Game On: a spectacular celebration of 50 years of videogames

Pong, Donkey Kong, PacMan, Zelda …. a game is more than a game. It’s a time capsule filled with sweet childhood memories, nostalgia pur sang. NorthernLight designed the Game On exhibition at Forum Groningen. This groundbreaking exhibition, that has been travelling the world for over 10 years, is highly interactive. It features the world’s largest collection of playable games, with 120 original games, handheld consoles and everything in between. 50 years of videogames condensed on 1000m2, a treat for gamers (and non-gamers)!

Our design approach focused on total immersion. We wanted visitors to feel like they literally stepped into a futuristic videogame landscape. The exhibition consists of two galleries. Gallery 1 uses black light cast on translucent curtains. This gives the space a feeling of infinity and let the vibrant motion graphics of the arcade games shine through. Gallery 2 is more reflective. It uses black and white graphics and psychedelic, holographic print on translucent curtains.

Both galleries form a magical backdrop for the 120 game arcades and a collection of unique objects, like original concept sketches and illustrations of famous game classics. This gives visitors the opportunity to find out more about the creative process behind the art of game making. For this project, we worked closely with the creative magicians at Lichtpunt, Boter and G2K.

For the Game On exhibition at Forum Groningen, we’ve added some extra Dutch flavor. Find Horizon Forbidden West for example, the eagerly awaited sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn by Amsterdam-based videogame studio Guerrilla Games. And go find their gigantic watchers towering over the entrance. Look for the ‘game changer’ time capsules to take you on a journey through 50 years of gaming!