Space flight simulator
You fly a spacecraft from the cockpit: manoeuvring, docking, trading or fighting between planets and stations. Depending on the game, the challenge is mastering realistic orbital physics or surviving and thriving in an open galaxy.
Also known as: space sim, space flight simulation game, space simulator
This is a basic entry: it has the definition and the classification. Full entries add history, games and a demo.
History
- 1974OriginSpasim
Jim Bowery's Spasim, for the PLATO network, was one of the earliest attempts at 3D space simulation: up to 32 networked players flew ships in first person.
Space flight simulation game (Wikipedia) - 1984Elite
David Braben and Ian Bell's Elite merges space trading and flight simulation with wireframe 3D graphics; it is considered the genre's breakthrough, and its imitators are called 'Elite clones'.
Space flight simulation game (Wikipedia) - 2011Kerbal Space Program
The first public version of Kerbal Space Program comes out, where you design rockets and put them into orbit with near-realistic orbital physics; it is well received even by the aerospace community.
Kerbal Space Program (Wikipedia)
Reference games
1974
Spasim
A 3D space simulation for the PLATO network in which up to 32 players, in four teams, fly ships in first person. A second version added resource management and strategy.
1984
Elite
You start with a modest ship and travel freely between star systems, trading, fighting and raising your combat rating towards 'Elite'. It was one of the first home computer games with wireframe 3D graphics with hidden-line removal.
2000
Orbiter
A free space flight simulator with realistic Newtonian physics, created by a University College London researcher to make learning physics enjoyable; it has been used in classrooms. It is now open source under the MIT licence.
2015
Kerbal Space Program
You run the Kerbals' space programme: designing rockets part by part and flying them with near-realistic orbital physics that allows real manoeuvres such as Hohmann transfers. Its first public version came out in 2011.