The Game

The best way to find out is to play. Like any game it can take a while to explain the rules and it can be better to just start playing and learn as you go. Put simply, it’s an immersive theatre adventure where you and your friends are the heroes, contributing to a story facilitated by a cast of characters. It’s silly, it’s unique and it’s a great way to have some fun at the Festival.

The first thing you need is a card. Pick one up from any Game character found in several spots around the festival during opening hours of The Game. Look out for a sunken ship, a castle, a magical emporium, a tunnel of trees  and a train station.

Find the character on your card to take part in a fun and unique challenge. If you succeed, you may be invited to join their faction and can start going on Beginner and Advanced quests to help characters around the world with a range of stories and challenges.  Keep an eye out for the tasks posted on the faction quest board to see what opportunities are available. You will get to know the Game world and its inhabitants as you play, take part in shaping the story and, hopefully, saving the world!

Yes. On the last day of the festival, the best players will take part in a series of challenges during the Finale. This will determine the outcome of the story and the winning player.

Yes. The winner receives a season pass to next year’s festival.

That’s totally up to you – you can play casually or you can dive in deep. Swapping cards with other players through dares can be played whenever you feel like it – just put your card on display and the fun will come to you! Finding the character on your card and completing their challenge should only take about 15 minutes. Playing through a Beginner quest can take up to an hour, and the Advanced quests and open world objectives can offer days of non-stop gameplay!

The four playable factions this year are:

The Big Hat Rail Co: Often referred to as the Big Hats, they are entirely legitimate business people and definitely not 1920s style prohibition gangsters. The Game Characters you will join are Moby Rick, Marilyn Minuit, and Fit Freddy.

The Beasts: Be it Flora or Fauna get your wild on as The Beasts take over the Sunken Ship this year. The Game Characters you will join are Frogo, Rollum, and Mandalf.

The Elizabogans: Part Elizabethan, part Bogan, their home is literally their castle.  The Game Characters you will join are King Keiff, Queen Champers, and Princess.

The Glampires: Immortal and fabulous, the Fundead are the newest faction and they’re ready to shake up The Game world.  The Game Characters you will join are Glossferatu, Dragula and Al Fur (the Flairwolf).

The Pilates are not playable this year as they now serve the cosmic horror, Achoolu, who seeks to suck all the time out of The Game world.