Next Space Rebels mixes Kerbal Space Program with online activism

This story is part of a group of stories called

E3 2021 will take place from June 12th to 15th as a newly designed, completely virtual online event. Nintendo, Xbox, Bethesda, Square Enix, Sega, Bandai Namco, Ubisoft, Capcom, and others will be delivering new video game announcements, trailers, release dates, and more.

For a long time, space was the exclusive domain of nation states. Private companies like SpaceX are slowly changing that, but a new video game dreams of a future in which space travel belongs to the people. It’s called Next space rebels

Unveiled during Sunday’s PC Gaming Show, Next space rebels looks like a budget version of at first glance Kerbal space program. Players will graduate from gluing teddy bears onto their Estes model rocket kits to building multi-stage launch vehicles that can put a payload into low earth orbit. But the carrot at the end of the game’s explosive stick is a near future narrative told in full-motion video sequences.

Image: Studio Floris Kaayk / Humble Games

Image: Studio Floris Kaayk / Humble Games

Image: Studio Floris Kaayk / Humble Games

According to a press release, Next space rebels is a “unique story-driven simulation game”. Players begin the game as a “naive rocket builder” chasing clicks on Startube, an in-fiction analog for YouTube. Characters include a diverse band of competing amateur rockets, as well as a charismatic figure on a mission to democratize space. The game will also feature a sandbox mode that is likely to be a hit on the real YouTube.

You can learn more about it Next space rebels at the the official website. The game is also available on wishlist steam and the Modest shop.