Jump Drive: Terminal Velocity
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The FroGames Sheet
You've just conquered three worlds in one turn. Your opponent has taken four. Now you must choose whether to invest everything in military technology or focus on productive worlds. The galaxy waits for no one.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT
The expansion that takes Jump Drive beyond light speed
Terminal Velocity is the 2023 expansion for Jump Drive, designed by Thomas Lehmann and Eric Kaminsky. Lehmann is the creator of the Race for the Galaxy saga, and Kaminsky adapted and streamlined that complex system into Jump Drive, its fast and accessible sibling. This expansion adds 55 new cards, material for a fifth player, alternate starting worlds, variable objectives, and most importantly, a series of five dedicated solo challenges.
At the table, you're always doing the same things as in the base game: drawing cards, choosing one to develop or explore, using others as currency or for their powers. But Terminal Velocity introduces new combinations of technologies and worlds, objectives that reward different strategies each game, and a progressive solo campaign that forces you to win under increasingly strict constraints. The pace remains fast, games stay under thirty minutes, but the options multiply.
What they say abroad
"Terminal Velocity adds depth without sacrificing Jump Drive's accessibility."
Terminal Velocity adds depth without sacrificing Jump Drive's accessibility.
— Meeple Mountain
This expansion is a preliminary reading based on BGG data. We will update the sheet as soon as we have played the five solo campaigns and tested the new objectives at the table with more players.
— FroGames
Jump Drive: Terminal Velocity
Terminal Velocity introduces five progressive solo challenges, each with specific objectives and constraints. There is no opposing automa: you play against score targets and victory conditions. The experience is complete and well-calibrated, designed for those who have already learned the base game and want to test different strategies. It obviously loses the tension of racing against other players, but the increasing challenges compensate with a well-designed difficulty curve.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsWhat's in the box
The modules that make up Terminal Velocity
55 new galaxy cards
Worlds, developments, and technologies that integrate into the base deck. New combos, new powers, new synergies between symbols. Compatible with all previous expansions.
Alternate starting worlds
Variable setup: each game can start from different configurations. The initial economy changes, as do the strategies available in the first turns.
Variable objectives
Victory conditions that reward specific strategies: military worlds, technological developments, diversification. Revealed at the start of the game, they guide everyone's choices.
Five solo campaigns
A progressive series of challenges dedicated to solo play. Each campaign has different objectives and constraints. Designed to learn advanced strategies and then test them against other players.
Recommended Sleeves 55 cards in 1 size ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting your cards with transparent sleeves to make them last longer.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 64 × 89 mm | 55 |
| Total cards | 55 |
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each round
Each turn is identical in structure, different in choices.
Draw two cards from the galactic deck. Look at them. Decide which one to keep in your hand and which one to discard immediately. The choice is informed by your objectives and the cards you already have in play.
Simultaneously, everyone chooses a phase between Explore (put a world in play) and Develop (put a technology). Reveal your choice. If multiple players choose the same phase, it only activates once.
Pay the cost of the card you want to play by discarding other cards from your hand as currency. Symbols on played cards reduce costs. The more efficient your engine, the fewer discards.
Check if you have completed a common or personal objective. If so, take the corresponding token. Objectives completed by multiple players are worth fewer points. The first to reach them has an advantage.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The variable setup
Reveal common objectives. Draw alternative starting worlds. Already some have figured out which strategy to pursue, others are still deciding. The game begins with asymmetry.
The initial race
First two turns: everyone expands, no one develops. You want to occupy worlds before others do. The deck gives you good cards but not perfect ones. You have to adapt.
The engine takes shape
Mid-game you have four or five cards in play. Someone has focused on productive worlds, someone on military technology. Common objectives guide choices but don't dictate everything. There's still room to change course.
The turning point
One player completes an objective. Everyone else realizes that time is running out. The last two turns are a pure race: who manages to play the highest-value card, who completes the second objective before others.
The counting
The game ends when someone exceeds the point threshold or the deck runs out. You count symbols, check objectives, add bonuses. Often, the one who didn't seem to be in the lead in the middle of the game wins.
🐸Good to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to know beforehand
Three honest things
Terminal Velocity is a pure expansion. You cannot play it without Jump Drive base. The 55 cards are shuffled into the original deck, the modules (objectives, solo campaigns, starting worlds) are optional but designed for those who already know the system.
The five solo challenges are progressive and numbered. You can play them out of order, but they are designed to be tackled in sequence: each campaign introduces tighter constraints and requires mastery of different strategies. There's no narrative or storyline, just increasingly difficult score objectives.
The expansion increases the maximum number of players from 4 to 5. But Jump Drive remains a simultaneous racing game: adding a player increases competition for the best worlds, it doesn't introduce new mechanics. If you already play well with four, the fifth is a convenient option but not revolutionary.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The game ends when a player exceeds the victory point threshold (usually 50) or when the deck runs out.
Victory
- Accumulate more victory points than others by summing the values of cards in play, bonuses from completed objectives, and special symbols
- Be the first to complete the common objectives revealed at the start of the game, earning bonus tokens before your opponents
- Build an efficient engine that allows you to play expensive cards without discarding too much, maximizing the value of each turn
Defeat (solo campaigns)
- In solo challenges: you do not reach the target score required by the campaign within the turn limit
- You violate specific campaign constraints (e.g., you cannot play military worlds, or you must complete two specific objectives)
- You run out of the deck without having built an engine productive enough to close the point gap
Terminal Velocity is the expansion that fills Jump Drive with new paths without weighing it down. If you enjoyed the base game and want more variability, more solo challenges, more reasons to return to the table, this is the right box.
💬Frequently Asked QuestionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently Asked Questions
Jump Drive: Terminal Velocity FAQ
Can I play Terminal Velocity without the base game?
No. Terminal Velocity is a pure expansion: it requires the Jump Drive base game to function. The 55 cards are shuffled into the original deck, and the components (objectives, starting worlds, fifth player material) are added to the base ones. There are no standalone rules.
Do the solo campaigns have to be played in order?
They are numbered 1 to 5 and designed to be progressive: each campaign introduces tighter constraints and requires different strategies. You can technically play them out of order, but the difficulty curve is designed to be tackled in sequence. Campaign 1 is a warm-up, Campaign 5 is a real challenge.
Are the variable objectives balanced?
Yes, but they radically change priorities. Some reward diversification (worlds of different types), others specialization (only military developments). Revealed at the start of the game, they guide all players' choices. The balancing lies in the fact that common objectives are worth less for those who complete them second or third.
What mechanics does Jump Drive: Terminal Velocity use?
Hand management (cards are resources and objectives), multi-use cards (each card can be played or discarded as currency), set collection (collect symbols to reduce costs), simultaneous action selection (everyone chooses the phase together), variable setup (objectives and starting worlds change each game). The system is the same as the base game Race for the Galaxy, but streamlined and accelerated.
Is it available in Italian?
No. The edition sold on FroGames is in English (Rio Grande Games). The cards have text and symbols, the rulebook is in English. There are no official Italian editions of Terminal Velocity at the time of this product page's publication.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Jump Drive: Terminal Velocity is the 2023 expansion for Jump Drive, a strategic card game by Thomas Lehmann and Eric Kaminsky for Rio Grande Games. For 1-5 players (components for the fifth player added), 30-minute games, recommended age 14+. It introduces 55 new galaxy cards, variable objectives, alternative starting worlds, and a series of five progressive solo campaigns. Mechanics include hand management, multi-use cards, and set collection. Requires the Jump Drive base game to function. Available on FroGames.it.
Jump Drive: Terminal Velocity
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
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