Mars : 2084

_ CLIENT

Universcience

_ RELEASE

September 2024

_ TECHNOLOGY

Online game on the Spatial.io platform

Mars : 2084 is an online exploration game that extends the “Mission spatiale” Cité des Sciences et de l’industrie exhibition into the metaverse Spatial.io.

When Universcience launched its permanent exhibition Mission spatiale, the ambition was not limited to the physical space of the museum. The institution wanted to explore how its scientific content could reach audiences beyond the walls of the exhibition, through a new type of digital experience.

The challenge was not to reproduce the exhibition as a digital twin, but to design an immersive environment that could stand on its own while remaining connected to the educational goals of the physical exhibition. The experience needed to attract new audiences, extend the lifespan of the exhibition, and offer an accessible format for visitors who could not come to the museum.

Novelab was commissioned to design and produce this new format: a persistent, multi-user metaverse experience accessible from desktop, mobile and VR devices.

_Credits

UNIVERSCIENCE – Cité des sciences et de l’industrie
_PILOTAGE DE PROJET Valentine Baud Guillaume Sébert
_PROJECT MANAGEMENT Anne-Sophie Rincel
_EDITORIAL Gaëlle Courty
_EXPERIENCE ACCESSIBILITY Stéphanie Giacchi
NOVELAB
_PRODUCTION Jérémy Boistiere Romain Garbati
_GAME DESIGN Agathe Limouzy Fabrice Jouvenot Maxime Crozier
_DEVELOPMENT Pauline Eymond Gilles Boulard
_3D & VISUAL EFFECTS Léa Dervyn
_UI DESIGN Alan Sorio
_SOUND DESIGN & MUSICS Antoine Wert
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Extending a Museum Experience into the Metaverse

Rather than simply presenting information, the experience places visitors directly inside a fictional space mission environment inspired by real scientific concepts.

After entering the world, users create their avatar and join a series of interactive workshops exploring key themes of space exploration: communicating in space, piloting a rover, assembling a launcher, or observing the universe.

 

Each activity invites participants to experiment, collaborate and solve problems together. The goal is not only to inform, but to let visitors learn by doing, a format particularly adapted to younger audiences and remote visitors. 

This approach allows the exhibition to continue beyond the museum visit, extending the educational experience into a digital space where users can explore at their own pace.

Designing an Experience for Exploration

Rather than simply presenting information, the experience places visitors directly inside a fictional space mission environment inspired by real scientific concepts.

After entering the world, users create their avatar and join a series of interactive workshops exploring key themes of space exploration: communicating in space, piloting a rover, assembling a launcher, or observing the universe.

Each activity invites participants to experiment, collaborate and solve problems together. The goal is not only to inform, but to let visitors learn by doing, a format particularly adapted to younger audiences and remote visitors.

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This approach allows the exhibition to continue beyond the museum visit, extending the educational experience into a digital space where users can explore at their own pace.

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Structuring the Experience

For Novelab, this project illustrates how immersive technologies can expand cultural storytelling rather than simply replicate existing formats.

By combining game mechanics, interactive learning and persistent digital environments, the experience opens new ways for institutions to reach audiences and extend the life of exhibitions beyond their physical location.

More broadly, it demonstrates how metaverse platforms can become strategic tools for cultural organizations looking to connect with new generations and create experiences that continue beyond the museum visit.

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