Why Early Access?

“Funnel Runners is done and fully playable right now. Early Access is about what comes next. We built a storm sandbox that can grow for years. New regions, new weather events, new hazards, new mission types, deeper progression. The right way to decide what gets built next is with players in the game, not us guessing from design docs. That's already how we work. Night mode and our difficulty pacing exist because our beta community asked for them. The two most requested things on our roadmap right now, new mission objectives and death cinematics, came straight from players. Early Access just makes that loop official. Public roadmap, regular dev updates, an experimental branch to test big changes, and a team committed for the whole ride. We could finish this game behind closed doors. It'll be a better game finished in the open with our community.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Approximately 1 year. ”

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

“Our current roadmap includes plans to introduce 3 to 4 distinct new biomes, with environments like The Great Plains, The High Sierras, and The Desert currently in the works, all with new weather events. Additionally, we are also exploring new game modes to expand the gameplay possibilities. We aim to enrich the core player experience by looking into the development of new gadgets and quests for the game as well.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The current state is fully playable with 1 biome (American Suburbs) with 3 map variations that randomly select. We have 15 different weather variations, 6 health/stamina items and 6 different parts to repair the van and 6 gadgets, all RNG on what variation of items to repair on the van, what weather you get and what the map layout is. ”

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

“Our pricing structure is designed to reward players who support development early, meaning that securing the game during Early Access guarantees you the lowest price it will ever be. Your initial purchase includes all future content updates all the way through our official 1.0 launch, and there will be absolutely no paid DLC during the Early Access period. When we eventually transition to the full 1.0 release, the base price will increase to reflect the massive amount of new features, content, and polish added along the way, but we will be sure to give the community plenty of advance notice before any changes take effect.”

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

“The same way we already do it. Our Discord and the Steam discussions are where we live. Players tell us what's working and what they want, and the roadmap gets built around that. We post regular dev updates so everyone can see what's coming and what has changed. Our closed beta group has been doing exactly that for months, and they're not going anywhere. We also watch a ton of streams and videos because seeing how people actually play teaches us more than any design doc. If Early Access goes the way we want, the community isn't just giving feedback on this game. They're helping us steer where it goes next.”