Did you know mahjong started with cards? Or that chess began in India as a war game? A new exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) looks at the origins of some familiar games across Asia – and you can even have fun exploring these at a "playable" exhibition.

Let’s Play! The Art And Design Of Asian Games opens on Sep 5 and features more than 150 works ranging from historical artefacts to newly commissioned pieces by contemporary designers. Other games featured include chess, chaupar, weiqi, xiangqi, shogi and carrom. 

Aside from looking at their history, the show also shows how they've been reinvented for modern audiences. There are also communal play spaces where visitors can enjoy classic board games and locally designed titles, alongside digital interactives.

ACM worked with local schools and communities such as the Singapore Xiangqi General Association (SIXGA) and the Singapore Weiqi Association to bring its playable elements to life.

“We’re deeply grateful to the schools, community partners, and local game organisations whose support brings the exhibition’s playable elements and sense of community to life. We hope that Let’s Play! fosters cultural exchanges in the region, and shows how games with long, rich histories remain alive and meaningful today," said Clement Onn, director of ACM and Peranakan Museum.

PLAY ACROSS CULTURES

The exhibition has five themed areas, showing how the games were created before travelling across regions and evolving over time.

Chess, for example, began in India as chaturanga, a war game named after the army’s four divisions – infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots – which evolved into the pawn, knight, bishop and rook. 

By the 7th century it had spread to Persia, where terms like shah (king) and shah mat (“the king is helpless”) gave us “check” and “checkmate.” From there, the game travelled widely, adapting to each culture. Major changes in Euro...