

Kickstarter has been in the news a lot for some unfortunate struggles on bigger projects lately, but that doesn’t mean it’s no longer an avenue worth pursuing. Thanks to the marketing efforts of the Square Enix Collective, and a quickly successful Steam Greenlight campaign, Jumpdrive Studios‘ sci-fi strategy title [XO] has recently passed its crowdfunding goal in less than two weeks.



Also among the news is the announcement of the composer for the game. Jim Guthrie, whose works include the soundtracks for Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, Below, and Indie Game: The Movie, has begun work on the game’s original soundtrack.



A single-player real-time with pause strategy game with procedurally generated elements, [XO] features Newtonian starship physics as you navigate the 2D planar environment. Traveling from star system to star system, you will engage with complex interpersonal politics among your fleet as you gather more resources and rescue civilians in attempt to win the war against your people.

With a retro visual aesthetic, the game has a very charming and refreshing look to it. The neon coloured outlines of the visuals are reminiscent of the wireframes of classic science fiction television and movies that I believe drew a lot of folks into the genre to begin with, and its ambience so far enhances this retro feel.



Promising to combine its strategy combat with interpersonal politics, and offering a variety of ways to manage your fleet, [XO] is certainly an ambitious title. It’s good to see such a positive reception so far, and there’s plenty of time left for it to reach stretch goals and other rewards for the backers. Sci-fi enthusiasts should watch this game and its Kickstarter campaign closely, as should strategy fans. It’s looking like a project with a lot of potential and heart behind it, thanks to the folks at Jumpdrive staying true to their inspirations while taking time and effort to create something modern.

EDIT: After being informed of some corruption on the GIF in the original post, I have replaced it with a different still image.