A new interactive gallery, Story Arcade, will open to the public on Saturday, July 19 at The Story Museum in Pembroke Street, offering a neon-lit, 1980s-inspired exploration of video games and their impact on storytelling.
The immersive exhibition chronicles pivotal moments in gaming history, demonstrating how narrative techniques in games have evolved to convey emotional, cultural, social, and historical themes. The gallery aims to highlight the role of video games as a modern storytelling medium.
The initiative is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and features contributions from young creators in the museum’s Digital Dreamers programme. With guidance from industry professionals, these young designers adapted tales from the museum’s Digital 1001 Collection into interactive video games, bridging traditional storytelling with digital innovation.
Visitors will have the opportunity to play and learn through these games, encouraging children and parents alike to discover how stories are shared in the digital era. The exhibit seeks to foster imagination, creativity, and empathy in its participants.
Award-winning author and games writer Sharna Jackson, who consulted on the project, described the exhibition as a celebration of the artistry within gaming narratives.
“This new gallery explores the incredible scope of storytelling through video games,” said Jackson. “From early classics like Space Invaders to narrative-rich experiences such as Saltea Chronicles, visitors can inhabit diverse characters and explore imaginative worlds, feeling empathy, curiosity, resilience, and hope along the way.”
Rhianna Pratchett, writer of the acclaimed game The Lost Words, also featured in the gallery, emphasized the emotional depth games can offer.
“Games can inspire creativity and empathy, placing players at the heart of powerful, meaningful narratives,” Pratchett noted. “Experiences like Lost Words: Beyond the Page allow exploration of perspectives and emotions beyond our everyday lives.”
Caroline Jones, CEO of The Story Museum, positioned Story Arcade as a natural extension of the museum’s mission.
“Having taken visitors through 2,000 years of storytelling—from oral traditions in our Whispering Wood to literature in the Enchanted Library—we now invite them to step into an arcade like no other,” said Jones. “From 1970s classics to contemporary titles like Never Alone, there’s a wealth of hands-on activities and digital storytelling to discover. We’re grateful to National Lottery players for making this possible. Game on.”
Stuart McLeod, Director of England (London & South) at the National Lottery Heritage Fund, expressed pride in supporting a project that reimagines a cultural collection for the digital generation.
The Story Arcade invites the public into a vibrant, interactive environment that fuses the nostalgia of retro gaming with the storytelling power of modern video games.
