Why Early Access?

“Roll and Hold is still in active gameplay and systems development. I want to involve players while several substantial additions are being explored, so that their experience can influence what we build and how it works.

The main directions are first-person construction and first-person gameplay, a new algorithm for generating larger terrain, and an online matchmaking system. These could change how players move through the battlefield, place defenses, read and use the terrain, and find other people to play with.

We are also exploring more bosses and gameplay mechanics, including experimental ideas that have not yet been implemented. Feedback on the current game will help us decide which ideas to test further and whether to add, rework, or set them aside.

I want to learn which first-person interactions feel useful and enjoyable, what kinds of terrain create interesting defensive choices, and what players need from finding and joining co-op games. Feedback will help decide the scope, implementation, and priority of these systems, alongside continued work on towers, elemental interactions, encounters, and progression.

Early Access gives players an existing game to play while participating in the development of these directions. These additions are plans under development or consideration, and their final form is not fixed.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Around 12 months is the current estimate. The duration will depend on the scope of new and reworked gameplay, and on what we learn from players as those changes are introduced. This is an estimate rather than a fixed release date. I plan to share development progress and changes to the plan through Steam updates.”

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

“The full version is intended to build on the current tower-defense game with substantial gameplay and system additions. Our main development goals are:

- First-person construction and gameplay. We plan to explore building and playing from a first-person perspective. Player feedback will help shape the controls, construction interactions, and how this perspective fits the tower-defense experience.
- A new terrain-generation algorithm. We are considering a new approach to generating larger terrain, with feedback guiding battlefield readability, route layouts, and the tactical opportunities the terrain creates.
- Online matchmaking. We plan to develop a system for finding and joining other players' games, building on the existing online co-op. Community feedback will help shape the matchmaking and group-formation experience.
- More bosses and gameplay mechanics to explore different encounters and defensive choices. Some ideas are still experimental and have not been implemented. Feedback on the current game and further testing will help determine whether to add, rework, or drop them.
- Continued development of towers, upgrades, relics, events, enemy encounters, and progression as these systems evolve.

These are goals rather than guaranteed features. Their scope, order, and implementation may change following development results and player feedback; some ideas may be revised or dropped.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The current version provides playable card-based tower-defense runs. Players acquire and upgrade tower cards, combine elemental effects, collect relics, make event and shop choices, and choose routes through procedurally generated battlefields. It also includes boss battles, higher difficulty levels, and an endless challenge.

You can play solo or in 2-4 player co-op through Steam online play or a direct LAN connection. English and Simplified Chinese are supported.

First-person construction and gameplay, the proposed new terrain-generation algorithm, and online matchmaking are future development directions, not features of the current version. Existing online co-op should not be confused with the planned matchmaking system.

We are exploring more bosses and gameplay mechanics. Some experimental ideas have not been implemented and are not part of the current playable content. Whether they are added will depend on feedback about the existing game and the results of further testing.

The game still needs substantial development and iteration. Existing systems, content, controls, and progression may change as new gameplay is developed and player feedback is gathered. Bugs and uneven difficulty should be expected, and some system updates may require starting a new run. Please decide whether to purchase based on what is playable now.”

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

“I plan to increase the base game's price for the full release as its content and scope grow. The final price and size of any increase have not been fixed. Players who purchase during Early Access will receive updates to the base game, including the full release, without having to buy the base game again.”

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

“Steam Discussions and the Community Hub will be the main places for feedback in English and Simplified Chinese, with Discord available for more direct discussion.

I plan to share design ideas and development progress for first-person construction and gameplay, the new terrain-generation approach, and online matchmaking. As playable iterations become available, I want players to tell us how the controls and building interactions feel, whether the terrain creates clear and interesting defensive choices, and how the experience of finding and joining a co-op game could improve.

Feedback on the current game is equally useful: builds you enjoy, tower or relic combinations worth expanding, event choices you avoid, and encounters that need a different approach. Please include the game version and situation, with screenshots or a run seed where available.

For bosses and experimental mechanics, we are especially interested in whether attacks are clearly signaled, different builds have room to work, and encounters feel enjoyable. This feedback will guide what we test next and which ideas we implement, rework, or drop.

Community responses will help prioritize development and guide changes to the design. I plan to explain changes and their reasoning in development posts and patch notes. Not every suggestion can be included, and the plans may evolve as we learn from play.”