Why Early Access?

“PhaseWorm is in early access because it has reached a state where the core gameplay is fun and complete, and the next step to its improvement means putting it in the hands of more players.

I want to see how gamers of various skill levels experience PhaseWorm and work with the community to create a more smooth and better looking end state before the full game release.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“PhaseWorm will hopefully see version 1.0 later this year, so long as asset development goes as planned.

My estimate for this release is sometime in Q4 of 2020, if I am able to pull in the help on the music and art that I am hoping for.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“Future plans for PhaseWorm include more original soundtracks for the stages, a more polished UI, and alternative options for tilesets. I also want to add controller support, with the Phase colors conveniently matching the Xbox controller buttons.

Ideally there will also be steam-only features including achievements and online leaderboards.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The core gameplay of story mode is complete and the game's features and description on steam is an accurate description of the currently available build. It is playable from start to finish and gives players the experience that I was shooting for. All of the profile and medal mechanics have been implemented.

Early access lacks polish in the audio and visual areas, so the UI and sound will be improved as development continues.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“PhaseWorm will always be a cheap game, but once it has been polished and feels complete, the price will be raised somewhat to reflect that it is a completed product.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“Getting information from players will help tweak the difficulty. PhaseWorm is intended to be a difficult game, but medal times should be calibrated based on player data from gamers of various skill levels. If people are getting stuck on particular levels, I also want to resequence them so that there is a smoother difficulty curve.

Additionally, I want feedback on changes to UI elements as I continue to improve them - and sound and music as it is added into the game.

I intend to be responsive on the game's twitter account https://twitter.com/PhaseWorm - as well as interact with the community on the Steam Discussion Board.

Any other suggestions from the player base as to quality of life improvements or additional features are welcome!”