Why Early Access?

“Aphotic Depths is in Early Access so i can expand and refine the experience with player feedback. While the core concept, atmosphere, and story direction are established, Early Access allows me as a solo dev to find enough time to experiment with pacing, mechanics, and additional content between story sections. Community feedback will help shape how the experience evolves and which elements are prioritized without touching my vision of the story. Early Access also gives me the ability to progressively showcase more and more previews of what i am working on through social media and have that immediate feedback.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“I currently expect Early Access to last several months and have the full version release before the end of 2026, depending on development progress and player feedback. This timeline may change depending on if the project feels like it has enough substance and variety. I am a solo developer working on this, which makes it extra difficult to work on additional content and fixes.”

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

“i plan on having more playable sections, additional lore content, and further gameplay variety. i may also refine existing mechanics and improve overall polish and balance based on feedback. The final scope may change as development continues. My goal is to also have full support on other platforms like Steam Deck and potentially more languages.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“the current state includes the core gameplay loop, multiple underwater sections, survival mechanics, and the main narrative foundation. Players can experience the central themes, explore the environment, collect artifacts, and uncover lore that establishes the story and setting.”

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

“The game will remain free to play during Early Access, and i currently plan for it to stay free to play after leaving Early Access as well. If this changes in the future, i will clearly communicate it to players ahead of time.”

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

“Player feedback will help guide future updates, particularly regarding pacing, difficulty, and gameplay mechanics. Suggestions, impressions, and bug reports are welcomed and will be considered throughout development, i am very active on social media and discord (the game will have a dedicated discord server for feedbacks and more)”