Why Early Access?

“Dreamfend is a solo project, and I want to build it together with the people who play it. For me, Early Access isn't a way to ship an unfinished game — it's a chance to develop it in the open: to show what I'm working on and decide what comes next based on what players tell me.

Right now the game has one map, 25 different weapons, 15 passive items that change how those weapons behave and interact, 13 enemy types including variants, and 4 unique bosses with their own attack patterns. That's enough for a complete, enjoyable experience — but it's still a single map, and I want to give players much more than that.

On my own, I can't see how the game feels from the outside — which builds are actually fun, which enemies just frustrate, where the difficulty curve breaks down. I need to see the game in the hands of many different players and use that to shape the new maps, enemies, and mechanics I'm building.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“I plan to stay in Early Access for one to two years.

In that time I want to release the remaining maps, expand the build system, and bring the game to a state I'm comfortable calling a full release. The exact timeline depends on how quickly content comes together and how much work player feedback adds along the way, so I'd rather not commit to a specific date and promise something I can't be sure of.

I have no intention of dragging development out — the game will leave Early Access once the planned content is finished.”

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

“By the 1.0 release I plan to have:

- up to six maps instead of one, each with its own visual style, enemies, and bosses;
- up to 100 different attacks and abilities;
- up to ten playable characters with their own attacks and variations;
- a reaction system between elemental effects;
- branching weapon upgrades, so the same item can develop in different directions;
- a continued story told through new notes found during runs;
- a full set of achievements, refined balance, and overall polish.

The amount of content will grow several times over compared to the Early Access version. That said, this list may change — some ideas will come up during development, and I'll drop others if they don't work in practice. I'll share any changes through the game's news posts.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The game is fully playable and contains a complete core loop. This is not a demo or a collection of placeholders — a run works the way I intended it to.

What's available now:

- one map with a full run cycle and enemy waves
- 5 playable characters
- 25 different weapons that can be upgraded during a run
- 15 passive items that change weapon stats and effects
- 13 enemy types, including 4 unique bosses with their own attack patterns — 22 variants in total with different stats
- a debuff system: shock, fire, freeze, and other effects that weaken enemies or change how they behave
- meta-progression for your starting weapon, bought with in-game currency collected on the map and earned from defeating bosses
- the light and darkness mechanic: your light radius shrinks as you take damage, and enemies blend into the dark
- the DP system — a risk resource with visual transformation stages for the main character
- a story told through notes found during runs
- Xbox controller support
- full Russian and English localization

What's not in yet: the remaining maps, additional characters, reactions between elemental effects, and branching weapon upgrades. Map variety and long-term replayability are what I'm focused on first.

How the game feels may change over the course of Early Access — balance, difficulty, and individual mechanics will be refined based on player feedback. I'll do my best to follow what players ask for while keeping the game coherent and true to its core idea: the atmosphere, the darkness, and the risk that Dreamfend is built on.”

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

“The price may increase as more content is added.

By the 1.0 release the game will have grown several times over — new maps, characters, attacks, and mechanics. The Early Access price reflects what's in the game today, not what it will be by the end of development.

Everyone who buys the game during Early Access will receive the full version at no additional cost.”

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

“I collect feedback directly through the Steam discussions and the news section, where I share what's been done, what I'm working on, and what's planned next.

Player feedback shapes my priorities: which mechanics to refine first, what feels unbalanced, which enemies or builds don't work the way they were meant to. I develop the game alone, so decisions about what comes next rely heavily on what players tell me.

I read everything posted in the discussions and reply personally. If an idea doesn't fit the game, I'll explain why rather than stay silent.”