Why Early Access?

“Maritime Sim is entering Early Access to allow players to take part in the development of a complex and evolving vessel traffic simulation while core systems are actively being refined.

The game already offers a playable and stable foundation but many systems - including traffic behaviour, scenario depth, interface polish and realism tuning - benefit significantly from real player feedback and observation at scale. Early Access allows us to test these systems in real gameplay conditions and adjust them based on how players actually interact with them.

Players who join us during Early Access will have an opportunity to help shape the direction of Maritime Sim as it continues towards a more polished and complete experience. Early Access will give the community hands-on experience of the game whilst it is still in development and will allow the features to be further improved with their feedback. We will take the feedback given to us by players and will use this feedback to actively refine the game, making the game a true representation of what maritime genre players want to see. We plan to add a lot more features to the game with the help of Early Access players. We are committed to making sure that Maritime Sim is the best that it can be and that it gives players a solid representation of what it is like to work on a busy river waterway.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We plan to be in Early Access for at least 6 months from release, and for no more than 12 months from release date.”

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

“We plan to expand on the current Early Access foundation with additional systems, content and refinements that deepen realism and player choice (based on player feedback during the Early Access journey)

We also plan to broaden the range of vessels, traffic scenarios and operational challenges available to the player which will allow for more varied and complex traffic management situations over time. Additional gameplay layers may include expanded procedures, more detailed environmental conditions and greater consequences for player decisions.

We also plan to feature improved interface design, clearer feedback systems and further visual and audio polish to support longer play sessions and more advanced scenarios. As development progresses, we intend to continue refining traffic behaviour, pacing and balance to better reflect the pressures of real-world vessel traffic operations.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The game is in a working state, with basic features in place. There is a wide range of ship types that can spawn and the player will have control over how those ships traverse the Thames Barrier. Players will also have control over how often the clipper/passenger ferries go out on their routes but will have to be careful not to collide with other ships travelling through the Thames river at the same time.
There is a working collision system along with an emergency system which can be used in the case of a ship collision. There is also a working "infraction" system where the player can send citations to a captain of a ship if a river rule has been broken.”

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

“We plan to increase the price once the game has fully released.”

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

“We plan to use various social media platforms (Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, Discord) as well as the Steam Community Hub to keep in touch with the community, find out player feedback and integrate player suggestions.”