TERC and MXTREALITY Launches Europa Prime VR on Meta Quest, Blending Science Learning with Space Adventure

CAMBRIDGE, MA, UNITED STATES, October 7, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- TERC, a leading nonprofit in STEM education research and development, in partnership with independent game studio MXTREALITY, announced the launch of Europa Prime VR, an immersive science-fiction virtual reality (VR) adventure designed to engage players in STEM learning. The game will be available on Meta Quest beginning October 14, 2025, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of NASA’s Europa Clipper mission.
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Building on TERC’s expertise in game-based learning, astrobiology education, and co-design by, with, and for neurodivergent learners, Europa Prime VR blends space exploration, science learning, playful puzzles, sensory and attention-scaffolds, and a science-fiction narrative into a grand VR experience. Set in a plausible future, the game begins when a research station on Jupiter’s icy moon Europa suddenly and mysteriously cuts off communication, just as discoveries emerge from the depths of the moon’s subsurface oceans. Players must figure out and fix what went wrong and continue the vital discoveries unfolding at the boundary of knowledge and imagination.

“We wanted to capture the thrill of space exploration while keeping it playful, scientific, accessible, and inclusive,” said Teon Edwards, Director of EdGE at TERC and Principal Investigator of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) project that designed the game.

“One moment you’re unraveling the mystery of Europa Prime’s power problem, the next you’re using light to communicate with an alien species. That balance of discovery and learning is the heart of Europa Prime VR,” said Jeff Rayner, CEO of MXTREALITY.
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Key Features
- Science Content: Players explore and learn about Europa, an icy moon of Jupiter and a candidate for life beyond Earth. What scientific discoveries might be made within the depths of Europa’s subsurface ocean?
- Science-Fiction Story: Players unravel a science-fiction story, which envisions a future based on what we know and what evidence suggests about Europa, blended with pure conjecture and outrageous possibilities. What mysteries and adventures might lurk in those same depths?
- Engaging Interactives: Players solve puzzles and complete tasks, such as finding hidden codes, completing laser-and-mirror mazes, collecting data via a remotely operated vehicle, completing a systems model, and many other challenges. What’s possible when desired learning outcomes are carefully meshed with the mechanics of a game?
- Accessibility by Design: Players are immersed in a sensory and attention-friendly VR experience. Co-designed with neurodivergent students from Landmark College, Europa Prime VR was carefully crafted to be welcoming for a broad audience, including neurodivergent players. How much greater is the impact when more people are able to truly participate?

Europa Prime VR is a science-based, science fiction game, carefully blending play, learning, and accessibility. It will be available for purchase on the Meta Quest App Store on October 14th, 2025, and is currently available for pre-order. Additional information, including related experiences, is available at www.europaprime.org. The game trailer can be viewed on YouTube.
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About TERC
TERC is a non-profit STEM education research and development organization located in Cambridge, MA. TERC has a passion for social justice and strives to create level playing fields for all learners. The Educational Gaming Environments group (EdGE) at TERC designs and studies STEM-learning games and technology tools for differentiated and adaptive learning. We believe STEM moves the world forward. And we exist to move STEM learning forward. Visit www.terc.edu.
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About MXTreality
MXTreality is a leading virtual and augmented reality development studio based in Seattle, WA, specializing in immersive experiences for education, training, and entertainment. With a focus on creating inclusive and accessible technology, MXTreality is dedicated to leveraging virtual reality to broaden participation in STEM fields and empower diverse learners. Visit www.mxtreality.com.
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About NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission
The main scientific goal of NASA’s Europa Clipper mission is to determine whether there are places below the surface of Europa that could support life. Launched on October 14, 2024 but not scheduled to arrive in the Jovian system until April 2030, the spacecraft will perform dozens of flybys of Europa to investigate the nature of the moon’s ice shell and the ocean beneath it and to help scientists better understand the potential for habitable worlds beyond Earth. For more information, visit https://science.nasa.gov/mission/europa-clipper/.

About the NSF Grant
Europa Prime VR was developed as part of the NSF-funded project Broadening Participation in Informal STEM Learning for Autistic Learners and Others through Virtual Reality (#2005447), which sought to broaden participation in informal science learning by leveraging the unique affordances of VR for accessible and immersive science learning and designing with and for neurodivergent learners.

Bob Spoerl
Bear Icebox Communications Inc.
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Europa Prime VR - Teaser Trailer

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