THERMAL SIGNATURE SERIES -- VOL 4: JUMP SPACE 
 

Greetings Gamers!
 

I am getting another reading on the Thermal Signature radar! The blip appears to be massive, and I suspect it’s going to be bigger!  

We’re back with another installment of Thermal Signature, where we’re taking a look at the recently released co-op shooter space adventure from Keepsake Games: Jump Space! This one has been on my radar for a while now and I am stoked we get a chance to, pun fully intended, jump in!  

Let’s chat about it! 
 

 
Jump Space 
 

 Platforms: PC (Windows) 
 Steam Rating: Very Positive (~91% from 2,482 reviews) 

Yes gamers! Jump Space just released on the 19th! The developers over at Keepsake are passionate and have been pushing hotfixes for various day one issues, but so far, it’s looking fantastic! If you haven’t heard of this game yet, allow me to put this on your radar!
 

What Jump Space promises up front is a simple, but very exciting, mission-based co-op PvE experience for 1-4 players, where you’re the literal crew of a spaceship! It almost has me saying Sea of Thieves... but in space! What makes it stand out though is how the game lets you move seamlessly between piloting the ship, voyaging on foot, and space walks (yes, SPACE WALKS). You’ll tackle a multitude of missions with random elements, so no two runs feel exactly the same which means we can put replayability back on our BINGO cards, gamers! Wooo! You’ll need to upgrade, repair, and manage your ship by scavenging parts, reinforcing defenses, and, very importantly, balancing speed vs attack vs power (aka shields) distribution.  

Exploration is a key part of the game loop as well! When you’re not crewing the ship, you might exit for planetary surface walks, exploring derelict modules, or fight in close quarters! Combat and traversal collide in these space battles with tools, jetpacks, and on-foot skirmishes. There are no fixed classes however, so you and your friends have to self-assign roles with what works best for your crew! Whether that means you’re the pilot with your 1000 hours of flight simulator, your buddy is the engineer because they like cars, another buddy is the field op because they like to explore and, of course, put the Valorant pro as the gunner! I always like to switch it up though, mix and match and see which roles you like best for best optimal crew performance! If anything, it will make for some hilarious moments when the person who is the worst at flying is the pilot!
 

Jump Space in technically in Early Access, so of course, that means there’s more stuff coming our way! Developers say single-player is usable but somewhat weak compared to co-op, and they plan more polish in the future, more ship missions/scenarios, better balancing, and content additions based on feedback over time. The roadmap estimates about 5 months of active iteration, with the possibility of stretching beyond depending on how the development and community response goes. 

What reviews are saying is promising: players praise how seamless the transitions are (ship → foot → space), the variety of mission types, the space-opera mood, and simply the overall feel and movement fluidity. Some mention that performance in tougher missions can feel rough, but the mission-centric feel that keeps progression and the game moving forward feels great. Overall, people seem like they are having a great time with Jump Space and I for one am excited to rip it up soon!
 

So, you have to tell me! Have you played Jump Space yet? Are you planning on playing Jump Space? If you have played, what is your favorite and what is your least favorite part? Let’s chat about it in the comments below and in Discord!