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Now in its 17th year, the Play - Creative Gaming Festival brought together digital games and gaming culture with media art, discourse and education. This year's event was attended by 9,000 people in Hamburg and around 750,000 people online. 

Annika Curts, Bastian Clausdorff, Mathilde Hoffmann and Sven Ahlgrimm won the Creative Gaming Award in the category "Most Creative Game Award" with Oddada. The jury (Farid Müller, Die Grünen; Helen Krüger, Gamecity; Mona Brandt, game designer; Smo Live, Young PLAY and Sebastian Hagen, winner of the 2023 Audience Award) was enthusiastic about the game: "This year's winner impressed us with its remarkable blend of creative freedom, innovative design, and meticulously crafted presentation. Its original concept is matched by a thoughtful execution and filled with love in every detail of the design. The game's strong aesthetics, the smooth and intuitive UX, and the seamless technical integration create a heartfelt experience where creative expression is truly fun, rewarding and a delight to explore. This playful experience invites gamers and non-gamers alike to explore their creative instincts and inspires new creations with every single step." The Audience Award (visitors' choice) went to Lumidrop Games for LightFight - A Mind Game on an experimental LED installation.

For the second time, teenagers and young adults between the ages of 14 and 21 from all over Germany were involved in organising the festival. The youth team "Young Play" prepared parts of the programme and curated their own exhibition. Other exhibition highlights included the international productions that dealt with the festival theme "You Got the Power!", playful works that were produced in Hamburg, as well as games and concepts that were nominated for the "Most Creative Game Award". 

According to the organisers, the school programme was particularly successful. Around ten per cent of all Hamburg schools took part with one or more classes in workshops and the exhibition. The further training, discussions with politicians and many open opportunities to get involved were also very well received. The festival also received political support, with the Senator for Schools, members of the Hamburg Parliament and the President of the Hamburg Parliament in attendance.

Play24 is an event produced by Initiative Creative Gaming and jaf - Verein für medienpädagogische Praxis Hamburg. Funded by Projektfonds Medien und Bildung Hamburg, BürgerStiftung Hamburg, Gamecity Hamburg, Bezirksamt Hamburg-Mitte, Zentrum für Schul- und Jugendinformation (ZSJ) der BSB. 

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9000 Visitors at Play24 in Hamburg; Oddada Wins "Most Creative Game Award"