The Plot Thickens: Storytelling in Gaming
November 7, 2025 - April 26, 2026*
Opening reception 4:30 - 7:30pm on Friday, November 7, 2025 at Ludington Area Center for the Arts
Curated by Jonathan Kinkley and Eden Ünlüata-Foley
Chicago Gamespace is delighted to present The Plot Thickens: Storytelling in Gaming, a multisite exhibition organized in partnership with West Shore Community College (WSCC) and Chicago Gamespace.
The Plot Thickens surveys how games across history and today have approached narrative. The exhibition explores the many ways games tell stories—ranging from classic text adventures to full motion video games—and highlights a variety of narrative genres, from historical fiction to intimate indie memoirs.
Featured games, artists and venues include:
Chicago Gamespace, Chicago, IL: Zork (Infocom, 1977) (Saturday, December 6, 11am - 5pm), Phantasmagoria (Roberta Williams and Sierra On-Line, 1995) (Saturday, January 3, 11am-5pm), The Last Express (Jordan Mechner and Smoking Car Productions, 1997) (Saturday, February 7, 11am - 5pm), Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope, 2018) (Saturday March 7, 11am - 5pm) and Uncover the Smoking Gun (ReLU Games, Inc., 2024)(Saturday April 4, 11am-5pm). Tickets.
Chicago Public Library Wicker Park Bucktown Branch, Chicago, IL: Mind Faux (Keisha Howard, Sugar Gamer Labs, and Pixels2Pixels, 2025). Hours and location. FREE
WSCC Gallery, Scottville, MI: Bitter Pills (Adrienne Ciskey, 2015), Depression Quest (Zoë Quinn, 2013), Lieve Oma (Florian Veltmann, 2016) and Mediterranea Inferno (Santa Ragione, 2023). Hours and location. FREE
WSCC Library, Scottville, MI: When Rivers Were Trails (Elizabeth LaPensée, 2019). Hours and location. FREE
Mason County District Library, Ludington, MI: Walden, a game (Tracy Fullerton and USC Game Innovation Lab, 2017). Hours and location. FREE
Mason County Historical Society, Ludington, MI: Pentiment (Josh Sawyer and Obsidian Entertainment, 2022) and Legend of the Lost Emerald (Field Day Lab and PBS Wisconsin, 2022). Hours and location. FREE
WSCC Manistee Center, Manistee, MI: Her Story (Sam Barlow, 2015) and Florence (Ken Wong and Mountains, 2018). Hours and location. FREE
Ludington Area Center for the Arts, Ludington, MI: Crockpot (Emily Koonce and Blake Andrews, 2024), Florence (Ken Wong and Mountains, 2018), Her Story (Sam Barlow, 2015) , Lieve Oma (Florian Veltmann, 2016), and Mediterranea Inferno (Santa Ragione, 2023) (November 7th from 4:30 - 7:30pm). Hours and location. FREE
Old Kirke Museum, Manistee, MI: Here and There Along The Echo (Cardboard Computer, 2014). Located outdoors on the building facade. Location. FREE
Japanese Culture Center, Chicago, IL: Ōkami (Hideki Kamiya and Clover Studio, 2006) (January - April). Location. FREE
*This is a multisite exhibition, Gamespace dates are marked on this page, please check the links of each of the other sites for details.
