary force, exposing the discomfort and vulnerability of change alongside the fragile beauty of nature in constant flux. Experience rebirth into a hand-drawn neon purgatory, animated frame-by-frame, that blends the grotesque designs of H. R Giger with the dreamlike visions of Moebius. The result is is an aesthetic distinct from its peers-Blasphemous, Gris and Castelvania- that features surreal vibrant body horror as well as vivid alien landscapes. This vision is realized through a frame-by-frame animated action-adventure experience with bullet-hell elements, born from visual experimentation across multiple graphics forms; every character, environment, and effect is uniquely illustrated, creating a tactile, ever-shifting world where horror and elegance coexist through relentless motion and combat.

Friday May 15, 2026 14:00 - 17:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

14:00 CEST

Open Screens: Spacetime Continuum of Sound
Friday May 15, 2026 14:00 - 17:00 CEST
Eyes open and shut. Feet rise and fall. So too, can ears be attentive. And so too, can ears be idle.  Space Time Continuum of Sound is an interactive sound art experience inspired by the work of Pauline Oliveros. This is sound as ceremony, a singing of the unsung depths of sound itself.   This is a call to player: listen.

Friday May 15, 2026 14:00 - 17:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

14:00 CEST

Open Screens: SZ2000: Rabbit Simulator
Friday May 15, 2026 14:00 - 17:00 CEST
SZ2000: Rabbit Simulator is a prototype of our upcoming indie game SZ2000, composed of six small interior scenes.  SZ2000 is a pixel-look RPG game set in a southern Chinese town Shenzhen in the year 2000, you will play as a kid rabbit spending your 30-day summer holiday, hanging around the city and maintaining a routine: you can explore the town, talk to townsfolk, strictly follow the daily code of conduct being a good rabbit? or get some buzz, take dreamlike trips, push the boundaries to dig out what is behind a series disappearances? or just don’t.  Explore freely, die often, and enjoy the life of a little rabbit.

Friday May 15, 2026 14:00 - 17:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

14:30 CEST

When the internet is dead where do we go? Here ( •ᴗ•)⸝🥂⸜(•ᴗ• )!
Friday May 15, 2026 14:30 - 15:00 CEST
- ways of social gathering popularized after the launch of ChatGPT's first public release on November 30, 2022.
- ways to experience low-latency, in-person gaming with people.
- irl play/experiments/events hosted by [[rect*]]repair, an art game collective based in Asia.


Artists
avatar for Joanna Lyu (she/her)

Joanna Lyu (she/her)

China, ([[rect*]]repair)
Joanna game designer, media artist and event organizer. She co-runs [[rect*]]repair, an art-game collective on public-facing experimental games, community events and playful media.
Friday May 15, 2026 14:30 - 15:00 CEST
Betonhalle Stage [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

14:30 CEST

Reality Is Optional: Intro to AR with Lens Studio and Spectacles
Friday May 15, 2026 14:30 - 16:00 CEST
Build your own AR effect and bring a simple Image to life with the help of your phone, Snapchat and LensStudio! Get a unique insight into the powerful AR engine, follow the easy step by step instructions and take your own personalized AR effect home with you. We will also  demonstrate  how to build the same effect for the Spectacles AR glasses and showcase their capabilities.

//AUDIENCE:: Anyone interested in AR!
//REQUIREMENTS:: Basic TypeScript skills are helpful but not necessary.
//BRING::
Laptop and a phone with the basic setup installed:
- Install latest Lens Studio 5.20
- install Snapchat App and create an Account

For this workshop online registration is not required to attend. The spots will be assigned on a first-come first-served basis, so make sure to be at the workshop location at least 10 minutes before the starting time.



Artists
avatar for Ines Hilz

Ines Hilz

Ines Hilz is a XR designer and Multimedia Artist from Berlin, working with XR devices to create wholesome, stylized and playful interactive experiences and AR effects.
avatar for Max van Leeuwen

Max van Leeuwen

Creative Developer
Max is a Creative Developer with a background in VFX for film.
 He builds whimsical Augmented Reality prototypes, documenting his process by sharing code and tutorials.
Friday May 15, 2026 14:30 - 16:00 CEST
Workshop Room 2

15:00 CEST

Hyper Talks
Friday May 15, 2026 15:00 - 16:00 CEST
The Hyper Talks are 5 minute knowledge-injections. Several speakers will talk about projects, experiences, failures and sources of inspiration in their work. The Hyper Talks are a platform for both established artists as well as upcoming talents: some of the past hyper speakers ended up being winners of the A MAZE. Awards. The session is curated and hosted by Marina Díez & Leonie Wolf.

Live in Kuppelhalle, streamed in the Betonhalle stage once capacity is full.

Speakers(tbc):

Fawzi Mesmar
Ludipe
Rocío Tomé
Mr Hands
Gwen Foster
Liz Alfos
Oda Tilset
Gio Rubino
Tanat Boozayaangool
Alistair Aitcheson
Artists
avatar for Leonie (she/her)

Leonie (she/her)

Leonie is a Berlin-based project and event manager for Indie Arena Booth at Super Crowd. She has extensive experience in the games industry, working as a Technical Animator and Associate Art Director in game development for many years. She has worked as both a freelancer and in-house... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 15:00 - 16:00 CEST
Kuppelhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

15:00 CEST

Hyper Talks (stream)
Friday May 15, 2026 15:00 - 16:00 CEST
The Hyper Talks are 5 minute knowledge-injections. Several speakers will talk about projects, experiences, failures and sources of inspiration in their work. The Hyper Talks are a platform for both established artists as well as upcoming talents: some of the past hyper speakers ended up being winners of the A MAZE. Awards. The session is curated and hosted by Marina Díez & Leonie Wolf.

Speakers(tbc):
Fawzi Mesmar
Ludipe
Rocío Tomé
Mr Hands
Gwen Foster
Liz Alfos
Oda Tilset
Gio Rubino
Tanat Boozayaangool
Alistair Aitcheson
Artists
avatar for Leonie (she/her)

Leonie (she/her)

Leonie is a Berlin-based project and event manager for Indie Arena Booth at Super Crowd. She has extensive experience in the games industry, working as a Technical Animator and Associate Art Director in game development for many years. She has worked as both a freelancer and in-house... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 15:00 - 16:00 CEST
Betonhalle Stage [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

16:00 CEST

Sybil Sybil Sybil
Friday May 15, 2026 16:00 - 16:45 CEST
Alex Declino and Beth von Undall introduce Sybil, a Berlin based R&D center for weird gaming. They will present the aims and interest of the organisation, as well as play and talk through a series of resident projects by Jira Duguid, Martix Navrot, and dmstfctn.

Content warning
This talk might contain flashing imagery that may affect people with photosensitive epilepsy
Artists
avatar for Alex Declino (he/him)

Alex Declino (he/him)

Sybil
Alex Declino is a game designer exploring authority and control in digital and online systems. His works are fueled by themes of tech-driven espionage, CEO meltdowns, the innovative exploitations of late-stage capitalism, and the almost Sisyphean tragicomedies of crypto. Alumni of... Read More →
avatar for Beth von Undall (she/her)

Beth von Undall (she/her)

Sybil
Beth von Undall is an artist and writer based in Berlin. Alongside her solo practice, she is embedded in a range of collaborations within art, gaming and tech. Her work is concerned with questions around subjectivity and sexuality in the context of a world enveloped in existential... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 16:00 - 16:45 CEST
Betonhalle Stage [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

16:45 CEST

XR-History Award nominees panel hosted by Simon Strick
Friday May 15, 2026 16:45 - 18:00 CEST
A panel discussion with all XR-History Award nominees hosted by Simon Strick

Content warning
Discrimination
Artists
avatar for Peter Polack (he/they)

Peter Polack (he/they)

Sickness International
Peter Polack (Sickness International) is an artist and researcher using illness to examine how technology shapes trust and perception. Each game, song, and theory opens onto a world where the human brain has been molded into a videogame-hosting infrastructure. His work has been published... Read More →
avatar for Ren Loren Britton (they/them)

Ren Loren Britton (they/them)

Ren Loren Britton (they/he) is a trans-disciplinary artist-designer invested in Trans*Feminism,
Technosciences, Radical Pedagogy and Disability Justice; living and working in Berlin,
Germany. They make multi-sensorial media installations that unseat sensory and
communication hierarc... Read More →
avatar for Simon Strick (he/him)

Simon Strick (he/him)

Simon Strick is an independent media/cultural studies scholar and writer. He has published widely on a variety of subjects relating to critical race theory, gender, performativity, affect and questions of the popular. In 2021, he published Rechte Gefühle (transcript), a widely cited... Read More →
VS

Verónica Sabat

Cuerpos Migrantes

Friday May 15, 2026 16:45 - 18:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

17:00 CEST

Handcrafting Your Game
Friday May 15, 2026 17:00 - 18:30 CEST
Learn to create a world with felt, clay, found materials, glue guns, and cardboard. With your phone, we’ll 3D scan your handmade models and place the models into a playable walking sim.

//AUDIENCE:: People who want to craft with their hands and merge handcrafted materials with a digital world.
Will be interesting for game developers who want to have hands on experience with:
- photogrammetry
- rapid prototyping
- exploring personalized art style
- crafting & diy
- Godot
//REQUIREMENTS:: Does not require any previous knowledge or experience.
//BRING:: A phone with RealityScan already downloaded: https://www.realityscan.com/mobile

For this workshop online registration is not required to attend. The spots will be assigned on a first-come first-served basis, so make sure to be at the workshop location at least 10 minutes before the starting time.
Artists
avatar for Antonio Kos Pinheiro de Andrade (he/him)

Antonio Kos Pinheiro de Andrade (he/him)

Hapshapen Games
Antonio grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For a while he worked as a full-stack software engineer, then he moved to Brooklyn and started making games. He enjoys horror movies, crossword puzzles and staring wistfully into the ocean. Currently working on Abigail at hapshapen games... Read More →
avatar for Biagi (he/him)

Biagi (he/him)

Hapshapen Games
Whether he’s building narrative adventures, party games, or systems-driven experiments, Biagi’s work explores the peculiarities of human existence—with humor, with play, and with deep love for the weird little bonds that form when we interact.
avatar for Chester

Chester

martianwho studios
An indie gameplay programmer for martianwho studios. 
avatar for Emi

Emi

Godot Foundation
Emilio Coppola leads the Godot Foundation as its Executive Director, guiding the growth of the free, open-source Godot game engine. He started out making games and teaching others how to use Godot. With his background in web development and startups, Emilio now oversees the Foundation's... Read More →
avatar for Ilena Pegan (they/them)

Ilena Pegan (they/them)

martianwho studios & Godot Foundation
Ilena is a making a handcrafted solarpunk elder bricklayer game about repairing community. During the day, they work with Godot as a Project Manager.
avatar for Isabelle Smith (she/her)

Isabelle Smith (she/her)

hapshapen games
Isabelle Smith is a game developer and writer who makes digital games you can reach out and touch. Her work in digital games has been nominated for awards by IGF, A MAZE., and the Student BAFTAs.  She had seven wisdom teeth but they’re not in her mouth anymore.
Friday May 15, 2026 17:00 - 18:30 CEST
Workshop Room 1

17:00 CEST

Open Screens: AXIOMATIK
Friday May 15, 2026 17:00 - 20:00 CEST
Shoot-2-See! Redefine how you perceive 3D space with a crazy-new, glowing neon laser mechanic. Experience physics thought experiments in this squeaky colorful Arcade VR game: open Schrödinger boxes - rescue cute cat companions, travel through quantum portals and beat the clock to find the exit.

Friday May 15, 2026 17:00 - 20:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

17:00 CEST

Open Screens: Curiosmos
Friday May 15, 2026 17:00 - 20:00 CEST
Curiosmos is a cozy space sim where you build your own solar system by hand, crafting planets, moons, gravity, atmosphere, and even life! Embark on a quest to discover the secrets of the universe!

Friday May 15, 2026 17:00 - 20:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

17:00 CEST

Open Screens: Discharged
Friday May 15, 2026 17:00 - 20:00 CEST
Discharged is a an art game exploring the experiences of a Latinx veteran returning home and reacclimating to civilian life. In the prologue, you play as a teen recruited to join the military. Upon returning from combat duty, you must make your way back to your house. Bureaucracy, apathy, ICE agents and a lack of understanding stand in your way. Discharged critiques the glamorized depiction of military combat presented in commercial videogames such as Call of Duty and criticizes the US military's use of videogames to recruit teens from low-income, Latinx households.

Friday May 15, 2026 17:00 - 20:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

17:00 CEST

Open Screens: Learning the Ropes
Friday May 15, 2026 17:00 - 20:00 CEST
"Learning the Ropes" is a Visual Novel/Adventure game highlighting the mundane aspects of sex work: You assume the role of a new sex worker trying to learn the trade. Your biggest challenge: Identifying suitable clients based on their inquiries. Will you be able to distinguish a reliable client from a no-show? And a keyboard wanker from a white knight? Your day-to-day choices will have an impact on your earnings and ultimately decide whether you'll make it in this industry, or not.  Based on a game jam project, "Cash Please" is a title currently in early development. Please note that the itch.io page is not representative of the project we will showcase at A MAZE.  (This game does not contain graphic imagery, only mildly erotic descriptions of kink practices as well as images hinting at interactions rather than showing them directly.)

Friday May 15, 2026 17:00 - 20:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

17:00 CEST

Open Screens: Parent Printer Driver Simulator
Friday May 15, 2026 17:00 - 20:00 CEST
You're home for the holidays, but your parents are off on a trip by themselves. First they need your help to fix the family computer so it can print their dang travel documents. Navigate early 2000s internet and viruses and try to clear that printer queue 

Friday May 15, 2026 17:00 - 20:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

18:00 CEST

Level Design Beyond the Screen
Friday May 15, 2026 18:00 - 19:00 CEST
An approach to level design that goes beyond the computer screen.

Using modular 6×6 elements, participants build structures, test layouts, and explore non-standard ways of thinking about level design. We see the workshop as a shared experiment in alternative ways of approaching level design and building levels.

Each session lasts around 20 minutes, and can be done by 2 people. 

The station also works outside workshop hours, simple instructions allow visitors to use it independently.

//AUDIENCE:: Game designers, artists, and anyone interested in spatial thinking, level design, and experimental approaches to game development.
//REQUIREMENTS:: None
//BRING::
Just bring your curiosity and a willingness to experiment :)

For this workshop online registration is not required to attend. Just come by. 

Artists
avatar for Dominik Cymer (he/him)

Dominik Cymer (he/him)

Cubature
Dominik Cymer is the Designer and Art Director of Cubature, responsible for the game concept and artistic direction of Cubature: The Art Game and Cubature: The Installation.

An illustrator, designer and visual artist with over 25 years of practice at the intersection of art, design and new media. Founder of Cyber Kids on Real, he works across commercial, cultural and educational projects – with clients including Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, PZU... Read More →
avatar for Oliwia Hajn (she/her)

Oliwia Hajn (she/her)

Cubature
Oliwia Hajn is the Executive Producer of Cubature, responsible for the concept and IP development of Cubature: The Art Game and Cubature: The Installation.
She works across business, culture and social impact – designing and leading projects that bring together strategy, communication and partnerships. Creates innovative formats where art, technology and social engagement intersect... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 18:00 - 19:00 CEST
Betonhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, Berlin, Germany

19:00 CEST

Flesh Network Performance
Friday May 15, 2026 19:00 - 19:40 CEST
Experience this 45-minute interactive lecture performance. Flesh Network is a live demonstration that presents a history of the Internet as a sound technology, focusing on the ways that disability influenced the design of communication systems.

XR History Award Nominee

Artists
avatar for Peter Polack (he/they)

Peter Polack (he/they)

Sickness International
Peter Polack (Sickness International) is an artist and researcher using illness to examine how technology shapes trust and perception. Each game, song, and theory opens onto a world where the human brain has been molded into a videogame-hosting infrastructure. His work has been published... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 19:00 - 19:40 CEST
Transmediale Studio [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany

19:30 CEST

A MAZE. Award Pre-Show & Award Show (STREAM w/ live elements)
Friday May 15, 2026 19:30 - 21:45 CEST
IT IS SHOWTIME AND WE ARE EXCITED TO HIGHLIGHT THE NEW WAVE OF GAME & PLAYFUL MEDIA CREATORS

With 435 submissions from 78 countries, the 15th international A MAZE. Awards received more entries from more locations than ever before competing for 7 awards and the Audience Award. The Award Show presents the 33 nominations covering innovative performances, digital poems, wild and cultural experiences, personal stories as well as stunning game worlds and works of interactive media art.

Awards: Most Amazing Award | Human Human Machine Award | Long Feature Award | Digital Moment Award | Explorer Award  | WINGS Award (presented by WINGS) | XR-History Award (presented by Körber-Stiftung) | Audience Award 

👉 See all Nominees and their categories

In this years colorful and wild show, moderator Tim Rogers will be joined by Sarah Bashir from the Audience Stage at Betonhalle. A performance by Gelbart will give a taste of the afterparty to come and the final jury consisting of Anan Fries, Antonin Fourneau, Farfama, Meghna Jayanth and last year's winner Julián Cordero will finally reveal the winners.

MAIN STAGE AT KUPPELHALLE
Doors will open at 19:30. Pre-Show from Audience Stage will be streamed. Seats at groundfloor only available for Nominees (for everyone else there is also the top floor balcony and spots for standing - great to dance though!).

AUDIENCE STAGE AT BETONHALLE
Pre-Show starts at 19:30. If you want to take part in the 15years A MAZE. raffle or the interactive Audience Award part - this is the place to be! Award Show from the Main Stage will be streamed.
Artists
avatar for Anan Fries (they/them)

Anan Fries (they/them)

Anan Fries (they/them) is an interdisciplinary artist and researcher who works at the intersection of digital and performing arts. They create performances, installations, and video works influenced by Posthuman and Xenofeminist discourse. Their works explore themes of transformation... Read More →
avatar for Antonin Fourneau (he/him)

Antonin Fourneau (he/him)

Antonin Fourneau (he/him) is a French artist and creator exploring the playful side of technology. Blending light, sound, and DIY culture, he designs interactive installations that function like open playgrounds, inviting audiences to touch, shout, draw, and experiment. His work transforms... Read More →
avatar for Farfama (he/they)

Farfama (he/they)

Farfama
Farfama (he/they) is an artist, games curator, and experimental game creator currently based in Japan. His work explores themes of awe, wonder, and playful joy, drawing inspiration from nature, ritual, and everyday observation. He helps run GÆMZ Tokyo, a monthly experimental games... Read More →
avatar for GELBART

GELBART

Ever since landing in Berlin’s electronic scene in 2005, Gelbart has earned a reputation as one of the city’s most innovative musicians. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, composer, filmmaker, and author, his work exists at the intersection of the surreal and the visceral, blending... Read More →
avatar for Julián Cordero (he/him)

Julián Cordero (he/him)

Julián Cordero (he/him) is a game developer from Quito, Ecuador, now based in New York City. His latest project, despelote, is a slice-of-life adventure about childhood and the magical grip soccer held over the people of Quito in 2001. He’s passionate about finding new ways to... Read More →
avatar for Meghna Jayanth (she/her)

Meghna Jayanth (she/her)

Meghna Jayanth (she/her) designs worlds which explore fantasies and pleasures counter to capitalism-colonialism. Her work critiques contemporary technopolitics and excavates video games’ potential as sites of radical and liberatory re-imagination. Her work includes IGF winner 80... Read More →
avatar for Sarah Bashir (she/her)

Sarah Bashir (she/her)

Sarah Bashir is a games scholar, focusing on game production studies, the history of digital and interactive media and the interrelation of games, art and culture. She initiated and currently leads Circuit Lab, a game studies lab situated at the Department of Media and Communication... Read More →
avatar for Tim Rogers (he/him)

Tim Rogers (he/him)

Tim has worked in most aspects of video game development and criticism for two decades. Since 2007 he has owned Action Button, a design consulting agency and game development studio which since 2020 also produces video essays on YouTube. He currently lives in Manhattan, New York... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 19:30 - 21:45 CEST
Betonhalle Stage [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany
  Special
  • about <br>

20:00 CEST

A MAZE. Award Show
Friday May 15, 2026 20:00 - 21:45 CEST
IT IS SHOWTIME AND WE ARE EXCITED TO HIGHLIGHT THE NEW WAVE OF GAME & PLAYFUL MEDIA CREATORS

With 435 submissions from 78 countries, the 15th international A MAZE. Awards received more entries from more locations than ever before competing for 7 awards and the Audience Award. The Award Show presents the 33 nominations covering innovative performances, digital poems, wild and cultural experiences, personal stories as well as stunning game worlds and works of interactive media art.

Awards: Most Amazing Award | Human Human Machine Award | Long Feature Award | Digital Moment Award | Explorer Award  | WINGS Award (presented by WINGS) | XR-History Award (presented by Körber-Stiftung) | Audience Award 

👉 See all Nominees and their categories

In this years colorful and wild show, moderator Tim Rogers will be joined by Sarah Bashir from the Audience Stage at Betonhalle. A performance by Gelbart will give a taste of the afterparty to come and the final jury consisting of Anan Fries, Antonin Fourneau, Farfama, Meghna Jayanth and last year's winner Julián Cordero will finally reveal the winners.

MAIN STAGE AT KUPPELHALLE
Doors will open at 19:30. Pre-Show from Audience Stage will be streamed. Seats at groundfloor only available for Nominees (for everyone else there is also the top floor balcony and spots for standing - great to dance though!).

AUDIENCE STAGE AT BETONHALLE
Pre-Show starts at 19:30. If you want to take part in the 15years A MAZE. raffle or the interactive Audience Award part - this is the place to be! Award Show from the Main Stage will be streamed.
Artists
avatar for Anan Fries (they/them)

Anan Fries (they/them)

Anan Fries (they/them) is an interdisciplinary artist and researcher who works at the intersection of digital and performing arts. They create performances, installations, and video works influenced by Posthuman and Xenofeminist discourse. Their works explore themes of transformation... Read More →
avatar for Antonin Fourneau (he/him)

Antonin Fourneau (he/him)

Antonin Fourneau (he/him) is a French artist and creator exploring the playful side of technology. Blending light, sound, and DIY culture, he designs interactive installations that function like open playgrounds, inviting audiences to touch, shout, draw, and experiment. His work transforms... Read More →
avatar for Farfama (he/they)

Farfama (he/they)

Farfama
Farfama (he/they) is an artist, games curator, and experimental game creator currently based in Japan. His work explores themes of awe, wonder, and playful joy, drawing inspiration from nature, ritual, and everyday observation. He helps run GÆMZ Tokyo, a monthly experimental games... Read More →
avatar for GELBART

GELBART

Ever since landing in Berlin’s electronic scene in 2005, Gelbart has earned a reputation as one of the city’s most innovative musicians. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, composer, filmmaker, and author, his work exists at the intersection of the surreal and the visceral, blending... Read More →
avatar for Julián Cordero (he/him)

Julián Cordero (he/him)

Julián Cordero (he/him) is a game developer from Quito, Ecuador, now based in New York City. His latest project, despelote, is a slice-of-life adventure about childhood and the magical grip soccer held over the people of Quito in 2001. He’s passionate about finding new ways to... Read More →
avatar for Meghna Jayanth (she/her)

Meghna Jayanth (she/her)

Meghna Jayanth (she/her) designs worlds which explore fantasies and pleasures counter to capitalism-colonialism. Her work critiques contemporary technopolitics and excavates video games’ potential as sites of radical and liberatory re-imagination. Her work includes IGF winner 80... Read More →
avatar for Sarah Bashir (she/her)

Sarah Bashir (she/her)

Sarah Bashir is a games scholar, focusing on game production studies, the history of digital and interactive media and the interrelation of games, art and culture. She initiated and currently leads Circuit Lab, a game studies lab situated at the Department of Media and Communication... Read More →
avatar for Tim Rogers (he/him)

Tim Rogers (he/him)

Tim has worked in most aspects of video game development and criticism for two decades. Since 2007 he has owned Action Button, a design consulting agency and game development studio which since 2020 also produces video essays on YouTube. He currently lives in Manhattan, New York... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 20:00 - 21:45 CEST
Kuppelhalle [Silent Green] Gerichtstraße 35, 13347 Berlin, Germany
  Special
  • about <br>

21:00 CEST

Samples - An Interactive Music Installation
Friday May 15, 2026 21:00 - Saturday May 16, 2026 01:00 CEST
SAMPLES is the new interactive music installation by My name is Fuzzy. It transforms the exhibition space into a giant music creation software. The project explores a form of “analog” augmented reality, meaning without a visible digital interface. The installation consists of about ten large-format, brightly colored canvases, each representing a sound sample that activates and modulates according to the movements of people in the space. Beyond offering an immersive and collective experience, the installation questions the influence the public exerts on an artist's work: here, the artwork is only revealed through the presence of visitors, and it constantly evolves according to their interaction. After gaining recognition for his unique style and playful installations in numerous art venues and festivals in Switzerland and Europe, Bastien Bron continues his artistic approach with SAMPLES: offering pop and electronic music in innovative, hybrid, and singular forms.

https://www.mynameisfuzzy.ch/samples/
Artists
avatar for My Name is Fuzzy

My Name is Fuzzy

My Name is Fuzzy is the interdisciplinary musical project of Swiss self-taught artist Bastien Bron (b. 1984), renowned for his innovative fusion of art and music. His work explores new ways of presenting pop music outside traditional platforms, aiming to create experiences that are... Read More →

Friday May 15, 2026 21:00 - Saturday May 16, 2026 01:00 CEST
Panke Gallery

22:00 CEST

The legendary A MAZE. Jump 'n' Run Party
Friday May 15, 2026 22:00 - Saturday May 16, 2026 21:00 CEST
The A MAZE. Jump 'n' Run Party is the legendary A MAZE. Awards Aftershow Party.

Music: 
Hyenaz (live)
uppercut.continue (live)
Gelbart (live)
Sky (dj)

Games + Installations:
Samples by My name is Fuzzy
Line Wobbler by Robin Baumgarten
Fallbearers by Jem Smith, Ben Geldenhuys and Jason Sutherland
Get Yoked by Barking Dogs
Akapela by Antonin Fourneau
Lazy Kickers by Sos

and surprises.
Artists
avatar for GELBART

GELBART

Ever since landing in Berlin’s electronic scene in 2005, Gelbart has earned a reputation as one of the city’s most innovative musicians. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, composer, filmmaker, and author, his work exists at the intersection of the surreal and the visceral, blending... Read More →
avatar for HYENAZ

HYENAZ

HYENAZ are sonic alchemists Mad Kate and Adrienne Teicher, who create interactive performances and audiovisual art on the nexus of bodies, power, and audibility.
Their decade-long project Foreign Bodies, to be released digitally, on 17.05.2026 is a series of sonic and performative encounters designed to meet people as relational bodies: bodies in motion, in migration, and in resistance. The work unfolds across various sites of movement and... Read More →
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And this is how we're going about it: without hesitation we mix Dubstep with Blues, Minimal and Soul. To us, that's key -- we focus on the soul of the machine; when the machine does not have a soul we create one for it. We've been together since 6th grade -- making music, watching... Read More →
Friday May 15, 2026 22:00 - Saturday May 16, 2026 21:00 CEST
Panke Culture
 
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