{"id":27441,"date":"2026-03-12T14:50:39","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T18:50:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/?post_type=story&p=27441"},"modified":"2026-03-12T15:05:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T19:05:55","slug":"robert-goddards-life-and-work-reimagined-through-clark-video-game","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/12\/robert-goddards-life-and-work-reimagined-through-clark-video-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Robert Goddard\u2019s life and work reimagined through Clark video game"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

Becker School of Design & Technology students highlight the scientist\u2019s advances in modern rocketry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Robert Goddard was a dreamer and a visionary, but the Clark physicist and father of modern rocketry likely never could have imagined that in 100 years, students would be learning about his accomplishments through a video game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students taking Game Studio with Becker School of Design & Technology<\/a> professors Ilir Mborja<\/a> and Kat Andler<\/a> have spent the academic year crafting \u201cGoddard Afternoon,\u201d a video game project that takes players into a virtual version of Goddard\u2019s childhood home in Worcester, featuring interactive mini games and facts about Goddard\u2019s historic launch of the world\u2019s first liquid fuel rocket on March 16, 1926, an accomplishment that ushered in the Space Age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea came from a group of six students taking a Serious Games course taught by professors Mborja and Ulm<\/a> in spring 2025. Serious games<\/a> are video games created for purposes beyond pure entertainment, such as academic instruction or professional training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSerious games tend to be misunderstood a little bit,\u201d says Andler. \u201cIt is an educational experience for the students and the people playing the game, but the goal is still for it to be fun and entertaining and engaging, which I think it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt doesn’t feel different just because it’s a serious game,\u201d adds Mborja. \u201cThey’re doing this work because it’s fun for them as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Students visited Goddard\u2019s childhood home, which is not far from the Clark campus and has been renovated by alum and former Clark professor Charles Slatkin \u201974 into a center for science education and inspiration called The Dr. Robert and Esther Goddard Center for Innovation. They created a 3D rendition of the house, where players can explore and interact with objects to unlock facts and information. Some of the objects lead to 2D mini games related to rocketry:<\/p>\n\n\n\n