Research Mentor: Dr. Stephen Freeland, Professor, UMBC Biological Sciences & Stephen McAlpine Assistant Teaching Professor, UMBC Individualized Study (INDS)
Mission to Europa: Translating Astrobiology into a Playable RPG Game
Research Overview
Across the country, NASA and other educational institutions have been deeply involved in creating simulated missions to other worlds within the solar system in order to bring complex, real science into the classroom. UMBC’s Individualized Study department has created one such project, Mission to Europa, a role-playing game (RPG) designed to immerse students in the scientific processes of search for life elsewhere in the universe. In this game, students assume the roles of astrobiologists aboard a spaceship bound for Europa, one of Jupiter’s icy moons. As a team, they interpret datasets collected from samples, identify ideal landing sites, and evaluate whether the evidence supports biological activity or not. The gameplay takes place within seven structured sessions, beginning with training on biosignature detection, followed by a high-stakes boots-on-the-ground simulation to collect their samples and make it back to the ship safely. This project focuses the process of the game design and development of Mission to Europa. It analyzes how specific scientific content, such as spectroscopy, biosignature detection, and planetary science, was translated into playable game mechanics. Particular attention is paid to balancing scientific accuracy with accessibility, designing meaningful but realistic uncertainty into mock datasets and aligning gameplay with intellectual goals.