Jetpack Pirates and Hard Lessons: Menace’s Early Access Throws New Commanders In Cold Space

Menace has landed in Early Access, putting players in charge of a damaged colonial vessel and its ragged crew. Developed by Overhype Studios (the team behind Battle Brothers), the game mixes turn-based tactics with emergent roleplaying moments—and a steep learning curve that can humiliate new commanders when jetpacked pirates appear.

Developer pedigree: Overhype Studios brings its tough tactical DNA to Menace, promising deep, consequential combat rooted in previous successes.
Early Access setup: You begin as an unintended commander after a catastrophic incident, which frames the campaign but leaves many systems to be discovered in play.
Limited tutorials: The onboarding covers core controls and movement, but finer mechanics and optimal strategies are largely left for players to uncover through trial and error.
Procedural missions and threats: Encounters—like a pirate skirmish on the planet Backbone—are generated dynamically, creating surprising, often brutal scenarios that reward careful planning.
Punishing combat flavor: Jetpacking enemies and emergent battlefield moments can quickly turn routine ops into costly lessons, reinforcing the game’s unforgiving tactical ethos.

Menace’s Early Access launch offers a raw, demanding tactical experience for players who enjoy learning by doing—and by failing spectacularly. Expect harsh consequences, emergent stories, and the kind of bite that made Overhype’s earlier title memorable.