Why Early Access?

“Bunker And Friends is a six-player game about people talking to each other. Almost everything in it — the daily vote, the split between the away team and the home crew, which threats are frightening and which are just funny — depends entirely on how a real group of friends behaves when things go wrong.

That is not something we can balance on our own. We can build the systems, but we can't predict what six people will actually do with them. Early Access lets us watch real crews play, find out which threats produce the best stories, and cut the ones that don't.

We would rather build the rest of this game with the people who play it than guess.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We plan to be in Early Access for around a year. That estimate depends on what we learn from players, and we would rather stay in Early Access longer than leave it before the game is genuinely finished.”

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

“We plan to expand the game in five directions:

More threats. We have a much larger roster designed than is currently in the game, each built around a different reaction — hiding, standing still, staying quiet, cutting the power, leaving the loot behind. We plan to add these steadily and keep the ones that work.

More of the surface. Additional locations to be sent to, each with its own hazards and its own reasons to go back.

Progression between runs. We plan to add ways the bunker changes over time based on what the crew brings back, and what they fail to prevent.

More to do at home. Additional stations, events, systems and failures for the crew who stayed behind, plus bunker customisation and alternate layouts — so the home half stays as busy as the surface half.

More ways to build your robot. Additional cosmetics and attachable parts, so crews keep finding new combinations.

We plan to shape all of this around what players tell us, so priorities may change.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The core game is playable. Up to six players can join online, and a full day runs start to finish: morning directives, the vote on who goes to the surface, the away team's expedition, the home crew working their stations at the same time, and lockdown at night. Everything runs on proximity voice chat.

Currently in the game:

The bunker. Power has to be kept on — the main breaker, the generator, and a hamster-wheel dynamo for when things get desperate. Air quality has to be kept breathable. Vents have to be watched and sealed, and the vent cameras let you look down a duct and see what's coming before it arrives. There are blast doors, a fabricator that reprints destroyed robots, and a terminal carrying mail, work orders and reviews from people you will never meet. A bestiary records every threat the crew has survived, and a shop lets you spend what you bring back on upgrades — some for yourself, some for the whole crew.

The surface. One location, but its layout is generated fresh every run with its own threats, so no two expeditions are the same.

Ten threats, each needing a different response. Some you fight, some you hide from, some you avoid entirely.

An event system that can interrupt any day, so a run you thought you understood stops going to plan.

The BUILD UNIT character creator. You assemble your own robot and swap out arms and legs for different models that behave differently, so no two crews play the same way. It also includes the face painter, which lets you draw your robot's face by hand.

Not in yet: additional threats and events, additional surface locations, deeper progression that carries across runs, more tasks for the home crew, bunker customisation and alternate bunkers, and endings.

The game is stable and playable in full sessions. It is not finished, and it will change.”

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

“We plan to launch at a lower price during Early Access and raise it modestly when the game leaves Early Access and is feature-complete. Anyone who buys during Early Access gets every update at no additional cost.”

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

“Bunker And Friends is a game about six people talking to each other, so the community isn't a feedback channel for us — it's the only way to see the game working properly.

We plan to run our Discord as the main line between us and players: a place to find a crew, report bugs, and tell us what actually happened in your session. The stories people retell afterwards are the most useful thing we can get, and they will directly shape which threats we build more of and which we cut.

We plan to post about what we're working on, ask directly when we're deciding between options, and play with the community regularly.”