Opening on 5 September, the Asian Civilisations Museum presents Singapore’s first playable exhibition exploring the cultural significance of games across Asia.

Singapore, 1 September 2025 – The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) will launch its latest special exhibition, Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games, on 5 September 2025. Timed to coincide with Singapore’s 60th anniversary of independence, the exhibition highlights the cultural, social, and artistic significance of games in Asia through more than 150 objects.

Described as ACM’s first “playable” exhibition, Let’s Play! offers visitors the opportunity to engage with interactive installations, outdoor artworks, and newly commissioned projects by contemporary designers. The exhibition will run until 7 June 2026.

Mr Clement Onn, Director of ACM and the Peranakan Museum, noted that games have long been central to social life: “Games are more than pastimes. They foster intellect, social cohesion, creativity, and moral reflection. This exhibition highlights how games, accessible yet intricately designed, mirror the way we think, interact, and express ourselves.” He also acknowledged the contributions of schools, community groups, and game organisations that helped shape the exhibition’s participatory character.

Organised into five thematic sections, the exhibition covers classics such as chess, weiqi, xiangqi, shogi, chaupar, carrom, mahjong, and congkak. These games trace the evolution of play from ancient traditions to modern competitions, highlighting how they have shaped values, fostered communities, and reflected social life.

Highlights include a 19th-century ivory chess set from Thailand, a 120-year-old congkak board from Malaysia, and displays on the Indian game gyan chaupar, which later inspired Snakes and Ladders. The exhibition also explores mahjong’s spread across the Chinese diaspora and how games like chess and go became professional “mind sports” with global audiences.

Modern perspectives are also central to the exhibition. Installations such as Climbs & Slides by Forest & Whale reimagine traditional games with contemporary themes, while gameCheckmates! The Vendy Methodos and Osheen Siva transform chess into a seven-metre outdoor artwork along the Singapore River.

Expanding beyond the museum, ACM will also introduce ACMverse on Roblox, offering visitors an interactive digital quest linked to the physical exhibition. Additional initiatives, including community play spaces and workshops under eractive digital quest linked to the physical exLet’s Play More!, extend the visitor experience with opportunities to explore heritage-inspired contemporary board games.

Supported by schools, cultural partners, and gaming communities, Let’s Play! aims to foster greater appreciation of Asia’s shared heritage of play while inviting visitors to see how games continue to shape creativity, social life, and identity today.

Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games runs at ACM from 5 September 2025 to 7 June 2026. Admission charges apply.

For more details, click HERE.