Meet the PAX Aus 2025 Indie Showcase Winners
Every year, PAX Aus becomes the centre of gravity for Australia’s gaming community, and the Indie Showcase is its creative core — a place where innovative developers, bold ideas, and unique storytelling collide. The 2025 edition is no exception.
This year, twelve titles — six digital, six tabletop — have been handpicked to represent the very best of Australian indie development. From tactical trivia to plushie-powered party games, from deep-sea horror to collaborative café chaos, the PAX Aus 2025 Indie Showcase lineup captures the full scope of what makes the local scene so exciting.
The Digital Showcase, presented in partnership with nbn, highlights the work of developers who are using the power of high-speed connectivity to deliver ambitious, genre-pushing experiences. The Tabletop Showcase, meanwhile, continues to spotlight Australia’s growing reputation as a hub for imaginative, beautifully designed analogue games.
All twelve winners will be showcased at PAX Aus 2025, taking place October 10–12 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, where attendees can go hands-on with the games and meet the creators behind them.
Here’s a closer look at this year’s winners.
Digital Indie Showcase Winners
Lunars – Anubis Arts
A party game where plushie zodiac animals battle in fast-paced minigames and chaotic board events. With no player eliminations and support for up to eight players, Lunars delivers non-stop multiplayer mayhem with heavy Mario Party and Party Animals energy.
Doggy Don’t Care – Rotub Games
An action-adventure platformer where you play as a mischievous dog let loose in a colourful world. Explore, smash, collect and charm your way through tasks in a day full of wagging tails and joyful chaos.
Memory’s Reach – 100 Stones Interactive
A first-person metroidvania puzzle adventure set in the vast ruins of an alien civilisation. Players solve intricate logic and environmental puzzles to gain new abilities and uncover the mysterious history of the Mairish legacy.
Trivia Deal – Fluent Pixel
The world’s first trivia roguelike combines strategic deckbuilding with quick-fire knowledge challenges. Answer correctly, manage lifelines, and race against the Rainbow Reaper in a game that’s as cerebral as it is unpredictable.
PROXIMATE – Cain Maddox
A narrative horror game set in a derelict underwater lab. With only a limited-view image recognition visor and fading tech to guide you, players must navigate dread-filled corridors and uncover the dark truth behind a missing research team.
Dryft City Kyngs – Nonsense Machine
A punk-infused RPG that blends racing, life simulation, and rebellion in a near-future version of Melbourne. Rise from office worker to racing legend by customising your ride, making rivals, and carving your own chaotic path through Dryft City.
Tabletop Indie Showcase Winners
Conquest For The Capital – MountainSoul Gaming
A strategic fantasy war game where four factions — Dwarves, Orcs, Elves, and Undead — compete to control the capital. Featuring simultaneous turns and unique playstyles, this is a deep, tactical game with high replayability.
Coffee Up! – ToToTam
A co-operative memory-based card game for 2–5 players. Work as a team of baristas during the critical first week of your café’s opening, remembering orders and customers while keeping the quality high and the stress levels low.
Cartograph – Atlas Edition – The Ravensridge Emporium
A solo or GM-less mapmaking and journaling RPG that invites players to explore a world of their own creation. Build intricate fantasy maps and document your discoveries through structured prompts and tables, ending with a complete, personalised atlas.
Panda Party Game – Cheerfolk
A fast, light-hearted card game where players throw pizza-fuelled panda parties. Gather guests, outbid your rivals, and unleash cheeky card powers in a game packed with over 150 unique and pun-filled personalities.
Spacewreck Salvage – Aethermon Studios
A competitive drafting and bidding game where players salvage derelict ships using carefully selected crews. Make tactical choices between speed and strength as you collect upgrades, survivors, and hidden cargo across the quadrant.
Potion Society – The Murmuring Mystic
A competitive potion-brewing card game for 2–4 players. Combine ingredients, trigger bonus effects, sabotage your opponents, and master the art of alchemy to score the highest potion points and win.
The PAX Aus Indie Showcase continues to be one of the most exciting platforms for emerging talent in the gaming space. For players, it’s a rare opportunity to discover new favourites before they break big. For developers, it’s a chance to connect directly with passionate fans and industry professionals alike.
For more information and to grab your badge, visit the official site at aus.paxsite.com. And stay tuned to UntitledGaming.net as we dive deeper into these standout indie titles in the lead-up to PAX Aus 2025.
