Jumplight Odyssey : The Space Management Roguelite That Feels Like a Lost 70s Anime

The space management game that looks like a 70s anime and will grip your soul

I stumbled upon Jumplight Odyssey almost by accident, and before I even understood its gameplay, the trailer completely pulled me in. So before diving into the game itself, let us start right there. Just look at this work… and if you are even remotely into anime, you are bound to feel something grand, something truly... epic.

Do you see what I was talking about now ? There is a "thing", this retro/modern vibe in the drawings, and in this adventure calling us to save the remnants of humanity. Because yes, this game calls you to save humanity, and it is going to be stressful. Developed by the Australian studio League of Geeks, based in Melbourne, already known for the excellent Armello, Jumplight Odyssey presents itself as a space sim roguelite directly inspired by the great space opera animes of the 70s : Star Blazers, Macross, Ulysses 31, Captain Harlock... If these names make you feel something, you are already half sold.

A lore that grips your soul : humanity fleeing across the stars

Lead your crew to the sanctuary of the Forever Star during an unforgettable adventure in Jumplight Odyssey, a new breed of roguelite space colony sim. To escape the clutches of Admiral Voltan and the bloodthirsty Zutopians, you must build and repair your ship, promote and demote your fellow adventurers, upgrade your facilities across the multiple decks of your starship, without ever losing sight of your ultimate goal : reaching the Forever Star. With your planet destroyed and your people lost, it is up to you to keep the flame of hope alive during a perilous journey across the galaxy.

And for those who might doubt the tone of the game, one last detail. There is a pig. And you can even pet it. That is all you need to know.

A living ship : managing human needs in the heart of the space void

As captain, it is your duty to look after the human needs of your ship's passengers, from socializing to sleeping, including food, water, and air. Note : Wi-Fi is not included in the hierarchy of needs.

Experience from the inside the life of a space crew in search of a new planet. Drinking, eating, sleeping, working... Their daily routine could almost seem ordinary, if only they were not doing all this to survive. Forming a true micro-society, your crew members interact with each other through the bonds that unite them, whether they are familial, romantic, or friendly. And like in any social group, friends naturally mean enemies. Let us hope for your sake you will not have too many of them.

Moods and ideas are contagious, and aboard this true melodrama floating in space, relationships are made and unmade at the same pace as incidents pepper your daily life, directly impacting your crew. Maintain your troops' morale or suffer the consequences.

Chill and stressful at the same time : how is it possible ?

Having played it quite a bit, I can tell you it is both chill and stressful, and for once, you feel both sensations at the exact same time. Because when you arrive in a sector, you will have choices to make : rescue some surviving civilians, extract minerals, scavenge the area... You will have to act fast after every jump.

Once you have sent out your different shuttles, you will have to manage the interior of your mothership, across several decks : the bridge, the quarters, engineering... You will have to build your rooms, route electricity and oxygen to them, and choose all the necessary equipment so that humanity holds on. Your food and resources being limited, you will have to make the right choices, and I admit I had to restart my run 2 or 3 times to manage to optimize things properly to face the various situations that would arise later on.

Plant your crops, watch them grow, heal your members returning from expeditions, take care of upgrading the engine room to shorten the time required between jumps... and then... the alarm rings.

Explore, restart, improve : the roguelite heart of the game

Explore multiple star systems with unique ecosystems, variably affecting your ship and your crew. Fires, electrical blackouts, radiation, oxygen leaks... So many incidents you will have to manage during this journey that will be no walk in the park. In managing your forces, you will sometimes have to promote simple crew members to the rank of division officers, and also deal with their fluctuating abilities. Will they live up to your expectations ? Let us hope so.

Space is a lawless hunting ground. Fortunately, facing the threat of merciless pirates, you will be able to count on the support of your starfighters. Your journey promises to be perilous : learn from each of your voyages and redesign your ship to face all eventualities. Explore, again and always. Restart your journey relentlessly and experience new challenges, events, and encounters on every trip.

Design your spaceship down to the smallest details. Arrange the corridors optimally, establish efficient management processes, and decorate the spaces as you wish. Efficiently manage your resource production : from your water supply to your ship's crops, it is up to you to optimize your systems to keep your ship and your crew alive for as long as possible. Managing storage aboard your ship will also be a puzzle. Will you manage to keep your hangar organized without compromising the proper functioning of your warp core ? Can you cook a pizza in a microwave in zero gravity ? So many questions you will ask yourself during your journey. Or maybe not.

If you like space management games that mix survival, exploration, and guaranteed brain-teasing, you are exactly in the right place.

An art direction paying tribute to space opera animes

Inspired by the greatest space opera animes of the 70s, like Star Blazers (the Western adaptation of Space Battleship Yamato), and also Macross, Ulysses 31, or old Gundam series, Jumplight Odyssey lets you dive back into this unique atmosphere that has made generations of budding adventurers dream. With its dynamic sandbox gameplay and 100% retro graphics, this adventure will captivate all fans of simulation, management, and space conquest games.

Rooms and crew members are colored in bright primaries, pop-up communications look like real anime scenes, character animations have this little authentic something that smells like VHS. Even the speed buttons make the sound of a VCR. This level of detail is pure love.

Where to buy Jumplight Odyssey in 2026 : price and state of the game

There you go, you know quite a bit about Jumplight Odyssey. As I mentioned, they unfortunately had funding issues right in the middle of development : the League of Geeks studio had to lay off half its team in December 2023, including the entire team working on the game. The reasons cited, rising operating costs, disappointing early access sales, and the sudden withdrawal of funding opportunities in the industry, put the studio in an untenable position. It is very sad, I find, because this extra "thing" I talked about at the very beginning of the article... is a rare find today. Kudos and thanks to the devs for giving it their all so we could have a complete and finishable game, and frankly, GG for this odyssey that takes us deep into the stars.

The game remains available in Early Access on Steam, at 28.99€. You will still find the developers' message on their Steam page explaining the situation, and they gave everything so we could finish the game in its current state. Check it out directly on the official Jumplight Odyssey Steam page.

PC System Requirements

Unlike Halcyon 6, Jumplight Odyssey demands a bit more from your machine : its stylized 3D engine and the living simulation of your crew require a decent setup. Nothing insurmountable for a PC from recent years.

FAQ : your questions about Jumplight Odyssey

Is Jumplight Odyssey finished and beatable in 2026 ?

Yes. Despite development stopping in December 2023, the developers did everything to ensure the game is playable and beatable in its current state. It technically remains in Early Access on Steam, and you can reach the end without major frustration.

Is Jumplight Odyssey difficult ?

It has a real learning curve. It is normal to restart your run 2 or 3 times at the beginning, while you optimize your resource management and troop assignments. Once you grasp the logic, the game becomes truly captivating and hard to put down.

What other game does Jumplight Odyssey look like ?

The developers themselves describe it as a cross between FTL : Faster Than Light and Two Point Hospital. If you liked either of those, you have a high chance of getting hooked. The atmosphere also recalls Battlestar Galactica or the Heroic Age anime on the narrative side.

Is it worth buying Jumplight Odyssey in 2026 ?

If you are sensitive to the 70s anime art direction and management games with real narrative tension, yes. At 28.99€, the price is fair for what the game offers, especially knowing that every purchase gives a portion of the profits back to the original team.

A rare odyssey, signed by people who truly believed in it

In short, you get the idea. Jumplight Odyssey is a game that is both chill and stressful, a space melodrama that grips your soul from the very first hours, with an art direction that belongs only to it. That extra "thing" I talked about at the very beginning... is a rare find today. And thank you League of Geeks, thank you for this odyssey that takes us deep into the stars.

Will you manage to save humanity ? I hope so. And for those who would like to embark on other adventures of the same kind, our selection of the best space management games of 2026 is waiting for you.

And you, have you already tried Jumplight Odyssey ? Or another game that gave you this feeling of flying through the stars while holding your breath ? Tell us in the comments, right below !