NASA Goes Retro With the Roman Space Observer Game

The Roman Space Observer Game is a retro 8-bit style video game to promote the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Credit: GMG World Media/NALA Comm Development Team

Despite their low-resolution pixelated graphics, retro 8-bit style games are quite popular. Not just with older generations enjoying the nostalgia of the games they played in their childhood either; younger generations also enjoy these games.

NASA has just joined in the retro 8-bit gaming fun with a free online game called Roman Space Observer. In this simple game, you trying to catch as many astrophysical objects as possible using Roman detectors. The astrophysical objects you can detect include black holes, exoplanets, galaxies, dark matter, supernovae, and more.

Click here to play the Roman Space Observer Game.

With the ever-revolving loop of popular trends, retro 8-bit style games have made a big comeback in the gaming industry. Younger generations are now loving games that older generations still enjoy. This game is intended to entertain players across a wide variety of interests and skillsets, all while spreading the word of the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope and the fantastic science it will uncover.

Our goal for this game is to inform and inspire players about the amazing cosmic objects in our universe and what Roman may be able to see in a fun and engaging way.

The Roman Space Telescope is a NASA observatory designed to unravel the secrets of dark energy and dark matter, search for and image exoplanets, and explore many topics in infrared astrophysics. Credit: NASA

NASA has released this game to help promote the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Previously known as WFIRST, this observatory is designed to uncover the secrets of dark energy and dark matter, search for and image exoplanets, and investigate many topics in infrared astrophysics. It promises a new era of cosmological discovery, an end to the cosmic dark ages, and new insight into the fate of the universe. Along the way, it will find exoplanets and solitary black holes as it works at solving the discrepancies in the Hubble Constant and unraveling the greatest cosmic mysteries.