Level Up: Pixels, Play & Progress
June 6 – December 31, 2023
We think, remember, and convey our experiences through storytelling. The narratives we weave possess immense power—they inspire change, challenge norms, and shape our collective consciousness.
From oral storytelling to the written word, theater to film, and television to virtual reality, our capacity to tell and share stories has evolved hand-in-hand with technology. Video games mark a significant shift in this intertwined history. Game designers create realities that empower players to shape stories as they explore fantastical realms, experience different viewpoints, and embark on extraordinary adventures.
The immersive nature of video games blurs the lines between the physical and digital. Contemporary games tap into human emotions and fill needs. They bring people together by transcending boundaries, building communities, and creating opportunities for collaboration across diverse backgrounds.
The stories told in video games — and how players interact with those stories — provide a lens into how humans navigate and understand the world. With this exhibition, we invite you to explore the potential of game design to make the world more empathetic, inclusive, and interconnected.
Curation & Design
This exhibition was curated and designed by the MODA staff, including:
Blaire Bosley, Educator
Lena Denton, Membership Manager
Laura Flusche, Executive Director
Thomas Hayes, Educator & Exhibitions Manager
Earline Johnson, Educator
Miranda Johnson, Operations Manager
Mary Kelly, Programs Manager
Visakha Jane Phillips, Development Assistant
Judith Rios, Designer
Susan Sanders, Exhibition Designer
Leslie Yarborough, Youth Education Coordinator
Featured Games Included:
Artful Escape
Assemble With Care
Atuel
Baba Yaga
Before Your Eyes
Bury me, my Love
Colossal Cave Adventure
Concrete Genie
Dot's Home
Eliza
Endling: Extinction is Forever
Firewatch
Gone Home
Gris
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
Inua: A Story of Ice & Time
Legend of Zelda: TTOK
Never Alone
Night in the Woods
Oxenfree
Season: A Letter to the Future
Stray
The Gardens Between
Thomas Was Alone
To The Moon
Unravel Two
Venba
Visitors designed their own video game characters!
We believe that everyone has a story to tell, and during Level Up, we turned our side gallery into a character design studio with an activity inspired by Orange Sparkle Ball. Visitors were invited to open up books and design characters fit for video games, taking into consideration the factors that would set their characters apart and give them personality, like unique skills, motivations, vulnerabilities, and values.