A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Level Up—and the positive impact of video games
written by Ari Bachechi
As the lead curator on the American Writers Museum’s special exhibit Level Up: Writers & Gamers, and the project manager for our other temporary exhibits, I’m excited to share the process of exhibit creation and specifics about Level Up. Every exhibit starts with research. Here at the AWM, that usually means an individual process to determine if an exhibit will work in our space. Some general questions we ask:
- How does this topic relate to writing in the United States?
- Is there something compelling happening in the world that this exhibit would encourage conversation about?
- What will visitors learn from this topic?
- How is this exhibit new and different from other exhibits on the same topic?
In this case, the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) in 2024 provided the answer to why this was compelling right now. Our team of content experts provided the context of how game writing happens, and what the differences are between tabletop and video games. Most exhibits on gaming from other institutions focus on the technical aspects of games or the history of the industry. Our focus on the writers behind the game narratives made this a unique story and a unique challenge.
As a group, we decided to focus on game writing from D&D to the present, and to highlight three influential things from each decade: one tabletop game, one video game, and one writer. Tough choices were made, and then it was time to think about how to bring play into the space—like any good game. Level Up is very interactive, like the rest of the AWM, as there are sections that encourage writing, getting into character, and of course playing games. In the world of tabletop and video games, the players take part in creating the narrative, and Level Up is designed with that in mind. In Level Up, visitors become part of the story of the exhibit as they explore.
This exhibit ended up being incredibly personal for me. I had been interested in creating an exhibit about game writing for a long time. As a gamer myself, I was fascinated with the process of creation behind my favorite games, but also with how much I saw myself in the stories. In one area of the exhibit, online and in-person visitors can share their favorite game or favorite memories. We would love to hear your testimonial, which can be submitted here. So, in closing, I will share my own story as to why this exhibit means so much to me.
My favorite game of all time is Kingdom Hearts II. If you’re unfamiliar, Kingdom Hearts is a video game series that is basically a Final Fantasy game that takes place across a bunch of Disney properties. Yes, it is as ridiculous as that summary makes it sound. However, I played Kingdom Hearts II for the first time just before my mom passed away from cancer. In the prologue, you play as a character named Roxas. He’s a high school kid trying to raise money to go to the beach during summer vacation. But you slowly realize—spoiler alert for a game that came out more than 15 years ago—that Roxas is living in a simulation and things are getting weird and scary for him with these monsters that keep attacking only him.
“That game gave me a mirror when I needed it, friends when I needed them, and most importantly, it gave me a model.”
At the end of the prologue, Roxas disappears and you end up playing as Sora, the main character from the first game. But playing Roxas’ story when I was a depressed middle schooler who felt like my world was falling apart and for some reason no one else could see it, was cathartic in a way that no other game ever has been for me. I identified so intensely with Roxas that it became my high school nickname. I still have friends who call me Roxas to this day. That game gave me a mirror when I needed it, friends when I needed them, and most importantly, it gave me a model. Roxas disappeared, yes, but he is part of the eternally optimistic Sora. One of the reasons I knew I would be ok was because I too could become a happy optimistic person instead of a scared and lonely one.
Games mean so much to so many people, and it has been an honor and a privilege to bring those stories to a platform like the American Writers Museum. At the AWM, great writing is not confined by genre or platform, and stories that touch lives can be celebrated as they always should have been.
Explore Level Up: Writers & Gamers today!
This article brilliantly highlights the significance of video games as a powerful storytelling medium. The focus on player involvement in shaping narratives, as well as the emotional depth games can offer, shows how they have evolved into much more than just entertainment—they’re an art form that resonates with personal experiences.
I recently read a short essay describing computer games’ negative and positive sides. My opinion was not fully formed, because https://studyhelper.com/argumentative-essay-samples gave enough examples to make a negative impression. Perhaps it is the subject matter of the game that makes a significant contribution