Annual independent games festival in Germany
A Maze (stylized as A MAZE.) is an international series of events celebrating independent and arthouse games, immersive media and digital culture. Founded in 2008 by artistic director Thorsten Wiedemann, A MAZE hosts the International Games and Playful Media Festival, held annually in Berlin since 2012, which feature annual awards and prizes for games and digital works.
History
A MAZE was launched by founder and artistic director Thorsten Wiedemann in Berlin in 2008.[1] Wiedemann stated the event began at a local bar to showcase games and digital art, with the event expanding in 2012 to the first festival, Indie Connect, coinciding with the International Games Week Berlin.[2] The festivals are not primarily commercial and aim to celebrate games and digital culture as "not only a product" but a "medium of expression".[3] In following years, the festival was also co-held in Johannesburg from 2012 to 2017. In 2019, A MAZE experienced financial difficulties following the decision by the German Senate Department of Culture to discontinue funding for the program.[4] Following this decision, the festival organisers launched a successful campaign on Kickstarter to partially fund the event in November 2019.[5] During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the event transitioned to a digital experience titled A MAZE ./ SPACE, hosting an online multiplayer showroom.[6]
Awards
A MAZE Festival events feature awards and prizes decided by an independent jury. The festival awards features an open-ended selection criteria beyond traditional video games, with eligibility extended to interactive fiction and digital art.[7] Nominees are judged by a selection committee, with submitted works reviewed and rated on "innovation, potential, interdisciplinarity, social, cultural and political impact, aesthetics and overall awesomeness". A shortlist of games is then reviewed by a final jury of five to select award winners, including the winner of the previous year. Winners of each category receive a €1000 prize, with the main 'Most Amazing Award' prize winner receiving €2000.[8]
References
Further reading
External links
