New Zealand TTRPGs celebrated in fifth annual KiwiRPG online convention

KiwiRPG Week will return for its fifth annual digital showcase on Saturday 4 July 2026, launching a week-long online convention dedicated to the tabletop roleplaying games community of Aotearoa New Zealand. The event runs until Saturday 11 July 2026 and incorporates a daily schedule of livestreamed actual plays, industry panel discussions, and digital retail bundles.

Organised by Kēmu Whakatau o Aotearoa, the association of professional and semi-professional tabletop creatives in New Zealand, the celebration is designed to broadcast local independent designs and established global hits to an international audience.

The 2026 scheduling intentionally coincides with Matariki, the Māori New Year, anchoring the digital convention to the region’s cultural calendar. Livestreams on the official KiwiRPG Twitch channel will open and close the week with a traditional ceremony and karakia (prayer). Industry panels will feature prominent international and local figures, including Cortex Prime creator Cam Banks, Monster of the Week designer Mike Sands, and artist Paul Tobin from Chaosium. To complement the broadcasts, participating creators are releasing game bundles at discount prices across three major storefronts: itch, DriveThruRPG, and RPG Trader.

Industry perspectives and indigenous design

The convention highlights a distinct focus on indigenous perspectives within the tabletop industry, led by a dedicated Māori creators panel featuring Riwhi Kenny (Earth Mother, Sky Father), Liam Stevens (Toa Tabletop), and Sascha Stronach (The Dawnhounds). The broadcasting schedule balances these cultural and design discussions with direct gameplay demonstrations of independent Kiwi titles, ranging from supernatural investigative comedies to alpine survival horror.

The full broadcasting timeline is detailed below. All times are listed in New Zealand Time (NZST).

Quick Links

• Official KiwiRPG Week site