Approximately Up No Frame Challenge

Before the Fred’s Star finale, Approximately Games ran the #NoFrameChallenge — a community contest that pushed ship design in the opposite direction from bulky frame spam. Build at Moonstep, ban Frame and Window blocks, race to a new planet, and post your time for a chance at free Steam keys for the full release. Even though the event window closed ahead of the June 2026 finale patch, the rules remain the best reference for minimal-block builds, timed runs, and why Time Rewind is disabled in ranked attempts.

What the challenge was

Steam Community news invited players to:

1. Build a spaceship on Moonstep using no Frame blocks and no Window blocks.
2. Enter fly mode — a timeboard starts counting immediately.
3. Reach the new event planet as fast as possible.
4. Land with all crew alive, stay on the pad 10 seconds until the timeboard shows green text.
5. Post proof in Discord #NoFrameChallenge.

The event added a temporary planet to the map — separate from standard Moonstep progression — so routes differed from ice cream delivery missions in the Missions Walkthrough.

Official rules (summary)

Rule	Detail
Build location	Moonstep garage
Banned parts	Frame blocks and Window blocks (all variants)
Time rewind	Not allowed during the run
Crew	All members alive at landing
Validation	Hold on landing pad 10 s until timer green
Proof	Screenshot with timeboard visible + ship in frame
Submissions	One Discord topic per crew; update same topic for better times

Breaking any rule disqualifies the run — especially time rewind (P), which normal demo practice allows but this contest explicitly banned. Read Time Rewind before attempting similar self-imposed challenges.

Prizes

Approximately Games listed two prize tracks:

1. Fastest time — entire crew receives free full-game Steam keys on release. Requires a full-flight video (YouTube, Discord upload, Medal, etc.) showing the complete run.
2. Random draw — one other qualifying crew selected randomly also receives keys, so non-speedrun builds still had a chance.

Winners were tied to release day key delivery, not instant demo unlocks. If you participated, watch Discord announcements near launch week.

Ship design without frames

Removing Frame blocks forces creative structure:

• Armor and pipe quarters — Frame quarter with pipe passes power through walls (see Build Your First Ship)
• Thruster clusters bolted to armor faces instead of scaffold cubes
• Compact RCS pods — six thrusters still required for full axis control (RCS guide)
• Dampers for landing legs instead of windowed cockpits

Without Window blocks, use external cameras + CRT monitors for landing views — a pattern the Moon Landing guide recommends anyway.

Test TWR after every part swap; minimal builds get fragile fast. Use the Thrust Calculator before committing to a contest run.

Strategy tips that transfer to normal play

Even after the event ends, the challenge teaches:

• Weight discipline — every block costs thrust margin on lunar hops
• Pre-planned routes — Radar before launch, not mid-flight panic
• Co-op comms — pilot calls burns while builder confirms banned-part list (Co-op guide)
• No rewind discipline — practice approaches that succeed on first honest try

Speedrun crews often keep a checklist photo of the hull in garage mode before fly mode, proving zero frame/window blocks.

Relationship to other demo milestones

Timeline context:

Phase	Content
Feb 2026	Demo launch (Steam Next Fest)
Spring 2026	No Frame Challenge + temporary planet
June 6, 2026	Fred’s Star finale — last demo mission
Aug 6, 2026	Full release — demo delists (Launch guide)

After the challenge, the developer pushed final bug fixes and stopped demo feature updates, focusing on the 17-planet retail build.

Can I still run a private no-frame run?

The official planet and Discord prize channel may no longer accept submissions, but you can self-host the rules in co-op for fun:

1. Clone rules above.
2. Ban P (rewind) by honor system or crew witness.
3. Pick any destination you have unlocked — Moon return, Oldara attempt, etc.
4. Compare times on your own leaderboard.

Post screenshots to your Discord either way — Approximately Up is built for showing off ridiculous hulls.

Related pages

• Time Rewind — why rewind was banned
• Blueprints — save challenge hulls before teardown
• Launch guide — buying the full game after demo keys
• Updates hub — demo timeline

The No Frame Challenge proved you do not need a cage of gray frames to fly — just thrusters, armor, nerve, and a crew that agrees time rewind is cheating.