A Maze (stylized as A MAZE.) is an international series of events celebrating independent and arthouse games, immersive media and digital culture. Founded in 2008 by artistic director Thorsten Wiedemann, A MAZE hosts the International Games and Playful Media Festival, held annually in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

since 2012, which feature annual awards and prizes for games and digital works.

History

A MAZE was launched by founder and artistic director Thorsten Wiedemann in

in 2008. Wiedemann stated the event began at a local bar to showcase games and digital art, with the event expanding in 2012 to the first festival, ''Indie Connect'', coinciding with the International Games Week Berlin. The festivals are not primarily commercial and aim to celebrate games and digital culture as "not only a product" but a "medium of expression". In following years, the festival was also co-held in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

from 2012 to 2017. In 2019, A MAZE experienced financial difficulties following the decision by the German Senate Department of Culture to discontinue funding for the program. Following this decision, the festival organisers launched a successful campaign on

Kickstarter Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...

to partially fund the event in November 2019. During the onset of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

in 2020, the event transitioned to a digital experience titled ''A MAZE ./ SPACE'', hosting an online multiplayer showroom.

Awards

A MAZE Festival events feature awards and prizes decided by an independent jury. The festival awards features an open-ended selection criteria beyond traditional

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

s, with eligibility extended to

interactive fiction Interactive fiction (IF) is software simulating environments in which players use text Command (computing), commands to control Player character, characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narrati ...

and

digital art Digital art, or the digital arts, is artistic work that uses Digital electronics, digital technology as part of the creative or presentational process. It can also refer to computational art that uses and engages with digital media. Since the 1960 ...

. Nominees are judged by a selection committee, with submitted works reviewed and rated on "innovation, potential, interdisciplinarity, social, cultural and political impact, aesthetics and overall awesomeness". A shortlist of games is then reviewed by a final jury of five to select award winners, including the winner of the previous year. Winners of each category receive a €1000 prize, with the main 'Most Amazing Award' prize winner receiving €2000. {, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" , style="white-space: nowrap;" , +Awards at the A MAZE Festival ! Year !! Date !! Work !! Author !! Award , - , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="7" , 2023 , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="7" , 10–13 May 2023 , ''Extreme Evolution: Drive to Divinity'' , Sam Atlas , Digital Moment Award , - , ''The MetaMovie Presents: Alien Rescue'' , The MetaMovie , Human Human Machine Award , - , '' Season: A Letter to the Future'' , Scavengers Studio , Long Feature Award , - , ''Lost on Mars'' , Trey Ramm , Explorer Award , - , ''

Viewfinder In photography, a viewfinder is a device on a camera that a photographer uses to determine exactly where the camera is pointed, and approximately how much of that view will be photographed. A viewfinder can be mechanical (indicating only direct ...

'' , Sad Owl Studios , Audience Award , - , ''Player Non Player'' , Jonathan Coryn , Most Amazing Award , - , ''Psychotic Bathtub – The Story of an Escalating Mind. And Ducks.'' , natsha , Wings Award , - , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="7" , 2022 , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="7" , 13-17 May 2022 , ''BORE DOME'' , Goblin Rage , Digital Moment Award , - , ''Okthryssia and Saturnia's Bureaucratic Adventures'' , Fantasia Malware , Human Human Machine Award , - , ''NORCO'' , Raw Fury / Geography of Robots , Long Feature Award , - , ''We Are One'' , Flat Head Studio , Explorer Award , - , ''Titanic II: Orchestra for Dying at Sea'' , Flan Falacci , Audience Award , - , '' Tux and Fanny'' , Albert Birney and Gabriel Koenig , Most Amazing Award , - , ''A Rejection Story!'' , Faezeh Khomeyrani , Wings Award , - , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="7" , 2021 , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="7" , 21–24 July 2021 , ''Adventures of Harriharri'' , Harold Hejazi , Digital Moment Award , - , ''Map to Utopia'' , Fringe ensemble / Platform theatre , Human Human Machine Award , - , ''I am dead'' , Hollow Ponds , Long Feature Award , - , '' Before Your Eyes'' , Goodbyeworld Games , Explorer Award , - , ''Time Bandit'' , Joel Jordon , Audience Award , - , ''Stilstand'' , Ida Hartmann & Niila Games , Most Amazing Award , - , ''Colestia'' , David Cribb , Humble New Talent Award , - , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="7" , 2020 , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="7" , 21–24 July 2020 , ''Promesa'' , Julian Palacios , Digital Moment Award , - , ''Brave Mouse Cartographer'' , common opera , Human Human Machine Award , - , ''Knife Sisters'' , Transcenders Media , Long Feature Award , - , ''Cook your way'' , Enric Granzotto Llagostera , Explorer Award , - , ''Time Bandit'' , Joel Jordon , Audience Award , - , ''Nightmare Temptation Academy'' , Lena NW & Costcodreamgurl , Most Amazing Award , - , N/A , Studio Oleomingus , Humble New Talent Award

References

External links

*{{official website, amaze-berlin.de Video game festivals Video gaming in Germany Festivals in Germany Kickstarter projects 2008 establishments in Germany

History

Awards

References

Further reading

External links