sat 10.28
boulder, co
tickets

A VERITABLE MENAGERIE of WHAAAT!?

Our fifth annual festival of weird games, alternative interfaces, mind-blowing talks and more. Featuring Everest Pipkin, plus themed arcades, hands-on workshops, and the return of the all-you-can-eat cereal bar*

*cereal bar not guaranteed to have anything beyond Count Chocula and Boo Berry

Schedule

9AM - 10AM
ATLAS Lobby
Check-in and Cereal Bar
Conference ticket-holders can come early to check-in, get a peek at some of our featured games, meet with the other attendees over coffee and ALL THE CEREAL THEY CAN EAT in the ATLAS lobby
9AM - 4PM
ATLAS Lobby
Whaaat!? Tabletop
All day long. Board games to soothe your soul. Brought to you by Stellar Factory.
9AM - 10AM
ATLAS BBX
VIP Arcade
Giant Skeleton passholders get an early peek at this year's amazing arcade
10AM - 10:15AM
ATLAS 100
Opening Remarks
The Whaaat!? Team stands in front of you and tries to keep their cool while telling you about the day's events.
11AM - 3PM
ATLAS BBX
Whaaat!? Arcade
Did you say you want to play games? Like a ton of games? Like really new and weird and bananas games? No? Oh then you definitely don't want to go down to the ATLAS BBX basement. Check the full games listing for more details!
11AM - 12PM
ATLAS 100
Group Games
A bunch of people in an auditorium playing some extremely wacky experimental live-action multiplayer games? Sounds dumb. I'd rather sit by myself and eat a fig newton. AS IF!
11AM - 3PM
ATLAS SL3
MAL presents That Kid in Your Neighborhood's Basement
Our good friends at the Media Archeology Lab return to fuel your nostalgia-thirst a special exhibition for Whaaat!? Featuring a nirvana of vintage consoles and classics, this is a rare occasion to play some amazing games including Q*bert, Zork, Contra, GoldenEye and the infamous ET on an original Commodore 64, Apple //c, Atari 2600, NES, N64, Sega Genesis, and Vextrex!
11AM - 3PM
ATLAS SL2
Everest Pipkin Retrospective
A super special arcade featuring wonderful web-based games made by this year's very special guest, Everest Pipkin. You're going to want to see these.
11AM - 3PM
ATLAS SL1
Aaanglercade!?
What's more Boulder than fishing? Videogames about fishing!
11AM - 3PM
ATLAS 113 BTU Lab
The Whaaat!? Student Showcase
A selection of games from the very talented ATLAS student body's brains.
12PM - 1PM
ATLAS Lobby / Boulder Area
Lunch Break / Game Lunch
You get a glunch! And you get a glunch! Everybody gets a glunch! Board games and food. A tried and true combination
1PM - 2PM
ATLAS 100
Everest Pipkin Talk
Special guest Everest Pipkin will blow your mind. That's a guarantee. You can take it to the bank. The bank for blown minds.
2PM - 3PM
ATLAS 100
Crowd Controller
An extra special experimental game where the entire audience is the controller. It will work flawlessly. And then we'll all speed run Neon White.
3PM - 3:15PM
ATLAS 100
Closing Remarks and Giant Skeleton Raffle
The Whaaat!? Team stands before you exuberant yet exhausted and tries to coherently sum up the magic of the day while you impatiently wait for the all-important raffling of the giant skeleton. (you are 100% responsible for carrying that thing home. Best of luck!)

Everest Pipkin!

This year's keynote is not one to miss! Everest Pipkin is a game developer, writer, and artist from central Texas who lives and works on a sheep farm in southern New Mexico. Their work both in the studio and in the garden follows themes of ecology, tool making, and collective care during collapse. When not at the computer in the heat of the day, you can find them in the hills spending time with their neighbors— both human and non-human.

Arcade

Did somebody say games!? No? Okay, sorry it must have been our stomachs rumbling after seeing how delicious all of this year's games look. And there's even more in the game-buffet than ever! Nom! Nom!

Anglerfish Project - Selkie Harbour

Instead of fishing for fish, why not fish for information. Literally.

Atuel - Matajuegos

Explore and document dreamlike landscapes inspired by the Atuel River Valley of Argentina

Dredge - Black Salt Games

Take the bait, and play this fishing game with a sinister undercurrent that will leave you hooked.

Fish Fish - Dorian Beaugendre

An idle fishing game for your desktop

Fishing Vacation - Teebowah Games

Jump in the station wagon and take the kids down to Walleye World!

Henry Halfhead - Lululu Games

Henry only has half a head but can control any object within their reach. Feels like a fair trade.

Hylics 2 - Mason Lindroth

An RPG in claymation. Even I am confused by this one.

Lure - Blue Moon Games

Someone asked you to fish at the forbidden Shinto shrine. You probably shouldn't do it. You did it anyway, didn't you?

Ridiculous Fishing EX - Vlambeer

It's like shooting fish in a barrel, a barrel that's been exploded right over your head.

That Kid in Your Neighborhood's Basement - MAL

It's baaaaaack! The CU Media Archeology Lab curates an amazing vintage videogame exhibition for Whaaat!? Featuring some vintage consoles and favorite classics from years ago, this is a rare occasion to play some amazing games including Q*bert, Zork, Contra, GoldenEye and the infamous ET on an original Commodore 64, Apple //c, Atari 2600, NES, N64, Sega Genesis, and Vectrex!

Tingus Goose Game - MasterTingus and SweatyChair Studio

You're just going to have to go with us on this one. Trust us.

Viewfinder - Sad Owl Studios

A shooter. But with a camera. With the power to reshape the world.

What the Car? - What the Games

You're a car, but instead of wheels you have legs!

Also including...

The ATLAS Student Game Showcase

Featuring some of the best and wildest games out of the ATLAS Institute's Game Design and Development community.

...and many many more surprises to come!

Getting to Whaaat!?

All events at Whaaat!? will be in the ATLAS Institute at CU Boulder. Paid parking can be found in the nearby Euclid lot (underneath the CASE building), and free parking within walking distance can often be found on the Hill, west of Broadway

how to whaaat!?

Festival Pass

Includes:

  • All talks (including our keynote by Everest Pipkin)
  • All industry panels & workshops
  • All arcades (both the main room and the smaller themed arcades)
  • The return of the all-you-can-eat cereal bar

Giant Skeleton Pass*

all the benefits of a Festival Pass, PLUS:

  • 1 hour early & after-hours arcade access
  • 1 each Whaaat!? Festival sticker from the past 5 years
  • 1 custom Whaaat!? cereal bowl, plus your own box of cereal
  • The real chance to win a 12-foot skeleton*
  • The pride of helping other people attend affordably

*we bought a 12 foot skeleton from Home Depot. We plan to pose it around the festival, and then raffle it off to one VIP ticket holder. You're welcome.

Mailing List!

  1. past festivals:
  2. 2022
  3. 2021
  4. 2020
  5. 2019
  6. 2018