Platforms: PC and Mac

Price: € 27.99 (Goes on sale very frequently)

Demo: Available

What is Kerbal Space Program (KSP)?

 KSP is a space program management simulator which enables players to create and manage their own space program. In this game, you can create and design rockets and aircrafts and send them off into space to explore. KSP is set on a fictional planet called Kerbin, which is inhabited by beings called Kerbals.

Modes:

 The game has a career mode where you manage and expand your space program. In career mode you start off slow and make your way up to the top by completing missions and unlocking features as the game progresses. In addition to the career mode, there is a sandbox mode which is free play, this means that all of the game’s features are unlocked and there is no limit to what you can create.

 Features 

• Build spacecraft out of any combination of parts.
• Realistic physics Engine: Things will fly and crash as they should
• Space exploration and in game scientific research
• Moddable which means that player made content can be shared and downloaded
• Realistic ship systems
• Build space stations, starships and bases on other planets
• Crew management, hire and fire crew members.
• Take on historical scenarios such as the moon landing or current NASA missions.
• Educational: Even at times requires you to make calculations to ensure that your aircraft/rover etc. should work as planned. (For those that are not into math, a mod can be downloaded that auto calculates)

 Pros and Cons

The community is friendly and is always welcoming and ready to offer a helping hand to beginners. As fun as it sounds, the game is very hard to get into. This is not your average video game, it takes time to grasp it and understand the mechanics. After launch, players unfamiliar with the game or with little interest in science may feel like shutting it off. It takes a while to grasp the basic fundamentals concepts of the game, so for this I recommend watching tutorial videos; the in game tutorial is very much text based and not interactive.

The game is still in early access (which means it is still in development) therefore  experiences of  bugs and lag may come up from time to time, however the game is currently in the final stage of development and is due for release soon.  Kerbal space program both educates and entertains at the same time. The game allows for trial and error experimentations and equips it’s  players with knowledge that can also be applied in the classroom.