Playtopia returns to District Six this December

The fifth edition of Playtopia, the indie games and immersive arts festival, returns to the Homecoming Centre in District Six from Friday December 5 to Sunday December 7.

The festival, which attracts more than 1 000 visitors, celebrates creativity, gaming and interactive art from South Africa and beyond.

This year’s theme, “Arcadia”, will transform the venue into a fantasy-style library complete with portholes, spell books, potions and glowing crystals. The design is led by Natasha Davidson, known for her work on festivals AfrikaBurn and Bazique.

Patrons can expect a showcase of indie games, including the world premiere of Team Lazerbeam’s new game, Shroom and Gloom, created in collaboration with international publisher Devolver Digital. The game’s debut will include an immersive “Shroom tunnel” and cave installation.

The Super Friendship Arcade will return with its custom-controller games, and a line-up of international speakers will include Abubakar Salim from the UK, Iris Compiet from the Netherlands, Doug Wilson from Australia, Meg Clarke from the UK, and Seth S Smith from the US.

Visitors can also explore the Indie Planet Exhibition, featuring games from international festivals such as BCN Games Fest in Spain, Freeplay in Australia, Bitsummit in Japan and A.Maze in Germany.

For the first time, Playtopia’s art installations will be curated by The Art Massive, a new community of local artists who have been collaborating through meetups and creative jams ahead of the festival.

The festival will close on Saturday night with an official after-party at Tommy’s Chop Shop, hosted by Discotekah.

Tickets are available at Airdosh.co.za or via the website, www.playtopiafestival.co.za