Why Early Access?

“WARSTEAD grew out of my passion for classic settlement-building and strategy games. I have always loved watching a lively settlement grow from just a handful of buildings, seeing the carriers go about their work and gradually building a functioning economy step by step. That fascination has stayed with me to this day.

In many newer games, I have often missed that particular feeling: the combination of understandable transport routes, well-thought-out production chains and the constant decision of whether to keep expanding, focus on trade or defend your settlement. With WARSTEAD, I want to build on these strengths and develop them further with my own ideas and modern controls. The goal is not simply to copy the past, but to create something that feels familiar while still giving you new things to discover.

I am currently developing WARSTEAD alongside my full-time job and investing practically every free minute in this passion project. Behind the game are my personal enthusiasm and the dream of one day being able to dedicate myself to game development full-time. I want to create something that is not only enjoyable for me, but also excites other players who love this kind of settlement-building strategy as much as I do.

That is why I do not want to develop WARSTEAD solely according to my own ideas. Early Access gives me the opportunity to learn early on how you play, what you enjoy and where the experience still needs improvement. Especially in a game where settlement building, supply, trade and combat are closely interconnected, different playstyles and experiences are incredibly valuable.

The playable foundation is already there: in single-player, you can build your settlement, develop production chains and compete against AI-controlled opponents. At the same time, WARSTEAD has not yet reached the point I ultimately want it to reach. Buildings, visuals and animations still need further work. I also intend to further develop the controls, AI, balancing and individual gameplay systems.

Which production chains are the most fun? Where do processes feel unnecessarily complicated? Which additional buildings or possibilities would genuinely add something to the game? Your feedback should help me set priorities and focus not simply on adding more content, but on improving the existing gameplay experience in meaningful ways.

Since WARSTEAD is being developed alongside my main job, I want to remain realistic about the scope and pace of development despite the amount of personal effort I put into it. My aim is to communicate openly about progress, challenges and upcoming steps rather than promise more than I can reliably deliver.

Most importantly, I want WARSTEAD to already appeal to you in its current state. Early Access is an invitation to play an unfinished version, follow its development and contribute your own experiences. Perhaps you will already find some of the same fascination in it that has kept me passionate about these games to this day.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We currently expect WARSTEAD to remain in Early Access for approximately 12 to 18 months.

However, this timeframe is only our current estimate. The quality of development is our priority, so the duration may change depending on community feedback and how development progresses.”

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

“The full version of WARSTEAD is intended to offer a more lively game world, additional content and a better-balanced overall experience compared with the Early Access version. We do not simply want to increase the amount of content, but also significantly improve the quality of the existing buildings, animations and gameplay systems.

We plan to place particular emphasis on graphics and animations. We plan to gradually revise existing building models, textures and environmental objects, add more detail and make their visual style more consistent. We also intend to improve and expand the animations of settlers and units. Our goal is for your settlement to feel noticeably more alive while producing, transporting goods and growing, while also making battles more visually engaging.

New buildings, production options and units are intended to open up additional ways to develop your settlement. We want to expand existing production chains and create more opportunities to supply your population, specialize your economy and defend your settlement. We also intend to further develop trade, research, diplomacy and military systems. New content should not simply increase the number of options, but create interesting decisions and support different playstyles.

At the same time, we want to improve the AI, balancing and user interface. The individual gameplay systems should work together more effectively, information should be easier to understand and interactions should become more comfortable to use. Multiplayer functionality is also one of our development goals.

In addition, we are planning a standalone map editor and Steam Workshop integration. Our goal is to let players create their own landscapes, publish custom maps and discover new single-player and multiplayer maps created by the community.

The experiences and feedback gathered during Early Access will help us guide this development. For that reason, the exact scope of the full version has not yet been finalized. Our goal remains to create a more detailed and versatile settlement-building strategy experience in which your settlement, your decisions and your own path to victory remain at the center of the game.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“WARSTEAD is already playable in single-player against AI-controlled opponents. Build your own settlement, get your economy running and hold your ground against your neighbors. Whether you first secure your food supply, gain access to valuable resources or invest early in your army is entirely up to you.

Your settlement already operates with real transport routes. Develop resource deposits, construct production buildings and let carriers transport the required materials between buildings and storage facilities. It is not only about what you produce, but also about how efficiently your supply network is organized. Without food, your settlers will gradually die. A reliable supply protects them from starvation – and the higher the quality of the food, the faster your population grows.

Economy, trade, research, diplomacy and combat already form the core of the gameplay. Buy goods you are missing, sell surpluses and develop your settlement through different research paths. Train swordsmen, archers and musketeers, expand your territory and defend what you have built. Good relations with other factions can be just as important as a powerful army.

Different buildings, resources and production chains allow you to focus on different approaches to developing your settlement. Randomly generated maps provide changing starting conditions that require you to adapt your plans.

Multiplayer is already in development, but is not yet fully functional. In the current version, the focus is therefore on playing against the AI. We intend to further develop and stabilize multiplayer functionality through future updates.

WARSTEAD is not yet a finished game. Building models, textures and animations have not yet reached the desired level of quality in every area. AI, the user interface, balancing and individual gameplay systems also require further work, and some features are still incomplete. During Early Access, we want to gradually improve these areas while expanding the game with additional content.

You can already experience WARSTEAD's settlement building, economy and strategic decision-making while following its continued development. Your experiences and feedback will help us strengthen what already works well and improve the areas where the gameplay experience is not yet where it should be.”

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

“We plan to initially offer WARSTEAD at a lower price during Early Access.

As development progresses and additional content and features are added, the price may be adjusted gradually over the course of Early Access.

Players who already own WARSTEAD will, of course, not have to pay again if the price is adjusted later.”

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

“The community is intended to be an important part of WARSTEAD's development.

We want to collect feedback on balancing, gameplay mechanics, the user interface, economic systems and other areas and regularly take this feedback into account when making development decisions.

Bug reports, suggestions for improvements and discussions will take place primarily through the Steam Community and our other community channels.

We also want to provide regular updates on the current state of development and share insights into new features and changes.

Our goal is to continue developing WARSTEAD together with the players without losing sight of the game's fundamental vision.”