Approximately Up

I'm not sure why this is being advertised as a wacky party game when it's much more of an in-depth space sim. It's basically Stationeers but for spaceflight instead of exocolonies. Regardless, it's already a very well-made experience, and I'm not halfway through despite already sinking 65 hours of my time into it. It seems like a shoo-in for best vehicle building game of 2026.

Approximately Up is a space exploration and engineering sandbox built around the idea that constructing the spacecraft is just as important as successfully flying it. Developed and published by Approximately Games, it combines first-person adventure, vehicle construction, simulation, planetary exploration, missions, and cooperative multiplayer. Rather than handing players professionally designed spacecraft, the game encourages them to assemble their own machines from individual components and discover through experimentation whether those creations are actually capable of surviving a journey into space. Ship construction forms the heart of the experience. Players begin with structural elements and gradually assemble increasingly complicated spacecraft using engines, controllers, sensors, meters, electrical equipment, batteries, solar panels, fuel systems, and other functional components. These elements are not simply decorations because they influence how the finished vehicle behaves. Power generation must support whatever equipment has been installed, propulsion needs to provide enough performance for the intended journey, and controls have to be arranged so the player can actually operate the machine. A design can therefore look perfectly reasonable while hiding an engineering mistake that only becomes apparent after launch. The freedom offered by this system encourages experimentation rather than forcing everyone toward one ideal spacecraft. Players can construct relatively sensible vehicles or create enormous and unconventional machines containing huge numbers of individual parts. Different propulsion technologies provide additional possibilities, including electric and fuel-based solutions. The result is an entertaining relationship between creativity and practicality. Adding more equipment may provide greater capability, but additional complexity can introduce new problems involving weight, energy consumption, fuel, controls, or reliability. Building something ridiculous is easy; making that ridiculous creation function effectively is the real achievement. Approximately Up gives all of this construction a purpose through its mission system. Assignments can require players to transport unusual and potentially troublesome cargo, including experimental equipment, dangerous materials, and extremely large objects. Such objectives turn spacecraft design into an ongoing puzzle. A vehicle that performs well during ordinary exploration may be unsuitable for carrying a massive payload, while another design might have enough thrust but lack sufficient endurance for a longer journey. Completing missions also rewards additional components, steadily expanding the range of machines that can be constructed. Exploration takes players beyond Earth and across a system containing 15 different planets. These locations feature variations in gravity, atmosphere, temperature, scale, appearance, and environmental conditions. Some worlds contain extensive oceans, while others are obscured beneath enormous atmospheric formations. These differences are important because traveling to another planet is not merely about reaching a different visual environment. Changing conditions can expose weaknesses in a spacecraft and encourage players to redesign their vehicles specifically for particular destinations. Planet Stations provide an effective progression mechanism for these expeditions. Reaching and landing at a station permanently unlocks it, allowing future adventures to begin from that location. This means successful exploration gradually expands the player's network of useful starting points. It also prevents every expedition from requiring a complete journey from Earth. Combined with the component rewards obtained through missions, these stations create a satisfying sense that exploration permanently improves the player's ability to travel farther and attempt more ambitious projects. The first-person perspective adds considerably to the game's personality. Players physically occupy and operate their homemade spacecraft instead of controlling everything from a distant strategic viewpoint. Cockpit organization, controls, instruments, and internal construction therefore become meaningful parts of the experience. This perspective should make successful launches more satisfying while making engineering disasters considerably more entertaining. Realizing halfway through a journey that an essential system was connected incorrectly has a very different impact when the player is standing inside the malfunctioning vehicle. Cooperative multiplayer extends that concept to groups of up to four players. Friends can work together while constructing and operating spacecraft, dividing responsibilities or creating complete organizational chaos. The engineering systems naturally produce situations where players can debate who forgot an important component, incorrectly connected a system, or made an unfortunate design decision. This gives cooperative play an organic source of humor rather than relying entirely on scripted comedy. Single-player support remains available, however, allowing the construction, exploration, and mission progression to function as a solo experience. The game's complexity could also become one of its main obstacles. Players primarily interested in immediate spaceflight may find the detailed construction process demanding, especially when troubleshooting electrical systems, propulsion, controls, and other interconnected equipment. Inefficient designs could also make certain journeys unnecessarily long. Yet failure is clearly intended to be part of the experience. Approximately Up is less concerned with producing flawless spacecraft than with letting players learn why their latest creation failed and then return to construction with a better solution. Steam Workshop support further complements the sandbox approach by creating opportunities for players to share and experiment with community creations. Together with achievements, Steam Cloud functionality, online cooperative play, and the extensive construction mechanics, it gives the project room to remain interesting beyond simply reaching every destination. Much of its long-term appeal should come from inventing increasingly elaborate spacecraft rather than completing a strictly linear campaign. Approximately Up stands out because nearly every major mechanic supports the same central idea. Missions provide reasons to build, construction provides solutions to those missions, rewards expand engineering possibilities, and planetary exploration continually introduces new challenges for those creations. The combination of technical experimentation and deliberately chaotic humor gives it a distinct identity. Players who enjoy engineering sandboxes and learning through spectacular mistakes are likely to get the most from it, especially with friends. Approximately Games has created a concept where an ugly spacecraft barely reaching its destination can feel more rewarding than piloting a perfect machine that was provided from the beginning. Rating: 8/10