South Australia’s indie game scene came together over the weekend to celebrate the state’s growing game industry. Along with SAGE returning, this year also saw the inaugural debut of the South Australian Game Industry Awards. Hosted by the SA Games Association, the event spanned a modest five awards, honouring one game, one studio, and three individuals – with each judged by industry leaders and community advocates. The awards were also streamed via Twitch, allowing viewers to tune in to the ceremony.
The awards were emceed by Teejay and Scott, two local Twitch streamers from SA. Seeing the ceremony double down on that representation of the local community feels right in every way. At present, the South Australian Game Industry Awards 2025 broadcast isn’t available to view in full, but clips of each award can be viewed on the official SA Games Association Twitch page here.
The recipients of the 2025 SAGIA awards are:
Individual Community Impact
WINNER – Onnie Chan
Chad Habel
Rising Star
WINNER – Jonathon Anderson-Wills
Chantal Ryan
Alex Harding
Industry Treasure
WINNER – Dr Mike Cooper
Kim Forrest
Most Impactful Studio
WINNER – Catalyst Games
Paper Cactus Games
Toasterface Games
Game of the Year (Presented by AIE)
WINNER – Kādomon: Hyper Auto Battlers by Dino Rocket
The Sacred Acorn by A Few Dragons
Dream of the Star Haven by Orchid of Redemption
The SA Games Industry Awards also coincided with the return of SAGE, now in its third year. 37 locally made SA games were featured this year. Having grown to include 14 new developers, the South Australian Film Corporation sees SAGE as a beacon for the state’s growing games sector.
As Adelaide’s biggest game development event, it also allows the public to go hands-on with upcoming games made in the state. It’s continued to grow with each yearly iteration, so that shows just how vital spotlight events like this are for other parts of Australia.
Along with the games exhibiting, a two-day schedule of panels and talks accompanied the event, allowing new and experienced game developers to share knowledge. You can explore the full list of South Australian games showcased at the event here. There was also a Steam event featuring a selection of games from SAGE to wishlist and play that can still be found here.
It’s really exciting to see game development hubs continue to grow around Australia. Seeing a new event added to a growing calendar of local games industry events is a cause for celebration. Not only in how these other hubs have come but also in how far they are striving to grow.
If you’d like to learn about the South Australian Games Association, you can find them on Bluesky.
Missed out and want to check out more opportunities to play local indie games? PAX Aus have announced the 2025 dates.
