The closest game I would say is banjo and kazooie nuts and bolts but that game didnt have the detail as Kerbal Space Program.

This game is really a one of a kind game, theres nothing really like it. This game is not something you can play on a short burst or a game where you can pick it up in a single class, this is a long game and rewarding due to its game design. You don't need a ton of prerequisite knowledge to get started but to get anywhere you really have to try and actually research techniques that will help you succeed in leaving the galaxy.

This game is about engineering and rocket science. This game is extremely complex, high school students or college students really. This is a huge timesink, I cant stop myself. It encourages creativity but if you want to be successful you have to combine actual engineering techniques and its a blast to surpass yourself on previous runs.

I love the idea of building your own rockets and getting far far far away. This is a game I played way too much, I have like 200hrs on it on steam.