From September 18 to 20, the All-Russian video game exhibition and festival “IGROPROM” was held at Skolkovo. The NTI Circle Movement presented its developments there, with the key events being the first public announcement of the game “Mission Moon” and the discussion “Space Begins with a Game.”

In addition to new games, “IGROPROM” showcased the flagship projects of the “Berloga” platform, the results of the Useful Games Accelerator, and the “Ursula” Game Workshop.

What is “Mission Moon”

“Mission Moon” is part of the NTI Circle Movement’s ongoing effort to promote interest in space. It is a cooperative multiplayer game about exploring the Moon. Players become the crew of a lunar base: they explore the satellite’s surface, operate vehicles and drones, develop infrastructure, and solve engineering challenges together.

“Mission Moon” is designed for a broad audience and does not require in-depth knowledge of space. According to Dmitry Zemtsov, leader of the NTI “Circle Movement” working group, the project aims to introduce young people to current areas of astronautics and engineering and motivate them to pursue further development in the space industry.

“You can tell a player about how a lunar base works, you can show them a spacecraft, or you can put them in a situation where they have to make an engineering decision themselves — that is a completely different educational experience,” said Alexey Fedoseev, president of the Association of Technology Circle Participants and leader of the “Berloga” platform.

Exploring Space Careers Through Games

The question of whether games can guide people toward space careers was discussed on September 20 at the panel discussion “Space Begins with a Game: How the Gaming Industry Is Becoming a New Language for Training Engineers.”

The meeting was moderated by Alexey Fedoseev, and one of the speakers was Alexander Zezyulin, lead producer at “Tachanka Tech” and developer of “Mission Moon.”

The discussion participants reached a common conclusion: games have ceased to be mere entertainment. They are now a full-fledged educational tool that helps people choose and understand a future profession.

Alexander Zezyulin noted that games can promote interest in space on a scale and with an effectiveness comparable to iconic film franchises such as “Star Trek” and “Star Wars.”

“Space is a special setting for a game. It offers enormous room for imagination, while at the same time involving real physics, engineering, and science. And if we want a game to also spark interest in technology, it is important to find the right balance,” emphasized Alexey Fedoseev.

We thank “IGROPROM” for the invitation, the opportunity to present our projects, and the chance to discuss the role of games in promoting interest in space.

^{*The development of the game “Mission Moon” is being carried out as part of the federal project “Personnel for Space.” The project is coordinated by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation with the support of the Roscosmos State Corporation and the Foundation for Assistance to NTI Projects (NTI Foundation).*}