Game-related events are set to boot up this February as part of Adelaide Fringe, including the second edition of the SAGE game developer showcase.

Video game enthusiasts have a lot to look forward to this Fringe season, including the return of South Australia’s major game developer showcase – SAGE.

Heather Croall, CEO & Director of Adelaide Fringe, has always had an interest in the intersection of art and technology which led to the interactive genre being introduced to the Fringe program in 2016.

“A lot of those shows have game elements in them,” Heather says.

“Some of them are collaborations between game makers and artists coming together to make something new.

“When SAGE was on last year I thought, oh, that would have been perfect for Fringe.

“People who are interested in the games industry are definitely engaging in the Fringe and our interactive genre.”

Presented by the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC), the SA Game Exhibtion (SAGE) is a celebration of South Australia’s video game development sector spanning mobile, PC, console and VR.

Catalyst Games, founded by Aiden Gyory in February 2023, is one of the developers and will present a playable demo of their game Dungeons & Dining Tables, a “cozy-rpg” where players can explore dungeons, defeat a couch-wielding troll, and decorate their virtual home with rare furniture.

Eliah Smith is responsible for programming the troll. He previously worked for the studio during his internship at Torrens University but officially joined the team in January.

Eliah says Dungeons & Dining Tables is a hybrid between Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the Diablo franchise.

“I think we’re trying to join it together in a fun way so it’s a bit unique,” he says.

“I’m just keen to see people playing our game and I’m really excited to see what they think of the different mechanics working together. We’d love just to see as many people as we can playing.”

A mix of video game-related performances will feature throughout the Fringe season including Karate Man – A Live-Action Video Game, Game On 4: BOSS LEVEL, In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats, Robo Bingo, and Video Games ‘n’ Chill – a Piano Concert performed by Natalya Aynsley alongside SAGE.

Natalya Aynsley combines live music with her love of gaming.

Natalya shares her love of video gaming through her stunning musical performances. The classically trained pianist first performed at the Fringe in 2020 with Anime ‘n’ Chill – A Piano Concert to a sold-out audience.

“I want to share the music that means something to me on an emotional level, and that I can translate that emotion to the people who are listening to me play it,” Natalya says.

“My favourite thing to do is to make a person cry when I play because it just means that you hit them right in the feels. You know? It’s emotional. It’s nostalgic.”

Natalya has performed around the world but shares she has a soft spot for Adelaide.

“The Fringe is the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere. I think just having lived in Adelaide for a couple of years, it’s the right vibe for it. It’s just a chill, laid-back city,” she says.

“The people are great. They’re just happy to be there.”

Patrick Webb, the game development strategist at SAFC says a few interstate media and games publishing guests will attend SAGE.

“They’re excited that SAGE is on at the same time as the Fringe so they could attend a few shows while in town,” he says .

SAGE saw over 800 attendees last year experience the local indie game scene first-hand and receive exclusive details of unreleased games.

SAFC CEO Kate Croser promises an event that’s even bigger and better with an expanded program, double the exhibition space, support for emerging game developers, and more game studios exhibiting their works.

“We would like to thank all who have made the expanded SAGE 2024 program possible,” she says.

“We can’t wait to welcome everyone to our wonderful Adelaide Studios production facilities to see and experience the best South Australia’s games sector has to offer.”

SAGE is free and open to all ages at Adelaide Studios, Glenside on the 16th and 17th of February. Tickets are available now via the Adelaide Fringe. More information is available on the SAGE website.