Pro Jank Footy, a chaotic arcade game loosely based on Australian rules football, has won the Best in Exhibition Award at SAGE 2025, as thousands of game lovers turned out in force to support the South Australian event.
From only several months of development, the playable demo of Pro Jank Footy gave a very silly spin on the popular local sport. Combining the fast-paced mayhem of NBA Jam with the ridiculousness of Behold the Kickmen, it depicted Aussie rules in the most delightfully video game way possible.
Made by Powerbomb Games, consisting of comedy duo David Ashby and Dario Russo with game developer Tyler Roach, Pro Jank Footy looks like a typical retro sports game at first glance. However, after someone scores a goal, their opponent gets to choose a power-up that completely flips the game on its head.
One power-up removes the arms of the opposing team’s players, rendering them incapable of taking marks. Another ability adds goalposts around the entirety of the ground, practically guaranteeing that every kick scores, no matter the direction. Perhaps the dream of many football fans, there’s even a power-up that removes the umpires entirely. Adding to the silliness is commentary from Broden Kelly, a member of the infinitely silly comedy group Aunty Donna.
“Tyler and I are completely blown away by the reception to Pro Jank Footy,” Ashby said in a press release. “It’s been a truly wonderful experience watching kids and parents laugh and engage with our game, along with the rest of the local developers showcasing their work at SAGE.”
For winning Best in Exhibition, Powerbomb Games received a $2,000 cash prize supplied by the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC), SAGE’s organisers. It adds to the funding supplied by Screen Australia’s Emerging Gamemakers Fund last year when the game had the working title ‘Aussie Rules‘.
Mesmerised by a cube at SAGE 2025
Plenty of other games earned praise over SAGE weekend, combining cutting-edge technologies with genre-bending ideas. Another highlight came from a game that perfected a simple concept.
Cube, from Daniel D’Cruz and Rupert (Ru) McPharlin working together as The RnD Department, won the SAGE Elevate Award that recognises the best work from emerging developers. Not just the best game in SAGE’s Elevate section, Cube was one of the best games at the entire exhibition.
Conjuring the aesthetics of M.C. Escher and the puzzle game Monument Valley, Cube was elegant in its design and execution. It tasked players with navigating a cube through a labyrinth of platforms, with the surroundings changing alongside progression. With each section completed, the cube grew larger, cleverly introducing new challenges and ways of moving around the environment.
In a quote attributed to both D’Cruz and McPharlin, “The most rewarding part of this journey is watching the joy that CUBE brings the kids that play it.” Players of all ages regularly gravitated towards Cube, while young children easily picked up the game’s controls. Many onlookers also commented that watching the game was equally as satisfying as playing it.
“The judges were blown away by the standard and quality of games presented at SAGE this year,” said James O’Connor, SAFC Game Development executive. “The creativity and innovation on display was outstanding, and represented the extraordinary breadth of talent in South Australia’s games sector, from solo indie developers right through to established studios.”
Now in its third year, SAGE 2025 smashed previous attendance records, attracting more than 3,000 people over two days. Alongside nearly 40 playable games, the showcase event also hosted various expert panel discussions ranging from career advice to recognising the best SA-made games. A full list of games and panels is available on the official SAGE website.
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