Why Early Access?

“From my experience as a solo developer, I know how important an engaged community is to create an exceptional gaming experience. „Return: Unknown“ is a passion project that I am developing with the utmost dedication, a true symphony of creative ideas and ambitious goals. In this project, I push my own limits to create an experience that goes far beyond my original vision.

I invest a tremendous amount of time and resources into every aspect of this game, from gameplay mechanics to graphics. I rely on a smart combination of self-created elements and carefully selected external resources to continuously improve the game and enhance its quality. This approach allows me to accelerate development while maintaining full creative control.

With Early Access, I want to actively involve you in the development process and gather your feedback. Your wishes, ideas, and criticism are essential for this development. Together, we can shape „Return: Unknown“ into an experience that exceeds all expectations.

Please note that „Return: Unknown“ is still in a very early Early Access stage and will continue to grow with your participation. It does not yet represent the final product, but with your support, we can create an extraordinary game!”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“The planned completion of the game and leaving Early Access is difficult to predict, but we can assume 2028 for an official release. However, this depends on a variety of factors that may influence it.”

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

“Due to the evolving nature of the game's development, it's difficult to predict the exact differences at launch. While I can't make any promises, I'm confident that, together with the community, we will create something truly unique. The plans for completing the game include several changes:

• Open-World Optimizations: Enhancements to the gameplay experience in both single-player and co-op modes.
  
  
• Gameplay Improvements: Adjustments to all mechanics and improved player balance.
  
  
• Loot Balance: Refinements to item and loot distribution.
  
  
• Game Optimizations: Adjustments to ensure the game runs smoothly on older systems.
  
  
• Additional Improvements: Further enhancements are also planned.

”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The current build offers players a basic build in which the character suffers from thirst, hunger, exhaustion and cold. A building system, a farm system and a power system. A single player and multiplayer mode with save and load game.
(This description will change and expand during development)”

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

“The price of the game will remain unchanged during the Early Access phase.”

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

“The community has the opportunity to follow the development via Twitch Live. Updates, news and changes can be viewed on Steam at any time. To get the community more involved in the development, I offer the possibility to start discussions on Steam, which are mainly used to collect wishes, ideas, suggestions and criticism and share them with other players.”