Endix isn’t the new E3, it’s better thanks to “equal opportunities”

Since the downfall of E3, the most prolific video game convention at the time, the state of video game conventions has been left hanging in the balance. In the aftermath, many are seeking new ways to better connect with their audience. The Endix virtual Indie game expo offered joyful previews for a wide range of titles, all in a cost-effective and accessible way.

Organisers held the fourth Endix expo between November 29-30. A free online convention open to all, Endix takes place in a virtual environment full of booths and events. We spoke to Nikos Perifanis, Endix Founder, as well as Endix Marketing Director Theofanis Gavriilidis, to learn more about what inspires Endix and what the event means for the future of video game conventions. 

✓ VideoGamer Summary

• Endix held its fourth ever expo between November 29-30, 2025. 
• The event was inspired by a desire to make video game conventions more accessible for developers and visitors.
• Each booth was made with in-game assets from the very indie games they were showcasing. 
• This type of online event makes it easier for game developers to connect with their target audience
• Endix shows us a possible future for video game conventions where they’re brighter and more audience-driven.

Accessibility as inspiration

For Perifanis, getting from his home country of Greece to the US for E3 was an ordeal. “[It] was quite a trip,” he reminisces. “In many countries, we may have gaming events, but they don’t have the prestige of bigger gaming events”, he goes on to say. Here, Endix’s founder hits on the relative inaccessibility of high-profile games industry events and the origins of his inspiration for an accessible, online convention.  

By keeping the event purely online, Endix seeks to avoid the location restrictions that made the likes of E3 such an ordeal. “We tried to make it accessible so that people from everywhere and even people with disabilities can join”, adds Gavriilidis.

Attending the event, I was able to see what these lofty ideals looked like in practice. Endix turns the convention experience into a multiplayer game, complete with minigames, an interactive map, and proximity chat to let you talk to other attendees and game developers.

“It’s a reality that people get to speak from their avatar,” Perifanis explains, championing the feature’s ability to facilitate meaningful, proximity-based interactions. They encourage this sense of interactivity through organised photoshoots, hide-and-seek, platforming challenges, and plenty of dance parties. 

Worlds together

Each of the 26 virtual booths on offer this year showcased a different indie game, featuring in-game assets from each game to bring their worlds closer to visitors. As Gavriilidis puts it, “you enter the world, which is the Endix world, but inside it you can see multiple others with different topics, different assets, different colors.”

Crafting the booths just like they’ve crafted their games lets developers show visitors the aesthetic appeal of their projects even before they try out the demos on offer. “Automatically,” Gavriilidis explains, “when somebody enters, they understand what the game is about and understand the selling points.” 

Without the constraints of physical reality, the digital space itself becomes a malleable, yet eminently affordable canvas for developers. 

Each booth had machines holding demo keys and Steam page links. Charming animal life simulator Hawthorn boasted adorable animals next to its booth, setting the tone immediately.

The booth next door offered a charming musical roguelike going by the name of Alpha Nomos. Its own machine was intertwined in the ruined forests that the main character Cello explores.

One of the most captivating booths was the haunted shed made for REANIMAL, a horror adventure game made by the developers of Little Nightmares 1 and 2. It was creepy, unsettling, and atmospheric.  

 “The moment they entered the REANIMAL booth, people were amazed”, outlines. Perifanis. “Every exhibitor can create their own experience.”

Independent voices

Some booths held surprises that gave insight into the developers’ visions. The Project ReMind booth, for instance, unlocked a secret developer-led behind-the-scenes video by interacting with the objects inside in a certain order. 

The booth for the 1990s-inspired racing game Race Jam gave your avatar a 90s art style and had a hidden code that unlocks a car in the game. These fun easter eggs speak to a gamification of the convention floor itself – a welcome novelty. 

“In this way, the companies have a way to speak directly to their target audiences,” says Perifanis of this phenomenon. 

Though the small team behind Endix wishes to put indie games first, organizers are keen to find ways to grow the scale and ambition of the operation. 

“We started with indies, and we will continue growing with indies”, describes Gavriilidis, “but also we cannot exclude the publishers. Publishers are here to support, not only financially, but they also have a great network of contacts, and they can help the indies.”

Digital opportunities

The Endix team may have big ambitions, but they seek to cling to their vision of a free, online-only model for their conventions. “We want to keep it as digital as we can, so we don’t lose our principles, our values, of accessibility and inclusion, ” affirms Gavriilidis.

“The industry as a whole would be much happier if we all had equal opportunities,” echoes Perifanis. 

Walking the virtual show floor, it became clear to me that other attendees keenly felt this emphasis on accessibility and audience participation. I could feel a rich sense of community among the dance parties, games and spontaneous conversations.

In one particularly charming interlude, I found myself blasted into the air by fans from a massive virtual graphics card as attendees competed to see who could jump the highest. This kind of emergent, attendee-driven joy is the bread and butter of a strong convention experience, and there was plenty to go around at Endix. 

Despite the virtual environment, these positive sensibilities were absolutely, unquestionably real. If this is the post-E3 future of video games conventions, then I’m not sure I want to go back.   

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