Challenge Sven live — if you dare! Step up for a Street Fighter 6 open play session and face Sven head-to-head in the arena!

It’s time for the real racers to take the spotlight! Kids can jump on to the Relic Stage, grab a controller, and race each other in Mario Kart World. A playful session for our young gamers to show their skills and enjoy the spotlight! (Ages 6 - 12)

A Workshop for old and young to learn one of the most fun, classic, entertaining, engaging, and complex strategy games created. We will get to know the world of Magic The Gathering, the basic mechanics, and have our first rounds together. Everyone can learn!

‍

Seniors are isolated from the real world and locked out of the digital one. Current tech like tablets and smart speakers feels cold and distant, failing to provide the single most important ingredient for connection - true human presence. We are solving this by fusing advanced AI with XR to place a lifelike, spatially-aware companion into a senior's home - acting as both an empathetic friend and a patient digital guide. This convergence is the inevitable future of computing, creating a human-centric interface, where technology finally learns us instead of forcing us to learn it. HUTAR is not just an app; it is the necessary, real-world application that delivers the human ROI for all the massive investment in AI - proving that empathy at scale is the next great disruption.

Technology is holding up a mirror, revealing that our greatest breakthroughs, or failures, won't emerge from technology itself, but from how these tools reshape our understanding of ourselves and, most importantly, who we can become with them.

How then do we develop an "optimal grip" on reality when AI-generated experiences are becoming indistinguishable from authentic ones?

We risk trapping ourselves in hyperrealities that fracture our ability to find meaning, creating a "reality gap" where humans become increasingly machine-like rather than machines becoming more humane.

Drawing from cognitive science, human-centered design, and cyberdelic technologies, this talk explores ways of hacking reality and realigning our relationship with technology to enhance our capacity for cultivating wisdom, elevating presence, and expanding relational depth.

Join Richie and Tristan live on stage for an exciting Mario Kart World showdown! Our young racers go head-to-head in this lighthearted tournament. 

Sounds in a game have an important role to color the action and tell a story. As a sound designer and audio technician your job is to give life to the sound effects. While working on our upcoming indie title, we used positional convolution reverbs and even made our own to give life to our sound effects. I'll show you how I did it and how you can do it too!

Kids (ages 7 and up) work together to create a simple game with their own rules and components. It’s a fun, hands-on activity that works great for mixed-age groups and even families!

Register here! The Planeswalkers in Pink are hosting a Magic: The Gathering beginners worship only for FLINTA (Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Non-Binary, Transsexual, Agender) folks. You don't need any experience with Tradeable Card games, nor any supplies. We will have everything ready at the workshop. All you really need is curiosity, a dash of humor and an open mind!

Architect by profession, storyteller by passion - Crocodileandy, has been crafting his creative adventures in the world of Minecraft since 2018. Now, he’s bringing that same energy to Games Ground, where you’ll have the chance to meet him in person! Don’t miss the Meet & Greet!

Join the Street Fighter 6 Tournament with prizes from HEO, hosted and moderated by Sven! Step into the arena, test your skills against other fighters, and see if you have what it takes to rise to the top!

Join Sakide and members of the cosplay community for an open talk about everything cosplay, from getting started and overcoming common challenges to building connections, growing your craft, and exploring the business side of bringing characters to life.

Did you see that MC Mario Kart clip that went viral? Well guess what...the one and only Dubtendo crew are drifting their way from the UK straight into Games Ground with the almighty Double Dash Disco! Get ready to jump into a Mario Kart tournament like no other - fuelled by high-energy Drum & Bass, and on the mic the unstoppable MC Zeph Miles.

Ready to show off your hard work to our amazing jury and audience? The Games Ground Cosplay Contest returns to the stage, hosted by the wonderful Sakide! Register for the contest here.

Join CrocodileAndy live on stage for a high-energy Minecraft session powered by Nitrado! From co-op challenges to parkour mayhem, audience members become part of the show in this interactive, fun-filled live gaming experience.

Lotta is a German VTuber and voice actress who brings her quirky charm to life through fun social media content and interactive Twitch streams. Don’t miss the chance to meet her in person - Eine Lotta will be at Games Ground in cooperation with Nitrado!

Join us for an exciting workshop featuring the Berlin-based company, AudioCreatures GmbH, as they guide you on a journey through the world of game audio and sound design. With a focus on hands-on learning, this workshop is perfect for both aspiring and experienced audio enthusiasts!

Step up to the stage and join the fight! The Switch Open Play Arena invites anyone to grab a controller and jump into the action with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. No registration, no pressure — just good vibes, friendly matches, and plenty of crowd energy!

PixelViet and Dennsen86 are taking over the Portal Stage for one hour, showcasing two games developed by Press Start grant holders.  

PixelViet will show of his dance moves in Portal to the Cosmobeat, competing with the game's developers in this unique dancing game, where every part of the characters body is controlled by a different key on the keyboard.  

Dennsen86 will flex his Speedrunning muscles racing against the developers of the incredibly fast Hack n‘ Slash Bot slash Bot.   The ‘Press Start: Games Founding Grant’ supports creative minds in the games sector in establishing their own games studios in Germany. The program, funded by the Minister of State for Culture and the Media, is executed in cooperation between game – the German Games Industry Association and the Foundation for Digital Games Culture. In addition to the grant, Press Start aims to equip creatives with the knowledge and network they need to build successful and sustainable companies. 14 Press Start games can be played at Games Ground.

With the release of their debut album "Tales From Nowhereland," on February 25th, 2022, the Hamburg-based Melodic Death Metal band "World Of Sickness" unveiled their crazy post-apocalyptic zombie world, marking a new chapter in their band history.

Join Olaf for the most epic and hillarious Gaming Quiz of the year! Challenge your friends with tricky questions about your favourite games. Can you recognise games from their minimaps, health potions, or iconic sounds?

The final 8 contenders step onto the stage to battle it out in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate! After a full day of intense matches, the best players face off live for glory, prizes, and the ultimate Smash Ground title. Register for the tournament here!

Old school gamers…assemble! Dennsen86 returns to Games Ground 2025 for another Kleiner Feigling Retro Gaming Night!

Form your crew of 3–5 right at the event, suit up, pick a wild band name, and rock out on stage with Battle of the Bands on Xbox 360! Two rounds, epic performances, and prizes for the best band and solo act — hosted by Daniel and Chefspatz, who kick things off with a killer opening act!