Items12The creator’s order
  1. 1Spaceflight Simulator (2022)Spaceflight Simulator (2022)Released Feb 18, 2022Start here if a 3D flight display sounds like too much at once. The side-on view makes it easier to watch a launch turn into an orbit. Build a multistage rocket, then see what happens when you fire the next stage too early or too late. The engines model both thrust and fuel use, so a heavier…0
  2. 2Kerbal Space Program (2015)Kerbal Space Program (2015) 8.5/10 on IGDBReleased Apr 27, 2015A first orbit is a useful design review. You assemble the rocket yourself, so a flight that goes wrong sends you back to the parts bin with a specific problem to fix. Once you can reliably reach orbit, try docking two spacecraft. It gives you a reason to learn how to approach a moving target…0
  3. 3Juno: New Origins (2019)Juno: New Origins (2019) 8.0/10 on IGDBReleased Sep 19, 2019Build one rocket and fly it manually before trying the visual programming tools. Juno lets you automate your own craft, and the map shows predicted orbits and encounters. That makes it an appealing next step if you want to compare the path your program produces with the one you can fly by hand. A…0
  4. 4Outer Wilds (2019)Outer Wilds (2019) 8.9/10 on IGDBReleased May 28, 2019Pick this for the sensation of learning to fly while following a mystery. The ship has a Match Velocity control, which gives you a chance to settle down near a moving destination and see what your last burst of thrust did. The solar system is small and its gravity is deliberately simplified. The…0
  5. 5Lunar Flight (2012)Lunar Flight (2012) 8.0/10 on IGDBReleased Jan 15, 2012A supply delivery gives you an immediate reason to care about sideways drift. Your lunar module has to get a load between bases on a limited fuel supply, and a rough approach leaves less time to sort yourself out. Start here if the landing is the part you want to practice, or if you want a short…0
  6. 6Rings of Saturn (2023)Rings of Saturn (2023) 6.0/10 on IGDBReleased Jul 21, 2023Saturn’s rings turn every thrust input into a choice about where you and the nearby debris will end up. In ΔV: Rings of Saturn, thruster exhaust can push rocks away, a useful thing to remember when you're working close to a chunk you want to mine. Choose this for repeated close-range piloting with…0
  7. 7Ostranauts (2026)Ostranauts (2026)Released Aug 3, 2026A salvage job starts with getting two moving ships close enough to dock. Your thrusters and hull mass affect how the ship handles, and the navigation panel's Match Speed control helps take relative motion out of the approach. The in-world manual is worth keeping nearby. Flying the ship is one of…0
  8. 8Flight of Nova (2022)Flight of Nova (2022)Released May 31, 2022Try the training missions before taking a transport job. Orbital stations give you a reason to practice docking, and surface outposts give you a reason to learn how the same craft behaves in atmosphere. With live orbital data, HOTAS support and a full-scale planet, it suits players who want to do…0
  9. 9Reentry: A Space Flight Simulator (2025)Reentry: A Space Flight Simulator (2025) 7.0/10 on IGDBReleased Nov 7, 2025The Space Flight Academy and step-by-step checklists are part of the appeal. Mercury, Gemini and Apollo give you different spacecraft to learn, and the guidance computer and propulsion controls sit alongside all the other systems you need to manage. Pick this when you want to work through a mission…0
  10. 10Orbiter Space Flight Simulator (2000)Orbiter Space Flight Simulator (2000)Released Nov 27, 2000This free simulator gives you room to set your own goal. For a first trip, take the fictional Delta-glider and aim to rendezvous with a station. The manual recommends it for newcomers because it has plenty of thrust and uses relatively little fuel. That makes the ship a forgiving place to learn the…0