The Museum of Video Game History in Zagreb has opened a new exhibition to the public today that deals with the historical representation and significance of the Croatian video game industry. For the first time, the beginning of the development of computing and video games in Croatia has been systematically and museologically presented, from the earliest period to the 2000s.
The exhibition documents the transition from hobby projects to commercial titles and the first international successes, and it was created as a result of years of research, gathering materials, conversations with authors, and reconstructing nearly lost titles and forgotten authors.
It is thematically divided into five sections, starting with the Multimedia Center (MMC), where the first domestic computer games were developed, worked on by enthusiasts and talented programmers. The exhibition also covers Suzy Soft, the first software exporter, the emergence of the first domestic video games, such as Kung-Fu, Ali Baba, and Sraz. The exhibition also provides details about the creation and development of Croteam, the longest-running domestic game development studio, which gained fame with the title Serious Sam, while the last thematic section is dedicated to specialized magazines that played a significant role in promoting video games at that time.
“This project arose from a very personal desire to preserve the story of the people and projects that shaped the early scene. Their enthusiasm and knowledge laid the foundations for today's successes, and it was important for their story to receive the space it deserves,” emphasized Damir Šlogar, the founder of the Museum of Video Game History and curator of the exhibition.
Carefully selected original domestic exhibits are now part of the rich collection of the Museum of Video Game History, which consists of more than 3000 items. The exhibition simultaneously opens a dialogue between those who created the first games and those who develop them today, and through its educational and archival dimension, it preserves an important part of digital heritage. “The development of video games is thus presented as a full-fledged and important part of Croatia's cultural history,” added Šlogar.
The exhibition was opened with an event at Kaptol Boutique Cinema where authors Damir Muraja, a pioneer of computing and the creator of the first Croatian globally successful video game, Janko Mršić-Flögel, a scientist, entrepreneur, and video game creator in the 80s, and Admir Elezović, art director at Croteam, shared their anecdotes and experiences.
The event gathered about two hundred participants from the industry, and the program was moderated by Ante Vrdelja, a veteran of the video game industry with over three decades of experience, who presented the first lifetime achievement award in Croatia for exceptional contributions to the development of video games. The award recipient in 2026 is Branimir Makanec, an engineer and a giant of computing in Croatia. The award was accepted by his son, Julije Makanec.
The exhibition is now part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Video Game History and can be viewed at Draškovićeva 10, in Zagreb.
