Why Early Access?

“This game is a tribute to old-school pen & paper RPGs and the era of gamebooks. It is based on a fantastic series from my childhood which I adore. Thus I want to make the Blood Sword digital adaptation the best game it can be, and I know that working with the community and listening to players' suggestions during Early Access will be key to achieving this.

I am a lone developer with the help of two very talented artists, and with the public demo and the playtests I've already completed, I'm convinced that the best version of Blood Sword is one that is made with and for its players. I will tinker a lot with the balancing of the game to make choices matter.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“I intend to stay in Early Access for about a year, although the exact duration will depend on the amount of community feedback I want to tackle. The Blood Sword saga is five books long. Early Access starts with the first two, and there are two more to adapt before the full release. I want each of them to be delivered properly rather than rushed.

The fifth and final book, The Walls of Spyte, is planned as a separate expansion after the full release. Back in the 1980s Dave Morris never got to write the ending he had planned for the saga, and I want to deliver that original ending, forty years on.”

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

“Over the period of Early Access, I plan to release several major updates to add the following type of content:
- Act 3, The Demon's Claw
- Act 4, Doomwalk
- Smaller parties, so you can play with one, two or three heroes
- A new hero class
- New portraits and hero models
- New lands, towns and dungeons to explore
- New enemies, and new skills and tricks for them
- New items, and more of the books' special rules
- Italian and Bulgarian translations, with more languages to follow

These updates also intend to include tweaks, adjustments, QoL changes and sometimes even additional content driven by community feedback. Your heroes and their progress carry over from one act to the next.

My aim with the 1.0 version of Blood Sword is to conclude the main questline, with four complete acts that play as one long adventure.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The Early Access version is fully playable, featuring the first two acts of the saga, The Kingdom of Wyrd and The Battlepits of Krarth, each a full adventure with its own ending. Playing through the build takes about 8-10 hours (and more if you want to see every path the books offer).

Right now the game features:
- 2/4 Acts
- A party of four heroes from four classes: Warrior, Trickster, Sage and Enchanter
- 46 class skills and 13 spells
- Around 60 different enemies, from werewolves and snow vampires to the Warlock King himself
- 120+ items, with shops, inns, and card and dice games
- 5 difficulty settings, from Story to Ironman
- 34 Steam Achievements

The game has been through a public demo and several rounds of playtesting, and I am still improving it.”

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

“Yes. With each new act the game will become slightly more expensive, and the full version of Blood Sword will be more expensive. As I want to thank Early Access players for helping me while the game is not complete yet, Early Access is the cheapest way to get it, and the acts added during Early Access are free for everyone who already owns the game.”

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

“The proof is my previous game, Fabled Lands. It went through Early Access the same way, and I am still patching it today: 55 updates and more than 800 changes since 2021, the first of them four days after launch.

I gather feedback through the Steam forums and invite players to closed betas before updates go live - their feedback has already helped shape the game. Do you have a great idea for an enemy or a skill? Did you find a bug? I want to hear all suggestions, bug reports, and player feedback in order to make a better game together.”