Video sourced from the GAMEAY YouTube channel. © 2026 xiaoshi.
Asa’s Adventure is a hand-drawn indie puzzle game developed solely by xiaoshi, offering gameplay similar to Machinarium.
A smooth, uninterrupted run of the demo takes about 15 minutes. Naturally, playtime will run longer if you get stuck on any of the puzzles.
To help with that, I’ve put together a demo guide: [Click here to check it out]
The game is currently listed on Steam with a free demo available. It is slated for a Q2 2027 release, though a specific launch date has yet to be announced.
Overview
- Synopsis: Travel through alien time and space, collect stars, solve puzzles, and uncover the secrets of an unknown world.
- Highlights: Beautiful hand-drawn visuals paired with clever puzzle design. Features a relaxed pace and a captivating sense of exploration.
- Recommended For: Players who appreciate hand-drawn art styles and enjoy puzzle-solving and exploration.
Background Story
In Asa’s Adventure, you play as Asa, a lost space traveler. On the day human civilization suddenly vanishes, Asa wakes up inside a cave in an unfamiliar world. He has no memory of who he is—his name, age, origin, and current location are all a total mystery.
Used under fair use for commentary, criticism, and educational purposes.
His surroundings are littered with abandoned factory pipes and relics of a bygone era. The only object in his possession is a mysterious compass engraved with unknown runes, seemingly pointing him toward a specific destination.
Core Gameplay
Gameplay centers around puzzle-solving. You’ll need to find and combine items to trigger mechanisms, or study environmental clues to uncover codes that open chest locks. The clever puzzle design works in tandem with the detailed hand-drawn scenes, creating a quiet, enigmatic atmosphere.
The puzzles are well thought out, emphasizing environmental interaction and item usage in a way that feels reminiscent of Machinarium.
In the first room, for example, you have to gather firewood and ingredients to cook food in a large pot. The steam from the pot drives away a nearby rat, which startles and drops a key—your ticket out of the room. The catch is that there’s an exhaust fan directly above the pot. You have to turn off the fan first so the steam can drift toward the rat. It tests your observation skills without feeling unfair.
The game also embeds most of its clues directly into the hand-drawn environment, relying on both visual and audio cues. In the second room, several jack-in-the-boxes contain different birds, and you have to count their chirps to figure out a lock code. This part can easily trip you up; the sounds are fast, and you might need to listen closely a few times to get the count right.
Controls & Feel
The controls are solid overall. Movement supports both WASD keyboard controls and mouse clicks, while all interactions are handled with the mouse. Although the store page lists controller support, it was unavailable in the demo build. Given that the game is still in development, this will likely be addressed down the line.
Optimization & Technical Feedback
Performance was smooth in the build I tested, though I did encounter one minor bug: in the second room, the jack-in-the-boxes open automatically when you walk near them. If your character collides with a box right as it pops open, you can get stuck in place. This only happened near the shelving unit and wasn’t entirely consistent, suggesting it’s likely a collision box issue.
Additionally, the game defaults to windowed mode with no option for full screen, and the demo build lacks a settings menu altogether. Adding display and control settings should probably be a priority for future updates.
Verdict
What stands out most about Asa’s Adventure is its hand-drawn aesthetic and puzzle mechanics. Even having played a wide variety of games, a visually striking hand-drawn title like this is always worth picking up.
Note: This write-up is based on the demo build; features and content may change in the full release.
About the Author
