Kitten Space Agency (KSA) isn’t just another space sim; it aims to be the ultimate experience. While drawing inspiration from the beloved Kerbal Space Program, this project boasts an intriguing twist – a development team including ex-SpaceX engineers and a “pay-what-you-want” distribution model.
Leading the charge is RocketWerkz, helmed by Dean Hall, creator of the hit survival game DayZ. They’ve pulled in Stefan Moluf, a programmer who spent nearly 12 years developing flight software for SpaceX. This isn’t just about passion for space exploration; it’s about leveraging real-world expertise to build something truly exceptional.
KSA promises an immersive blend of rocket building, engineering challenges, and planetary exploration. Think meticulously designing spacecraft, navigating the intricacies of orbital mechanics, landing on alien worlds – all within a universe that prioritizes authenticity and depth over simplified arcade gameplay.
Learning From Kerbal’s Past Struggles
The spiritual successor mantle carries weight, especially considering Kerbal Space Program 2’s rocky launch. After years of development hype, KSP2 arrived plagued by technical issues and fell short of expectations. RocketWerkz is acutely aware of this misstep.
Moluf explains that while Kerbal Space Program achieved cult status thanks to its innovative core mechanics, the game’s growth was haphazard: “Kerbal Space Program started out as a fairly basic game – a ‘model rocket simulator,’ if you will – and as development progressed, the developers added layers of complexity on top of their rocky foundations.” This ultimately resulted in a system straining under its own weight, leading to performance issues and frustrating bugs when KSP2 tried to expand on that foundation.
KSA’s approach is diametrically opposed. The team emphasizes building a solid technological bedrock from the ground up.
“We have a lot of lessons that we can apply to making a game that’s more solid foundationally…basically, get to learn from all of their mistakes,” Moluf says. “The most important thing is to make a game that has a technical foundation that can handle that level of complexity from the beginning.”
This focus translates into seamless gameplay: imagine transitioning effortlessly between Earth-bound launches and journeys across distant solar systems without jarring loading screens or performance hiccups.
The Power of Modding: A Built-In Evolution
Modding was integral to Kerbal Space Program’s enduring popularity, with players crafting everything from custom parts to atmospheric enhancements even automating complex maneuvers. KSA embraces this spirit wholeheartedly.
RocketWerkz is developing their own engine framework called “Brutal,” designed from the outset to be highly moddable. It allows for more granular control and integration of player-created content, essentially blurring the lines between the core game and user-generated experiences. The team even has veteran KSP modders on board, ensuring a deep understanding of what makes these modifications so engaging.
Early Access: More Than Just Playing, It’s Prototyping
Currently available in pre-alpha form, KSA isn’t about showcasing finished gameplay. It’s an invitation to the technical core of the project. As Moluf admits, “Playing the game as it is currently, it is very technical. It’s pretty impenetrable if you don’t know anything about space flight.”
The current build lacks final art assets and even lets players control spacecraft through complex code inputs rather than intuitive interfaces – it’s a tool for stress-testing systems, not yet a polished experience. But within this tech-heavy shell lie the seeds of something special: realistic physics, modular spacecraft design, and an ambition to go beyond the Kerbal aesthetic and make spaceflight more accessible without dumbing it down.
RocketWerkz wants players involved from day one in shaping KSA’s evolution. Think of it as a living blueprint constantly being revised and refined with community feedback.
A “Pay-What-You-Want” Universe
The most radical aspect? KSA is built on a free-to-play, “pay-what-you-want” model. This directly challenges the industry norm and reflects both Hall’s commitment to accessibility and the team’s belief that players should be stakeholders in the project’s success.
It’s also about transparency: all development decisions are openly shared through their Discord server, fostering a collaborative spirit rarely seen in game development. “We want as many people to know about it as early as possible, in as much detail as possible,” Moluf states.
The Kitten Factor
The team is even using adorable animated kittens as the crew avatars – a deliberate choice to emphasize player connection and responsibility for their safety: “Dean very much wanted to lean into the idea that you want to take care of your astronauts and keep them alive and feel bad if you didn’t do that.” It’s a unique twist on space exploration, emphasizing the human (or, well, feline) element in a field often dominated by cold calculation.
More Than Just Games: Educational Potential Too
Hall envisions KSA as more than just entertainment; it’s a platform for education. He sees immense potential for educators to utilize the game for teaching complex physics and engineering concepts in a tangible way, fostering a generation of young minds fascinated by space exploration.
Kitten Space Agency isn’t your average space sim. It promises authenticity, community involvement, and accessibility from day one – all propelled by the expertise of former SpaceX engineers and a team unafraid to break industry conventions. Whether you’re an aspiring astronaut or just curious about the cosmos, keep an eye on these kittens – they might just be taking flight into something truly extraordinary
