Why Early Access?

“As an independent two-person development team, we are utilizing Early Access to validate our core gameplay loop through live player feedback.

Gnarled Steel is engineered around a precise balance between physics-driven vehicle mobility and classic vehicle combat. We want your help fine-tuning the mechanics, controls, and feel of our vehicles and world. Specifically the interplay between momentum, weapon impact, and vehicle control requires real-world data and active community iteration. We've moved on from our Local LAN Parties and need a larger community to make this a true throwback to Vehicle Combat games of the past while feeling fresh and new.

Early Access provides the necessary environment to rigorously test, balance, and refine these foundational systems to ensure the final product meets our quality standards. We want to experiment and we want YOUR feedback on new maps, weapons, and game types.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“2-3 Years.”

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

“The 1.0 release is scoped to significantly expand upon the foundation established during Early Access. Our development roadmap includes scaling the playable content by introducing additional arenas, expanding the vehicle roster, and implementing new weapons. We want the full release of the game to feel like a community achievement. Together crafting a fun nostalgic game that feels fresh. Furthermore, we intend to utilize this period for ongoing performance optimization, UI/UX refinements, and the integration of community-requested game modes. The full release will represent a feature-complete, optimized experience with a broader variety of strategic options.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The current build presents a fully functional iteration of our core gameplay loop, backed by steam lobbies. Our Steam lobby system is fully implemented, allowing players to host matches, join multiplayer lobbies, and group up utilizing Steam's friends list integration. The primary mechanics specifically our physics system and combat architecture are fully playable across three distinct game modes: Team Deathmatch, free-for-all Deathmatch, and Death Race. Furthermore, the Early Access release includes our initial roster of vehicles, base weapon systems, and launch arenas. All core features detailed in the 'About This Game' section are currently operational and accessible to players.”

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

“Yes. We intend to offer Gnarled Steel at a reduced price point during the Early Access period to acknowledge the players who support our ongoing development and testing phase. As we deploy major content updates, integrate new mechanics, and eventually transition to the complete 1.0 launch, we plan to gradually increase the price to accurately reflect the expanded scope, polish, and value of the finalized game.”

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

“We have a discord community and we plan to give out beta/alpha keys to our members for those that want to participate in the development process.”