Best Kerbal Space Program Mods You Can’t Play Without

Working Multiple Star Systems

Best Kerbal Space Program Mods

The ambition of the Kerbal kommunity (it looks cuter when you spell it that way) is admirable in its scope. While some modders may create their own buildings or cities, some have seen fit to birth their own solar systems. So what did you do with your Saturday evening?

Adding two more stars, complete with their own planetary systems and even a black hole for good measure, this mod gives you more bang for your buck, as you explore regions unknown in search of adventure/loot/true love/a suitable place to stash a body.

Tbone’s XAGM

Best Kerbal Space Program Mods

Because sometimes the most important thing you can do when exploring the galaxy is blow it to smithereens. The XAGM is a GPS guided missile that uses coordinates to track down its target and then make said target explode. Using it is incredibly fun and satisfying, though we can’t seem to get our head around the acronym. The final three letters surely stand for ‘air-to-ground’, and perhaps the start is a bold declaration of how ‘X gon’ give it to ya’.

Canadarm

Best Kerbal Space Program Mods

Ahh, Canada’s greatest contribution to the world of robotics, and it’s a creepy touchy feely arm that reaches for things out in space. The Canadarm has been poking around for decades, and now it can be added to your craft for the ultimate grabbing experience. Not only is its long reach useful for those arduous tasks out in the cosmos, but if you ever get bored you can pretend it’s a snake and hiss to yourself as it flails around. That’s probably what the real astronauts used it for.

Achievements

Best Kerbal Space Program Mods

Maybe we’re just a mollycoddled generation, but it’s a simple truth that we are constantly seeking validation. Got to have it, every few moments, lest we begin to overthink our flaws and suddenly feel vastly inferior. This is especially true in gaming, where achievements are used to gauge your sense of self-worth. They can range from the mundane (press B button for the first time!) to the utterly impossible (get a 1,000,000 kill streak without a single death in Barbie Makeup Artist), but no matter how easy they are to attain, there’s an inexplicable thrill that occurs when that little bar crosses your screen. Kerbals need self-esteem boosts too, so this mod is a natural choice.

Kerbal Construction Time

Best Kerbal Space Program Mods

Traditionally, mods are introduced in order to make the player’s life easier in some way, even if it’s just by pleasing them aesthetically. Rarely does a mod come along that actually complicates things, but in the case of Kerbal Construction Time, its purpose is to slow down the production of spacecraft, therefore making you have to think ahead before just recklessly building things whenever you please. If this mod were a person, its favorite hobby would probably be homework.

Regardless, in a game where tactics and simulation are key, adding an element of realism definitely doesn’t go astray. After all, Kerbals are efficient, but they’re not magicians, as far as we’re aware.

The K-Files

Best Kerbal Space Program Mods

Kerbals aren’t afraid to go deep down the rabbit hole in search of answers, so this cute contract pack loaded with government conspiracies was a natural fit. It follows the exploits of Mulder Kerman and Scully Kerman, two secret agents who have two surnames because it’s easier to recognize, obviously – don’t question it, this is meant to be fun, guys.

Solve the mystery with your awesome skills, and unlock the next chapter as you unravel the truth. It’s out there, as long as it hasn’t already been blown up by Tbone’s XAGM.

Kerbal Rotor Expansion

Best Kerbal Space Program Mods

Arnold Schwarzenegger once offered the sage advice that we should ‘get to the chopper’, and the aspiring connoisseur of all things helicopter have been following that idea ever since then. But you may find yourself a little underwhelmed by the selection of whirlybirds on offer, at least until you download this mod and expand your range of rotors.

Now you’ll have an additional six copters at your disposal to whiz about to your heart’s content. It’s probably the closest we’ll ever get to experiencing a Desert Strike sequel.

Jack-O’-Lantern

Best Kerbal Space Program Mods

Excellent mod is excellent.

Now your Kerbals can celebrate the Halloween season or cosplay as Jack Skellington, thanks to these spooky looking pumpkins. They come in three sizes, and appear to have no discernible use, which is exactly what you’d hope for from a jack-o’-lantern mod. Feel free to assign your own additional qualities, like using them to ward off space ghosts, or making for a suitable snack in a pinch.