Why Early Access?

“A Ballad of Grief has been developed independently, and Early Access allows us to build and expand the experience alongside the community.

The game's main systems are already implemented, but we want to keep expanding its world, story, and content while refining its mechanics based on the experiences of real players.

Early Access will allow us to gather feedback during development, identify which elements work best, and continue building A Ballad of Grief without losing the vision that defines the project.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We currently estimate that A Ballad of Grief will remain in Early Access for approximately 1 to 2 years, although this period may vary depending on the pace and progress of development.

A Ballad of Grief is an independent project, so we prefer to maintain some flexibility and take the time needed to develop, expand, and polish the experience before considering it ready to leave Early Access. As development progresses, we will be able to provide more accurate estimates for the full release.”

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

“We plan for the full version of A Ballad of Grief to significantly expand the experience available during Early Access.

Our intention is to continue developing Gabriel's story, from his arrival in the town of Hueso Santo through to the end of the story, adding new areas to explore, narrative events, documents, secrets, threats, and other content that will allow players to delve deeper into its world and mysteries.

We also plan to continue developing the systems related to the protagonist's psychological state, expanding the range of situations in which his symptoms can affect both his perception and gameplay.

Throughout Early Access, we also hope to keep refining aspects such as enemy behavior, exploration, resource balance, atmosphere, performance, and the overall game experience based on testing and community feedback.

Our goal for the full version is to offer a longer, more polished, and more complete experience that develops the story and ideas introduced during Early Access.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The Early Access version of A Ballad of Grief offers a playable experience that introduces the game's main systems, mechanics, and narrative elements.

Players can explore part of Gabriel's world, investigate their surroundings, find documents and resources, manage his psychological state, and face different situations and threats as they progress through the story.

The core systems for exploration, inventory, sanity and symptoms, resource use, environmental interaction, and enemy behavior are already implemented. This version also includes a save system, controller support, and English localization.

The available content represents part of the experience we want to develop, so during Early Access we plan to continue expanding the world and narrative, as well as improving, balancing, and polishing the existing systems.”

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

“Yes. We plan to offer A Ballad of Grief at a lower price during Early Access.

As development progresses and the experience expands with new content and improvements, the price may be adjusted. Our intention is to increase the price when the game leaves Early Access and reaches its full release.”

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

“We plan to maintain close communication with players through our social media channels, Discord, and the Steam Community forums, sharing development updates and listening to their experiences, suggestions, and feedback.

We also plan to conduct surveys and use player feedback to identify issues, evaluate aspects of the experience, and guide adjustments to elements such as balance, mechanics, accessibility, and the overall game experience.

We want Early Access to allow us to maintain the kind of direct communication with the community that has accompanied the project throughout its development, using their feedback to improve A Ballad of Grief while preserving its identity and creative vision.”