When
Thursday 4th – Friday 5th July 2024
Where
Soundings Theatre
Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand
Wellington
Help!
info@playbyplay.co.nz
That’s a wrap on Play by Play 2024! Thanks to all who came and supported us and many thanks to the team that made NZ Games Fest and Play by Play happen. See you all in 2025!
Welcome to Play by Play! Aotearoa New Zealand’s games conference with a difference!
Play by Play is an open-to-the-public industry conference for game developers, hobbyists and those interested in the sector.
Running in July 2024 in the country’s beating cultural heart, Wellington, Play by Play is a New Zealand games conference with a difference. Since our inception in 2016, we’ve grown exponentially, proving that there’s a vibrant community of gamers, enthusiasts and curious folk in the play sphere.
Our humble conference began life as a city-wide festival celebrating everything related to games and play. Since our 2019 event, Play by Play has broken away from the festival as an entity and now sits under the umbrella of the NZ Games Festival.
Play by Play runs for two whole days. These days, there will be a diverse slate of talks centring around the theme ‘Bigger than we know’ and exciting opportunities to network with other ANZ game developers.
Announcing our Keynote speaker - Nadia Thorne
Co-Founder and CEO of Black Salt Games
Check out the Play by Play Schedule
Announcing our 2024 Speakers
Alongside the Play by Play Conference, we also have a selection of events as part of the wider NZ Game Festival. Check out the events below for more game-time!
The Pavs
The Pavs Game Awards are a celebration of ANZ’s best and boldest game development achievements. From digital to tabletop, we aim to the put a spotlight on local games that have gone the extra mile to immerse, entertain and tantalise.
Event Dates and Times
Date: Friday 5th July
Time: 7pm
Ticket Prices
Regular/Student $80.00
Treat ‘n’ Greet
Treat & Greet is to provides Play by Play attendees with a fun, safe, and delicious environment to make new friends and catch up with old ones.
Event Dates and Times
Date: Thursday 4th July
Time: 6:30pm – 9pm
Ticket Prices
Free with a Play by Play Conference ticket
JoyPad
Celebrating the overlap of the LGBTQIA+ community and gaming. JOYPAD is a casual social evening in The Library’s Games Room.
Event Dates and Times
Date: Wednesday 3rd July
Time: 6pm – 9:30pm
Ticket Prices
Free with a Play by Play Conference ticket
PB & Jam
This 48 hour game jam will see crews both big and small assembling quickfire games that show their unique take on a hidden theme.
Event Dates and Times
Start Date: Friday 28th June – Sunday 30th June
Start Time: 6pm – 6pm
Ticket Prices
Free! Registration required
Level Up Workshops
Level Up events are all about providing an opportunity for non-industry Kiwis to discover what NZ games are all about or gain new skills to help them towards a career in games. There are workshops for kids, teens and professionals
Event Dates and Times
Between: Wednesday 3rd July – Sunday 7th July
Ticket Prices
Kids and teens workshops are Free!
Fee for professional workshops