Approximately up gameplay guide

Core Gameplay Loop: Build, Crash, Rebuild

Approximately Up is built around a cycle that repeats until you get it right:build a ship, launch it, crash, salvage what survived, and rebuild. Your vessel is made from "whatever bolts together long enough to fly," so early attempts will fall apart, spin out of control, or explode on the pad. That is the intended experience, and the game gives you the tools to recover from every failure.

A typical run looks like this:

• Assemble modules in the hangar:thrusters, fuel tanks, cables, cockpits, and structural pieces.
• Launch toward your current objective, whether that is a nearby planet, a rescue target, or a specific depth.
• React to mid-flight failures like snapped cables, unbalanced thrust, or unexpected hazards.
• Crash, recover materials, and redesign your ship with what you learned.

Do not treat a crash as a setback. Treat it as data. The Time Rewind system lets you undo mistakes if you prefer a cleaner run, but the rebuild loop is where most of the learning happens.

Modular Ship Construction and Customization

The construction system is fully modular, meaning every piece you bolt on changes how the ship flies. There is no fixed blueprint. You can mount giant thrusters, annoying cables, and everything in between. A ship that looks ridiculous can still be effective, but you need to think about center of mass, thrust direction, and fuel routing.

Key build considerations:

• Thruster placement: asymmetric thrust causes spins, so mirror your main engines unless the spin is part of the plan.
• Cables and connections: exposed or poorly routed cables can snap under stress, especially during atmospheric entry or solar storms.
• Redundancy: pack backup thrusters and extra fuel for long trips; losing one part should not end the mission.
• Weight vs. power: a heavier ship handles worse but carries more equipment, which matters for creature transport missions.

The game also supports Steam Workshop, so you can browse community-built ships and share your own designs once you find a stable configuration.

Exploration and Planetary Hazards

Exploration is how you unlock new objectives and locations. Each new world requires a ship that can handle its environment. The achievement list hints at what awaits:solar storms, deep-sea trenches, extreme heat, and dinosaur encounters.

Some hazards to plan for:

• Solar storms can disrupt systems mid-flight, so keep repair ability in mind.
• Depth pressure: reaching 1000m below sea level unlocks "Houston, We Have A Submarine," and the bottom of the Green Trench pushes that challenge further.
• Heat zones: getting within 1,000,000 meters of the Sun or 100,000 meters of the Red Dwarf and surviving requires careful flying and heat awareness.
• Extreme speed: hitting 1,000,000 m/s is tracked as a milestone, but it also tests whether your ship stays intact.

Exploration also reveals Tenebra, the farthest known planet, which is a long-term goal for players who want to see everything the map has to offer.

Missions, Objectives, and Crew Co-op

Missions in Approximately Up are driven by objectives rather than a linear story. Clear the entire available list and you earn the "When The Thrusters Go Quiet" achievement. Early objectives teach basics like completing your first milestone, while later ones involve transporting creatures between worlds. The tutorial sheep can eventually be brought back to Headquarters, and a harder task requires moving a sheep from Earth to the Moon alive, then releasing it.

The multiplayer hook is online co-op. You and your crew share the same ship, so everything becomes a group decision: who pilots, who watches the cables, who argues about the thruster layout. The game leans into that chaos, and a well-coordinated team can handle repairs while the pilot keeps the ship steady. Communication matters most during hazard events and live cargo missions.

You can also save anytime, which is useful in co-op when someone has to step away mid-expedition.

Progression Systems, Rewinds, and Unlocks

Progression is tied to completing objectives and discovering new locations rather than a traditional skill tree. Each objective brings you closer to long-term goals and milestone unlocks. The Time Rewind system is the main safety net: it lets you undo mistakes, and it is always optional. For a challenge, complete objectives without it, tracked by the "No Rewinds!" achievement and its harder counterpart,"Golden Thruster", for clearing every objective without a single rewind.

The game also tracks 22 Steam achievements across exploration, speed, distance, and creature transport. These act as a checklist for completion-minded players and point you toward hidden systems like Black Hole Tunnels and planetary catastrophe prevention.

Mid-Game Goals and Long-Range Travel

Once you are comfortable with short hops, the mid-game opens up. The big turning point is activating a Black Hole Tunnel, which unlocks the "Way Forward" achievement. Traveling through one takes you to a new universe and earns "Event Horizon." These tunnels become essential for reaching distant planets efficiently, including Tenebra.

Long-range travel also introduces routes between named planets, such as the journey from Aundara to Outcast and back, tracked by the "See You Next Week" achievement. These trips demand real endurance: enough fuel, stable heat management, and crew coordination for repairs along the way. If you are chasing hidden objectives, also watch for a planetary catastrophe that needs prevention and the chance to transport a mastodon from the Moon to Earth alive. Both appear only after you have proven you can handle earlier, smaller missions.

Before attempting long hauls, make sure your ship can handle both ends of the trip. A one-way design that barely reaches a planet will leave you stranded. Build for the return journey too, or bring salvage materials to refit at the destination.