The Elder Scrolls Online, Final Fantasy XIV, Minecraft, SimCity, and Stardew Valley have been announced to feature in ACMI’s upcoming Game Worlds exhibition in Melbourne, Australia, alongside a host of other significant and historical games. All titles will be on show with behind-the-scenes looks at development, and the creation of their unique game worlds.
Joining these blockbuster titles are: Terra Nil (Free Lives), Guardian Maia (Metia Interactive), Celeste (Maddy Makes Games), The Sentinel (Geoff Crammond/Firebird), DOOM 1993 (id Software), Team Fortress (Valve), Maze War (Greg Thompson and Dave Lebling), Colossal Cave Adventure (William Crowther), and Zork (Infocom).
A number of Australian developers have now also been announced for the show, including Sbug Games, which will show off Isopod. 2pt Interactive (Heavenly Bodies) will show off new playable prototypes for in-development projects. Melbourne House, the historic studio which eventually became Beam Software, then Krome Studios Melbourne, will also be represented in The Hobbit, which is one of the first major games ever produced in Australia.
As previously announced, Game Worlds will additionally feature The Sims, World of Warcraft, Neopets, and Hollow Knight: Silksong.
What is ACMI’s Game Worlds?
ACMI’s Game Worlds exhibit will span over 50 years of play, with more than 30 video games from across the eras featured. Per ACMI, there will be 44 playable ‘moments’ featured alongside ‘original game builds, rare design materials and hands-on prototypes you won’t find anywhere else.’
There will additionally be four microgames made exclusively for ACMI, from ‘nostalgic dial-ins to playful perspective shifts.’
Read: PAX Aus Indie Showcase 2025 lineup has been announced
While many developers are yet to reveal what exactly their Game Worlds contribution will focus on, Bethesda Softworks has confirmed The Elder Scrolls Online will be well represented through ‘concept art, interviews, and behind-the-scenes details’ that illuminate how the game’s setting of Tamriel was brought to life.
‘It is so amazing to see The Elder Scrolls Online represented in an exhibition showing how virtual worlds can truly feel alive,’ Rich Lambert, Game Director for The Elder Scrolls Online said in a press release. ‘We have loved being able to celebrate such a unique and special place like Tamriel through our work with ESO.’
For ACMI, the upcoming exhibit is the culmination of years of planning, with the co-operation of game developers and publishers being essential for its vision to be realised.
‘Game Worlds is not just an exhibition for videogame fans and their families, but for those who are curious about why we say they are the “defining art form of this century.”‘ Seb Chan, ACMI Director and CEO said. ‘This exhibition celebrates the people, the players, the craft and technologies that make on-screen worldbuilding possible.’
‘By charting over 50 years of technical innovation and personal creativity, Game Worlds offers a new perspective on videogames, revealing the abstract, even absurd, foundation of technical innovation that underpins the world’s most popular entertainment medium, and celebrating the communities that form within them,’ Bethan Johnson and Jini Maxwell, co-curators said.
‘Our exhibition honours the real-life experiences that are made possible by and through videogames, highlighting the players and developers – and stories that bring video game worlds to life.’
Those keen to attend ACMI Game Worlds can now purchase tickets. The exhibit will open on 18 September 2025, and run until 8 February 2026. You can learn more on the ACMI website.
Also on ScreenHub: Hollow Knight: Silksong will be playable at Gamescom 2025
Long-anticipated Aussie-made game Hollow Knight: Silksong will officially be playable at Gamescom 2025, with a new demo available at the Xbox booth. Per a press release, the game will be available on PC and ROG Xbox Ally X, being optimised for both devices.
