NEMO opens exhibition on video games: Game On

Amsterdam, 26 May 2026

In its new exhibition, Game On, NEMO Science Museum shows that games open doors to new worlds and possibilities – from designing your own character to racing with players all around the world. Developments in technology are making video games smarter, more creative and more multi-faceted all the time. They offer us new ways to play and to learn. In Game On, you’ll discover how games help shape our lives and explore the role they play in science, art, and social connection. And you can play games yourself, too: from Super Nintendo to Atari 2600 and PlayStation 5.

Whether you play video games every day or have never held a controller before, Game On is for everyone. In the exhibition, you can discover how technology has changed the way we play games over the years, and the role gaming plays in our lives today. You can experience and explore games as an art form and discover how gaming can help people develop creativity and problem-solving skills. The exhibition also explores the social side of gaming: how it brings people together, as well as the challenges it can present. Also, have a look at how scientists study the influence of video games on emotions, behaviour and even pain perception.

The museum’s Maker Space is also focused on gaming. You can build a game level yourself and then play it right away! This workshop was developed in partnership with Cinekid and Copotato. And you can also play a game that was developed by students at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) – and explore the process that they used to make the game. The display cases in the Maker Space feature a mini-exhibition on professions in the gaming industry.It showcases the process of game development used by AUAS students. And the museum has partnered with Cinekid to develop a workshop so you can build a game level yourself.

The Game On exhibition is part of the current theme at NEMO Science Museum: Play. NEMO is researching the power, potential and pleasure of play along with game designer and Artist in Residence Mary Flanagan.

Game On is a temporary exhibition on display from 11 July through 26 October at NEMO Science Museum. Suitable for all ages, the exhibition offers an interactive experience for gamers and non-gamers alike.

The visual material below may be used in publications as long as it is credited. For interview requests, press visits, other visual materials or higher-resolution images, contact Chrissy Minnema at pers@e-nemo.nl or call 020 - 53 13 128.