Choose Kerbal Space Program
Choose Kerbal Space Program if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.9% positive across 77,731 reviews.
Kerbal Space Program vs Space Engineers
Kerbal Space Program and Space Engineers both land in Indie, Simulation on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Indie, Simulation on Steam. Kerbal Space Program (2015) is 4 years older than Space Engineers (2019). Kerbal Space Program scores higher on Steam reviews (95.9% positive) than Space Engineers (89.9% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Space Engineers
Choose Space Engineers if you want an Action and Strategy game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. 67,178 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Kerbal Space Program and Space Engineers sit in Indie and Simulation on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Kerbal Space Program |  Space Engineers | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2019 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation | Action, Strategy, Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 39.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.9% positive (77,731 reviews) | 89.9% positive (67,178 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Co-op |
| Developers | Squad | Keen Software House |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation on Steam.
- Kerbal Space Program (2015) is 4 years older than Space Engineers (2019).
- Kerbal Space Program scores higher on Steam reviews (95.9% positive) than Space Engineers (89.9% positive).
- Space Engineers is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Kerbal Space Program (19.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Space Engineers has co-op; Kerbal Space Program does not.
- Steam Deck: Kerbal Space Program is Deck Playable, Space Engineers is Deck Unsupported.
Kerbal Space Program vs Space Engineers — FAQ
- Which is better, Kerbal Space Program or Space Engineers?
- On Steam reviews Kerbal Space Program scores higher (95.9% positive) than Space Engineers (89.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Kerbal Space Program is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Kerbal Space Program or Space Engineers first?
- If you want chronology, Kerbal Space Program (2015) came out before Space Engineers (2019). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Kerbal Space Program and Space Engineers similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Simulation on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Kerbal Space Program have multiplayer like Space Engineers?
- No. Space Engineers supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Co-op), while Kerbal Space Program is listed as single-player only.