“Project Hercules” is the latest educational video game from Field Day, an award-winning game design studio based at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research within the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Developed in collaboration with the Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center (WIPAC), the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and a network of Wisconsin librarians and teachers, the game brings together experts in astronomy, education, and game design, with contributions from Washburn Observatory at UW–Madison.
“Project Hercules has been a multiyear collaborative project with IceCube—one of the most prestigious research projects in the world. It is an excellent example of how art, storytelling, and interactive media can make complex ideas and the scientific pursuit of astrophysics accessible and interesting to the next generation of scientists,” says David Gagnon, director of Field Day.
Set in the year 2098, this narrative puzzle game invites players to step into the role of Astrid, an astronomer working to identify objects in the night sky and uncover the mystery of an impending celestial event. The video game is based on current WIPAC research in neutrino astronomy, cosmic rays, gamma rays, and dark matter.
“Project Hercules brings together myth and meaning-making with scientific inquiry, showing how humans have always looked to the stars both to understand our universe and to tell stories about our place within it,” adds Sarah Gagnon, studio director at Field Day.
Designed to spark curiosity about astronomy, the game is built around professional practices of observational astronomers. Players use instruments like photometers and spectrometers to learn about celestial objects through data collection and analysis. This mirrors the work of astronomers and astrophysicists.
“Project Hercules puts key scientific practices into the hands of students through an engaging storyline and challenging logic puzzles,” says Ellen Bechtol, outreach program manager at WIPAC. “This gives us a new way to share our science in classrooms and beyond.”
The game is now available here: https://vaultlearninggames.org/project-hercules.