May 24th | 20:00–22:00 CEST | Online & Free



, an interactive online showcase where 10 playful makers from around the world present their latest creations — from immersive installations and experimental video games to quirky RPGs, performative experiences, and more!

This is not a pitch competition — it’s a celebration.

Our 10 daring participants, selected through an open call, won’t be pitching to publishers. Instead, they’ll play, react, share, and connect. It’s a space where game makers and curious minds meet, and where diversity, creativity, and experimentation take center stage.

2025 promises a joyful, spontaneous, and collaborative experience. We aim for the UIM to gather participants who represent a vibrant cross-section of the indie game community — from coding mothers to queer visual artists and indigenous storytellers — bringing original, extravagant, and alternative playful concepts to a global audience.

 (November 19–23), where they’ll showcase their work in person!

, a powerful installation about the space between us. This year, Claire returns as a jury member with 

📺 Watch live, join the fun, and interact from home —
Mark your calendars:
🗓️ DATE: May 24th
⏰ TIME: 20:00–22:00 CEST
📍 LOCATION: 

Let’s play, connect and celebrate what makes playful project so beautiful.

Ultimate IndieMash: playful contest ONLINE

From ancient rituals to modern carnivals, masks have always held the power to transform, protect, liberate, and connect. Across cultures and through the ages, masks have been more than objects—they are vessels of identity, portals to other worlds, and bridges between the visible and the invisible. In this workshop, we invite you to explore your many selves through crochet mask-making.

Inspired by the sociologist Erving Goffman, we recognize that life itself is a stage, and we are all performers. We wear masks every day, they help us navigate the expectations of others and shape how we are seen. But what happens when we consciously choose our mask, outside the scripts of everyday life and embracing our darkest sides?

Craft your own mask using the technique of crocheting, drawing inspiration from myths, spirits, animals, or archetypes.

Explore the identities you wear - which ones are yours, and which were given to you?

Play with transformation, imagining who you might become with a different 

Let out your inner demon, protector, or beast ;)

Masks have always held the power to both conceal and reveal. Through creating and wearing your own mask, you’ll explore the boundaries of yourself and the stories you carry. Let us come together and create a collective ritual to celebrate plurality, embrace fluid shifting identity and the playful dance of who we are.

Materials are not provided. You would need a #4 crochet hook and the yarn of your preference. It's better if you are already familiar with crochet stitches, although it is not strictly necessary.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 27
WHERE: Oldenzaalsestraat 128, 7514 DS, Enschede (New Sickhouse Location!)
TIME: 18:30-21:00

Stitching to Resist: Crochet Balaclava Making

This event is postponed to the 13th of June



DreamWalks are playful collective dreaming sessions hosted by artist and LARP designer 

. Between March and June, Sickhouse takes you to dreamy liminal places of Enschede to get into 

 and explore in between realities. You are welcome to join for one or more walks. These sessions will lead to the creation of a final ritual hosted in July.



In the future, a secret technology has emerged: the ability to enter and alter dreams. In this larp, you will play Dream Architects—a group of mind-hackers, employed by those who can afford to rewrite reality at its root. All this, in between working on your own private projects.

Parents, executives, and politicians come to you with requests: "Make her obedient." "Make him fall in love." "Make them afraid."
Most requests imply nightmares—they leave the deepest impression.
Each mission begins with a request. Together, you choose your target. You build the dream. You perform it—for one of you to witness and record. And then, you wait.

In time, a letter arrives. The client is pleased. Or horrified. The dream changed something. But was it what they wanted?
A surreal and philosophical LARP about power, morality, and how nightmares can become a tool in someone else's hands—unless we find a way to claim them back.

 (Make sure to get your on time, the number of spot available is limited)
You will receive an e-mail a few days before the walk with all the info and instructions.


🕐 Time: 18:30
⛲ Place: to be announced
⏱️ Duration: 3.5 hours
💰 

(including drinks and cookies)
🧣 To bring with you: comfortable clothes.

Get your tickets!

NEW DATE! DreamWalk #4 Dream Architecture 

Sickhouse is proud to present the selection for Ultimate Indie Mash! Save the date of the show : 24th May accessible online! 

An immersive game created with twine, confronting the player with the role of passivity in the current aggressive system.

Body Focused Repetitive behaviour is a small game about a weird stim, nail biting, playing with your hair, picking at scabs... and ADHD

Outer Plays Eszter (she/they) & Joanna (she/they) - 

Have you ever found yourself elbow-deep in a sewer? Or followed ants disappearing into a hole? But most importantly, have you ever lost something that was important to you? Then you and Leah have something in common. "Something to Reach For" is a short interactive fiction game. To play, all you need is a mouse and some decision-making brainpower.


An experimental narrative game to look into the lives of others. Inspired by the experience of the makers the game reflect on isolation and depression in times of remote work.


Find the seven sanctuaries created by the mysterious ‘S’ and discover the untold stories and memories, the need for a safer world and the potential for healing. The game wants to inspire reflection about grief, identity, crying, human touch and rituals.

https://planning.goodcompany.be/nl/producties/plum

The Shaman, The Outsider and the Diet of Worms 


Multi-medium experience, presented as a collection of in-universe materials centred around the book 

The Shaman, the Outsider, and the Diet of Worms

, an autobiography of an anthropologist visiting a remote village. This includes the book itself, a republication with a preface, and a wiki page made 400 years after it was published. It is up to the player/reader to decide what parts of these materials, if any, are truthful.

👉 

Turns out, exploding a guy has consequences. Corporate spies Zoë and Gabe have messed up. There's only one thing they can do: escape to an alternate universe. But running can only get you so far. An interactive episodic story that shifts between comic, game and animation.

👉 

Ventilastation is the first game console from Latin America. A large fan spins a bar with lots of LEDs and a tiny computer, creating an odd circular display where games literally run at 600 RPMs. Players control the spinning action with a hacked testing lab dashboard, a submarine-grade gamepad or even a dance-dance mat.

👉 

https://ventilastation.protocultura.net/en/

Playful Systems LLC Jonah Warren (he/him) 

A fast-paced, two-player local multiplayer painting game. Two players compete on a shared screen, each armed with a mouse, a blank canvas, and a few simple paint tools. Each round, players select an abstracted version of a famous painting from art history. Players race to copy the painting as quickly and accurately as possible.

alpha_rats (he/they) & GLOR1A (she/they) 

An ongoing live A/V and video game project exploring different pathways for collective participation, using an afro-futurist virtual world as a stage for live broadcast and performance.

👉 

Ultimate IndieMash Selection

After a year and a half of being nomads, on May 1 we will finally receive the keys to our new location at Oldenzaalsestraat 128. This will be our home for the next four years, and we are bursting with excitement about the new era ahead.

For five years, Sickhouse inhabited the third floor of the WARP building at Stationsplein, before being evicted due to plans for a housing project that has yet to be launched. Sickhouse was without its own physical location for 19 months (to be exact), during which time we continued to hold our events thanks to the support of friends and colleagues from the cultural circuit in Enschede, who generously lent or rented us their spaces and helped us in various ways to continue our programs.

Thanks to this support, our monthly events (TableTop Game Nights, Colliders: Playful Makers Meet-up, Sickhouse Cinema, and Stitching to Resist), our playgrounds (interactive exhibitions with guest artists), and our special events (like KO(O)RTS Short Film Festival, the Summer Film Camp, and The Overkill Festival) could continue while we searched for a new home. A thousand thanks again to Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Concordia Cinema & Kunstruimte, Het Vestzaktheater, DesignLab, GrensFrequentie, B93, Performance Factory, and many more.

It wasn't easy, but finally, an opportunity opened up. Last October, we signed the lease for Oldenzaalsestraat 128 — a building that housed a pool hall for many years — which will now become Sickhouse's new home.

 After receiving the keys, the next challenge will be fitting out the space: rebuilding our small cinema, stage, exhibition area, and bar. We will start hosting events already in May, but we will continue adapting the space to meet our community’s evolving needs.

We don't have a date for the official opening of the new location. But we will keep you updated on the progress we're making in this space that, like our previous location, aims to be a safe, fun, very pink space, where everyone can find a place and feel at home.

Sickhouse's New Location

SICKHOUSE is a PLAYFUL ART SPACE presenting games, interactive art and participatory projects to look critically into the (digital) transformation of our society! 

Frontpage


Are you between 16 and 25 years old, and have you always dreamt of making your own short movie? Join us in this two-week Summer Film Camp! 



🎥 Open to young, curious minds eager to dive into the world of DIY filmmaking. You will learn about scenarios, storyboard, decors, filming, acting, editing, sound design and much more! 

✨ Together, we will make a short film from beginning to end. It will be experimental, it will be collective, and it will be full of improvisation! The finished movie will be premiered at 

, Sickhouse Short Film Festival in September.

🎬 You can sign up by sending an email with a short motivational letter/video/animation to Aike, where you tell us a bit about yourself, your favourite movie, what you like about films and what you are looking for in the Film Camp. The application deadline is the 16th of June. 




July 14th - 27th 
In and around Enschede
€ free! 
Sign up before June 16th to aike@sickhouse.nl



Please note that Sickhouse can't provide a place to stay or travel costs

Ben jij tussen de 16 en 25 jaar oud, en heb je altijd gedroomd van je eigen korte film? Doe mee met deze twee weken durend Summer Film Camp!



🎥 Het programma is open voor jonge, nieuwsgierige mensen die gemotiveerd zijn de wereld van DIY (doe-het-zelf) filmmaken in te duiken. Je leert over scenario’s, storyboards, decors, film, acteren, editing, sound design en meer!

✨ Samen maken we een korte film van begin tot eind. Vol experiment en vol improvisatie! De uiteindelijke film gaat in premiere tijdens het KO(O)RTS Short Film Festival in september.

🎬 Je kan je aanmelden door een email met een korte motivatie (text, video, animatie) naar Aike te sturen, waar je een beetje over jezelf vertelt, je favoriete film, wat je zo tof vindt aan films, en wat je verwacht van het filmcamp. De deadline om je aan te melden is 16 juni!




14 - 27 juli
In en rondom Enschede
€ gratis! 
Meld je voor 16 juni aan via aike@sickhouse.nl



Houd er rekening mee dat Sickhouse niet in een overnachtingsplek of reiskosten kan voorzien.

SICKHOUSE FILMCAMP - Make Your Own Short Movie

KO(O)RTS is back in 2025!
The Short Film Festival of the weird, wicked and wonderful, organized by Sickhouse, returns for its second edition in collaboration with 

. To be held in Enschede, Netherlands the 26 & 27 of September.

KO(O)RTS is a vibrant 2-day short film festival. It provides a platform for (emerging) local and international filmmakers to showcase their work, celebrate creativity and connect with each other. At the same time, the program offers the public an alternative, never-before-seen and fun selection of films, presented with care, multisensory setups and
playful ways. 

In addition to the various screenings, the festival includes workshops, a filmmakers meet-up, and an awards ceremony. In this way, we strive to create a vibrant event that brings together both filmmakers, film lovers and celebrates the art of short film.

 and submit your film before May 1st (read the terms for applying on the open call page).

KO(O)RTS Short Film Festival OPEN CALL

It' time for The Ultimate IndieMash Game Contest! For the third time, indie-game makers from all over the world get to present their projects to an international audience, play interactive games together and have the chance to win a spot at The Overkill Festival 2025!



 : 30th MARCH
ULTIMATE INDIEMASH SHOW : 24th MAY



 is a contest for unique playful makers of the world, to present their work to an international audience. Hosted live from Bristol, UK and Enschede, NL, and streamed all over the world, the participants get three minutes each to show their game, interactive project, immersive installation or playful performance, through an online video connection. So you don’t have to travel to participate!

The evening is for them to share their concepts and gain new fans, and at the end of the program, the viewers and a jury of professionals will vote for their favourite project. Besides receiving the Sickest Trophy, the winner of the Ultimate IndieMash will also get a spot at The Overkill Festival 2025!



Not only are we looking for the most original, extravagant and alternative playful concepts, the 

 is also a celebration of diversity within the indie-game community. We welcome applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in the gaming world. From coding mothers to queer visual artists and indigenous storytellers, everyone is invited to show their unique project and creations to our audience online!


 is a two-hour online program, filled with music, playful interactions and of course the gamemakers and their projects. In the first hour, the participants show their work in a 3 minute presentation, that can be as playful as you want! They will get a chance to answer some questions from the audience as well, to explain their projects as well as possible. In the second hour, the participants together with the audience will play some exciting games in which the audience creates prompts, drawings and more for the participants to be creative with. After that, the audience and the jury will vote for their favorite project, and at the end of the show the winner will be announced.



- Open call-deadline for participants is the 

. 
Afterwards, the Sickhouse team will make a selection of 10 participants to present their projects.
- Selection announced on the 

If you have any questions regarding this program, don’t hesitate to email 

The Ultimate IndieMash Open Call is now closed :)

In 2025 Sickhouse will have a new location and we are commissioning our first alternative arcade! 

Dutch artists Vincent Schoutsen and Wouter van Veldhoven are joining forces with French artists Leon Denise and Emilie Breslavetz from 

, to develop and build a playful arcade machine. Reflecting on the theme "Alternative control and Resistance" they are working together to create an arcade that will be playable at the new location of Sickhouse .

January and February are the months for creative brainstorms, starting with many ideas and getting inspired by their favorite objects. From buttons to plane cockpits, from sci-fi adventure to A.I relationships, the artists question the found objects they are working with, the role of the future player and the state of new technology in our society. 

In March, the 4 artists will be in Enschede for one week to bring everything together and build the arcade. They will present their process and progress during our monthly meet-up 

at BlackBrick.

The Arcade will be officially inaugurated in September, during the re-opening of Sickhouse in its new location! This project is a pilot edition and hopefully we will be able to commission several alternative arcades in the years to come.

News
SICKHOUSE FILMCAMP - Make Your Own Short Movie

News
Ultimate IndieMash Selection

News
Sickhouse's New Location

News
KO(O)RTS Short Film Festival OPEN CALL

News
The Ultimate IndieMash Open Call is now closed :)

News
Arcade Mayhem

Upcoming Events

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NewsSICKHOUSE FILMCAMP - Make Your Own Short Movie

NewsUltimate IndieMash Selection

NewsSickhouse's New Location

NewsKO(O)RTS Short Film Festival OPEN CALL

NewsThe Ultimate IndieMash Open Call is now closed :)

NewsArcade Mayhem