Why Early Access?

“PixelBot Games has been working on CANARI's formula for a few years, establishing the foundation game mechanics and making the game into something special. However, what we really need in order to move forward in its production is feedback from players like you. Steam gives us access to a much larger player base than the local game events and competitions we've been to. By releasing to Steam in Early Access, we can get YOUR feedback and make CANARI the best game it can be. We are a new developer and we want to cultivate a community around our game. We believe Steam Early Access gives us the opportunity.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We honestly do not know how long CANARI will remain in Early Access. This will largely depend on how it received in the community and how far the base scope gets expanded based on feedback.”

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

“Our current plan for release includes:

• 3 additional worlds (containing three procedurally generated levels in each)
  
• New equipment upgrades
  
• New robot skills
  
• At least one other boss battle
  
• Each world will include its own flora and fauna
  
• An interesting narrative with cinematic cut scenes

We have been working on a "survival" type mode called Swarm. In this game mode, players attend to survive as long as possible through waves of enemies. Players who survive long enough can earn energy that can be spent on upgrades. It is all combat no navigation and we think making LUMIN as powerful as possible will be a lot of fun.

All of these features are dependent on feedback from our players. This list could shrink, grow, or change as we determine CANARI's next step forward.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Currently CANARI contains a tutorial level (still in development) and what we call the first "world". If you think of it in terms of Super Mario, our first environment, "the caves" contains three procedural levels that share common enemies and visual aesthetic as well as challenges for the player. Every time you play you get a unique maze in the dark, but the game is balanced by providing you with specific challenges tailored to early game play. The location of your exit, the number and species of enemies you face, and the loot that drops changes procedurally after each death. It culminates with a unique boss battle that gives our players a sense of how different our game play is from other games. Additionally, LUMIN has six upgrades that can be found as loot in the wild. Some aid in navigation, while others help with combat.”

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

“Our plan is to reward players who are interested in our game early on. The price will increase as new features and content are added to the game. With each large content deliverable we plan to increase the price in accordance with our development costs.”

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

“Players can immediately get involved after playing our first version of CANARI. We encourage everyone to participate in the Community forums or send us your feedback. Monthly updates will be detailing our progress. We plan to implement a feature request system that will allow players to tell us what they want most.”