Why Early Access?

“Black Skylands is a big ambitious project by a small studio. Launching a finished 1.0 title would require one whole additional year in development. But most importantly: what we are seeking to create is a unique experience. Our game combines aspects of various genres: sandbox, RPG, top-down shooter, and even bullet hell. Therefore, many unorthodox design decisions need to be made. We are trying to blend together different gameplay mechanics, which means a lot of iterations and experimentation. Our desire is to do this with an involved and dedicated player base that we are able to get consistent feedback from. The plan is to rely on that feedback on our way to releasing a product that both players and dev team are extremely satisfied with.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Up to 12 months. We want to take our time and polish the game while adding as much quality content as our creative and technical capabilities allow us to!”

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

“According to our current plans, the final version of Black Skylands is going to be approximately twice the size of the Early Access version in terms of in-game content. We plan on improving the gameplay mechanics, conducting balancing revisions on a regular basis, and of course, be responsive to feedback coming from our players.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Black Skylands is approximately half finished content-wise. The game is one hundred percent playable and is a full-fledged early version of our open world adventure. So there's only one way from here: upwards!
Please see the "About This Game" section of the steam page to see a full list of features in the current version of the game.”

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

“Yes, we are planning to increase the price of the game on its release out of Early Access.”

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

“Ah, our favorite part!

We love getting feedback. Moreover, for us it's a need. As we've already mentioned above, it's impossible without a solid player base. We believe that an Early Access launch will allow us to build such a base and in this manner players can help to eventually get the version of the game that they most want to play.

We’ve already implemented a fair number of suggestions from members of our community during the open playtest held from March to April of 2021, you’ve helped us iron out bugs and deal with other types of issues and we are so thankful for your continued participation and feedback. We would like our Steam forums, Discord server, subreddit and social pages to continue being the places where you guys could communicate with us directly. We welcome any kind of constructive criticism, suggestions, ideas and bug reports. Your support really means a lot!”