Why Early Access?

“Husbandry practice varies enormously between keepers, species, and setups. We can build what we think a record-keeping tool should be, but the only way to find out what it actually needs to be is to put it in front of keepers and watch how they use it.

Early Access lets us do that before decisions get locked in. Record structures are difficult to change once people have years of history stored, so we would rather get the foundations right with real keepers using real records than guess and correct later.”

Approximately how long will this software be in Early Access?

“We currently expect Early Access to last somewhere in the region of six to twelve months, though this depends heavily on what we learn from keepers using it. We would rather leave Early Access when the software is genuinely ready than hold to a fixed schedule.”

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

“We plan to expand Vivaria in several directions during Early Access:

Support for aquatic and avian keeping alongside the current scope
PDF report generation for veterinary visits and record archival
An API and automation layer for importing environmental sensor data
Broader reference data and care templates
Continued refinement of the interface based on how keepers actually use it

These are our intentions rather than commitments, and priorities may shift based on what proves most useful to the people using it.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The Early Access release is deliberately focused. It covers the core of husbandry record-keeping: individual animal profiles, habitat records, weight and observation logging with charting, event history, and veterinary contacts. Everything is stored locally on your own machine and can be exported at any time.

Features listed in the roadmap above are not yet present. If you need those today, we would suggest waiting for a later release. What is here is functional and usable for day-to-day record-keeping, but it is a foundation rather than a finished product.”

Will this software be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“Yes. The price will increase during Early Access as significant features are added, and once more when Vivaria leaves Early Access. Buying earlier means paying less, and any purchase includes all future updates at no additional cost.”

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

“We will be reading and responding on the Steam Community forums, and we are active in the keeping communities Vivaria is built for. Feedback about what is missing, what is awkward, and what your own record-keeping actually requires will directly shape what gets built and in what order.

We are particularly interested in hearing from keepers whose setups do not fit neatly into what the software currently assumes, since those are the cases most likely to be handled badly.”