Why Early Access?

“"Golden Record Retriever" is a dice building game with a unique mechanic at its core. As much as we wanted to introduce new mechanics, we felt that internal testing wasn't enough to refine the player experience.
Our team's previous game, No Umbrellas Allowed, also went through Steam Early Access, which resulted in significant changes to the original design and plans. We hope to get feedback from players beyond our wildest dreams, and we're looking forward to refining the game together before we officially release it.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Realistically, we're looking at 6-7 months. We expect to need that much time to get enough players and their feedback, improve the graphics/performance, add story and mission content, etc. right after the Early Access period.”

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

“The biggest difference is the overall amount of content. Since the roguelike genre almost always involves repetitive play, we'll be adding more content during the Early Access period to determine the optimal amount to reduce boredom and fatigue. Examples include: the dice (teammates) that are a key component of the game, the "situations" you have to solve with the dice, and the number of scouting events that can occur when visiting planets.
In addition, Golden Record Retriever has its own world and story. The story revealed in Early Access is the first 40-50% of the entire plot, and the full release will include the remaining 50-60% of the story and the ending.
In addition, the overall graphics of the game and the dice actions will be improved to best support the gameplay experience, and then we'll move forward with the full release.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“There's enough content to support multiple playthroughs. This version includes 60 teammates and 100 or more pieces of gear, which is the minimum for a meaningful deck-building experience, as well as the first 40-50% of the game's story and about a third of the story cards that will be gradually unlocked as you progress, so you can experience the world and early story.
There are also encounter events, where you meet someone or something in space, and scouting events, where you make choices instead of solving puzzles to resolve a situation, although some of these may seem a little rough around the edges.”

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

“We have no plans to raise the price. However, there may be a slight increase depending on the amount of content we add before the full release.”

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

“We're open to any suggestions from the community as long as they help make Golden Record Retriever fun. In addition to the Steam Community Hub, you can always reach us on our Discord channel (in-game link attached). We've been communicating with players on Discord throughout GRR's closed playtest and will continue to do so throughout Early Access.”