NEXT JUMP: Shmup Tactics. It's a title that raises a question before immediately answering it. You might not get much detail from the idea of 'NEXT JUMP', but 'Shmup Tactics'? It's not a light derogatory term aimed at you, but the notion of this being a tactical approach to classic space-based shoot em' ups.

The developer of NEXT JUMP: Shmup Tactics sent in a key for us to take a look, so look I did. It's interesting, as it's a mix of a shoot 'em up with turn-based tactical battles. This website makes use of cookies to enhance your browsing experience and provide additional functionality - More info Deny Cookies - Allow Cookies. Full list of all 51 NEXT JUMP: Shmup Tactics achievements.

We can already grasp the basic premise of this particular game from the title alone, but what are we looking at under the skin? NEXT JUMP: Shmup Tactics is another rogue-lite to add to a rapidly growing collection - or queue - of similar 'you die, you're dead' concepts; but one that plays out as a turn-based strategy title as opposed to the real-time affairs you'd typically find atop Steam's best sellers.

Once the tutorial runs you through the initially complicated UI, you're guided into its main attraction - the 'jump'. You see, the full experience of this grid gauntlet is a great game of number management. You'll be asked to choose one of four ships - each with different strengths and weaknesses - to commandeer through various space-based environments by means of 'jumping' - essentially light-speed warps. With a set amount of 'parsecs' being between you and the 'Dragons' who've stolen your beloved beverages, your aim is to survive enough of these jumps to make it to a final showdown. But each jump along this chain of events is a battlefield teeming with other ships looking to shoot you down. That's where the finer details come in.

Say your ship is capable of 3 jumps from the get-go and you're presented with a map branching out into three different directions. Each path will bring you just as close to the Mothership as the other; but each might present itself with different battlefield environments like asteroid belts, electrical storms or even simply wind that can easy thwart even the best runs if you're not paying close attention. By selecting three 'jumps' you'll be thrust into three battles consisting of 3-4 'turns'. At this point, it's up to you to maintain your energy levels in a way that'll allow you to survive through one and into the next. Each movement along the battlefield's grid-based system takes energy - as does shooting your primary weapon. With a 'turn' only ending if your energy reaches 0 and defeated ships dropping this fuel source, there's every possibility to keep a single turn going with the right strategy in mind.

But the aim here isn't to necessarily blast down the opposition. Sure, the ships might inch closer to you with each turn, but that doesn't mean they're an immediate threat. You can salvage their scrap to procure new upgrades in the shop or take their energy to extend your turn - but running an increased risk of death shouldn't be your priority. You'll want to choose your battles wisely if you're hoping to make a sprint for the finish line. With enemy movements happening after each of your turns, you're constantly re-evaluating your plans on the fly; do you dodge that incoming bullet or take it on the chin to blast through a convenient line of enemies? Would that be a scrap profit, or an unnecessary risk of failure? One wrong calculation with your energy and hull reserves could quickly mean death - so even being turn-based, you're constantly kept on your toes.

It may seem simple to assume you're just making quick-fire decisions based upon how much energy you have left, but there's a little more to it. Enemies telegraph their moves either by spinning to indicate an impending movement or lying dormant - suggesting any amount of bullets will soon take up adjacent spaces. But even your weapon's recoil can be used to your advantage due to how firing it can cause a 'recoil' effect throwing your ship backward (though potentially straight into enemy fire). You're essentially looking at an intricate game of chess here where you're constantly second-guessing your own judgement.

Traversing the cosmos is a delicate process. If you've just exited a 3-jump sequence with your hull about to implode revealing your sensitive skin to the harsh conditions outside, you're forced to make some tricky decisions. You could bank excess scrap and use the rest to eject into a new, basic ship (losing your upgrades) or vow to press on determined to outsmart the opposition and make it to the next store 4 jumps forward. It's just a shame that the stylized UI can be a little hard to read sometimes. Though there's a heavily detailed manual available to read through back in the cockpit, you're likely to run into more than a few situations where a seemingly perfect move has led to your demise with you struggling to understand why.

But what if between those four jumps are various environmental hazards and an increased fleet hot on your tail? Sure, pulling it off might bring you closer to your target - but blowing it could cost you everything. Heck, even stopping off at the store could see you waste enough time for the boss to gain a distance advantage that could prove fatal. You might have upgraded your weapon yet neglected your battery, leaving you in a sticky situation where you don't have the power to sustain both moving and firing in one turn to generate the scrap needed to grab a bigger power supply - something I fell victim to more than I'd like to admit. Every choice has a particular consequence, and while there aren't many of them NEXT JUMP: Shmup Tactics moves like a well-oiled space machine.

That being said, there's a certain degree of simplicity here that lends itself to one noteworthy question - why is this a PC game? It's relatively short length, somewhat shallow upgrade/combat and simplistic visuals make it feel like an incomplete package on muscle machines; while its rapid pacing and big interface would seem right at home on a mobile device. It feels very much like a commuter game rather than something you'd fire up as you come home from a long day the office. Of course, nobody is forcing that scenario to be the case, but it really doesn't seem like a title I, personally, could see people throwing their weekends into.

NEXT JUMP: Shmup Tactics is a complicated beast for various reasons. It's a simple looking game that can rigorously test your wits under the right circumstances - but at the same time feel a little bare. With only 4 ships to choose from and an equal handful of battlefield effects, even the near-endless combination of skirmishes can feel a tad repetitive. Thankfully, it's blurting out a strong retro-inspired soundtrack and rocking some brilliant ambient sound design to keep your ears happy as you play.

For the £3.99 asking price there's little reason to complain about what this particular strategy mix-up offers; but you'll need to think hard about how much time you realistically think you'll pump into this. It's hard to imagine it climbing high into your 'priorities' list at home; but if you're lucky enough to be able to sneak this onto your PC in the office for a bit of tab-in enjoyment, it wouldn't be a bad choice at all. I can't see people whipping out a laptop on the train for this - but mobile? That's where this one has the highest chance of finding its place.

Appearing more complicated than it really is, NEXT JUMP: Shmup Tactics is a solid tactical time-waster – but not on PC.

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Next Jump: Shmup Tactics Ps4

NEXT JUMP: Shmup Tactics has my number something fierce. Do you like shmups, this Brazilian indie effort asks. YES, I proclaim. But do you suck at them, it continues. YES, I admit. If you find yourself in this quandary of unquenchable thirst, Post Mortem Pixels has your back.

In a display of inspired design, NEXT JUMP: Shmup Tactics blends bullet-hell with turn-based strategy. It’s akin to FTL and the combat elements of, say, The Last Federation. You’re travelling across sectors in pursuit of space dragons – chasing, if I’ve tapped into NEXT JUMP correctly – and upgrading your ship as you go. It’s of the rogue variety, and as much as the mechanical elements feel close to the aforementioned FTL and TLF, I get Weird Worlds vibes in NEXT JUMP’s coffee break-friendly runs.

Leaping along sectors, players shunt their ship around grids in sharp parcels of three-move ‘levels’. Enemies, laser bolts and all manner of space detritus form things to dodge or detonate. Every turn is a freeze-frame of ordnance and opponent to navigate, based around anticipating movement and killing for crucial energy.

Augmented by ship battery upgrades, your combat turn ends when you’re drained of energy. Key to combat is harvesting as much dropped energy as possible to extend combat. It’s a very neat abstraction of the real-time shmup conceit, making movement and position paramount. Destroying an enemy leaves energy in surrounding cells, which is then – hopefully – scooped up to power subsequent firing and manoeuvring. Those three turns go fast, but each turn is a puzzle in itself.

Enemies also drop scrap, which forms the currency in NEXT JUMP. This is expended in sectors that contain outposts, where ships can be repaired, upgrades made and items bought. Laser augments, missiles, scanners and the like; in place of a traditional shmup’s on-the-fly enhancement dredging, NEXT JUMP lets players peruse at their leisure. For a spiritual geriatric such as this old dog, the breathing room is welcomed.

I’ve only managed to use two of the four fighters, and they offer up some marked differences in the way they play. You might need to initially consider recoil on a particular ship, so firing a laser might shunt your little craft backwards into a laser bolt. There are armour differences, requiring a lot more scrap be spent patching up between missions in some cases. Engines set the limit on how many sectors you want to jump through before stopping and recouping, so the meeker machinery might be limited to two jumps before needing to restart the course-plotting.

And as much as the stress of real-time bullet dodging is lessened in its turn-based form, NEXT JUMP is still a punishing little game. Within the cute, chaotic, punk-pixel aesthetic beats the heart of a brutal tactics game. No quarter given. If measured in coffee breaks so far, I’ve never lasted an entire cup. But that’s appreciated. Post Mortem Pixels have crafted something compact. And while I concede the visuals might not be to everyone’s liking, the mechanics are fool-proof.

Bite-sized with bite, I say jump in.

Next Jump Shmup Tactics

NEXT JUMP: Shmup Tactics releases on Steam (PC, Mac, Linux) April 28.