Best Space Sim
Juno: New Origins is a sandbox construction and physics simulation game developed and published by the American studio Jundroo. Originally released in 2018 as SimpleRockets 2, it was renamed Juno: New Origins in 2023 to reflect its broader scope beyond rocketry. Players build aircraft, spacecraft, g...
Why this score?
Very positive reception praises sophisticated aerospace simulation, procedural parts, career depth, and active development; complexity and presentation remain barriers.
Scoring methodology
SimpleRockets 2, now known as Juno: New Origins, is a 3D aerospace sandbox game developed and published by Jundroo. Released in 2018, it allows players to design, build, and test rockets, aircraft, and rovers using a highly detailed procedural part system. The game features a realistic physics model...
Why this score?
Highly regarded aerospace construction combines capable physics, broad creative freedom, and mobile accessibility; interface friction and learning demands are recurring weaknesses.
Scoring methodology
Stationeers is a space station construction and management simulation game developed and published by RocketWerkz, the studio founded by Dean Hall. It entered early access on Steam in 2017. The game requires players to manually manage atmospheric gases, electrical grids, and thermal regulation.
Why this score?
Deep atmospheric engineering and survival systems command strong player respect; punishing complexity, bugs, and demanding performance prevent universal acclaim.
Scoring methodology
Viscera Cleanup Detail is a 2015 simulation game developed by RuneStorm. Instead of controlling a conventional combat mission, the player works as a janitor who cleans blood, debris, bodies, and other remains left behind after science-fiction battles. The game uses tools such as cleaning equipment,...
Why this score?
Very positive player reputation, distinctive premise, strong cooperative chaos, and enduring cult status; deliberate tedium, janky physics, and repetition remain divisive.
Scoring methodology
ANSYS STK is a comprehensive systems tool kit utilized primarily by aerospace professionals. It facilitates detailed orbital mechanics simulations and 2D/3D modeling of spacecraft and vehicle designs. STK’s capabilities are crucial for mission analysis, trajectory planning, and space situational awa...
Space Engine is a complex vehicle-simulation program that generates an enormous, procedurally created universe based on scientific models. It allows users to explore billions of star systems, simulating realistic orbital mechanics and celestial phenomena. The simulator’s scale—representing the obser...
dSPACE Automotive Simulation Models, commonly called ASM, are real-time simulation models used in automotive development and testing. The product family can represent vehicle dynamics, roads, traffic, drivers, powertrains, and environmental conditions, allowing electronic control units and control s...
Orbiter is a free, realistic space flight simulator created by Dr. Martin Schweiger, a computer scientist at University College London. The simulator is notable for its highly accurate modeling of Newtonian physics and realistic orbital mechanics, requiring users to understand delta-v budgets and or...
"Before We Leave" is a 2021 city-building strategy game developed by Balancing Monkey Games, a studio based in Dunedin, New Zealand. Players manage networks of settlements across multiple small planets, coordinating resource extraction, construction, and interstellar trade without combat. The game e...
Why this score?
Positive reviews praise relaxed atmosphere, accessibility, and nonviolent design; limited challenge, repetitive expansion, and modest depth constrain long-term reputation.
Scoring methodology
The General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT) is an open-source software system developed by NASA for space mission design and trajectory optimization. Written primarily in C++, it allows engineers and researchers to model spacecraft trajectories, calculate orbital maneuvers, and perform navigation analy...
InfraSpace is a science-fiction city-building and resource management simulation game developed by Dionic. Players are tasked with constructing and managing an extraterrestrial colony, requiring the establishment of extraction and production chains to sustain a growing population. The simulation emp...
Why this score?
Positive user ratings for logistics depth, traffic simulation, and vertical construction; weak presentation, unclear onboarding, and late-game repetition remain common criticisms.
Scoring methodology
Microsoft Space Simulator is a space flight simulation video game released for MS-DOS in 1994. Developed and published by Microsoft, the software allows players to navigate the solar system using realistic orbital mechanics and Newtonian physics. Users can pilot a variety of fictional and historical...
Gazillionaire is a science-fiction business simulation game created by LavaMind and originally released in the 1990s. The player operates an interplanetary trading company, choosing cargo, routes, passengers, financing, and other commercial decisions while traveling among unusual alien worlds. Its e...
Kerbal Space Program 2 (KSP2) builds upon the originals foundation of realistic orbital mechanics and rocket science. Players design, build, and launch rockets and spacecraft to explore a whimsical solar system, facing the challenges of gravity, thrust, and fuel consumption. The games intuitive inte...
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants is a 1991 platform game for multiple systems including Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis. Players control Bart Simpson navigating five levels to thwart an alien invasion and prevent global domination. The game features item collection and enemy a...
