Aotearoa’s favourite cosy games festival is back!!! With a new line up for NZ Games Fest and Play by Play 2025!
When
Thursday 1st – Friday 2nd May 2025
Where
Tapere Nui
Te Auaha
Wellington
Help!
info@playbyplay.co.nz
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.
Kicking off again in April 2025 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 ‘Joy Sparks!’ and exciting opportunities to network with other ANZ game developers.
Ticket Prices
Check out this year’s ticket lineup for Play by Play, The Pav Game awards, Student prices, Pay it forwards and more!
All access pass (general): $185
All access pass (student): $95
The all-access pass includes access to all NZ Games Festival events.
– The Play by Play conference
– The Pavs game awards
– All festival events include – Treat and Greet, PB and Jam, JoyPad, Level Up, and more! (Registration may be required for these events)
Need an extra ticket to the Pavs:
(general): $60 / (Student): $45
A ticket to the Pavs gives you a fantastic night of gameful entertainment as we award and celebrate Aotearoa’s best games!
Volunteer for Play by Play 2025
As the 2025 NZ Game Festival draws closer we still need some help. Volunteer applications are open! Applications close on the 28th Feburary. Volunteering help is required from the 26th April - 3rd May. Help us cultivate the game dev garden and if this sounds like fun and a bit of you, join our team!
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 2nd May 2025
Time: 7pm
Ticket Prices
Tickets to the Pav’s are included in your All-access pass, or you can purchase a ticket separately.
Regular – $55 / Student $45
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 1st May
Time: 6:30pm – 9pm 2025
Ticket Prices
Free with an all-access pass
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: Tuesday 29th April 2025
Time: 6.30pm – 9pm
Ticket Prices
Free! Registration required
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 25th April – Sunday 27th April 2025
Start Time: 6pm – 6pm
Ticket Prices
Free! Registration required
Level Up Exhibitions
Level Up events are all about providing an opportunity for non-industry Kiwis to discover what NZ games are all about. Come check out our fantastic Game exhibitions and experience the magic of gaming!
Event Dates and Times
Between: Monday 28th April – Friday 2nd May 2025
Ticket Prices
Free public event