Why Early Access?

“I built Watchstander as a solo developer and active-duty Navy officer because I wanted a way to practice watchstanding and Rules of the Road offline while underway that was not just some Rules of the Road test generator. We have COVE and other Bridge Simulators, but none that can be played at any time you want.

Early Access gives me the chance to get this tool into the hands of other officers and sim players while it's still growing. My hope is that feedback from real users, especially those with watchstanding experience, will help refine the sim and prioritize which features are most valuable. For those who do not have the real world experience I hope that I can make this accessible for you as well so please let me know what could also ADD to the experience.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“I expect Watchstander to remain in Early Access for 6–12 months while I continue to expand and polish features. Since I’m balancing development alongside active service, progress will be steady but paced and shaped by community feedback.”

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

“We plan to continue updating this trainer frequently during Early Access. Over time, we intend to add more content and polish based on user feedback.

Potential additions we are exploring include:

- A career progression system with more watchstanding scenarios and responsibilities.
- Expanded Rules of the Road training modules, including night ops and low-visibility cases.
- Enhanced RADAR/NAV simulation, with more control over inputs and environmental effects.
- Improved AI vessel behavior and scenario scripting.
- A standalone briefing and debriefing system to better simulate bridge watch team dynamics.

Other ideas under consideration include weather variation, more ship types, and an advanced logbook or SWO journal system.
”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The current version is fully playable and includes:

Free Roam mode for experimenting with ship handling and contact tracking.

An initial Bridge Watch mode, including CO trust mechanics which are affected by things that would frustrate the CO e.g. Rule of 30 expectations.

A functional RADAR/NAV display with range rings, scan sweep behavior, and hooked contacts.

Early versions of the Rules of the Road practice system, with light configurations and crossing scenarios.

It is stable and functional, but some UI, scenario variety, and polish are still in development.”

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

“I plan to gradually raise the price as new features and training modes are added. Early Access buyers will get the game at a lower price and receive all future updates at no additional cost.”

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

“I want to hear from fellow watchstanders, SWOs, and navigation nerds about what matters most. Feedback will shape which training tools and bridge features get built next. I’ll post regular dev updates on the Steam Community hub and invite players to share feedback, bug reports, and feature requests. If there's interest, I’ll also launch a Discord server for more direct discussion.”