The National Videogame Museum in the UK has announced a new exhibition called "Together We Play," featuring iconic titles like Tomb Raider and Super Mario. But this isn't just a nostalgia trip — it's part of a larger push to reframe gaming as a cultural force that's actively changing lives. The museum is also creating the UK's first-ever game design archive, and the two initiatives are deeply connected.
More Than a Museum Display
"It is literally everywhere and it's changing lives," a museum curator said of video games during the announcement. "This is a cultural medium." That line cuts to the core of what "Together We Play" aims to do: move beyond glass-case preservation and into active, inclusive participation.
The exhibition will feature playable installations of Tomb Raider and Super Mario, but the real draw is the focus on accessibility. Custom controllers, audio descriptions, and visual aids will be available, making these classics playable for visitors with disabilities. It's a deliberate choice — the museum wants to demonstrate that gaming's past can be experienced by everyone, not just able-bodied players with working thumbs.
Why Now? The Archive Push
The timing isn't accidental. The National Videogame Museum is simultaneously launching the UK's first dedicated game design archive, a collection of design documents, source code, developer notes, and physical artifacts from British game history. The archive will be housed at the museum's Sheffield location and is intended to serve both researchers and the public.
This dual move — an inclusive public exhibition plus a scholarly archive — positions the museum as a serious cultural institution, not just a retro arcade. It's a response to a long-standing gap: while film and literature have extensive archives, video games have been treated as disposable entertainment. That's changing, and fast.
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