Fifteen worlds, one planning problem
Approximately Up is not only a ship builder with a space background. The official page describes a gradual journey from Earth through a system of 15 planets, with each world presenting its own environmental differences and challenges. That makes exploration a planning problem: the ship that feels comfortable near the starting point may not be the ship that is sensible for a different gravity, atmosphere, temperature, distance, or payload.
Use the current game map and station screen as the source of truth for names, order, access, and route details. A guide can explain how to read those screens without pretending that an old list is permanent. The Store page is strong evidence for the count and the categories of difference; it is not enough to fill in a complete atlas. Until every name and route is checked in the current client, a safe page should use labels visible in-game and record the date of the check.
Planet stations are progression anchors
Most planets have one or more Planet Stations according to the official description. The page describes them as checkpoints and garages where players can build ships and start new missions. When you land at a station, it unlocks permanently and becomes another launch point. This is one of the most important progression facts in the game because it turns a successful landing into future flexibility.
Plan around the next reliable station rather than chasing a distant destination with no fallback. Before leaving a known launch point, identify the station you are trying to reach, the mission or objective that justifies the trip, and the systems you will need if the flight takes longer than expected. After the landing is confirmed, use the new garage to rebuild for the next environment instead of treating the first ship as sacred. A permanent launch point changes the cost of experimentation.
Do not assume every planet or every station behaves identically. The wording “most planets” matters. The presence, number, and role of stations can vary, and the current game should confirm what is unlocked. A cautious guide explains the concept and directs the reader to the live station interface for the exact route.
Compare environments before choosing a ship
The Store page names size, gravity, atmosphere, and temperature as planet differences. Those categories are enough to create a useful pre-flight review. Ask how the destination environment may affect the craft’s frame, propulsion, control, power, and payload. If the game presents a temperature or atmosphere warning, read it before launching. If the route is long, give fuel, power, and supporting systems a more deliberate inspection. Do not convert those categories into unverified thresholds.
Soundtrack and visual identity are also part of the exploration promise, but they are not navigation data. Enjoy the changing atmosphere without using a visual impression as proof that a planet is safe, hot, low gravity, or unlocked. A route page should separate what the player can observe from what the guide has actually verified.
Plan the distance, not just the destination
The official page says some trips take only minutes while others can become long journeys when the ship is weak. Distance therefore affects the build as well as the map. For every meaningful trip, name the destination, estimate the time from the current client, inspect the craft’s power and propulsion, and decide what to do if the route is interrupted. A heavy delivery may need a different frame or engine setup than a quick station hop.
When a mission sends a component between planets, the destination and payload should be read together. The ship is not merely traveling to a coordinate; it is protecting the thing that completes the objective. If a new station offers a shorter future launch, record it as a progression gain even when the current mission was difficult.
Exploration checklist and data boundaries
- Confirm the current planet and station names in the live game.
- Check whether the destination station is unlocked, available, or part of the current objective.
- Read the displayed environment information for size, gravity, atmosphere, and temperature.
- Match the ship to distance, payload, propulsion, and supporting systems.
- Treat a confirmed station landing as a checkpoint and future garage, subject to the live UI.
- Do not publish planet names, route order, thresholds, rewards, or unlock costs without a current check.
- Revisit this hub after an official update changes the map or station system.
Keep a station notebook
After a landing, record the station label shown by the game, the ship that arrived, the mission that brought you there, and the next departure you want to test. This is not a replacement for an official atlas. It is a practical way to stop a long flight from becoming an isolated success that nobody can reproduce. If the game displays a new build menu, mission board, checkpoint status, or launch option, note the exact wording and the date rather than translating it into a permanent rule.
A notebook also helps compare ship designs across environments. If a craft handles well at one station and poorly at another, keep the frame, engine type, payload, and visible environment information together. The comparison may reveal a route issue, an atmospheric or temperature difference, a control mistake, or simply a component that was not connected. Make one change before the next test. Over time, that evidence is more trustworthy than a universal planet ranking assembled without current-client checks.
The official Approximately Up Steam page is the source for the 15-planet scope and broad station behavior. The current game remains the authority for the atlas that players see on their screen.