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Read the press release here.

Here Are The Indie Video Games You Can Play in Astoria This Weekend

 People playing the video game STARWAHL at the Museum of the Moving Image.
People playing the video game STARWAHL at the Museum of the Moving Image.
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DNAinfo/Jeanmarie Evelly

ASTORIA — Gamers can try their hand at dozens of indie video games in Queens this weekend.

IndieCade East, a festival that celebrates independent video games and their creators, returns to the Museum of the Moving Image for three days of workshops, panel discussions and, of course, gaming.

The annual event, which launched at the museum in 2013, will include talks led by industry leaders that cover things like diversity in gaming or perfecting a game's soundtrack, as well as a "Show and Tell" feature that lets emerging game creators showcase and get feedback on their work.

The festival will also have 40 games on display that museum-goers will be able to play themselves, part of a showcase called "Strange Arcade," with some that feature wearable controllers or virtual reality.

While IndieCade East passes are required to access to the festival's talks, workshops and other special events, anyone who pays the museum's regular entrance fee will be able to play the games featured in "Strange Arcade," organizers said.

The festival will run from Friday through Sunday.

Here are a few of the indie games visitors will be able to try. A full list can be found here.

Butt Sniffin' Pugs: With a controller made up of a giant tennis ball and a stuffed dog butt, you play a virtual pug exploring a world filled with things to pee on and doggie friends to make.

"It's less of a 'game' and more of a virtual playspace that's just about having dumb fun as a pug," the creator's artistic statement reads.

Hello, Operator!:  Described by its maker as a "high-stakes game of telephone switchboard operator," this game uses an actual telephone switchboard from 1927, and your job is to connect people's calls, a challenge in time management skills akin to arcade classic "Tapper."

Hotaru: A two-player game in which each person plays the role of a lightning bug, in which the controllers are actual gloves the players wear and activate through hand motions.

MASK: Players can don a series of handcrafted masks and head coverings, each offering a different virtual reality experience.