AirportSim

AirportSim is a realistic first-person simulation game where players take on the role of airport ground handling staff in a contemporary European setting. Manage a dynamic airport environment by guiding aircraft, refueling, baggage handling, and coordinating operations with meticulous attention to detail. Developed in collaboration with real-world experts, the game emphasizes authentic tasks and workflows, with ongoing updates including new airports, vehicles, and a planned Xbox release in 2024.

AirportSim: Review

Introduction

The roar of jet engines, the ballet of ground vehicles, and the quiet precision of safety checks—AirportSim invites players to experience aviation from a rarely explored vantage point: the tarmac. Developed by MS GAMES and MK Studios, this 2023 ground-handling simulator plunges players into the high-stakes minutiae of airport operations, from fueling planes to guiding them to their gates. Yet, beneath its meticulous facade lies a tension between ambition and execution. This review argues that while AirportSim achieves remarkable technical authenticity, its uneven polish and repetitive design prevent it from soaring to the heights of genre classics like Microsoft Flight Simulator or PowerWash Simulator.

Development History & Context

A Labor of Aviation Passion

AirportSim emerged from the fervor of Polish studio MS GAMES, led by CEO Mateusz Stabryła—a licensed pilot and veteran flight-sim developer known for MK Studios’ scenery work. Conceived in late 2021, the project aimed to fill a niche in the simulation market: a first-person, tactile portrayal of airport logistics, distinct from top-down management games like Airport CEO. Partnering with industry giants Airbus, TLD Group, and Welcome Airport Services, the team prioritized realism, studying thousands of operational documents and visiting airports like Warsaw Chopin to capture procedural accuracy.

Technical Ambitions and Constraints

Built in Unity, AirportSim faced challenges balancing detail with performance, especially in rendering vast airports like Iceland’s Keflavik. The shift from MK Studios’ traditional flight-sim scenery to interactive ground operations demanded higher-resolution assets and physics-driven vehicle interactions. Post-launch, the developers adopted a live-service model, promising free DLC airports, Xbox ports (released Q1 2024), and community-driven content via Steam Workshop—a response to player feedback highlighted in their November 2023 roadmap.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

While AirportSim lacks a traditional narrative, its thematic core revolves around the romance and routine of aviation labor. Players embody an anonymous ground handler, their “story” unfolding through the quiet drama of daily tasks: preventing fuel spills, aligning staircases to cabin doors, or delicately marshalling a 737 MAX into position.

Characters and Dialogue

Characters exist as faceless passengers or pilots, with interaction limited to functional exchanges (e.g., confirming GPU connections). The absence of humanizing elements—backstories, crew banter—heightens the simulation’s documentary-like tone, framing the player as a cog in aviation’s vast machine. This design choice reinforces the game’s central theme: the sublimation of individual identity to operational precision.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Core Loop: Precision Under Pressure

AirportSim tasks players with completing aircraft “turnarounds” across four modes:
– Scenario: Structured sequences of flights with dynamic weather.
– Challenge: Score-based efficiency trials.
– Cooperation: Multiplayer baggage handling and refueling.
– Free Play: Unstructured exploration.

Key mechanics include:
– Vehicle Operation: Realistic physics govern tugs, fuel trucks, and pushback tractors, with penalties for speeding or collisions.
– Aircraft Interactions: Manual luggage loading (requiring spatial stacking in cargo holds), GPU cable management, and bypass pin installation to secure landing gear.
– Dynamic Weather: Rain slicks tarmacs, affecting traction, while METAR-linked systems alter visibility.

Innovations and Flaws

The Scenario Editor (added post-launch) stands out, allowing custom flight schedules and weather conditions. Conversely, clunky UI—such as a tablet-based GPS that often misroutes vehicles—and repetitive tasks (e.g., identical luggage-stacking animations) undermine immersion. Peripheral Awareness Rating (PAR), a scoring system tracking efficiency and safety, feels underdeveloped, offering little incentive beyond Steam achievements.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Visual Authenticity

Airports like Vagar (Faroe Islands) and Warsaw Chopin are recreated with photogrammetric precision, from runway markings to terminal interiors. Aircraft models, especially licensed renditions of the A320neo and 737 MAX, feature operable doors and lifelike textures, though low-poly passengers break immersion during boarding sequences.

Atmosphere and Audio

The game excels in environmental storytelling: grime-streaked tarmacs, the whine of APUs, and the rumble of idling engines create a convincing soundscape. However, inconsistent audio mixing—some vehicles drown out radio chatter—and absent voice acting leave interactions feeling sterile.

Reception & Legacy

Launch and Critical Response

AirportSim debuted to mixed reviews (Metascore tbd, Steambase Player Score 69/100). Critics praised its ambition (Screen Rant: “a faithful recreation of ground handling”) but lambasted its jankiness (GamingTrend: “still very much Early Access”). Steam players echoed this dichotomy, citing frustration with bugs like disappearing luggage carts alongside admiration for its niche realism.

Industry Influence

Though not a commercial blockbuster, AirportSim’s focus on granular labor (the “blue-collar sim” subgenre) reflects a broader trend toward vocational games (PowerWash Simulator, Hardspace: Shipbreaker). Its post-launch roadmap—prioritizing free DLC and modding tools—mirrors the live-service approach of contemporaries like Icarus, suggesting a template for simulator longevity.

Conclusion

AirportSim is a paradox: a technically audacious simulator hampered by its own scope. Its reverence for aviation logistics—from licensed vehicles to true-to-life airports—will delight enthusiasts willing to overlook clunky interfaces and repetitive tasks. Yet, for all its flaws, the game carves a unique niche, transforming mundane chores into meditative rituals. While it falls short of genre perfection, AirportSim’s legacy may lie in its grassroots appeal—a cult classic for those who find poetry in refueling trucks and baggage carts. For now, it earns a cautious recommendation: a turbulent takeoff with potential for smoother skies ahead.