Why Early Access?

“Unwell is a game deeply rooted in psychology. Its story, symbolism, and mechanics are closely intertwined, and many of its elements have been designed to evoke specific emotions and encourage players to reflect on their own experiences.

As creators, we can carefully plan these elements and anticipate the effect we want to achieve, but we can never experience Unwell through the eyes of someone encountering its story for the first time. That's why we need you.

Early Access will allow us to see whether the psychological complexity of the game works the way we intended -whether individual scenes, mechanics, and events evoke the emotions we wanted them to, and whether the experience as a whole leads to an ending that stays with you long after the credits roll.

We don't want to tell players what to think or how to interpret Unwell. We want to create an experience that everyone can interpret in their own way. Early Access gives us the opportunity to find out whether we've managed to achieve exactly that.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We plan for Unwell to remain in Early Access for several months.

All of the planned locations are already present in the project. During Early Access, our main focus will be bringing them together into a cohesive experience, polishing their content and details, and gradually integrating them into the game.

We will also continue developing and refining the behavior of the Well-Dwellers, balancing the gameplay, and polishing elements that need some extra attention.

For us, this will primarily be a stage of refining and finalizing what we have already created, while using feedback from the community to help shape the final form of the game.”

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

“We want the full version of Unwell to contain as much content as we can possibly create while maintaining the level of quality we expect from the game.

In Early Access, we will release 4 out of the 9 main locations that Gabriel will have to face. Additional locations, Well-Dwellers, events, and gameplay elements will be introduced through subsequent updates.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“At the start of Early Access, the game will contain 4 out of the 9 main locations. All four will be fully playable and polished.

Gabriel will also have to face 8 out of the 14 planned types of Well-Dwellers, each bringing their own threats and behaviors to the gameplay.”

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

“Yes.

We want the price of Unwell to fairly reflect the amount of content available at any given time. That’s why, at the start of Early Access, the price will reflect the current scope of the game -4 out of 9 main locations.

As we add more locations and content, we will gradually increase the price. This way, players who purchase the game earlier will get it at a lower price, while the price of the full version will reflect its final scope.”

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

“Primarily through our Discord server, where we already gather feedback and talk with our players. Once Early Access begins, we will also make use of the Steam forums.

We want the community to have a real impact on the development of Unwell. We will be gathering feedback on gameplay, balance, Well-Dweller behavior, difficulty, and players’ overall experience with the game.”