Explore the rise of coin-operated video games and how we fell in love with them, one quarter at a time.
Continue Reading about Insert Coin to Start: A History of Arcade Video Games in the 1970s
Dungeons & Dragons: The First 50 Years of Storytelling
Dungeons & Dragons has transformed play and culture by infusing the universal love of pretend into a game system set in a world of wizards and warriors, monsters and treasure.
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A Brief History of Black Doll Designers Since the 1950s
This online exhibit celebrates the role of Black designers in diversifying dolls to help children build pride and encourage conversation.
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Re-Play: The First Fifty Years of Hip-Hop Fun
The Strong—in partnership with Google Arts & Culture—explores hip-hop as a site of play and examines its cultural impact on playthings.
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Japanese Home Video Games Before Nintendo’s Famicom
Expertise in electronics helped Japanese toy manufacturers create many digital games in the years before the Nintendo’s Famicom (1983). This exhibit showcases these playthings.
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Women in Games Artifact Tour
For decades, women have created video games and shaped our play, but their contributions have often been overlooked or obscured. Explore the work of 12 female game industry innovators and trailblazers through artifacts in The Strong’s High Score exhibit.
Troubles, Triumphs, and Trivia: 13 Games about Black History
Discover these 13 games that taught Black history through play.
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“We Are You”: How Yla Eason’s Olmec Toys Reshaped the Multicultural Toy Market
Explore how Yla Eason, a Black mother and Harvard-trained businesswoman, built a company that challenged the toy industry’s standards for multicultural representation.
That’s Just How We Roll: A History of the International Gay Bowling Organization
Gay and lesbian bowlers seeking fellowship and fun formed the International Gay Bowling Organization in 1980. Decades later, it is the largest LGBTQ+ sports association anywhere.
Jerry Lawson: The Black Engineer and Entrepreneur Who Changed Video Games
Gerald “Jerry” Lawson changed the way we play by leading the creation of the video game cartridge and founding game developer company Video Soft.
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Is that a Jumeau?
A century before Mattel’s Barbie graced miniature runways, the dollmaker Jumeau provided girls with stylish play companions that showcased French couture and innovation.
Video Game History Timeline
Explore the history of video games, understand how the industry began and evolved, and discover the impact that electronic games have had on how people play, learn, and connect with each other. See the video game timeline.
