Why Early Access?

“During the creation of Surgeon Simulator, we maintained close links with our player community - we listened to many, many suggestions and included them in the final game. We genuinely believe that the game was better because of all the feedback we received during development. We want to take that approach again here, and Steam has given us this great tool to be able to do this with. Making a game this way means that you can tell us if you like and don't like things, so we can make sure we're giving you the game that YOU want at the end of the project. Cool, huh?”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We're hoping to have the full game finished and ready early next year (2015) - so the game will be in Early Access for a few months.”

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

“The full version of the game will contain more levels, the full story, more objects to interact with, and will be polished and bug free. It will also contain achievements and other bonuses. Another BIG point - there is a pretty awesome story attached to this game. When you reach the end of chapter 4, the story will not have run its course (it will barely have started), and you won't know what happens in the end. Believe me, when you see what we have in store, it will be worth the wait. We'll be releasing the extra levels (and this, the story) as soon as we can. Tweeting us love and hugs speeds up this process considerably, saying mean stuff slows it (as it takes time to dry tears).”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“When we release the game for people to play, the game will work and be fun and playable, but won't feature all of the levels that we're planning to include in the final game. Because of this, the game's story won't be completely finished. It will also need a little bit of spit and polish, and there may be a bug or two to deal with. There are a few Unity 5 issues (a little crash here and there) that we're trying to iron out at the moment too. If you make any animated gifs and post them on Steam - SAVE THEM ELSEWHERE! When we update the game, they're likely to disappear. We don't want to make you cry - too often, anyway. ;)”

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

“We don't have any final plans for exact prices just yet, but the game will be discounted to start off with - cheaper the earlier you buy it. The earlier you buy the game, the less money you will pay. That much IS likely.”

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

“We're planning on involving the community really heavily during development - getting ideas and feedback about the current state of the game, and using ideas to shape exactly what we do next. We have a basic outline of what we want to do with the game, but the community are going to be really useful in adding the extra special bits. The hive mind is always smarter than the individual, right? We'll be posting in the Steam forums, on Facebook and on Twitter regularly.”