This is a media invite post. We were invited by the National Heritage Board to attend the Don’t Play Play — The Games That Shape Us media preview on 13 June 2026. Photos in this post are from Little Big Red Dot’s media-preview coverage unless otherwise stated.
Do you remember the satisfying clack of mahjong tiles on a Saturday night, or the quiet concentration of a chess match at the void deck? I hadn’t really sat with those memories in a while — until we were invited to the media preview of Don’t Play Play — The Games That Shape Us, NHB’s brand-new travelling exhibition now on at One Punggol.
Honestly? It brought back so many feelings. And one game in particular completely stole the show for me — but more on that shortly.
What Is Don’t Play Play?
Don’t Play Play is a travelling exhibition by the National Heritage Board (NHB) that celebrates the board games and tabletop games that have shaped Singapore’s communities across generations. It’s bright, interactive, and deliberately designed so everyone — from your youngest family member to your grandparents — can find something familiar. For the straight event overview, see our earlier guide to NHB’s Don’t Play Play exhibition at One Punggol.
The exhibition takes visitors through five themed sections:
- Why We Are All Gamers — How board games from around the world found a home in Singapore and built community here.
- All Aboard! How Games Arrived in Singapore — Tracing the roots of Congkak, Xiangqi (Chinese Chess), Weiqi, Carrom, and Dum (Checkers) through an interactive quiz.
- The Games We Grew Up With — The nostalgia section. Mahjong, Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders, Scrabble. Even Monopoly’s Singapore edition makes an appearance.
- Where Singapore Plays Through The Years — From void deck chess games to community centre tournaments, this section traces how the spaces for play have changed.
- Homegrown Games — Singapore-designed games like Kopi King and The Singaporean Dream, celebrating the local games industry that’s been quietly growing for decades.
The whole thing is set up so you can wander through in any order, with interactive stops at every section. The curators put real thought into the layout — nothing is behind glass. You’re meant to touch, play, and engage.
The Part That Got Me: Playing AniMAH
Here’s what I didn’t expect: to genuinely fall in love with a game at a heritage exhibition.
At the media preview, we got to try AniMAH by Growing Up (growingup.sg) — Singapore’s first animal mahjong game, and honestly the most delightful thing I played that day. Think classic mahjong, but the tiles feature animals instead of the traditional Chinese characters and bamboo suits. It’s designed so that children aged four and above can join in alongside adults, which means three generations around the same table without anyone feeling lost.
What makes it work is that it keeps the fundamental rules and logic of mahjong — pattern recognition, forming sets — but removes the barriers that usually make mahjong feel intimidating to younger players or newcomers. The animal tiles are immediately readable, even if you have never played mahjong before. I watched a few kids at the event pick it up within minutes, which was genuinely heartwarming to see.
It’s rare that something at an exhibition actually makes you want to run out and buy the product. AniMAH did that for me. Don’t say I never share!
Weekend Programming (Don’t Miss This)
Beyond the permanent exhibition, there’s programming across two weekends in June that’s worth planning your visit around:
Weekend 1 — 13 to 14 June 2026:
- #LaiPlayLeow Gaming Area: Try 15 locally designed games with guided demonstrations from three local game designers.
- PLAY! Craft Booths: Drop-in workshops where you can make your own Monopoly-inspired clay tokens and try screen-printing. Suitable for all ages.
Weekend 2 — 20 to 21 June 2026:
- Damai Board Games Community Booth: Learn a new board game or challenge a community member to a friendly match.
- Singapore Scrabble Association Booth: Drop in for a round of Scrabble — beginners welcome.
- Singapore Weiqi Association Booth: Learn simplified Weiqi, or take on a robot challenger if you’re feeling bold.
If you’re bringing kids, I’d genuinely recommend timing your visit around the Weekend 1 programming. The craft booths in particular looked like they’d be a big hit with younger visitors.
Should You Go?
Yes — especially if you grew up in Singapore and haven’t thought about five-stones or congkak in years. This exhibition will catch you off guard in the best way. The curation is warm and accessible, the interactive elements are genuinely fun, and it’s free to visit.
For families with children, the AniMAH game alone is a reason to make the trip. For anyone interested in Singapore’s social history, the section on how games arrived here and wove themselves into everyday life is quietly fascinating. We also checked out the Children’s Museum Singapore not long ago — if you enjoy this kind of interactive heritage experience, that one’s worth adding to your list too.
The exhibition travels after its One Punggol run, so this is your window to catch it at its first stop.
Official Details
Don’t Play Play — The Games That Shape Us
Venue: One Punggol, Singapore
Dates: 13 June to 30 June 2026
Time: Daily, 10am to 9pm
Admission: Free
Official NHB website: www.nhb.gov.sg
For AniMAH by Growing Up: growingup.sg
