Game Lab

Game Lab is a full-day event for gamers and gaming families, join us as we celebrate decades of videogame fun with a day full of free activities!

Hackett Hall will be transformed into a gaming hub for the young and young at heart. Spend the day gaming with us; there will be talks, chiptune music, game trials, vintage consoles, and you can design your very own cosplay character!

Meet award-winning game designers, find out what new games have just come out of WA and play some of the games everyone is talking about.

If you’re a fan of social media, our photo booth and special filters will keep you entertained. Unleash your creativity and come dressed as your favourite videogame character, or head along in your everyday attire and enjoy what’s on offer. From virtual reality experiences to great prizes, we have something for the whole family this Mother's Day.

Head along for talks by:

10am | What is LibraryCraft?, John Geijsman, LibraryCraft

10.30am | History of videogames, David Green, Nostalgia Box

11.30am | Get your game on, Pentanet

12.30pm | Becoming a game developer, Michael Pearce, Tinyware Games

1.30pm | History of videogames, David Green, Nostalgia Box

After you have checked out Hackett Hall, head over to Virtual Realms — the immersive exhibition that redefines digital creativity, where the world of videogames spills out beyond the screen.

Videogames vs. Board games

Did you know there is a growing number of popular card and board games that were inspired by videogames? Despite the differences between the two, they both provide entertainment through play and transport players to entirely new worlds. 

Step into our board game zone - from Super Mario to Pac Man, Pokémon to Sonic the Hedgehog, we guarantee a lot of fun!

Open Brush VR

Game Lab invites you to unleash your creativity with three-dimensional brush strokes. This special VR experience allows visitors to choose from a wide palette of brushes, including stars, light and even fire.

Hackett Hall will be your canvas and the possibilities are endless!

Hungry Sky

Nekograms is an adorable puzzle game about helping cats get to sleep. Made in Western Australia by Hungry Sky, a multi award-winning interactive design studio, Nekograms is available now on smartphones and tablets.

Meet the creators, visit the themed photobooth, and play the game for free! Suitable for all ages and skill levels.

Nostalgia Box

Nostalgia Box is Australia’s first and only retro videogame museum. Hosting over 100 different consoles, it brings generations together in a fun way.

Have a taste of some of the consoles available and participate in a special interactive lecture about the history of videogames presented by the owner of Nostalgia Box, David Green, on stage at 10.30am and again at 1.30pm.

Tinyware Games

Tinyware Games is made up of three game developers across the world, with the lead developer Michael Pearce located right here in Perth.

Be the first to learn the secrets of Misc. A Tiny Tale, Tinyware's first commercial game that will come out soon. Then join Michael on stage at 12.30pm and find out not only how he started as a game developer, but also how you can do it too!

Chiptunes

Chr15m and Fenris are the IDM-laden, glitch-heavy, Perth-raised, founding fathers of Australian chiptunes – music made using programmable sound generators, typically found in outmoded consumer electronics products like the Commodore 64 computer.

Witness their on stage performances and unique approach to collecting and creating unpredictable sounds, self-made bespoke software tools, and, of course, improvisation.

Kirilee Lennerts: Cosplay Creations 

At 11am, 12pm and 1pm join cosplayer and YouTuber Kirilee to learn the craft of cosplay.

Create a cosplay design of your favourite videogame character with the expert design insights Kirilee has acquired from eight years of cosplay performances and competitions nationally and internationally.

Pentanet

Perth’s own private high-speed telecommunications network, Pentanet has been designed to enable better gaming conditions. 

Join Pentanet and discover the world of GeForce NOW, the world's most powerful cloud gaming system that has just arrived in Australia. Make your way to our stage at 11.30am and learn how to get your game on by optimising your WiFi and all your gaming devices.

LibraryCraft

LibraryCraft is a free Minecraft Java server for 7 to 17 year old WA Minecrafters. It offers Survival, monthly creative competitions, minigames and more.

Make your way to the stage at 10am to hear all about this awesome community. Then bring some ID and get whitelisted on the spot, joining in a special build competition: fifteen minutes to build whatever you want for some big prizes – both in game rewards for new players and JB HiFi vouchers.

Pixel Expo

Pixel Expo is Perth's Premier Animation and Gaming Expo, showcasing the latest and greatest local gaming and animation content produced here in Perth. Stop by their Game Lab booth to learn more, book your tickets for their next event and enter raffle giveaways.

Zero Latency

Zero Latency has brought the world's greatest virtual reality experiences to Perth. Now they bring a new experience to Game Lab – explore a free preview and gain access to promo exclusives.

Perth Gaymers

Perth Gaymers is an LGBT+ social group for gamers, geeks and nerds. Learn about their social events IRL and online involving videogames, boardgames, movies and more while adding your say to the Family Feud-style quiz wall.