It was almost exactly one year ago that I walked into a meeting during the Game Developer’s Conference and was first introduced to Jump Ship, a four-player sci-fi PvE shooter that masterfully blends mechanics from Sea of Thieves, Left 4 Dead, and FTL into something I thought was extremely special. I recently had the opportunity to play the latest build with a few of the developers, and let me tell you, if any indie game is poised to break out big in what’s already an incredibly packed year of releases, I’d place my bets on Jump Ship. As it gears up for an Early Access launch this Summer, it’s more polished and more fun than ever.
If you aren’t familiar with Jump Ship yet, let me fill you in. It's a non-grindy space adventure designed for up to four players. And I say "adventure" rather than "multiplayer" because the team at Keepsake Games has been actively responding to feedback and is crafting a clever way for solo players to dive into Jump Ship as well. They're developing narratively constructed AI assistants to help solo players manage the ship, which you get a taste of in the Prologue. This serves not only as a tutorial—introducing you to gameplay mechanics like shooting, flying in your space suit, manning and piloting the ship, and engaging in ship combat—but also as a lore-builder.
Jump Ship - Closed Beta Screenshots
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Jump Ship now boasts a much-appreciated story woven into its core PvE gameplay. A malicious virus has infected machines across the galaxy, and it’s up to you and your fellow Atirans to reach the heart of the galaxy and stop it. You’ll navigate through procedurally generated mission chains in each sector to achieve this goal. Some missions might take just 10 minutes, while others could stretch to an hour. Each branching choice on the Jump Map is color-coded to indicate the level of danger you're facing. And as the saying goes, the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
Aiding you on your journey is Iris, a non-infected AI you meet in the Prologue. Iris serves as a narrator during your missions, adding a welcome layer of structure to the game’s solid foundation. Additionally, the Hangar acts as your base of operations, where you can spend your in-game currency to buy and customize outfits, explore the greater Galaxy Map, and even enjoy a game of soccer during downtime.
Now, let’s talk about the core four-player gameplay. It’s nothing short of exhilarating! As you embark on your mission, you’ll face unexpected challenges. Your ship might be attacked en route, requiring one player to pilot and use the pilot’s chair weapons, while another operates the ship’s main weapon station with its 360-degree-pivoting cannon. Meanwhile, the other two players could be mag-booted to the ship’s hull, taking shots at passing enemies. But if your ship gets damaged, someone must rush inside, grab a fire extinguisher, crawl through a vent, and douse the flames. After all, you need to keep that pineapple pizza-maker running smoothly!
Jump ShipKeepsake Games Wishlist
Once you reach your destination, all four of you disembark and navigate the structure housing your target loot. You’ll face relentless waves of evil, infected robots that won’t go down without a fight, making teamwork crucial at every turn. Your grappling hook allows for swift movement both on the ground and in space, and once you secure the big prize, one player must carry it back to the ship while the others provide cover, ensuring your loot-laden teammate isn’t left vulnerable.
Both my demo last year and my latest one were brief. This demonstrates that Jump Ship is perfect for short bursts of play, so you don’t need to quit your job to keep up. However, I haven’t yet seen enough of the broader mission structure and the variety of procedurally generated content to fully judge its promise of endless replayability. But everything I’ve experienced so far screams potential hit. Jump Ship has all the right ingredients to become something special, and I’m eagerly looking forward to playing much more.
