BIG GAMES NIGHT OUT REVEALS EPIC LINEUP FOR 2025
Melbourne International Games Week is thrilled to announce the exciting lineup for Big Games Night Out 2025. From 3pm ‘til late on Thursday 9 October, visitors to Fed Square will be transported back in time to the heyday of vintage 80s & 90s games culture as Fed Square transforms into a wonderland of games-themed fantasy and play.
This year’s jam packed event features Australia’s first playable experience of Mixtape, the highly anticipated, generation-defining indie adventure game from Melbourne studio Beethoven & Dinosaur. Featuring a phenomenal soundtrack from The Cure, Silverchair, Iggy Pop, Smashing Pumpkins, Joy Division, Portishead, Roxy Music, Devo, Jesus and Mary Chain, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and more, visitors can dive into Mixtape’s extraordinary world of 90s nostalgia at Big Games Night Out’s free Electric Arcadia immersive Amusement Plaza, which runs every day from 3 October to late into the evening on 9 October.
The Marvel Rivals All-Star Showdown, powered by Disney+, will light up Big Games Night Out’s main stage from 6pm with the Marvel Cinematic Universe Cosplay, Marvel Rivals live Showcase and more. The full lineup will be announced in the lead-up to the event.
To mark the renaissance of Role-Play and Board Games events sweeping the globe, Big Games Night Out is transforming Fed Square’s iconic Edge Theatre into a festival-within-a-festival, presenting the Tabletop & Roleplay Revolution. Festivities include a first look at The SIMS Board Game, the inaugural Big Games Night Out Bingo & Trivia Tournament, and Indiginerd’s 80’s themed Stranger Things-inspired Dungeons & Dragons live stage show.
The complete program, maps and timetables can be viewed below and at biggamesnightout.com – including this year’s inaugural Little Games Night Out (3:30pm-6pm), for the young and young at heart, with family friendly activities bringing the city to life.
Big Games Night Out 2025 Program Highlights
Australia’s first hands-on preview of Mixtape
When: Fri 3–Thu 9 Oct from 12noon–7pm + open late on BGNO
Where: Electric Arcadia Amusement Plaza, Fed Square
From Melbourne’s BAFTA-winning Beethoven & Dinosaur, Mixtape draws inspiration from classic coming-of-age movies, bringing together nostalgic aimlessness, mischief, music, and the highs and lows of adolescence.
The soundtrack features DEVO, The Cure, Roxy Music, The Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, Portishead, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Silverchair and many more – play through a mixtape of memories, set to the soundtrack of a generation with Mixtape at ELECTRIC ARCADIA.
Electric Arcadia Amusement Plaza
Fri 3–Thu 9 Oct from 12noon–7pm + open late on BGNO
Fed Square, main concourse (beside Koorie Heritage Trust)
Designed by Melbourne’s champion of nostalgia, Callum Preston, and interactive artist Louie Roots, ELECTRIC ARCADIA captures the spirit of 80s adventure films sprinkled with futuristic 90s techno – all wrapped up in the warm embrace of a classic mall arcade.
Play: Mixtape, NBA Jam, King of Ping Pong MEGAMIX, Donkey Kong, Jupiter Junkworks, Pacman, Bones: Wandering Soul, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bravecart, and Space Invaders. 💰 No coins required. Entry is FREE!
Marvel Rivals All-Star Showdown Powered By Disney+
6–7pm – Big Games Night Out – Fed Square Main Stage
Marvel Rivals All-Star Showdown will be a showstopping event full of action, teamwork, and unforgettable alliances. Watch your favourite content creators, streamers, and online personalities team up as allies across two star-studded squads, battling it out live on stage. Team rosters drop soon — keep your eyes peeled across the Marvel AUNZ and Big Games Night Out social channels for the big reveal! Plus, don’t miss the Marvel Studios-inspired cosplay runway, showcasing Melbourne’s most talented cosplayers paying tribute to the legendary characters and allies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio (MESS) Tours: Synths of the 80s
From 6pm – Big Games Night Out – MESS, The Atrium
Love Kate Bush, Prince and Van Halen? Curious about the synths and instruments that defined the music movements of the 80s?
Step back into the decade that transformed music and gaming culture at MESS’s brand-new studio. During these short tours, you’ll discover the histories and stories of the sounds we hold so dearly, from machines like the Australian-made revolutionary Fairlight CMI to the DX7 that powered every 80s ballad.
The Tabletop & Roleplay Revolution
3.30pm–10.30pm – Big Games Night Out – The Edge Theatre
ALL NIGHT – Melbourne Meeples Tabletop Takeover, Local Board Game Market & Cozy Magic Club: Ladies & Theydies Magic the Gathering
5.00pm: Life Size Playable Octocube with Meeple University MCs
5.40pm: Epic Doodle Dash with Meeple University
6.00pm: Life Size Playable Octocube with Meeples University MCs
6.40pm: BGNO Bingo with Melbourne Meeples
7.00pm: Life Size Playable Octocube with Meeples University MCs
7.40pm: Epic Doodle Dash with Meeple University
8.00pm: The Sims Boardgame Playthrough with Thinker Themer
8.30pm: Indiginerd’s Stranger Things-inspired One-Shot D&D Stage Show
10.00pm: Stranger Things photo opps & BGNO Boogie
Little Games Night Out
3.30pm– 6.00pm Big Games Night Out – Fed Square Main Stage
A place where children and adults can dress up and party together!
3.30pm: Event Begins
3.45pm: Welcome To Country
4.00pm: Just Dance with Tjika
4.20pm: Crossy Road Kids
4.30pm: Just Dance with Tijka
4.45pm: Kids Cosplay Parade
5.00pm: Dr Hubble Bubble Man
5.30pm: Joey Lightbulbs Family Rave
Free Facepainting from 4pm-8pm
About the Author
Adrian Gunning Adrian lives in Melbourne Australia and has a huge passion for gaming, technology and pop culture. He recently finished his a Bachelor of Journalism and is currently focusing on games journalism. When not writing and playing video games, Adrian can be found in Comics 'R' Us debating the pros of the DC Universe and cons of the Marvel Universe.
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