Spaceship colony sim Jumplight Odyssey zooms into early access next month
Outrun aliens, search for a new home, and pet a pig
Next month is absolutely packed with games big and small, but hopefully your hard drive has space for another fantastic-looking one because Jumplight Odyssey is zooming into early access on August 21st. It’s a mix between starship management and roguelike planet hopping from developer League Of Geeks, the studio behind strategy gem Armello. Check out its pretty ‘70s anime-inspired trailer below.
Jumplight Odyssey puts you in control of the SDF Catalina, the colourful spaceship that’s on the run from murderous green aliens who just nuked your homeworld. Naturally, the remaining survivors need a new place to call home, which quest sends you zipping from randomly generated planet to planet in search of more survivors, resources, and various foodstuffs. Along the starry way you’ll upgrade your ship’s engines, while also making sure it’s a hospitable place for the crew and civilians on board. That includes building the essentials (like greenhouses) and the amenities (like a space hot tub). Oh, and there’s a pet pig aboard your ship. Not suitable for consumption even if you’re low on resources, I hope.
The game’s demo was one of the standouts from the recent Steam Next Fest, where our Katharine compared the game to FTL and Rimworld. I’m also getting a hint of the Two Point Campus/Hospital games since you need to ensure the crew’s mood stays positive throughout the long trip, and you can even coax two survivors to fall in love, casually. You can also read Katharine’s longer impressions of the demo where her catastrophic first run ended in a green alien ambush.
Jumplight Odyssey enters early access on Steam on August 21st. Console versions are planned for the future.