In 2006 the “Come Out & Play” festival was held in New York City, bringing together game designers and residents of the city in public spaces with a wide variety of playful activities. The next 15 years saw a wave of festivals focused on playful art, play in public spaces, and games across the digital-analog spectrum, such as Plaython in Greece and Playpublik in Poland, fueled in part by the growing indie game community. While diverse in theme and structure, these events shared an embrace of playfulness as a key to engagement, connection, and activation of the city―in a sense, they were simply gathering points for people seeking fun, new experiences.

COVID-19 restrictions brought a sudden end to in-person festivals, but in the last year they have finally begun to re-emerge. What would an urban play festival in Kyoto look like? What fun, new experiences could be found there? Join game designers, artists, and residents of Kyoto on March 29th-31st as they answer these questions through interactive installations, team-based games, and playful art tailored to specific locations throughout the city.