A 600-square-metre Indie Games Area, a PGDA networking event and the Talent Award Ceremony are bringing Austria’s games industry to Salzburg
When the LEVEL UP gaming festival opens its doors at the Salzburg Exhibition Centre on 23 and 24 May 2026, Salzburg University of Applied Sciences will be represented with one of the festival’s largest exhibition areas: the Department of Creative Technologies is hosting an Indie Games Area covering around 600 square metres, featuring 40 games from Austrian studios, start-ups, and student and school development teams. The programme will be complemented by industry events organised by Pioneers of Game Development Austria (PGDA), the popular LudeCat Indie Game Decathlon, and numerous hands-on and networking opportunities.
A stage for Austria’s indie game scene
Organised by FH Salzburg, the Indie Games Area brings together established studios, start-ups and up-and-coming talent from across Austria. Visitors can try out a total of 40 indie games there and chat directly with developers. Among those taking part are the studios Mi’pu’mi Games and Redox Interactive, the start-ups Aimcademy and Salt Castle, and a development team from HTL Spenglergasse.
A dedicated streaming area ensures that the action can also be followed live: Well-known streamers such as Taiga Panzer and Frechdachs will be reporting directly from the area, conducting interviews with developers and offering a behind-the-scenes look at the Austrian games scene.
Experience gaming and try it out for yourself
In addition to the playable titles, the Indie Games Area also features an extensive EDU section, which offers visitors an in-depth look at the world of games and technology. For example, those interested can test their skills at Nine Men’s Morris against a robot or learn more about the technical and creative aspects of game development.
In addition to the Department of Creative Technologies, the FH Salzburg departments of Information Technologies and Digitalisation, as well as Design and Green Engineering, are also involved in organising the area.
PGDA brings the industry to Salzburg
Another key focus of the weekend is on networking within the Austrian games industry. Together with PGDA – Pioneers of Game Development Austria – Salzburg University of Applied Sciences is organising a number of events for industry representatives and up-and-coming talent.
The “PGDA Executive Summit” will take place on Friday 22 May at the Urstein Knowledge Park. At the invitation of the FH Salzburg Startup Centre, managing directors and decision-makers from the Austrian games industry will gather there to discuss current developments, opportunities and challenges facing the sector.
On Saturday, a PGDA networking event will take place as part of the festival, before the PGDA Talent Award Ceremony takes centre stage on Sunday. The award, jointly initiated by the PGDA and FH Salzburg, offers students and school pupils a platform to present their projects to a wide audience as well as national and international industry contacts. At the same time, the award aims to make it easier for young developers to enter the professional games development sector and to promote entrepreneurial prospects – such as setting up their own studio.
LudeCat brings indie games to the stage as a live show
The popular “LudeCat Indie Game Decathlon” will add to the festival atmosphere on both days of the event. This interactive game show format invites visitors to compete against one another in a variety of video games. No prior experience is required – the focus is on having fun together, easy participation and discovering new indie games as a group.
LEVEL UP brings together gaming, cosplay and pop culture
The LEVEL UP festival will take place on 23 and 24 May 2026 at the Salzburg Exhibition Centre, once again bringing together the gaming, cosplay and pop culture communities. Visitors can look forward to a weekend of eSports highlights, community activities, cosplay performances and numerous interactive experiences to watch, try out and join in with.