Why Early Access?

“I've been developing Gravia since early 2018. I have my own "vision" for the game, but the feedback I've received from play testers has been extremely helpful. Several major features of the game were introduced in response to feedback from players.

I believe Gravia currently has a strong foundation, and most of the remaining work consists in adding a number of additional levels to complete the core experience. That said, I'm eager to open Gravia up to a wider audience, and hear more from what the community is looking for.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“I'm estimating that Early Access will last for about a year, until all of the planned content and features are finished.”

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

“The main, high-level differences are that additional levels will be added (along with additional game mechanics), and "placeholder" assets will be replaced with high-quality assets. Here are the specific features and changes remaining to be added:

• Early Access will launch with about 2/3rds of the planned levels (about 50 levels) and game mechanics. The main effort during Early Access will be implementing the remaining levels, bringing the total to about 80 levels.
  
• A full story is planned for Gravia, but the Early Access is launching with most of the story not included. I'm planning to add most of the story elements fairly late in the development cycle.
  
• Various characters in the game have speaking roles, which is currently recorded using text-to-speech instead of actual voice actors. Before the full release, all of the human characters will be voiced by proper voice actors.
  
• Gravia has a rich "secrets" system, where most of the real challenge of the game has been implemented as optional goals. Currently, the "reward" for finding each secret is just a placeholder message. This will be fleshed out and improved.
  
• Steam Achievements
  
• The soundtrack will be expanded and completed.

”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“About 2/3rds of the "core" gameplay is complete, which includes about 50 levels, though the story elements are not currently meaningfully included in this version. Testers playing through this content usually spend between 4-6 hours to complete it. The "core" Gravia experience is designed to be fairly accessible to players of different skill levels, and should not be overly challenging.

For players seeking additional challenge, most levels in Gravia contain one or more optional "secret" areas. These are much more difficult to reach/achieve than the normal level goals. Some secrets require very outside-the-box thinking, while others will test your timing and precision. I personally feel that the secrets in Gravia are some of the most rewarding content. But they're optional so that if one secret is too difficult, it doesn't halt your progress through the game.

Gravia also has a Time Trial feature, which allows you to replay levels, trying to go as fast as possible, and beat the 1-, 2-, and 3-star times for each level. This is kind of a mini-speedrunning feature. Time Trial is enabled on all levels that mainly feature quick/precise actions, rather than levels that are more about solving a unique puzzle.”

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

“I expect the price will increase modestly after Early Access.”

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

“There is an active Discord channel for Gravia, which is open for anyone to join:

https://discord.gg/vwEg5ms

So far, most of the community aspects of Gravia have taken place on Discord, though I'll also make sure to monitor the Valve community board as well.

Everyone in the community is free to make recommendations and suggestions, with the assurance that I read them all with an open mind. Not all ideas will fit, and some are sure to be beyond the scope of this project. But there are quite a few things in Gravia now that just wouldn't exist without members of the community saying, "It would be cool if..."”