PLAY19 - of Monsters and Games, the Hamburg Creative Gaming Festival enters its 12th round on November 14. The festival includes workshops, panels, an indie showcase with international game developers and the ceremonial presentation of the Creative Gaming Award on November 16. Get your ticket now!

Valentina Birke from the initiative Creative Gaming e.V. tells us more about the Play Festival and the Creative Gaming Award:

1) What can we imagine under this year's motto "Of Monsters and Games"?

Valentina Birke: "Monsters lurk under beds, manifest inner fears, block the path with brave warriors or simply enjoy eating cookies: monsters can be horrible, fascinating, dreadful and best friends all at the same time. PLAY - Creative Gaming Festival examines why humans need monsters and how video games deal with that topic. In workshops, an international exhibition, talks and panels, and a fantastic stage program, we discover the many facets and roles monsters have for mankind and video games."

2) Which parts of the program of the PLAY Festival are particularly relevant for developers and the Hamburg games industry?

Valentina Birke: "The PLAY Festival is unique by being open to everyone. We have thought-provoking impulses of game designers such as Deivid Dragomirovic giving a talk about "Dissecting Sea of Solitude: Monster Design Based on Human Emotions“, storytelling workshops (as every year) by Matthias Kempke and Aljoscha Jelinek, artist talks with industry people. The exhibition is for discovering games you probably never heard of, find different approaches in game design and connect with other game devs and visitors you never knew they were your audience ;) Also PLAY connects the game industry of Hamburg by visiting studios, so if you want to get a behind the scenes of different teams, you should stop by."

3.) At the Creative Gaming Award, you will award games in the two categories "Most Creative Game" and "Most Innovative Newcomer". What do you think makes a winning game in the respective category?

Valentina Birke: "The Creative Gaming Award honors games which are especially creative on narration, art style, special controlling methods or any other way you can imagine. The fine selection of games shows the wide definition of „creativeness“ - we have eye-tracking games, a voice-controlled game, and games which challenge the creativeness of the players. The Creative Gaming Award is for honoring unusual decisions in game design which still work out and gives the player something to reflect on, to think about and to have fun with."

Get your ticket now!

Header Foto: © Bente Stachowske / jaf e.V. 2018