Factsheet

Developer:
Universal Happymaker
Based in Seattle and Los Angeles

Release date:
August 15th, 2023

Platforms:
Steam, $14.99 USD

Website:
http://www.astronautthebest.com

Description

Astronaut: The Best is an occult management adventure where people aren't just numbers: they're incompetent screwups. Your duty is to turn them into national heroes, or the government will have you killed.

Features

  • Train Your Astronauts – Recruit procedurally generated characters, strengthen their abilities, and discover their hidden personality traits. Astronauts could be revealed to be serial killers, part-time pirates, or members of the royal family. Your choices have an impact on each recruit and their likelihood of success.
  • Unpredictable Missions – Through a blend of procedural and branching narrative structures, no mission is ever the same. Explore all the possible roguelite results in each replay, filled with character, humor, and twists you’ll never see coming.
  • Charm The Nation, or Else – Prepare your astronauts to perform for the nation on sensationalist TV programs and in the tabloids. Succeed in zany trials to win glory, or fail spectacularly and face deadly consequences.
  • Spacecraft Meets Witchcraft - The nation’s High Priests demand results, and a well-placed spell can mean all the difference. Perform mystic rituals, use supernatural charms to give your astronauts the upper hand, and discover a metaverse-spanning mystery underneath it all.
  • Five missions. Hundreds of decisions. Thousands of recombinant astronauts. Millions of ways to fail spectacularly.

Videos

Release Date Announcement Trailer (7/2023) YouTube

Gameplay Explainer (8/2023) YouTube

Steam Gameplay Footage YouTube

Alpha Release Trailer (7/2021) YouTube


Images

download all screenshots & photos as .zip (55MB)
AtB Faces.png
atb_moon_choice.png
ignaeus-highres.png
BG_SpaceCathedral.png
atb_sponsor.png
AtB GIFTrailer Release3 Small.gif
AtB GIFTrailer Release2 Small.gif
atb_rulu_office.png
atb_launch_cathedral.png
AtB GIFTrailer Release1 Small.gif
atb_eating_contest.png
BG_DirectorsOffice.png
atb_starnat_office.png
atb_failure_snakes.png
atb_training_select.png
atb_angry_stars.png
atb_millionaire.png
losers-transparent.png
atb_main_menu.png
AtB Cast.png
Pentagons.png
AtBGifTrailer.gif
5lion-highres.png
AtB Ditch.png

download logo files as .zip (2MB)
logo
logo

Awards & Recognition

  • "Official Selection, LudoNarraCon" 4-11 May, 2023
  • "Best Simulation Game, DreamHack Anaheim" Anaheim, CA: 21-23 February, 2020
  • "Official Selection, Indie MEGABOOTH GDC Showcase" San Francisco, CA: 19 March, 2018
  • "Official Selection, PAX Indie MEGABOOTH" Seattle, WA: 2-3 September, 2016
  • "The Guardian's Top 10 Games of EGX 2016" Birmingham, England: 22-25 September, 2016

Selected Articles

  • "Houston, we have a winner. This game's incredible, and if you like roguelites or management sims, pick it up pronto."
    - Malcolm Schmitz, EIP Gaming
  • "Everything is twisted and bizarre; feelings which completely define the experience in all the best ways possible."
    - Mateusz Niewierowski, GameLuster
  • "If you’re looking for a quirky time management game set in an intriguing—and comical—world, you want to check out Astronaut: The Best."
    - Steven Mills, Destructoid
  • "Easily one of the most unique and fascinating games I played this year, period."
    - Suman Biswas, Sportskeeda

Request Press Copy

Please contact us at jules@universalhappymaker.com to recieve a press copy of Astronaut: The Best.


Flaustrian Discord
Become a Flaustrian citizen, participate in discussions and feedback, and bet on morality plays.

Flaustrian National Anthem
Book, Market, Moon, / Mongoose, Sun. / Our country is the chosen one. / Let us defend her, / Never expend her / Bounteous goodwill. / Sun, Market, Book, / Mongoose, Moon. / Let all our voices sing in tune. / Let serpents shred / Beneath the tread / Of bounteous goodwill!

Telephone Tag
The bouncy theme of intrigue and national embarrassment.


About Universal Happymaker

Boilerplate
Universal Happymaker builds games that are moral laboratories. We intend to create a world where everyone enjoys our games WITHOUT EXCEPTION.

More information
More information on Universal Happymaker, our logo & relevant media are available here.


Astronaut: The Best Credits

Mike Sennott and David Mershon
Project Leads, Writing, Design, Programming

Julia Y
Graphic Design, All of the Art

Matt Zapp
Music and Audio

Jules Engel
PR Advisor

Jeffery Wright
Community Manager


presskit() by Rami Ismail (Vlambeer) - also thanks to these fine folks