PAX AUS 2022 welcomed everyone home to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, over its massive three day event. As a celebration of all things gaming and pop culture, the expo hall was as packed out as ever – with multitudes to see and do across the weekend. With its eclectic mix of expo halls, freeplay areas, table games, cosplay and tournaments, PAX’s triumphant return made for a weekend packed full of fun.
A decent amount of our time at the event was spent at PAX Rising – the event’s showcase of indie games – where we demoed mobile, console and PC games, all while being able to chat to the developers themselves. Rising offered up a huge variety of indie content, with no two games alike. Highlights for us included Massive Monster’s instant hit Cult of the Lamb (who had the coolest merch); the addictive Overcooked-inspired multiplayer Camped Out!; the adorable puzzler Nekograms; and the hilarious mafia pigeon game, The Godfeather.
In need of some downtime and some quiet, we took a break at the R U OK? Handheld Lounge, to recharge before heading to the Voodoo Ranger bar for some bevs and a snack. Switching up the pace, we decided to try our hand at miniature painting at the Reaper Paint & Take table. Finishing off an elf wizard and wraith, we didn’t think we’d done too badly, given it was our first go. We might’ve even found a new future hobby.
Running throughout PAX was their annual Omegathon – the festival-long tournament of randomly selected attendees who faced off in a game bracket for the main prize, as well as major bragging rights. The TikTok Cosplay Lounge and TikTok Cosplay Theatre offered a space for cosplayer meetups and tutorials. With there being no shortage of incredible handiwork from all cosplayers present (and an astounding number of League of Legends’ Jinx), the festival presented itself as a platform for all – whether just starting out, or already known in the community as an established creator.
Other highlights for us included the incredible skill shown on the UBank Speedrunning Stage, as games such as Spyro, Super Smash Bros and Portal were completed at breakneck speeds. Panels running throughout the festival covered off a plethora of topics, including working in the gaming industry, being middle-aged on the internet, women in gaming, indigenous storytelling in Dungeons & Dragons, and the latest developments in streaming tech. Run by industry names, streamers, and gamers alike, the panels were insightful and were a good way to break up the days.
If we weren’t hanging out at the classic gaming section or scouting sponsor stands for pins, we were checking out the incredible work of the festival’s vendors – ranging from beautiful dice sets, to campaign soundscapes and miniature kits. Walking away with a couple of new board games (including Exploding Kittens’ A Game of Cat & Mouth), we noticed that scattered around the expo halls were plenty of hidden QR codes to be found, including one that hinted at an upcoming Kojima Productions project – which needless to say, had us excited.
After an absolutely stacked schedule, it was time for PAX to come to a close. We already know we’ll be back next year, and can’t wait to see what PAX 2023 has planned.