Indie game lovers are jumping for joy over Jump, a new, unlimited, on-demand video game subscription for indie games. The new subscription app launched last week, offering subscribers more than 60 games from different genres, including The End is Nigh, Disco Dodgeball, Rashlander, Gunhouse and Astervoid 2000, for $9.99 a month following a 14-day free trial. No credit card is required to sign up, and players can cancel anytime. According to Jump’s FAQs, there are no in-game ads or microtranscactions.

‘The service was created with the goal of delivering a unique platform for gamers to discover and play the games they want, with a special emphasis on unique, high-quality games by independent developers,’ says Jump in their FAQs. ‘Subscribers have a chance to expand their access to high-quality and groundbreaking video game offerings without the commitment to buy.’

Like other gaming subscriptions, Jump says that six to 10 new games will be added each month, but a key difference between this site and other gaming subscriptions is that they are committing to keeping games on the site for a minimum of 12 months, giving developers the opportunity to stay beyond that time. For now, Jump is available on PC, Mac and Linux, and it supports Rift and Vive VR devices.

Another key difference between Jump and other gaming subscriptions is that Jump is played locally, on your machine, not some remote server that will take forever to reach your machine. Jump does not stream its games, which can improve load time. Alex Santa Maria reviewed Jump for TechRaptor last week.

‘Saves are stored locally, controllers work with compatible games, and everything feels as it should,’ says Santa Maria. ‘Jump stays out of the way once you pay your entry fee, which is really what a good platform should do.’

Santa Maria had a few criticisms of the game, such as having to start games from scratch, even if you have Jump games on another platform, but overall he said Jump is ‘a compelling package.’

‘At Jump, we love the creativity and passion of independent game developers. We believe that a lot of the industry’s original thinking and innovation comes from nimble, risk-taking developers who think outside the box,’ says Team Jump on its About Us page.

‘Let’s face it. A lot of great games can go completely undiscovered and unplayed to a vast majority of gamers. Other times, people hear about great games but forget about them because of their busy lives or limited budgets,’ Team Jump says.

‘We’re changing all of that for gamers. Our goal is to surface the best game content for gamers while providing ongoing revenue for the developers who work endless caffeine-fueled months or even years to bring these great games to life,’ says Team Jump. ‘Every minute you spend playing games on Jump, you are directly supporting these independent game developers and their creations.’

In addition to the subscription’s features, Jump has something else going for it – an all-star cast of gaming veterans including a CEO who advised 50+ gaming startups at Core Labs Games Accelerator, video game artists, and industry experts with experience at PlayStation, EA, Ubisoft, Sega and PlayStation. 

Insider Take:

My gaming days are long gone – unless you count Candy Crush – but Jump seems like a good alternative to some of the more popular, mainstream subscription services like Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass. It is strictly for indie games, so it will appeal to a variety of gaming fans. Jump will also give developers a new audience to test their products, and it looks like they’ll get a 70 percent revenue share. Jump also offers some unique attributes not available in other gaming subscriptions, including offering a commitment to keep games available for at least 12 months. We’ll be curious to hear what serious gamers think about the new subscription service.