Summary
There are plenty of games thatcater to player creativity, focusing their gameplay loops ondesigning and constructing spaceships, cars, boats, and even buildings. These games can be great, but few of them focus onallowing the player to build aircraft, and even fewer allow players to test that aircraft with detailed flight simulators.
While not all of these games feature complex flight models, all of them allow the player to build and test their aircraft in one way or another. These games range from hyper-focused aircraft construction, all the way to open sandboxes that give players an abundance of freedom in what they choose to create.
Updated Jul 18, 2025 by Harry Ted Sprinks:Creative games are arguably some of the most popular in the industry, with highly accessible games such asMinecraftcementing themselves as household names. A more recent example of a creative game done right isTeardown, though this creativity is more about creative destruction, if there can be such a thing. Flight simulators are also tremendously popular games, especially on the PC, though they have arguably become more niche as gaming has become more mainstream.
It should be clear, then, that there is a market for games that combine elements of both creative titles and flight simulations; games such asX-Planeprovide highly detailed, ultra-realistic options for aviation fans, while less focused titles such as 2020’sBesiegeoffer a more accessible experience.
1Special Mention: KitHack Model Club – A Game About Constructing RC Aircraft
Steam User Rating: N/A
After the failed Early Access run ofBalsa Model Flight Simulator, from the creator ofKerbal Space Program,KitHack Model Clubis essentially acting as a re-release forBalsa, which is not even available on the Steam store anymore. While some may balk at the idea of purchasing a re-release of a failed Early Access title,KitHack Model Clubis planned to be released as a full game, and owners ofBalsacan expect to receiveKitHackfor free.
KitHack Model Clubpromises a realistic physics sandbox in which players build and customize model RC vehicles. The game is set to feature a career mode, as well asa sandbox mode, and even Steam Workshop support.
X-Plane 12is the most recent entry in theX-Planeseries and is, like its predecessors, an ultra-realistic flight simulation game. For fans of realism and flight simulators,X-Plane 12is a highly immersive simulation, and its Plane Maker software is full of potential.
X-Plane 12does much to improve on its predecessor, including volumetric clouds and improved lighting, as well as seasonal textures and weather. To design and build their airplanes, players will have to make use ofX-Plane 12’s Plane Maker software. However, it is ridiculously complex and difficult to use, featuring a steep learning curve.
Main Assemblyis a diverse creative sandbox that allows players to design and build a massive variety of vehicles with intuitive tools. The game even features (optional) visual scripting for advanced players, as well as Steam Workshop support.
Main Assemblyalso features online multiplayer, as well as a single-player mode with various challenges to play through, and players can build obstacle courses to test their designs with.Main Assemblymay not be entirely focused on building aircraft, but its intuitive tools more than allow for it.
4Juno: New Origins - A Versatile Simulation With A Solid Career Mode
Steam User Rating: 90%
This diverse building game features a heavy amount of simulation and even a visual programming language that allows players to automate their designs.Juno: New Originsgives players the freedom to build all manner of vehicles, including rockets, cars, and even airplanes.
However, despite the creative freedom that it offers players,Juno: New Originsisn’t just a sandbox. This title features a full career mode that has players running their own aerospace company, providing players with a heap of content in the form of both hand-made and procedural contracts.
This game tasks players with heroism in the form of air-sea rescue, designing their own boats and planes out of intuitive building blocks and testing them against the game’s harsh environments.Stormworks: Build and Rescueeven features Steam Workshop support, allowing players to share their builds andeven custom missions.
Stormworks: Build and Rescuefeatures a career mode that tasks players with the management of their finances and safety, completing missions and designing increasingly complex vehicles to fit the job. However,Stormworksalsofeatures a creative modefor those who simply want to build.
This plane-building game focuses on constructing (and flying) realistic airplanes. InFlyout, players can customize the main body and wings of their plane, as well as the materials and textures, and many of the aircraft’s parts are configurable.
Players can also test out their aircraft inFlyoutwith a heavily simulated flight model, and every change players make to their aircraft can have a major effect on how it flies. DespiteFlyoutcurrently being in Early Access, it’s already shaping up to be one of the best plane-building games on Steam.
7Besiege – A Physics-Based Medieval Sandbox
Steam User Rating: 95%
This physics-based construction game tasks players with building a variety of medieval siege vehicles using a set of intuitive tools.Besiegefeatures a variety of missions to complete, as well as a level editor and Steam Workshop support.
Most importantly, however,Besiege’s variety of creative tools allow players to build airborne vehicles. This extends as far as airplanes, though it can be difficult for beginners to get one working. However, if players are curious, they can always download the creations of other players from the Steam Workshop.
Despite its focus on reaching for the stars with complex rockets and space shuttles, it’s perfectly possible to build planes inKerbal Space Program, and this gets even easier with mods. Furthermore,Kerbal Space Program’sintuitive systems for building vehicles make experimenting and iterating on designs a breeze.
Players may need to build an airplane if playing in the game’s career mode, as some contracts in the game take place on Kerbin, the player’s home planet. Because contracts taking place on Kerbin are arguably easier to complete, it’s essential that players learn how to efficiently construct airplanes if they want to succeed.
SimplePlanesfeatures an intuitive building system that allows players to snap various parts together with ease. This simple, well-crafted gameplay design is easy to learn and allows players to express their creativity within minutes of playing.
InSimplePlanes, players can build without any restrictions, and the game’s fluid flight model makes testing out creations just as fun as building them. Furthermore,SimplePlanesfeatures mod support that furthersthe game’s sandbox gameplayand replay value.
Similarly toMain Assembly,Trailmakersdoesn’t focus entirely on constructing aircraft, but its intuitive construction systems make building an airplane a fun and engaging task.Trailmakersoffers an abundance of systems and similar gameplay to that of other aircraft-building games, but with extra features that boost its replay value and variety.
Trailmakersfeatures both single-player and online multiplayer, as well as a fully-fledged campaign mode. However, for those who just want to build, the game offers a handful of sandbox maps as well.Trailmakersalso features a combat system, and its modular building blocks make it easy to build and customize vehicles.
