Event

Note: This event is part of the Year of Games, a university-wide initiative happening in 2025-2026.

From Dungeons & Dragons to The Witcher, fantasy has long been a popular theme for games. But the relationship between fantasy and games is longer and deeper than may first meet the eye. Both establish other worlds with unique actors, objects, and modes of interaction that don’t exist in “the real world.” They invite fans and players to participate and build on these other realities in structured and unstructured ways. This exhibit traces a multitude of examples showing how games and the fantasy genre have mutually shaped and reflected one another across more than a century, drawing in a wide range of displayed objects: books, manuals, maps, and other print materials; toys, physical game pieces, props, and costumes; fan art, screenshots, moving image clips, and even an arcade of playable games. Curators:  Professor Chris Carloy, Professor Katherine Buse, and Sierra Wilson of the University of Chicago This exhibition is free and open to all. Visitors to the University of Chicago Library may obtain a visitor pass by checking in at Regenstein Library’s entry desk. Get more visitor information.

Exhibition Gallery Hours: Weekdays, 9 am to 4:45 pm.

The Year of Games is a university-wide initiative celebrating the vibrant culture of games and play at the University of Chicago. Taking place throughout the 2025–26 academic year, this collaborative effort will feature a dynamic series of events, exhibits, and activities. The Year of Games invites students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to explore how games shape culture, spark creativity, and foster connection.