This year's theme, Folk Games: The Stories We Play Together, explores community and identity through creativity and play. Through a diverse programme of workshops, talks, participatory performances, site-specific installations, and online content, we'll celebrate the diverse gaming communities that make Now Play This so special.
Experience the ever-evolving nature of folk games through play and co-creation. Connect with others, learn new skills, and explore the rich tapestry of games and play.
Festival Highlights
- Interactive Dance Performance: Get moving with ARCADE (Tim Casson), a fun and bouncy electronic dance game for all ages.
- Game Design Workshops: Unleash your inner game designer. Learn to create your own games in workshops like Making it up as we go along (Niall Moody), where players collaboratively define the rules of the game.
- Site-Specific Game: Embark on an adventure with The Strand Avian Society (Arlo Howard, Mel Frances, Chloe Mashiter, Viviane Schwarz, Nick Murray, Niall Moody). This unique street game and architectural mystery takes you on a journey through The Strand. Play solo or join a guided session.
- Academy & Development Community Day: Join us on Friday, 11 April, for a special day featuring live-streamed talks and roundtables from games industry experts, researchers, and scholars, followed by a networking event with a show & tell and musical performances.
- Online Experiences: Connect with Now Play This from anywhere in the world! We're partnering with curators, streamers, and academics to bring the festival to a global audience. Look out for a special episode with Argentina's Press Over Podcast.