Events

Published on October 16th, 2025 | by Daniel

PAX AUS 2025 – Complete Weekend Review!

PAX Aus has been and gone. It seems like only yesterday those doors opened for the first time over the weekend. It always goes by in a flash, leaving me wishing I’d done more. It’s probably the only convention that still hits me with post-event depression. The older I get, the more the event reminds me of gaming when I was younger. But every year I make new friends, catch up with old ones, see how far gaming has evolved, and watch each new generation find a home in this big community we call family.

Three days seems like a lot, but it goes by so fast and I always feel like I’ve missed something, or not done all I could. There’s simply too much for one person to see and do on their own. It’s always interesting hearing what other attendees enjoy most, because everyone’s here for different reasons. Some come to play new upcoming major titles. Some come to try creative and out-there indie games. Some come for panels—be they comedic, informative, or diverse. Others come to see the amazing cosplay, while some just want to hang out with friends and celebrate shared passions. One thing is for sure though: the community is growing rapidly every year, and no matter what you’re into, PAX has something for everyone.

So come with me on a journey to what feels like a whole other world—one full of joy and celebration, heart and soul, community and inclusivity. At our core, we’re all one people, here to enjoy a passion we all share: a love of pop culture and gaming!

Below is a curated list of just some of the many activities you can do at PAX, there’s so much to see and do at PAX but these are often my go to whenever I attend!

Panels + Special Guests + Community Meet ups

The spiritual heart of PAX has to be the many panels, special guests, and community meetups scattered across the weekend. One of the longest-running panels is Story Time. Each year it gathers new special guests from all walks of life in the gaming sphere to talk about their lives, their dreams, and the roads they took to achieve them. It’s a great starting point for newcomers, as many attendees want to get involved in game development—whether directly in development or by creating content in the space of their choosing.

Another staple is Penny Arcade: Make-A-Strip! It absolutely wouldn’t be a PAX event without the boys from Penny Arcade and Acquisitions Inc—Kris Straub and Tycho Brahe. They’ve delighted crowds for nearly three decades with their comedy in both Dungeons & Dragons and their self-titled webcomic that started it all: Penny Arcade. The format has changed over the years, but without fail, they always run their Make-A-Strip panel. It’s a special kind of Q&A session where Kris Straub draws a comic panel live while he and Tycho answer audience questions from Australia, New Zealand, and abroad. They also run several other panels over the weekend, including one of my favourites: Jackbox Party PAX, where they and other special guests play Jackbox Party games while the audience joins in!

Of course, panels and special guests aren’t for everyone, but there are so many communities that come together at PAX, you’re bound to find one just right for you at the Ibis Community Meetup room on Level 2. Communities range from video games to tabletop and more. Some run trivia, others encourage patrons to meet new people. I even got to meet people I’d been interacting with online for some time, finally in person—and it was amazing.

Expo Hall

No other gaming convention has quite as much space as the PAX Expo Hall. Split into two zones—Video Games and Tabletop Games—it covers almost the full length of the Convention Centre. The Queue Hall is where it all begins. The energy in this room each morning as everyone lines up is electric. The countdown to opening sends shivers down my spine every time. There’s nothing like watching that sea of people rushing in once the count hits zero, streaming toward their chosen destinations—Nintendo booths, classic gaming zones, merch stalls, or the indie showcase. Others head straight for the adjacent tabletop hall where PC, console, and tabletop freeplay and tournaments are held. There’s so much on offer that you could spend all day here and still not see everything.

Tabletop

Of course, video games aren’t the only thing that PAX has to offer. Tabletop games have been around much longer and have been surging in popularity in recent years, with more people wanting to get hands-on with the games they play.

Within the tabletop genre, the variety is huge. Do you like Dungeons & Dragons? Great—come to tabletop! Prefer a sci-fi theme? Great—come to tabletop! Love board games? Great—come to tabletop! How about card games? You guessed it—plenty of those here too. As someone who used to play Pokémon as a child and Yu-Gi-Oh! into my teens, I still have a vested interest in card games. With the recent Final Fantasy x Magic: The Gathering crossover, I’ve once again found myself wanting to explore the world of card games. I also recently started collecting cards from the new Gundam Trading Card Game and have a few friends I’m looking forward to playing against in the future.

Cards aren’t just games either—they’re investments, collector’s items for the future. Rare cards with unique effects or special art not only look amazing, but can also be quite valuable. Some cards—both new and old—are selling for staggering sums of money. For true collectors, however, it’s never about the money. It’s about the passion and dedication to the art of cards. Never underestimate the passion of a card collector!

Cosplay

PAX Australia is probably the single most exciting place for cosplay in the Southern Hemisphere. Cosplayers come from all over Australia, New Zealand, and even abroad to showcase their talent in becoming favourite characters from anime and gaming, bringing them to life. As the largest convention of the year, it’s naturally the best place to show off the incredible work and countless hours of blood, sweat, and tears that go into creating some of the most elaborate and detailed outfits seen anywhere in the world.

And what better way to show them off than by competing in the Cosplay Central Crown Championships? As part of ReedPop’s prestigious global cosplay competition, the Australian leg has been held at PAX Aus for some time now. The event began as the EuroCosplay Championship back in 2010 and merged with the Crown Championships of Cosplay in 2021 to form the championship as we know it today. Winners from the Australian leg earn tickets to compete in the global finals, officially held at MCM Comic Con in London. It’s truly an honour to host such an event, and I hope the participants all feel immensely proud—because win or lose, they’re all amazingly talented people who put their hearts and souls into each cosplay they make.

But cosplay isn’t just about competition. Whether you made your outfit yourself or bought it, it takes courage to embody your favourite characters and parade them around. Pop culture still isn’t fully understood by the masses, and it’s never easy to get looks from people who don’t quite understand the passion we have for these characters. But PAX is a home for everyone, and we love all who choose to represent their passion through cosplay just as much as any other.

Before you finish this article, please take a moment to see the credits at the end for a list of all the amazingly talented individuals my photographer and I managed to photograph each day of attendance. Join me in one massive thank you to everyone who gave permission to be featured—you were all so lovely, and it is my proudest privilege to include you in this article. If you get the chance, please go give them a follow on their linked socials!

Indie Games

For me, indie games have quickly become the true heart and soul of PAX. While AAA studios take years to develop big titles and earn big bucks with their teams of talented artists, it’s easy to forget that there are talented individuals everywhere—and not everyone gets the same chance to join the big companies. For many indie developers, it isn’t even about the money. It’s about the freedom to express their passion in their own way, without red tape or corporate intervention. Through indie studios we find ideas no one else has dared to think about—wild concepts expressed in unique ways, often with hidden meaning. Sometimes it’s an important message everyone needs to hear; sometimes it’s a glimpse into the developer’s own life story and struggles. Let’s take a look at some of the amazing work from our local talents and beyond!

PAX Rising

PAX Rising is a showcase of more than a hundred independent tabletop and video game studios from Australia, New Zealand, and around the world. Across multiple genres and styles, there’s something for everyone in PAX Rising! Here are just a few of the games I got to play over the weekend.

Brave Kart

One of the standout titles with a strong environmental message is Brave Kart: the story of a loyal but abandoned shopping trolley who defies two supermarket empires and sparks a revolution! On the surface, Brave Kart is a game about rescuing other abandoned trolleys. Players navigate puzzle obstacles that get harder the further you go, dodging supermarket employees, passing through gates, and completing challenges in as few moves as possible. But beneath it all, the game carries a beautiful message—it’s about saving and protecting the environment.

The developers are going above and beyond, planning to donate 10% of every sale to Clean Up Australia or an equivalent charity, with the aim of cleaning up the environment. They’re also making a mobile version alongside other platforms, all featuring a trolley tracker that enables players to report abandoned trolleys in real life so they can be retrieved and reused. An adorable fun game, with a beautiful message, I wish them the best!

You can find out more about them here!

Loftia

Probably my favourite game of the day has to be Loftia. If you’ve ever played Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, or similar games, you’ll immediately feel right at home. Loftia is a Solarpunk MMO-style game where players gather, craft, and decorate the community of Loftia. With the premise of a brighter and more sustainable world, players can group up and work on projects together, reusing old materials and gathering new ones to build eco-friendly projects.

Like any MMO, players can create their own character, join or create a clan, and build and decorate their own house. It’s a beautiful, cosy-looking game that feels tailor-made for collaborative content creators to band together and play, or for groups of friends to relax and enjoy together. It also encourages players to think about how they use resources in the real world. I personally love the look and feel of this game and look forward to its official release. You can find out more about them here!

You can find out more about them here!

Letters to Arralla

Letters to Arralla is a cute game about a turnip with a juicy rump, delivering mail to a cast of colourful characters on a fictional Australian island. Get the mail where it needs to go by reading residents’ letters, solving puzzles, and exploring the island’s sun-soaked beaches!

This game stood out to me for its art style, but I was also impressed to learn that while the island is fictional, the team went to great lengths to capture native Australian flora and include it in the game. It’s a relaxed experience where exploration is just as important as delivering the mail, with a simple, eye-pleasing art style and quirky characters (with juicy bums!). What’s not to like?

Letters to Arralla is out now on Steam, you can find out more here!

Honourable Mentions

I wanted to take a moment to fit in some honourable mentions. Some of these I played briefly, some I played at last year’s PAX and saw again this year, and others looked interesting but I didn’t have time to try. Each title is linked directly to their socials or platforms, and all deserve a shout-out. Press kits for these and all other games mentioned here will be in the gallery at the bottom of this article!

Crush Zone: Demolition Derby, Shrodinger’s Cat Burglar, Gateworlds and Nullstar: Solus!

PAX Aus Indie Showcase

The PAX Aus Indie Showcase is where 12 standout indie games (6 tabletop and 6 digital) get to strut their stuff in a showcase all their own. The cream of the crop, one might say. While I don’t necessarily agree with separating these games from the rest of the indie scene—mainly because I don’t believe any should be considered “better” than others—I do think it’s a wonderful opportunity to shine an even bigger light on indie gaming. And I can’t deny that it works.

It’s easy to see the two separate zones, but that doesn’t guarantee these games are better than their PAX Rising counterparts. I quickly learned that it doesn’t matter how much publicity you get—if your game is good, people will find you.

Only two games stood out for me in this year’s Indie Showcase, and you can find them below:

Lunars

If you’re like me—someone who likes playing games with friends, is very competitive, but hates waiting for their turn, and isn’t a huge fan of the Mario franchise—then Lunars might be the game for you!

Lunars is a party game very similar to the Mario Party format. You pick your favourite character out of 12 Zodiacs, gather three friends for local play or up to seven more for online multiplayer, roll dice, and traverse a board to be the best of them all! Play mini-games, earn coins, collect jade buttons, and beat up your friends in this cute but deadly digital board game.

I’ll admit, I’m not a huge fan of party games. I don’t like Mario Party, I don’t really get into Monopoly, etc. But one thing I can definitely say is that I am competitive. And one thing Lunars does that I absolutely love—and other party games should take note of—is that everyone rolls their dice at the same time!

I’m not a patient person. It’s one of the reasons I eventually gave up Dungeons & Dragons, even though I adore story-rich games with custom characters. Waiting around for my turn in combat, or waiting to roll dice in Mario Party or Monopoly, is the fastest way to turn me off. I love fast-paced action I can jump into, enjoy, and step away from once I’ve had my fill.

Since I work a full-time job, stream several times a week, and still need to make time for friends and family, finding time for long party games can be tough. Lunars solves this by keeping the action constant. Every turn ends with a mini-game, and even when you’re knocked out, you still have ways to influence the game. Gone are the wasted minutes waiting for your turn or for a mini-game to end—there’s very little downtime.

Lunars has a demo out right now and you can find out more about it here!

Doggy Don’t Care

Move over Untitled Goose Game—Doggy Don’t Care is here to take your crown!

As you might have guessed, you play as a dog. Your owner has gone out for the day, leaving you alone in a pristine house just begging to be destroyed. Tear around the house earning badges for completing different objectives, which usually boil down to making a mess. And yes—you can pee on command. The game about dogs being menaces lets you pee wherever you want. Big surprise, haha. It’s addictive and fun, definitely a game for when you’ve had a stressful day and just want to come home, be an animal, and make chaos for some easy laughs.

Sometimes life is all about the simple pleasures, and sometimes those pleasures involve not being human at all—avoiding responsibilities and just being a dog, making the whole house your playground.

You can find out more about you too a mischeivous pup, right here!

Other Activities

PAX is also host to a plethora of other activities that don’t quite fall into a large category of their own, so I’ve combined them here.

Speedrunning and Tournaments

Tournaments are a great way for competitive players to put their skills to the test by taking part in one of the many competitions running throughout the weekend. Patrons can compete for bragging rights in their favourite games. Designed for players of all skill levels, it’s a great way for people unsure about official tournaments or e-sports to test their mettle. Who knows—you might meet your match!

The art of speedrunning is something I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do myself. It requires intricate knowledge of every detail in a game and the confidence to execute it flawlessly. Watching these players breeze through areas, doing only the bare minimum necessary to progress, is jaw-dropping. I often find myself stopping to watch one of them for a moment while taking a much-needed rest from all the walking, and end up mesmerised.

If you find yourself walking between the theatres and expo halls, take a moment to check them out. They’re pretty amazing!

Social Games and Handheld Lounge

For these activities, all you need is a handheld device and you’re already halfway there.

Social Games are titles everyone can join simply by using their phone or a device with a browser. Most of the time it’s games like Jackbox Party or newer ones like Gartic Phone. It’s fun to walk by and see so many people laughing and lounging around while playing.

The Handheld Lounge is your go-to place to sit, relax, and play some Switch or Steam Deck games. Right outside the theatres is a sea of beanbags, almost always packed with patrons taking time to kick back, relax, and drain some handheld battery. PAX is such a massive event that it definitely takes its toll on your feet. While there are plenty of places to sit and recover, there’s something inherently cosy about sinking into a beanbag and playing handheld games. They even host handheld tournaments too!

Merch and Pin Trading

No convention—PAX included—is complete without merchandise. From anime figures to games, PC peripherals, gaming chairs, tabletop titles, and more, PAX has a little of everything. One of these days I’ll remember to put aside enough money to finally grab myself a PAX jacket—they’re always so nice, and I’ve wanted one for years. With PAX merch ranging from hoodies, jackets, pants, and t-shirts to bottles, pins, stickers, and more, there’s plenty to show off that you were at PAX25!

Pin Trading, however, is more than just merch—it’s about community. Every year PAX releases a new Pin Quest, a list of all the exclusive Pinny Arcade pins available at the event. Some can be purchased from the merch booth, some are offered by exhibitors on the show floor, and others can only be obtained by trading with staff or visiting the official pin trading boards at the merch booth. It’s a fun activity for collectors of unique and exclusive items, and it promotes interaction across all aspects of PAX. After all, PAX is about inclusivity in the gaming space—and what better way to support that than by earning some swag along the way?

Conclusion

PAX Australia is perhaps the one convention I never want to miss. I’ve been attending for over ten years, watching it grow from where it was in 2014 to what it is today. I’ve seen new generations join the community, watched it expand to tens of thousands of attendees, and grown alongside it myself. My tastes have changed as I’ve gotten older, but I’ve continued to make new friends and celebrate old ones. PAX is, and always will be, home for me—whether as a gamer now or for future generations.

Every year brings new goals for me to achieve, and I already have a few lined up for next year. There’s always something for everyone, and as long as you enjoy even one aspect of pop culture and gaming, you’ll have a blast. You don’t need to attend all three days, but if you do, PAX will always have something for you. I’m already feeling the post-PAX blues and can’t wait to do it all again next year.

I want to take a moment to thank the organisers for putting on another amazing show. I want to thank the Enforcers and booth workers who give up their free time to work tirelessly, ensuring the best and safest experience possible. And finally, I want to thank all the attendees—without us, there is no PAX. Thank you for your shared love and passion for all things gaming!

Please also join me in celebrating the wonderful cosplayers we met over the weekend, who graciously allowed us to feature their photos in these articles.

If you like their work, please go give them a follow!

About the Author

Daniel Hi I'm Dan! 33 and Non-Binary. When I'm not writing reviews. I like to get deeply immersed in the lore of an mmo or rpg, cruise the forest or coastal roads of Victoria, watch anime, read manga, build model kits and do a bit of sketching on the side.

PAX AUS 2025 – Complete Weekend Review!