Knapnok Games are an interesting bunch of developers. Their last title, Spin the Bottle: Bumpie's Party, showed how well the Wii U GamePad could be used in party games. They made a wonderful little game that they constantly supported with new content and it truly stood high on its own merits. Now these folks, working with game creator extraordinaire Nifflas have crafted one of the most original Wii U eShop titles to date--Affordable Space Adventures is a bold and ambitious project with gameplay that only be achieved on the Wii U.

In Affordable Space Adventures (ASA), you take control of a Small Craft spaceship and explore the apparently wonderful world of Spectaculon. A slickly-produced commercial promises safe travel and organic environments to explore. After the introduction ends, you find yourself in a drab-looking area, but it’s clear that things have gone terribly wrong. Your little ship landed in a 150–year-old crash site and the mothership that brought you here is totaled. Now it’s up to you to find a way home and be cautious of anything that crosses your path.

Unfortunately, your ship took some major damage due to its rough landing. There are only limited resources available at the start which makes the ship a bit unwieldy. This is all done intentionally and it works brilliantly within the context of the game. As you progress through each linear 2D puzzle stage, you will gain access to more options which allow you to tackle a larger variety of problems. You will be able to scan objects, stabilize yourself, use a secondary electrical engine and make use of different landing gear. Surprises can be found around every corner and I needed those new skills dearly to avoid danger. The game’s enemies—largely stationary drones and robots--all react differently to heat, sound and electricity and careful manipulation of all your control options is essential for survival and victory.

If you are playing the game on your own, everything will be mapped to the Wii U GamePad. You will have to use the Small Craft’s flight control system on your Wii U GamePad, control the ship and spot all obstacles that are slowly coming your way. That is a lot for a lonely player to take on, and while overwhelming, it can certainly be done. There are some throwaway puzzles in the journey, but the majority require critical thinking. However, I enjoyed myself more when playing Affordable Space Adventures with a group of people, as you and your friends all share the load. The GamePad player becomes the engineer, while two Pro Controller/Wii Remote players tackle Pilot and Science Officer duties. The engineer will tackle the engines and all the options that go along with it, the Pilot controls the ship across the environments and the Science Offers scans obstacles at every turn. There is some good back and forth action going on and I had to really communicate effectively with my mates. You have to put a lot trust into one another to assess situations and react accordingly!

Affordable Space Adventures has an interesting look to it, but not everyone will appreciate it. You will mostly move about in very dark environments and that is something you’ll have to adjust to. They are surprising and will shock you, but they don’t try to overcomplicate matters. There are really clever backgrounds and an omnipresent feeling of unease which helps the game from growing stale. The load times between levels are a bit long though and I can only hope that these will be improved at a later date through a patch. The game will last you roughly eight hours, which is reasonable. There is not much replay value, however, in that ASA loses some of its intensity the second time around.

Affordable Space Adventures is a brilliant ride from beginning to end. However, the game can understandably be overwhelming for the solo player and it can cause a lot of stress while playing through the game. With a team, though, you can remain calm and discuss your options on what to do next. The game is long enough without overstaying its welcome and there are plenty of interesting environments and obstacles to check out (and avoid, as the situation dictates). There are a few puzzles that I could live without, but most of them are solid in this linear but imaginative space trek. I can't ask really for more!