25th & 26th
january 2025

WHITE ROCK THEATRE

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new for 2025!

Calling serious gamers, casual console players and anyone in search of something fun to do with family and friends! Games Fest is coming to The White Rock Theatre on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th January 2025, offering three sessions of pure gaming glee.

BOOK TICKETS NOW!

retro gaming

with

Providing a dream set up for every retro arcade enthusiast is Game Over. Relive the magic of your youth and introduce the younger generations to classics such as Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Ninja Turtles, Mario Bros, Street Fighter and more! Also enjoy gaming projected onto a giant screen.

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board gaming

with

Bringing a library of over 100 of the most popular board games around and giving demonstrations of some the newest releases to hit the market will be returning partner, Dice Board Game Lounge. Pick a game, take your place at the table and participate in the competitions and tournaments that will be running across the weekend before perusing a fully stocked shop so you can buy and continue playing your new-found favourites at home.

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esports gaming

with

East Sussex College, Bexhill College and their resident Esports teams will take centre stage at The White Rock Games Fest, bringing an array of Esport activities and entertainment. Their various teams will be competing in matches in Overwatch 2, Valorant and Rocket League. You can also battle against their F1 Williams 2024 winner in a fastest lap event a racing simulator.

Attendees will also get the chance to speak to students to discover what the esports industry is like, and how it developed rapidly over the years, as well as try out some of the games available to our students and those who compete in the British Esports Student Championships.

Want to Participate?

ESC teams would like to invite you to compete against our college esports team in a game of either Rocket League Valorant or Overwatch 2 – each day we will be competing against randomly selected members from the audience (attendees) who we shall invite to join us on stage and invited teams from colleges across the Southeast.

We have, overall, 4 occasions where you could participate, please select all of the times you would like to compete in.

Applications will close on Friday 24th of January at 3pm anyone registering after this time will not be considered.

Attendees will also get the chance to speak to students to discover what the esports industry is like, and how it developed rapidly over the years, as well as try out some of the games available to our students and those who compete in the British Esports Student Championships.

SIGN UP NOW

esports schedule

  • MORNING SESSION (11:00 – 12:30):
    Festival attendees can play against teams.
  • AFTERNOON SESSION:
    Friendly inter-college matches.
  • ALL DAY:
    Fastest F1 lap and Street Fighter challenge.

dabbblezone

DABBBLEZONE is an event space for young people aged 16-25 ready to dabbble in worktaster activities relating to games. Brought to Hastings Games Fest by Adventures + Wisdom Institute.

Benefits of getting involved:

  • Build personal and professional confidence
  • Make valuable connections
  • Great experience for portfolio, CV and UCAS applications
  • Digital badges
  • Free event entry
LEARN MORE HERE

roblox games

MovieWorld

Welcome to MovieWorld, your home for film magic. Explore our virtual theme park with a wide range of rides such as roller coasters, drop towers, and much more! Join the fight on Superhero Rivals, or take to the skies above Metropolis on the Superhero Escape. You could also experience the Dark Knight and feel the rush of adrenaline as you launch into the sky from the heart of the city.
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Recharge

As an Experiment, leverage your unique electrical abilities to navigate through the shadows of Darklight Laboratories. Utilize stealth, strategy, and your electrifying powers to evade or confront the scientists. As a Scientist, collaborate with your team to uncover and stop the rogue Experiment. Use your abilities and teamwork to protect the secrets of the Blackout Project.
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roblox creator livestreams

Saturday 25th

  • Maddie Lock (Stop Motion) 12:00

    Stream showing VR & Game Playing.

  • VR / Game Playing 13:00

    TMW Talk

  • Skills Marketplace 14:00

    Stream showing VR & Game Playing

  • VR / Game Playing 15:00

    JM Talk

sunday 26th

  • Esther Springett (Graphic Drawings) 12:00

    Stream showing VR & Game Playing

  • VR / Game Playing 13:00

    Roblox Talk

  • Skills Marketplace 14:00

    Stream showing VR & Game Playing

  • VR / Game Playing 15:00

    Roblox Talk

indie gaming

Demo some exciting new games from up-and-coming game designers and show your support to the indie gaming community!

More indie gamers to be announced soon…

BALANCE OF KINGDOMS

Balance of Kingdoms is about building, balancing and battling, combining elements of strategy and physics. Players must build a kingdom balanced on top of a beam while trying to defeat their opponent. Dare ye take a chance?
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Go! Go! Grapple Staff

The Meddling "Grapple Wizard", once a meagre wizard, now blessed with the knowledge of the deathly-efficient and recently outlawed Grapple Staff, geared up with their pointy hat is able to tear through anyone (or anything) that stands in their way. Mischief, chaos and high speeds are the aims of the game in the Grapple Wizards mission to ascend the peak of the Wizard Council - who banished the Grapple Wizard for their use of the Grapple Staff.
Learn More

grove

Grove is an easy-to-learn tactical card game that inspires exciting combinations with a variety of unique cards!
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REALITY DRIFT

Andrew Gillett has been working as a game developer for 25 years, having previously worked as a programmer at Frontier on games such as Rollercoaster Tycoon 3, Thrillville, LostWinds 2 and Kinectimals. He's now an indie developer working on a game called Reality Drift. It's a roguelike racing game where your choices matter. You drive through a series of strange worlds to deliver packages to godlike creatures.
Learn More

NINE ROUNDS RAPID

A fast paced, super stylized, roguelike, twin stick shooter. Nine levels of hand painted and procedurally generated, punchy and punky fast mayhem in a uniquely stunning attitude filled world. Dare ye take a chance?
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Proverbs

Proverbs is digital cross-stitch. A meditative game about completing a single enormous 54,000+ piece grid puzzle.
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Logic Town

Logic Town is a relaxing coffee-break puzzle game based on Einstein Puzzles (AKA Zebra Puzzles). In each puzzle you must follow the clues to carefully eliminate answers until you've found the truth!
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Super Spelling Ducks

Imagine Scrabble, except you're a duck who has to push letters around. Join words together and quack to make them explode into satisfying combos, earning gems to pay off your debt to some badgers. Buy helpful bonuses by taking on extra challenges—maybe the letters catch fire or ballpit balls scatter everywhere. Perhaps moles pop up to push your letters around, or you're suddenly stuck with 20 extra Qs? Play solo or team up with friends for cooperative fun!
Learn More

Isle of Leil

A first-person story driven horror game set on a desolate island frozen in time. Face the terrors that roam on the island. Use your wit to distract and sneak around the island. Solve the puzzles and avoid the darkness, find your mother and make it out alive!
Learn More

We’re looking for more up-and-coming indie gaming developers to demo their games at 2025’s Games Fest. Whether your game is fully developed or still in development, we’d love to showcase it at our event! Get in touch to enquire about booking a table by clicking the button below.

get in touch

+ more to be announced!

ticket prices

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FAQS

Frequently Asked Questions Coming Soon!

Can I exhibit/trade at this event?

We are now able to take applications for traders. Email [email protected]

Will there be food and drinks available at this event?

Portsmouth Guildhall’s Square Kitchen will be open throughout the event, serving up it’s famous pizzas. Bars will also be open throughout the day serving both alcoholic and non-alcohol drinks.

What board games and retro games will be available to play?

Dice Portsmouth and Game Over Portsmouth will be bringing their full catalogue of games, with hundreds and hundreds of games to choose from spanning across many generations. You will not be stuck for choice that’s for sure

Will there be tickets available on the door?

The capacity for the event is capped at 2000, so we recommend buying your tickets sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment. At Portsmouth Comic Con we sadly had to turn people away due to selling out during the course of the days events.

Will there be cosplay?

As with Portsmouth Comic Con we not only welcome but encourage cosplayers to our event!

Is this event wheelchair accessible?

As with all events at Portsmouth Guildhall the venue and event is fully accessible to people of all needs. Should you have any concerns about accessibility at the venue please contact: 023 93870 200. Free carer tickets are also available to this event.

How can I join this event as a sponsor?

We are welcoming sponsorship to this event, should you wish to get on board please contact [email protected]

In which areas of the Guildhall will this event be taking place?

The event will be focused in Portsmouth Guildhall’s main auditorium, first floor and basement with board games and retro gaming taking over the whole of the area.

Can I apply for a press-pass for this event?

We are welcoming press applications to this event, should you wish to get on board please contact [email protected]

important information

  • Children 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult 18+
  • Bag searches may be applicable
  • No externally bought food/drinks/liquids are allowed

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