The American Writers Museum in Chicago, IL, is currently home to one of the most interactive experiences honoring the art of writing and gaming. Their featured exhibit, Level Up: Writers & Gamers, opened in May 2024 and is all "about writing in games, video game writers, tabletop game writers, and how Americans use role-playing and video games to define and respond to our culture." Nestled in the Midwest's marvelous Michigan Avenue, the American Writers Museum is an all-ages exploration of American authors. The museum, in partnership with creators such as Tanya DePass, has created an interactive exploration into writing for games- inclusive of video games and tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs).

The exhibit opens the same way other role-playing games do- with character creation, and that means getting into character. An alcove makes way for exploring the world of LARPing, or live-action role-playing. This means dressing up as your original character and maybe snapping some shots in a forest-inspired photo op. Their stash of creative character costumes includes capes, foam swords, and other props. After designing your character, the exhibit splits into two paths- the reader and the writer.

The reader route spans a wall and follows the timeline and evolution of role-playing games. Media and milestones are featured with key creators designed in the style of trading cards. Kicking off the creator features is the mighty Mabel Addis, the woman credited as the first video game writer. There are interactive elements of this route where guests can uncover answers to gaming trivia along the timeline path. The timeline follows the evolution of games all the way up to the recent Baldur's Gate 3.

The writer route ushers guests through creating your character's history and the exploration of lore and gaming. An interactive station empowers guests to create their character with Mad Libs-style prompts and challenges. That character card can be taken home as a souvenir (or future inspiration) or left behind to live on within the museum. The writer path leads all the way to a feature on gaming media, including everything from an issue of Nintendo Power Magazine next to a copy of the script for The Last of Us's Emmy-award winning episode "Long, Long Time". Level Up: Writers & Gamers continues through the museum past a table full of enough classic typewriters to send Alan Wake into a panic attack.

Beyond the classic Resident Evil save points is a room built for play. The Roberta Rubin Writers Room houses a mix of Dungeons & Dragons artifacts and games that can, and should, be played. A table seats four, but the room can certainly hold any adventuring party willing to make the trip. Games like Coup and Settlers of Catan are available for play for guests who come with friends or who want to make new friends. Lining the walls are Dungeons & Dragons-inspired artwork and several props from the Resident Evil movies on loan from the Horror & SciFi Prop Preservation Association.

While the gaming exhibit is a temporary one, it is a beloved staple of the space. The thoughtfulness of cultivating community by creating a space for people to gather and celebrate storytelling is not lost here- it's the absolute thesis of the entire space.

Aside from the incredibly well-executed gaming exhibit, the permanent exhibits of the American Writers Museum are fantastic. Celebrations of words and works are interactive throughout, giving guests more and more to discover as they dive deeper into the museum. Artifacts from writers like Steven King, Judy Blume, and George Saunders solidify that this is not just a place for readers who love writers, it's also for writers who love readers.

Tickets for the Level Up: Writers & Gamers exhibit are available here. Adult tickets are $16, seniors (65 and older), students, and teachers with ID are $10, and children 12 and younger are free. The American Writers Museum is free on the third Sunday of every month. The Level Up: Writers & Gamers exhibit runs through November 2, 2025. We spent a little over an hour within the museum, but could easily spend several hours exploring (especially if a game of Settlers of Catan breaks out). 

Want to see video footage of our trip to the American Writers Museum? Check out Couch Soup on Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok.

*probably, reading is pretty good for you, but to be clear, I'm not a doctor, I'm just a nerd. This is not real medical advice.