# A Maze

A Maze (stylized as A MAZE.) is an international series of events celebrating independent and arthouse games, immersive media and digital culture. Founded in 2008 by artistic director Thorsten Wiedemann, A MAZE hosts the International Games and Playful Media Festival, held annually in Berlin since 2012, which feature annual awards and prizes for games and digital works.

## History

A MAZE was launched by founder and artistic director Thorsten Wiedemann in Berlin in 2008. Wiedemann stated the event began at a local bar to showcase games and digital art, with the event expanding in 2012 to the first festival, Indie Connect, coinciding with the International Games Week Berlin. The festivals are not primarily commercial and aim to celebrate games and digital culture as "not only a product" but a "medium of expression". In following years, the festival was also co-held in Johannesburg from 2012 to 2017. In 2019, A MAZE experienced financial difficulties following the decision by the German Senate Department of Culture to discontinue funding for the program. Following this decision, the festival organisers launched a successful campaign on Kickstarter to partially fund the event in November 2019. During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the event transitioned to a digital experience titled A MAZE ./ SPACE, hosting an online multiplayer showroom.

## Awards

A MAZE Festival events feature awards and prizes decided by an independent jury. The festival awards features an open-ended selection criteria beyond traditional video games, with eligibility extended to interactive fiction and digital art. Nominees are judged by a selection committee, with submitted works reviewed and rated on "innovation, potential, interdisciplinarity, social, cultural and political impact, aesthetics and overall awesomeness". A shortlist of games is then reviewed by a final jury of five to select award winners, including the winner of the previous year. Winners of each category receive a €1000 prize, with the main 'Most Amazing Award' prize winner receiving €2000.
Awards at the A MAZE Festival :
| Year | Date | Work | Author | Award |
| 2023 | 10–13 May 2023 | Extreme Evolution: Drive to Divinity | Sam Atlas | Digital Moment Award |
| 2023 | 10–13 May 2023 | The MetaMovie Presents: Alien Rescue | The MetaMovie | Human Human Machine Award |
| 2023 | 10–13 May 2023 | Season: A Letter to the Future | Scavengers Studio | Long Feature Award |
| 2023 | 10–13 May 2023 | Lost on Mars | Trey Ramm | Explorer Award |
| 2023 | 10–13 May 2023 | Viewfinder | Sad Owl Studios | Audience Award |
| 2023 | 10–13 May 2023 | Player Non Player | Jonathan Coryn | Most Amazing Award |
| 2023 | 10–13 May 2023 | Psychotic Bathtub – The Story of an Escalating Mind. And Ducks. | natsha | Wings Award |
| 2022 | 13-17 May 2022 | BORE DOME | Goblin Rage | Digital Moment Award |
| 2022 | 13-17 May 2022 | Okthryssia and Saturnia's Bureaucratic Adventures | Fantasia Malware | Human Human Machine Award |
| 2022 | 13-17 May 2022 | NORCO | Raw Fury / Geography of Robots | Long Feature Award |
| 2022 | 13-17 May 2022 | We Are One | Flat Head Studio | Explorer Award |
| 2022 | 13-17 May 2022 | Titanic II: Orchestra for Dying at Sea | Flan Falacci | Audience Award |
| 2022 | 13-17 May 2022 | Tux and Fanny | Albert Birney and Gabriel Koenig | Most Amazing Award |
| 2022 | 13-17 May 2022 | A Rejection Story! | Faezeh Khomeyrani | Wings Award |
| 2021 | 21–24 July 2021 | Adventures of Harriharri | Harold Hejazi | Digital Moment Award |
| 2021 | 21–24 July 2021 | Map to Utopia | Fringe ensemble / Platform theatre | Human Human Machine Award |
| 2021 | 21–24 July 2021 | I am dead | Hollow Ponds | Long Feature Award |
| 2021 | 21–24 July 2021 | Before Your Eyes | Goodbyeworld Games | Explorer Award |
| 2021 | 21–24 July 2021 | Time Bandit | Joel Jordon | Audience Award |
| 2021 | 21–24 July 2021 | Stilstand | Ida Hartmann & Niila Games | Most Amazing Award |
| 2021 | 21–24 July 2021 | Colestia | David Cribb | Humble New Talent Award |
| 2020 | 21–24 July 2020 | Promesa | Julian Palacios | Digital Moment Award |
| 2020 | 21–24 July 2020 | Brave Mouse Cartographer | common opera | Human Human Machine Award |
| 2020 | 21–24 July 2020 | Knife Sisters | Transcenders Media | Long Feature Award |
| 2020 | 21–24 July 2020 | Cook your way | Enric Granzotto Llagostera | Explorer Award |
| 2020 | 21–24 July 2020 | Time Bandit | Joel Jordon | Audience Award |
| 2020 | 21–24 July 2020 | Nightmare Temptation Academy | Lena NW & Costcodreamgurl | Most Amazing Award |
| 2020 | 21–24 July 2020 | N/A | Studio Oleomingus | Humble New Talent Award |