Felipe Falanghe, the creator of the celebrated rocket simulator Kerbal Space Program, revealed that one of his primary inspirations for the game was a simple promotional Flash game for Top Gear. Falanghe explained that this game, which involved launching a Reliant Robin shuttle and managing its boosters, was the closest he could find to his KSP concept at the time.
Falanghe’s journey into game development began with early PC experiences, including Flight Simulator 4 on his father's laptop and The Sims, which led him to explore modding. This passion eventually led him to Squad, where he was given the opportunity to develop his own game. He recalls pitching KSP as a Flash game in 2010, a modest ambition that belied the complex simulator it would become.
In a recent interview, Falanghe offered a glimpse into his current PC gaming habits and installed software. He is presently playing a remastered version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, appreciating it more now with his experience from other Bethesda titles like Skyrim and Starfield. He favors a stealth archer playstyle and enjoys playing Oblivion streamed to a Steam Deck for comfort.
He also finds himself returning to the fast-paced, blocky shooter BattleBit Remastered, citing its fun factor and excellent performance on the Steam Deck. A nostalgia trip also led him back to Old School RuneScape, a game he played in 2005 and which served as an early influence, demonstrating the potential of browser-based games.
Falanghe’s oldest installed games include Fragile Allegiance, a DOS-era strategy game about managing asteroid mining colonies, and Full Throttle, which he now plays in its remastered form. He noted that some cutscenes in the original Full Throttle were unplayable due to disc scratches, making their inclusion in the remaster a revelation.
With over 2,000 hours logged in the latest Flight Sim titles alone, Falanghe expresses a deep affection for the series, having owned every iteration since Flight Simulator 4. He found the 2020 release particularly powerful, allowing him to revisit familiar places from his childhood using detailed satellite imagery.
Two games he vows never to uninstall are Microsoft Flight Simulator and Fragile Allegiance. He even managed to get Fragile Allegiance running on his phone through a complex setup of emulators.
Beyond gaming, Falanghe relies on non-gaming software like OBS for his remote work and screen sharing needs, utilizing it extensively with a Stream Deck. He also champions OneCommander, a file explorer that offers a multi-column view similar to macOS, enhancing folder navigation.
Regarding his desktop, Falanghe prefers a Windows 10-style Start menu for accessing applications, having installed Start 11 to achieve this. He admits to maintaining a 'screen of shame' for lingering icons and tasks, some of which have been there for a considerable time.