Game: Astronook
Genre: Casual
System: Steam (Windows)
Developer | Publisher: FrozenYetiGames
Controller Support: Playable
Price: US $7.19 | UK £5.99 | EU € 6,80
Release Date: January 19th 2026
A review code was provided, many thanks to Frozen Yeti Games.
Check out our Demo Impression for Astronook.
A Relaxing Stargazing Game
There is nothing like grabbing a cup of tea and spending a few hours stargazing with your grandpa’s telescope after a very busy day at work. Astronook is a story about a boy who grew up to be an adult but found himself looking back at the time he used to spend with his grandfather when he dreamed of being an astronaut. The old man taught everything he knew about the stars, which were his favorite thing in the world, and even gave his grandson a telescope so he could use it to see stars, planets, and comets.
Day after day, our main character will come to his old study room to use the telescope, map constellations, and take pictures of planets and astronomical discoveries, while remembering the time he spent with his grandfather, filled with fun, sad, and regretful moments. This cute little room is filled with astronomy-themed objects that you can interact with besides the telescope. The most important ones are a star map, a computer with a printer, and a scrapbook that you can fill with pictures of the cosmos.
Map Constellations
To call this title a connect-the-dots game would be an insult and would make me embarrassed to admit that I spent more minutes—and used more hints—than I should have trying to figure out some of the puzzles. While you do use the telescope to map constellations by connecting their dots, Astronook is an intelligent puzzle game with new features added to an otherwise simple idea.
First of all, you need to start and finish your constellation with a single line that connects all the stars, and if you fail, you will have to restart from the beginning. Each day, a new challenge is added to mapping constellations, making the puzzles even harder — like stars that cut your line, locked stars, and so on. But mapping the constellations is just the beginning of Astronook’s gameplay.
Locate Planets
Your star map in the study room will always show the planets that you can find in the area you are exploring that night, and as you complete constellations, it will automatically fill, making it easier to search for these celestial objects. You can use the constellations to guide yourself to those planets and take a picture of them to put in your scrapbook — a fun little activity that adds to your experience every night and makes you feel like you are a real astronomer.
The minigame for the pictures is super simple, yet the developers found a way to make it more complex as the game advances. The camera focus works like a small shifting bar that you must click as it reaches the middle to get an excellent focus. If you miss, you might get a “good” or “acceptable” rating. But to get the perfect photo, you must also avoid lens flare from the planet, capture all its moons, and prevent meteorites from appearing in the shot, as they might appear from time to time. Then you can just print it from your computer, which only stores the last picture you have taken. Get all perfect photos, and you will receive an achievement!
Other Astronomical Discoveries
You will also receive information on the latest astronomical discoveries directly on your computer — like satellites, meteors, and black holes — and a tip on where to find them with your telescope. They are usually harder to find than planets, and the directions will be small riddles for you to solve; you must also take a picture when you find them. These objects are a challenging and fun addition to the gameplay and make it feel a little bit more complete.
Conclusion
Astronook is a fun, casual puzzle game that is more challenging than it seems. You get to play as if you are a real astronomer in a cozy room filled with memories. The story is very emotional and relatable, about a person who grew out of a childhood dream to pursue a different career. Connecting stars seems plain, but each constellation poses its own difficulty and makes the game more engaging.
The art, the sound design, and the ambience are relaxing, and the gameplay is satisfying. Completing the scrapbook feels more like a personal collection of favorite things than a challenge, and it’s very enjoyable. If you get stuck on a puzzle, a few hints will pop up from time to time to help you find the solution.
Anyone who is interested in astronomy would very much enjoy this game because searching for planets and other wonders of space feels like using a real-life telescope, and the constellations are quite beautiful. It’s also very gratifying to fill your star map with all the available constellations and see your astronomical collection grow. It’s a quiet and solitary adventure filled with the company of the stars and memories of the past — a nostalgia for the simpler, purer days of childhood.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up 
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I also really liked the game. Thanks for the review!