Why Early Access?

“The game is currently fully playable and polished, however there are still MANY features planned to be implemented.

"Midnight Monitor" began as a way for me to learn coding and programming, but as I've been learning and adding to it, it has grown in scope and production so quickly that I began to feel that it deserves a full, community-driven release to become the best game it can be.

Early community feedback at this stage will allow me to understand what it is that the community wants to see from this genre of games, but will also allow me to hone my development abilities on-the-fly and focus on which areas I need to improve on the most.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“12 Months at least - Midnight Monitor is a project that is growing with me and my ability as a game developer as I work on it, so this is a very loose estimate.”

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

“On top of the high quality existing level in "Midnight Monitor", there are plans to expand the game further including multiple levels, more engaging anomaly mechanics, interesting gameplay modes and modifiers, story and lore updates and more!

The first major content expansion "Neighbourhood Watch" is in very early development, with full development starting in September.

With "Neighbourhood Watch" and beyond, community feedback will help to shape the development of "Midnight Monitor" far into 2024 - I have firm ideas for content additions as the game matures, but it would be amazing to hear what the community is looking forward to the most!

The full version of "Midnight Monitor" aims to feature:

• Achievements,
  
• Multiple Levels,
  
• Varied gameplay mechanics unique to each level,
  
• Comprehensive ways to change up the gameplay through modes, mutations and modifiers, something that I feel "Midnight Monitor" as it exists currently demonstrates very well
  
• Difficulty modifiers
  
• Scarier, higher quality anomalies with a greater focus on better animations and dynamic behaviours
  
• Lore elements that tell a cohesive and compelling story of "Midnight Monitor" and its world

Features that I am currently thinking about working on but DO NOT guarantee:

• Multiplayer
  
• VR / Immersive Mode

Plans for the game are likely to change over time as development continues and none of the above is a guarantee and should not be taken as such.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Currently, the early access version includes one full level with 7 unique rooms/camera views and over 240 anomalies spanning 14 anomaly types.

There are 4 modes that change the feel and difficulty of the game drastically and are designed with high replayability in mind.

The game includes built-in stat tracking that is saved locally on your computer, with a reward-star system that demonstrates how many times you have managed to clear a mode or level.

The game features win / lose states that can vary slightly in tone depending on how well you succeed (or fail).

The game is currently being polished with the main focus being on rounding out the sound design of the game and filling in some of the last placeholder primitive assets with their final models.

I have playtested the game extensively during development and find that the game is largely bug-free, however my ability to test on multiple devices is limited.

The game runs very well on Steam Deck, however my testing of this is not comprehensive and is not a guarantee of a perfect play experience.”

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

“The price of "Midnight Monitor" may increase at a later date depending on project scope as described above.

If any changes to pricing are made, these will be communicated ahead of time to ensure that there are no nasty surprises.”

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

“Community feedback is the lifeblood of this product and will help shape it into the best version of this game in its genre. It will help to shape which features I know to focus on following the initial release of the game.

I will be actively following the "Midnight Monitor" Steam discussion forums for issues and suggestions as they are posted to offer help and support where needed.

Outside of the Steam forums, I can also be reached directly via the following methods:

Email: viexigames@gmail.com
Twitter: viexi_yt
Discord: https://discord.gg/fPXs5YfBHH”