The wait is real. PAX Australia 2025 may be just a few days away, but we couldn’t wait to get stuck into the PAX Rising expo floor. Every year, local developers — and many from around the world — showcase their talents with hands-on demos and information booths.
We’ve been demoing the show floor ahead of PAX Aus 2025 and its safe to say there’s no fun shortage here. If, like us, you can’t wait to get stuck in — or perhaps you can’t make it to PAX Aus this year — we’ve compiled and reviewed a heap of demos on offer.
Here’s what we’ve played so far and our thoughts.
Aussie Bogan Hero
Developer: Snag Swag Studios
Slip on your thongs and crack open a cold one, because this true-blue metroidvania puts Davo on a mission to save his hometown of Dusty Springs. When a greedy opal company locks it down, the local pub is on the brink of running dry, bugger! Thankfully, the demo for Aussie Bogan Hero shouts you the first round of this beer-bellied hero’s quest, letting you platform across dusty landmarks, biff native wildlife with a cricket bat, and team up with a loyal blue heeler to crack puzzles. Short, sharp, and packed with Aussie humour, it shows how far a bogan will go for his town and a pint. – Dan
Play this hilarious demo on Steam now, mate!
Find Aussie Bogan Hero at Booth 13.
Trivia Deal
Developer: Fluent Pixel
Just when you thought everything had been turned into a roguelike, Trivia Deal turns pub quiz antics into a tense risk-reward tightrope walk. Clear solitaire-style stacks of cards labelled with different question categories to progress levels. Each answer raises or lowers your overall score, and when you hit zero, it’s game over. Thankfully, there’s some Balatro-style modifiers to swing things back in your favour. The demo gives you a taste of the questions and upgrades on offer across the first three levels, assuming you make it to the end! – Rivers
Wishlist Trivia Deal game on Steam now.
You can check out Trivia Deal at Booth AIS2.
Rita
Developer: SporkTank
Rita is a wonderful little game for fans of word games and platformers. It gives cute and cosy vibes, but also offers up plenty of challenges. Player’s must collect letters to complete crosswords and create objects around them. The 25 minutes demo gives players the perfect taste! Rita shows a lot of promise and I’m itching to play more. My 10-year-old daughter also loved the word games on offer — especially the wordsearch mechanic. Rita is coming soon to PC. Last year we caught up with the game’s developer to learn all about how this idea came to life. – Julian Price
Find Rita at Booth 58.
Zodiac Mountain
Developer: Mystic Road
Zodiac Mountain puts a fresh spin on a roguelike deckbuilder, with a concept as balanced as its Yin & Yang motif. Playing as a determined panda on a journey to prove their worth to the Chinese Zodiacs, the demo hands you twin, interlocking decks — one channelling Yin (for Qi energy), the other Yang (where that energy is spent). That dual-deck dance makes battles a challenge of both harmony and strategy. The demo also hints at a story rooted in myth and lore, giving the player a sense of a meaningful journey. It was an engaging first impression that suggests Zodiac Mountain offers both tactical depth and heartfelt narrative. – Tim Holt
Wishlist the game on Steam now.
Find Zodiac Mountain at Booth 19.
Key Fairy
Developer: Owl Machine
In its essence, Key Fairy is a pacifist bullet-hell — you’re a fairy armed with a grappling hook, flying around to collect shattered stars from an array of monsters. But what makes it stand out is its vibrant hand-drawn art style and a soundtrack that’s an absolute bop. The controls are intuitive enough to jump straight in, but there’s still enough challenge to keep you on your toes. On top of all that, it’s a proper laugh. The story teased so far has me curious, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes. – Tim Holt
Wishlist the game on Steam now.
Find Key Fairy at Booth 50.
Chronosphere
Developer: Effort Star
Chronosphere offers a unique take on turn-based combat. While every movement is considered a turn, you can move at speed. At first, I found myself cautiously moving slowly across levels, but before I knew it I was shooting and rolling in one swift movement, taking out enemies with explosive action. The demo features three Chronospheres — made up of a stack of small levels — as well as two playable characters. There’s plenty to take on here considering it’s a free slice of the game. Highly recommend getting hands-on with this one! – Julian Price
Wishlist Chronoshere on Steam now.
Find Key Fairy at Booth PR09
Foodomina
Developer: Lumelli Studios
Foodies rejoice, because this RPG dishes out a whole universe made entirely of food. You’ll play as Takoyaki and Tempura, two friends on a mission to heal Moldonians, food folk who have gone bad. The demo gives a taste of both story and combat, introducing the cast while showing off its unique battle system. Battles trade traditional turn-based mechanics for bullet-hell chaos, forcing you to dodge before deciding whether to cure or crush your foe. This short demo is fresh, frantic, and full of flavour. – Dan
Find Foodomina at Booth 10.
Spellsided
Developer: Mass Transfer Interactive
Spellsided takes the humble die and transforms it into a hero with endless possibilities. You play as Hex, a fully customisable magical die abandoned by the Gods of the Tabletop and cast into a surreal board-game limbo. The dice-builder RPG lets you bind spells and upgrades to your sides, forcing you to think tactically about which face you’ll land on when rolling past obstacles or enemies. Shield yourself from lasers, or set up combos that turn a risky move into a satisfying triumph. Every puzzle is open-ended, with multiple solutions depending on your movement, loadout, and creativity. The demo is also currently being updated fortnightly with new challenges. – Elly
Check out the demo and wishlist Spellsided on Steam now.
Find Spellsided at Booth 25.
The full list of indie developers on show can be found on the PAX Rising page here. We’ve included the booth number for each of the games above, which you’ll be able to locate on the recently released 2025 Expo Hall map here.
What game are you most looking forward to playing? Let us know on social media or join us on our Discord!
READ MORE: Quest Daily’s PAX Survival Guide
