Why Early Access?

“DEADLINE is a puzzle game where every level is built around a single mechanic: your movement becomes permanent level geometry. That makes level design the heart of the game — and puzzle levels get dramatically better when real players route through them in ways we never predicted. Early Access lets us watch how the community actually draws their strokes, learn which puzzle ideas land, and shape the remaining chapters, mechanics, and difficulty curve around real play data and feedback rather than our own assumptions. As a small indie studio, we'd rather build the second half of this game together with the people who love the first half.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We expect to remain in Early Access for approximately 6 to 12 months. The exact timing will depend on player feedback and how the content roadmap develops — we would rather leave Early Access with a polished, complete game than rush to an arbitrary date.”

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

“We plan for the full version to roughly double the amount of content, including additional level chapters set on new paper types, more puzzle mechanics that interact with the ink trail (such as new hazard types and trail-modifying zones), additional movement abilities, and a refined medal and scoring system based on stroke length. We also plan to expand quality-of-life features such as improved level select, accessibility options, and potential community-requested features like level replays or ghost strokes. These are our current intentions and may evolve based on community feedback during Early Access.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The Early Access version is fully playable from start to finish and includes the complete core mechanic: your movement leaves a permanent ink trail that becomes solid level geometry. It currently features the opening chapters of hand-designed levels, the Pen Lift ability, core hazards and interactive elements (solvent pools, pressure plates, fresh-page gates), the ink-length medal system, and full controller and keyboard support. The game is stable and the existing content is polished; what's missing is primarily additional chapters, mechanics, and features planned for the road to 1.0.”

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

“We plan to gradually raise the price as we ship new content and features on the way to the full release. Early Access supporters get the lowest price the game will ever have as a thank-you for backing development early.”

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

“Community feedback is the entire reason we chose Early Access. We plan to be active daily in the Steam discussions and our community Discord, where players can report issues, suggest mechanics, and vote on priorities for upcoming updates. We intend to share regular development updates outlining what we're working on and what changed based on player feedback, run playtest branches for major new chapters before they go live, and pay close attention to how players actually solve levels — unexpected routes and stroke solutions will directly shape future level design. If the community finds a better way to draw the line, we want to build around it.”