Charting Imaginary Worlds: Why Fantasy and Games Are Inseparable

From Dungeons & Dragons to The Witcher, fantasy has long been a popular theme for games. But the relationship between fantasy and games is longer and deeper than may first meet the eye. Both establish other worlds with unique actors, objects, and modes of interaction that don’t exist in “the real world.” They invite fans and players to participate and build on these other realities in structured and unstructured ways. This exhibition traces a multitude of examples showing how games and the fantasy genre have mutually shaped and reflected one another across more than a century, drawing on a wide range of displayed objects: books, manuals, maps, and other print materials; toys, physical game pieces, props, and costumes; fan art, screenshots, moving image clips, and even an arcade of playable games.

Exhibition Gallery Hours: Weekdays, 9 am to 4:45 pm

This exhibition is part of the Year of Games, a university-wide initiative happening in 2025-2026.