The Power of Play exhibition opens at CityUHK to explore the history and culture of games

The world of gaming is taking centre stage at City University of Hong Kong this summer with a new interactive exhibition that digs deep into the history, art, and cultural impact of games.

Titled ‘The Power of Play’, the exhibition arrives just in time to mark the 10th anniversary of the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery. Curated by professor Espen Aarseth – dean of the School of Creative Media at CityUHK – the showcase features a wide range of playable artefacts and digital environments that trace the evolution of play across cultures, stretching from ancient civilisations right up to the modern spectacle of esports.

Visitors can kick off their journey 5,000 years ago with a contemporary reinterpretation of Senet, one of the world’s oldest known board games from ancient Egypt. From there, you can step into a retro room dedicated to the 1980s, complete with nostalgic arcade setups, before diving into an immersive virtual reality adventure that lets players navigate famous historical labyrinths inspired by Hampton Court Palace and Chartres Cathedral.

It’s not just a trip down memory lane, though. The exhibition also tackles how society’s attitude toward gaming has shifted from a casual amusement to a global competitive phenomenon. Gamers can revisit early 2000s classics like Counter-Strike and Quake III Arena, or explore the endless creative block-building possibilities of Minecraft. There’s even a real-time collaborative robotic game called Buckets of Fun, where two teams of six players must work together to control industrial robot arms against the clock.

‘The Power of Play’ runs from July 4 to October 25 at the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery (18th floor of the Lau Ming Wai Academic Building at CityUHK). Doors are open from 11am to 7pm from Tuesday to Sunday. Entry won’t cost you a penny, though you’ll need to register online before turning up.

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