Affordable Space Adventures
By Paul Semel,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Fun, puzzling astronaut adventure that's out of this world.
Add rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this game.
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Affordable Space Adventures
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What’s It About?
In AFFORDABLE SPACE ADVENTURES, you pilot a spaceship as you explore a supposedly uncharted planet. But this isn't as easy as Uexplore -- the company that helped transport your ship to the planet -- made it seem in their promotional video. When not dealing with lightning, falling rocks, and other environmental hazards, you often have to crank your engines up to dangerous levels when it gets really windy and you need extra power to get around, and you have to adjust the ship's buoyancy to go underwater. You also have to solve some situational puzzles that prevent you from proceeding further, including some that might lead you to learn the truth about this strange world.
Is It Any Good?
As space games go, Affordable Space Adventures is a rather clever one. Piloting a small, nimble, but thankfully tough spaceship, you have to explore a mysterious planet. This isn't easy since the world is fraught with hazards both environmental (lightning, heavy winds) and unnatural (laser beams, auto-turrets). Good thing that ship of yours is pretty versatile. Not only can you crank up the thrusters when it's windy, you also can change its buoyancy when you have to go underwater. It even has a handy scanner that can detect danger zones, as well as flares that can shoot into tight spaces to unlock doors.
As clever and as much fun as Affordable Space Adventures may be, though, it's not without its problems. The game can be a little too clever for its own good, with situational problems that feel more like puzzles than something you'd actually encounter on a strange planet. Also, when you pause the game, it doesn't actually pause the game -- it simply stops you from doing anything with the ship. The ship itself stays in the world and thus can be harmed if you pause at the wrong time. Even so, this still manages to be an engaging and challenging game.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about other planets. Have you ever wondered if we're alone in the universe? Have you ever looked at another planet through a telescope? Would you like to visit a planetarium and learn more about your universe?
Talk about exploring strange places. What can you learn from exploring? Why don't you try exploring the basement, see what you can find there? And while you do, why don't you clean up a little? Do you know where we keep the brooms?
Game Details
- Platform: Nintendo Wii U
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Knapok Games
- Release date: May 27, 2015
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Adventures , Science and Nature , Space and Aliens
- ESRB rating: E for Mild Fantasy Violence
- Last updated: August 24, 2016
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Play
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate