Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games at Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM)

Discover how games across Asia have shaped culture, identity, and community through this first-ever playable exhibition at the ACM.

Venue: Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM)
Date: 5 Sep 2025 to 7 Jun 2026
Time: 10am to 7pm (daily), 10am to 9pm (Fri)
Fee: $12 for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents | $25 for Foreign Residents & Tourists | $20 for Foreign Students & Seniors | Free for Children (6 years & below), Local Students & Seniors

Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games

Games are among humanity's oldest shared experiences — a source of joy, challenge, and connection for thousands of years. In Asia, they have developed in remarkably diverse ways, from the lively, fast-paced rhythms of mahjong and congkak to the contemplative strategy of go and chess. They have entertained and educated, reflected power and status, and acted as metaphors for life.

This exhibition explores the rich history of Asian games and the role they have played in shaping culture, identity, and community. Some travelled widely, taking on new forms and meanings across borders. Others became tools for mental training or expressions of artistic ideals. Even today, they remain at the frontier of innovation — as seen in the rise of artificial intelligence.

Many of the games on display are also works of extraordinary beauty and craftsmanship. As you explore the exhibition, we invite you to discover how the act of play continues to inspire, evolve, and connect people across time and place.

Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games at Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) incorporates playable interactives, outdoor installations, collaborations with schools and local game associations, and a diverse line-up of programmes and talks.

Exhibition Highlights

Tigers and goats

Played across Asia, from southern India to Indonesia, tigers and goats is a two-player chase game with many regional names and board variations but largely consistent rules. Two tiger-shaped pieces attempt to capture a group of goats or sheep, while the opposing player tries to block the tigers' movements. Tigers capture by jumping over goats to an open point, while goats move to adjacent spaces to surround and immobilise the tigers.

Folding game board

This folding board was made to play chess, tric-trac, draughts, and barato. Luxurious, locally available hardwoods are decorated with elaborate ivory inlay and coloured mastic (resin mixed with pigments). Boards like this were popular export items made in India for the European market from the 16th century.

The design is ingenious. Opening the drawer on one side reveals a hidden compartment from which an ivory figure rises to the accompaniment of music from concealed strings. It can also transform into a writing desk or a box for portable play by folding down the two hinged sides, which allows the triangular legs to interlock seamlessly.

Gyan chaupar board with pieces and dice

Gyan chaupar boards from Rajasthan were often commissioned by wealthy patrons. This unusually large example is decorated with Jain symbols: the heavenly realm is shown as a palatial space, topped by a crescent representing the Panchanuttara heaven — the highest point of the universe, where liberated souls reside.

A poetic verse along the lower register summarises the game s moral teachings. The large playing pieces, carved as miniature pavilions with seated figures inside, were likely moved using a long stick threaded through loops tied to their tops.

Chaupar board

The most popular game played across the Indian subcontinent until recent times, chaupar or pacheesi is a thrilling game of luck and strategy.

Many believe that this was the pame played by the characters of the Mahabharata in a crucial episode of the epic tale. It was the inspiration for many global variants that are well known today, like Aeroplane chess, Ludo, and Parcheesi.

Games box with the coat of arms of the 2nd Viscount of Mesquita

Gaming tables and boxes were among the many types of fine furniture produced in southern China for export to Europe from the 18th century onward. Black-and-gold lacquer, often combined with materials such as mother-of-pearl, was prized for its exotic appearance and intricate workmanship. Game boxes were sometimes commissioned by aristocratic families and emblazoned with the coats of arms of the family.d by aristocratic families and emblazoned with the coats of arms of the family.

Scenes from The Tale of Genji - Watanabe Hiroteru (1778—1838)

The scroll depicts an episode from The Tale of Genji, Japan's great classical novel. It shows Genji watching Utsusemi play go with another woman —an iconic scene of thwarted desire.

Chess pieces

Catur gajah (Malay for “elephant chess") appears in early Malay literature, including the Sulalatus SaIatin and Hikayat Hang Tuah, composed in the 17th and 18th centuries. Though similar to modern chess, the game is played on an unchequered board with additional diagonal lines. Unique features include a one-time knight-like move for the king and pawn promotion after reaching the eighth rank.

“John Company” chess set

The British East India Company's battles with local Indian rulers were the most popular theme for chess sets produced in India, which showed the Indians fighting the British. “John” was a colloquial name for the British East India Company.

Congkak board

This is likely the first congkak board to enter Singapore's National Collection. It was donated by M. Hellier, a member of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, who acquired it from Haji Othman, a visiting teacher.

Othman suggested the game's name was jongkak, linking it to the jong (boat) —a creative but probably inaccurate theory. Congkak instead derives from the Malay word for cowrie shells, the preferred playing counters.

Mahjong table and chairs

This furniture set from southern China reflects a style popular with Peranakan communities in Southeast Asia. It combines Chinese design features like the mother-of-pearl inlay and marble panels with elements from English Queen Anne-style furniture, such as cabriole (curved) legs and shell designs on the chair splats. Each chair seat is inlaid with a half couplet about the four seasons, evoking the seasonal flower tiles used in mahjong.

Figural xiangqi set

This sculptural set reimagines traditional xiangqi pieces for a global audience, replacing Chinese script-based pieces with intuitive, abstract forms. Modelled on Chinese seals, the design reflects each piece's movement through the shape of its knob.

Chem Lian Shan is a Taipei-born, Singapore-based sculptor. After training at the National Taiwan Academy of Arts, he moved to Singapore in the 1980s, where he established his studio and later taught at NAFA. His public artworks include From Chettiars to Financiers outside ACM and A Visit to the Museum: Taking the Past Forward at the Peranakan Museum.

The Machinist's Chess Set

Yee Chin Hoon is one of the last industrial metalworkers from Singapore's Jalan Besar auto-repair district. He created the abstract chess pieces in this set using repurposed car parts. The set was produced as part of “The Machinist", a collaboration between designers Wendy Chua, Xin Xiaochanp, and Yuki Mitsuyasu that sought to document the industrial heritage of Jalan Besar through Yee's story. Yee retired in 2024 and was the last generation of his family to practise metal bathing in the family's workshop.

Exhibition Programmes And Activities

Let's Play Downstairs!

Unique to Singapore, void decks are open ground-floor areas that serve as sheltered communal spaces, hosting everything from weddings and funerals to polling stations and art exhibitions. Introduced in 1963 as part of public housing design, they quickly became focal points of community life.

From the early 1980s, recreational amenities such as tables with game boards set into the tiled surfaces were added to encourage social interaction. Matches of xiangqi, chess, or draughts often drew afternoon crowds, making these tables an enduring feature of neighbourhood life.

Jonathan Tan's Lepak Downstairs series captures the familiar geometries and quiet character of these shared spaces. Started durinp the isolation of the Covid- 19 pandemic, the photographs reflect on places where neighbours once gathered to lepak —a Singlish term meaning to relax —and their gradual disappearance as a result of urban renewal. Today, the series comprises more than 50 iPhone photographs that have been shared widely on social media.

Let's Play More!

Venue: Foyer, Level 2
Date: 5 Sep 2025 to 7 Jun 2026
Time: Museum operating hours
Fee: Free Admission

This playful extension to Let's Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games invites you to experience games hands-on. Discover traditional, contemporary, and Iarger-than-life games — it's all things play, and more!

ACMVerse: The Great Game on Roblox

Date: 5 Sep 2025 to 7 Jun 2026
Fee: Admission to the special exhibition is required

Join Lucky the Elephant for a fun-filled Roblox adventure in ACMverse! Hunt for legendary game treasures in the Let’s Play! exhibition and unlock a real-life reward when you play onsite. Stay tuned for new mini games and an exciting second quest.

Enter ACMverse here

Notice to visitors:

ACMverse is hosted on Roblox. It is designed to be family-friendly, with added safeguards such as disabling chat for a safer experience. Parents are encouraged to supervise children's play and use Roblox's parental controls to manage chat, content, and privacy settings. ACM is not responsible for other experiences on Roblox outside ACMverse. Learn more about Roblox's family safeguards here.

A Playful Adventure Activity Trail

Date: 5 Sep 2025 to 7 Jun 2026
Fee: Free; Available onsite and online

Have fun exploring the exhibition with activities along the way as you learn about the various games on display.

Use the activity trail booklet to look closely at selected objects, reflect on what you see, and spark your curiosity. Don't miss the hidden board game inside — complete with game pieces and a die to pet you started!

Suitable for ages 7 and up.

In-gallery Discovery Corners

Date: 5 Sep 2025 to 7 Jun 2026
Fee: Special Exhibitions Gallery Museum admission fees apply

Get a hands-on experience with materials and techniques used in some of the game boards on display. Feel the textures of different chess pieces and explore the functional features of boards through tactile displays.

Crossing Cultures: Ready, Set, Play!

Date: 10 to 12 Oct 2025
Time: 4pm to 10pm
Fee: Free admission to most programmes

For one weekend only, the museum transforms into a playground! Held in conjunction with the Let's Play! the Art and Design of Asian Games exhibition, get competitive at social game nights, meet game designers, and learn from the grandmasters.

Enjoy outdoor performances, chess zones, and interactive activities — ready, set, play!

ACM Adventures: Game On!

Date: 30 Nov 2025
Time: 11am to 3pm
Fee: Free admission to programmes

Join us for lively drama performances, immersive storytelling, and hands-on crafts as we bring Asian games to life. Pick up your A Playful Adventure activity trail booklet and embark on a fun-filled journey through the Let's Play! the Art and Design of Asian Games exhibition.

Light to Night at ACM

Date: 9 to 31 Jan 2025 (selected dates)

Light to Night at ACM is back! Held in conjunction with the special exhibition, Let's Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games, uncover the power of play with late-night museum activities and performances.

Details will be released here.

Weekend Festival: Level Up!

Date: 28 to 29 Mar 2025
Time: 10am to 4pm
Fee: Free admission to most programmes

Get ready for an action-packed weekend celebrating Asian games! Explore hands-on game stations and challenge friends and family to exciting matches. Immerse in colourful performances, create game-inspired art, and discover fascinating stories behind the games we love.

Presented in conjunction with ACM Adventures.

Children's Season at ACM

Date: 30 May to 28 Jun 2026
Fee: Free admission to most programmes

This Children's Season at ACM, explore sustainability through the fun of Asian games! Discover games inspired by creativity and resourcefulness, enjoy interactive performances, and bring your ideas to life through craft and design activities. Let's play, learn, and imagine together!

Curator Tours: Let's Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games

Date: Selected dates
Time: 7.30pm
Fee: $25 per ticket; register on Peatix

Join curators Noorashikin Zulkifli and Malvika Agarwal on an exclusive tour of the Let's Play! The Art and Desipn of Asian Games special exhibition.

Gain special insights into exhibition highlights and hear behind-the- scenes stories from the curatorial process.

Talks and Lectures

Date: From Oct 2025 onwards

Stay tuned for a series of exciting exhibition-related talks.

Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games runs from 5 September 2025 to 7 June 2026 at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM). Don’t miss this chance to explore the art, history, and future of play.

Programmes may be changed at short notice. For further enquiries, do drop us a note at nhb_acm_prog@nhb.gov.sg. 

ACM is proud to be a partner of the SG Culture Pass initiative! Redeem your S$100 credits and experience Singapore’s vibrant arts and heritage. Visit sgculturepass.gov.sg.

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