Nihariely's Spatial Adventure

Nihariely's Spatial Adventure mixes resource management with old-school arcade gameplay. In the Aldebaran system, Nihariely must awaken survivors from hibernation capsules before they fail, rescuing the last memories of a fading civilization. You choose the order of the main levels, each of which presents a different arcade or puzzle challenge, while gathering resources in procedurally generated asteroid fields and abandoned starships.

Exploration

Exploration has three phases. First, you spend Action Points to plan upgrades for the ship and Nihariely; destinations farther away grant more Action Points. Next, you navigate a top-down, 2D asteroid field. Ship shields protect against collisions, while greater speed helps you discover resources faster at the cost of increased danger.

When you find an abandoned cargo ship, Nihariely explores it on foot. Movement uses calories, which you craft in the preparation phase from water and food units. Carrying more calories extends how far she can explore, but a poor plan can leave her trapped aboard a doomed ship.

Resources and progression

Collecting loot is central to progressing through the game. Optional upgrades can make the main campaign easier, help with exploration or speed up particular tasks. The game has no conventional inventory system; instead, it provides limited counts that you often need to remember when planning an expedition.

Puzzles and saving

Memory is the main puzzle theme, and many of the game's challenges depend on your ability to remember information. There is one difficulty level, and the game has no enemies to fight: progress instead depends on timing calculations and decisions.

There is no autosave. You need to collect diskettes or energy to create save files, and a game over loses any unsaved progress. Whether permadeath applies therefore depends on whether you have saved. Playtime varies with your skill and understanding of the game, averaging around four hours; the developer's best speedrun is 2:29 using the best paths and combinations.

Music

The game features an original soundtrack and audio effects intended to be heard with headphones.