Why Early Access?

“While Truants is still relatively early in its development, our team felt that it was important for us to release a playable build onto Steam. We want to get potential players excited about the game we've created, as well as raise awareness of the atrocities being committed in internet addiction rehabilitation centers. We also see Early Access as a way for our player base to get hands-on experience with the game and provide us with qualitative feedback that will help improve several aspects of gameplay.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Although our team is small and mainly comprised of students who recently graduated from UC Santa Cruz, Truants has become a passion project that we intend to continue working on and improving throughout the future. We hope to have our game finished by 2022, though it would be realistic to expect at least an extra year for additional changes and unforeseen obstacles in our development cycle.”

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

“As our overall scope is subject to change as our project evolves, we do not want to promise with absolute certainty that the final version of Truants will contain all the features we would love to have in the game. With that being said, here is a list of some of the additions we plan on making:

• Acts 2 and 3 – Finalize the final two acts of the story, while editing the narrative flow and dialogue in Act 1
  
• xMap – An interactive app that functions as a mini-game for you to navigate the labyrinthine corridors of dangerous areas
  
• Truants Recruitment System – Help Tina recruit teens within the center to her cause by performing actions to win them over
  
• Extra Content for Websites – More profiles, articles, emails, and search engine results to help the player become better immersed in the gameplay
  
• More Sound/Music – Additional VO, SFX, and original songs by indie artists that can be discovered while browsing the internet
  
• Translation App – A method of translating text from certain websites or NPCs to Scott’s language, to add a sense of realism to the narrative
  
• Job/Family Ratings – A system that can affect the game’s ending, where Scott must reply to emails and perform actions online related to his family and students
  
• Additional Side Missions – New optional missions and NPCs, including a policeman who helps (or hinders) Scott’s attempts to save these kids
  
• Polish – Further maintenance on user interface and bug fixing

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What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The build we currently have on Steam is a comprehensive version of Act 1 out of 3, which is centered around a mystery that the player is able to experience and finish. The game features a simulated operating system with 6 different websites and 7 of our projected 8 applications already implemented.”

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

“Our mission with Truants is to keep it at a price where more players will be able to access it and become aware of the issues we are addressing in the game. However, we do plan on raising the game's price accordingly as development progresses.”

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

“We welcome any players to contact us with any questions, feedback, or bugs they find while playing out game. We will do our best to provide support and help you in any way we can! You can reach out to us through email at truantsgame@gmail.com, or through social media.”