Gender*in Games: Geschlechterbilder in analogen und digitalen Spielen des 21. Jahrhunderts

The exhibition project Genderin Games serves as a critical examination of gender representation within the landscape of 21st-century analog and digital gaming. By synthesizing media studies with archival practice, the project aims to bridge the gap between academic discourse and public engagement, providing a framework for analyzing how games both reinforce and challenge societal norms. The primary thesis posits that while gaming culture is a central site for gendered identity construction, it remains under-researched, necessitating an interdisciplinary approach that treats games as cultural artifacts capable of reflecting complex power dynamics and historical traditions.

The research encompasses a broad spectrum of gaming media, utilizing case studies such as Hogwarts Legacy and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to investigate character customization, queer modding, and the persistence of traditional tropes like the damsel in distress. Despite the inherent challenges of curating non-playable content in an unstaffed museum environment, the project successfully utilized paratexts, screenshots, and physical artifacts to illustrate the evolution of gender roles. By contrasting these modern examples with historical analog games, the study highlights the tension between the industry’s move toward inclusivity and the deeply entrenched binary structures that continue to define many gaming experiences.

Ultimately, the project demonstrates that physical exhibitions can effectively foster critical reflection on marginalized topics within gaming culture. By moving beyond simple critique, the exhibition highlights how games function as aesthetic and social structures that shape cultural taboos and identity. The findings underscore the necessity for a more integrated, interdisciplinary approach to game studies, proving that even without interactive digital stations, the strategic curation of game-related materials can successfully provoke public discourse and illuminate the intersectional nature of gender in modern media.