This is a press release posted in addition to our usual editorial content.

The National Videogame Museum is turning its gallery over to players and fans in a unique exhibition that puts personal videogame stories, memories and collections centre stage.

‘Together We Play’ launches on 18th July and celebrates the communities, collections, friendships, and spaces created through a shared love of videogames.

The exhibition is supported by the BFI National Lottery Screen Heritage Fund.

Highlights

• Specially commissioned mural celebrating player stories and memories – collected from hundreds of conversations with players and fans across the
• Personal Collections – Including a Guinness World-Record-breaking Tomb Raider Games Library and a curated selection from the Mario
• Celebrating Cosplay – Showcasing the creativity, skill, and sense of belonging that cosplay inspires through live art sketches, collected during MCM Comic Con.
• Themed playable spaces recreating an 8-bit 1980’s living room scene, and DOOM from the 1990’s desktop PC era.

And, back for its second year! Visitors can enjoy the fun again and again with the Museum’s ‘One Ticket. Play All Summer’ offer. Enjoy unlimited return visits from 18th July – 1st September 2026.

Celebrating Players Voices

At the heart of the exhibition is a specially commissioned mural, created by Sheffield artist William Exley. The ‘Your Videogame Stories’ mural celebrates player stories and memories, collected from hundreds of conversations with players and fans across the UK.

You can also hear from Sheffield residents and explore their creativity through the ‘Sheffield of Stories’ project – a recreation of our city in Minecraft – created in collaboration with artist Adam Clarke, Sheffield DocFest and the people of Sheffield.

Reliving Memories. Making New Ones

Step back in time and revisit places where many gaming memories began. Explore Lee Smithson’s meticulously crafted miniature 1980s living room, complete with an iconic Commodore 64, or play together in our immersive 1990s-inspired play space, featuring Doom (1993).

You could also challenge your friends and family to a game of Mario Kart Wii from the 2000’s and battle it out to be the first across the finish line!

Celebrating Fan Passion

We’re bringing together collections built over years of enthusiasm and dedication, including games, memorabilia, artwork, merchandise, and fan-created objects. Featured items include a Guinness World Record collection of Tomb Raider videogames and highlights from the Mario Museum, a vast personal collection of Mario games and Nintendo memorabilia.

Artwork by Peony Gent also celebrates the creativity and craftsmanship of cosplay culture, captured live at MCM Comic Con 2026.

Do I Look Like A Gamer?

The Museum is also showcasing the ‘Do I Look Like a Gamer?’ campaign by mayamada, which challenges stereotypes and highlights the diversity of people and communities who play videogames today.

National Videogame Museum Castle House, Angel Street, Sheffield, S3 8LN

For more information and tickets, head to https://thenvm.org/togetherweplay/