The gameplay in Kerbal Space Program has something to offer for different types of gamers across the many different kinds of genres. Whether you’re into designing ships and rockets without wanting to put a limit on your creativity, into micromanaging a business to make sure that demands are met while not blowing up the budget, or simply into flying different kinds of aircraft and rockets. There is something for every flavor of gamer out there in this game.
Getting Started in Kerbal Space Program
When starting a new game, you will be greeted by the start new game window where you can input the type of game and difficulty you want to play.
The different game modes in Kerbal Space Program allow choosing whether you want to just sit back, relax, and create your heart’s content using sandbox mode. Or feel like you are some bigshot space program director where you need to budget your funds and make decisions to get certain scientific upgrades using career mode. Gameplay difficulty in Kerbal Space Program is highly customizable as you can adjust everything from how thick an atmosphere most planets have to how many G’s your Kerbals can take.
Personally, I prefer playing in sandbox mode as I don’t really want to deal with the nitty-gritty of running a space program. The endless possibilities in creating your own ship and seeing if it flies are entertainment enough for me and very educational as I had to learn basic aircraft design and beginner rocket science. Just so that my creations could take off without ending up with all my crew dead.
Building Your Fleet to Reach the Stars
Part of the gameplay in Kerbal Space Program is building the ships and aircraft you will be using to reach space and beyond. You get two different hangars where we are allowed to let loose and allow our creativity to flow. The Vehicle Assembly Building is where you are supposed to build rockets and anything that is supposed to fly straight up. While the Spaceplane Hangar is where you can build all manner of aircraft and rovers needed to complete missions if you chose career mode.
If you build it you most definitely have to fly it. Part of the gameplay in Kerbal Space Program is flying what you made and see if you had built it properly or not. The game uses standard flight sim controls and isn’t too hard to control, but what I suggest is to use a joystick to really get the feeling of flying your latest creation.
Educational Gameplay
If you do end up playing this game not only will you be thoroughly entertained for hours, you will also be learning science such as physics, astrophysics, basic rocket science, and the principles of flight. This game is a great tool for science teachers who are wanting to teach their students high school physics while still keeping them engaged with a fun game.
When I started playing Kerbal Space Program I had no idea that building aircraft and rockets had certain aspects that you needed to pay attention to. Such as the center of mass needs to be ahead of the center of lift.
All in all Kerbal Space Program is a fun game that people of all ages should try. Build well, fly high, and try not to blow up your Kerbals too much.