Next Space Rebels

I went into Next Space Rebels expecting a stripped-down Kerbal Space Program substitute and came out genuinely surprised by how much this odd hybrid pulls off, and equally clear-eyed about where it falls apart. The core loop is the good stuff: you design rockets inside a progressively upgraded tool called Open Marker, starting with sugar boosters and basic nose cones, then unlocking fuel types, structural components, and eventually satellite hardware as you build relationships through a faux-messenger interface. The drag-and-drop blueprint system is immediately legible, parts snap together as long as they are physically connected, and you get a camcorder-style launch video every single time. Watching a rocket you sketched out in two minutes either nail an altitude record or cartwheel into a dumpster is consistently entertaining. The progression structure is where strategy-sim instincts kick in. Complexity is a tracked stat, meaning every rocket you build nudges your ceiling upward and gates the next category of parts. Challenges arrive from factions, firework companies, hackers, and rival creators, and which deals you accept shapes your parts inventory going forward. Side with the recyclers and you get lightweight but awkward trash materials. Play nice with corporate sponsors and you get cleaner propulsion. There is genuine decision-making attached to those choices, and the Open Marker software itself evolves across three versions throughout the campaign, which is a neat structural trick. The tutorial is lighter than I would like, and figuring out how mass interacts with thrust is mostly trial and error because there is no real-time simulation preview before you commit to a launch. For players who like the "attempt, crash, iterate" cadence, that is honestly fine. For anyone expecting a numbers dashboard, it will frustrate. The FMV story wrapping all of this is a harder sell. The game uses live-action videos and a simulated StarTube feed to push anti-big-tech commentary, with RocketGirl as your charismatic in-universe mentor and a cast of internet archetypes filling out the chat windows. The tone is intentionally absurd and occasionally lands, but the middle portion of the campaign drags badly. Conversations pile up between launches, the writing oscillates between sharp satire and sanctimonious preaching, and at least one reviewer noted the economy can lock you into a frustrating dead-end if you get demonetized without a cash buffer. The story's ending reportedly underwhelms players expecting a payoff proportional to the buildup. A Creative Mode unlocks post-campaign, which is where the sandbox potential finally breathes without narrative interruption. For sim-curious players who bounced off Kerbal Space Program's orbital mechanics or who want something completable in a weekend rather than a 200-hour commitment, Next Space Rebels is a legitimate on-ramp. The building tools respect your time, the challenge variety is wide enough to stay interesting, and the camcorder launch presentation gives low-fi rockets an unlikely cinematic quality. The Steam community sits at 84 percent positive across 318 reviews, which is an honest reflection of a game with a strong core buried under avoidable friction. Go in for the rocket builder, tolerate the visual novel, and you will probably leave satisfied.

Diego · Scout Team

Strategy & simulation

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