PAX Australia 2026
UTAS Games students showcased their own games on the Tasmanian booth in Melbourne, where thousands of PAX visitors played them.
About this event
PAX Australia 2026 was held from 9 to 11 October 2026 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). As one of Australia's major gaming and interactive entertainment events, the three-day expo brought together game developers, publishers, industry professionals, and gaming enthusiasts to celebrate video games, tabletop gaming, and gaming culture.
The event featured game exhibitions, hands-on demonstrations, industry panels, independent game showcases, and networking opportunities, allowing visitors to discover new games, interact with developers, and explore the wider gaming industry.
University of Tasmania (UTAS) Games and Creative Technologies students Callie Kirkcaldie, Harry Beumer, and Nicholas Gammler showcased their student-developed games at the Tasmanian booth, alongside the university's Study Gamedev Online display. Featured projects included Brainless by Callie Kirkcaldie, Scrap'd by Nicholas Gammler, and Fantasy Lab Escape, developed by a team including Harry Beumer. Additional student games were available through the UTAS GOAT collection on itch.io.
The showcase provided an opportunity for students to present their creative and technical achievements to a large public audience. By demonstrating their games and interacting with visitors, students gained experience communicating their design ideas, presenting gameplay, and engaging with the gaming community.
Dr Lindsay Wells attended the event to promote UTAS's Games and Creative Technologies Major, while Professor Nicole Herbert acknowledged the students' contributions in representing the School of ICT.
For current and prospective UTAS students, PAX Australia highlighted the value of applying game development knowledge beyond the classroom. Participating in a major gaming expo offered opportunities to develop professional presentation skills, showcase portfolios, connect with the Australian games industry, and explore potential career pathways in game development and creative technologies.
References
- PAX Australia – Official Website aus.paxsite.com
- PAX Australia 2026 – Event Information (MCEC) www.mcec.com.au
- Callie Kirkcaldie – UTAS Student Projects and PAX Experience (LinkedIn) au.linkedin.com
What students said on LinkedIn
Student reflections and posts from the event.
Nicholas Gammler went to PAX Australia with fellow students Callie and Harry, thanks to UTAS, and showed their games to thousands of visitors. The post links all three games, Brainless, Fantasy Lab Escape and Scrap'd, and thanks Ian and Lindsay for their support through the year.
After PAX, Callie Kirkcaldie shares links to the student games shown at the UTAS booth, most of them playable in a browser through the UTAS GOAT collection on itch.io. The list includes Brainless (Callie's own game), Fantasy Lab Escape, Scrap'd, Soup Weather and AFK.
Photo Booth
"Easy to say we won't be forgetting this!"
— Nicholas Gammler · Scrap'd developer