Choose Kerbal Space Program
Choose Kerbal Space Program if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. 77,731 Steam reviews back the pick.
Kerbal Space Program vs Rocket Science
Kerbal Space Program and Rocket Science both land in 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 are Simulation games on Steam. Kerbal Space Program (2015) is 5 years older than Rocket Science (2020). Kerbal Space Program scores higher on Steam reviews (95.9% positive) than Rocket Science (86.6% 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 Rocket Science
Choose Rocket Science if you want a Strategy and Early Access experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2020) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Rocket Science launched in 2020.
Both Kerbal Space Program and Rocket Science sit in 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 |  Rocket Science | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2020 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation | Strategy, Simulation, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95.9% positive (77,731 reviews) | 86.6% positive (82 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Squad | unbeGames |
Side by side
- Both are Simulation games on Steam.
- Kerbal Space Program (2015) is 5 years older than Rocket Science (2020).
- Kerbal Space Program scores higher on Steam reviews (95.9% positive) than Rocket Science (86.6% positive).
- Kerbal Space Program is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Rocket Science (9.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Kerbal Space Program is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Rocket Science has no Deck rating yet.
Kerbal Space Program vs Rocket Science — FAQ
- Should I play Kerbal Space Program or Rocket Science first?
- If you want chronology, Kerbal Space Program (2015) came out before Rocket Science (2020). 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 Rocket Science similar?
- They overlap on 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 run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Kerbal Space Program is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Rocket Science doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.