Why Early Access?

“Rather than release the full game when it’s finished, we want players to follow the story as it grows and have a say in where it goes.

Early Access lets us see in real time which characters, scenes, and plotlines players respond to most. The core story is set, but how much extra content a plotline or character receives will be shaped by that response.

Players can experience the finished chapters now and share feedback on characters, scenes, and plotlines as new chapters arrive. In the later stages of the story especially, we plan to rely on this feedback to confirm we’re on the right path, or to adjust later content if we aren’t.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We expect Blood Ties – Legacy to remain in Early Access for roughly one to two years. The exact timeline depends on the pace of chapter releases and how the game is received, since player feedback directly shapes later content.”

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

“The Early Access version contains the opening chapters of the story. We plan to add new chapters with each update until the full story is told, with the final version intended to include the complete narrative, all character routes, and the full set of scenes, animations, and music. We also plan to refine earlier chapters based on player feedback as development continues.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The Early Access version of Blood Ties has 81,000 words of story, 1829 CGs, and 19 animations. Those numbers will increase with each update.

There is also a robust lore & codex with +5,000 words.”

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

“Yes. We plan to launch Blood Ties – Legacy at a lower price during Early Access as a thank-you to players who support the game early. As major content is added, the price may increase to reflect the expanded scope, with the full release priced higher than the Early Access version.”

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

“Player feedback is central to how Blood Ties – Legacy is being built. After playing the finished chapters, players can share their experience with us through the Steam community forums and our community channels linked on this page. We use that feedback to see which characters, scenes, and plotlines resonate most, and we plan to give those more depth in future updates. In simple terms: tell us which of the women you want more of, and we’ll listen.

We also believe writing a good story is an interactive process. Listening isn’t the whole job, but it’s a crucial part of it. The feedback we receive will shape later updates and help us bring the story to a conclusion worth the wait.

Done right, this results in the visual novel players came here to play, rather than the one we assumed they did.”