- 1 solo developer
- 18 months in the making
- Q1 2027 Early Access
- Free demo out now
9.8 is a 2D space agency sim from André, a solo developer in Porto, Portugal, who has been building it for a year and a half under the name Tremoço Games. Its free demo landed on Steam on 30 September, and André describes the game as the long-lost child of Kerbal Space Program and Lunar Lander, with a relaxed, Sunday-afternoon look.
What You Do
You start your space program with almost nothing. Building observatories and telescopes lets you see farther across the Solara system, reveal new places to aim for, and then fly there yourself. Every manoeuvre is flown by hand, from throttle control and trajectory shaping to staging, and you design and rebuild your vehicles to suit each mission, whether it’s heading into vacuum, through an atmosphere, onto a surface or into an ocean.
Everything Is Physics
Nothing in 9.8 runs on rails. Orbits, atmospheres, heat and even ocean hydrodynamics are all simulated, and every object in the system follows the same physics, moons included. That’s how André can promise you’re allowed to deorbit a moon if you really want to.
Side Quest What Does N-Body Mean?
In an N-body simulation, every object pulls on every other object with gravity, instead of each moon simply following a fixed path around its planet. It’s a lot harder to calculate, which is why many space games skip it, and it’s exactly what lets you nudge a moon out of its orbit in 9.8. You can read more about N-body simulations.
As your program grows, you build up bases across the system, so it’s as much about running a space agency as it is about flying the rockets.
Accessibility Snapshot
Accessibility Snapshot
Accessibility checked: 1 October 2026
This comes from the developer’s email and the 9.8 Steam page, not hands-on time. I’ll update this if more info becomes available.
Visual
Not confirmed
No details yet on text size, colour options or flashing.
Audio
Not confirmed
No details yet on subtitles or audio options.
Communication
Reported
Steam lists single-player and online co-op, and nine languages.
Input/Controls
Heads-up
Every manoeuvre is flown by hand, with throttle control and precise piloting, so it relies on fine motor control. No word yet on remapping or assists.
Cognitive
Reported
It’s systems-heavy, with orbits, heat, atmospheres and resources to juggle, though the developer describes the pace and look as relaxed.
Motion/Sensory
Not confirmed
It’s a 2D game, so there’s no 3D camera to wrestle with. No details yet on screen shake or flashing.
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The free 9.8 demo is on Steam now, and you can wishlist the full game while you’re there.
If you do deorbit a moon, at least make it look intentional.
- Sunday afternoon Mission control panic
- Sandbox Space program
Stay unruly.
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