Why Early Access?

“ISKRA began as a childhood dream of making our own game: a survival RPG built around exploration, preparation and steady character progression. The core gameplay loop is playable, but the project is still at an early stage. We want to involve players while there is room to rethink systems, improve the pacing and shape the experience through feedback. Early Access will help us understand what makes expeditions rewarding, where survival becomes frustrating and what gives players a reason to keep developing their survivor. Please expect substantial changes to balance, progression, interface and content.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We currently expect ISKRA: Beneath The Frost to remain in Early Access for approximately one year after its Early Access launch. This is an estimate, not a fixed deadline, and development may take longer. The timeline will depend on player feedback, the scope of improvements, and the time and resources needed to work with artists on replacing placeholder artwork and refining the game's visuals. We will update this estimate as development progresses and keep players informed of significant changes.”

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

“We plan to build on the existing survival and expedition systems with more regional content, story tasks beyond the introduction, further balancing and a more polished interface. A major goal for the full release is to replace all AI-generated placeholder artwork with artwork created by human artists. We intend this visual replacement to be part of our criteria for leaving Early Access. These are our current development goals; their scope and timing may change as we test the game and respond to feedback.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The current development build includes timed expeditions with automatically resolved encounters, scavenging, equipment, hunger and body temperature, shelter upgrades, character and skill progression, traders, animal companions, collection tracking and regional Prestige progression. It also includes a main story told through tasks and short passages, alongside introductory tasks and optional daily and weekly assignments.
The game still needs balancing, testing and polish. Players should expect bugs, rough edges and changes to existing systems. Environment illustrations, character portraits and item images currently include AI-generated placeholder artwork. These assets helped us build the playable version with our available resources; they are not our intended final artwork.”

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

“We currently plan to increase the price at full release, with our preference being to keep the initial price unchanged throughout Early Access. However, if Early Access lasts longer than expected and substantial new content and features have been added, we may also raise the price during Early Access to reflect the expanded game. Any planned price increases will be announced in advance.”

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

“We plan to use Steam Discussions and our Official Discord to collect bug reports, suggestions and feedback on progression, survival balance, expedition rewards and interface clarity. We also plan to share development updates through Steam announcements, explaining what has changed and what we are considering next. Player feedback will help us set priorities and revisit systems that are not working well, while keeping a consistent direction for the game. We cannot implement every suggestion, but we want players to understand the decisions behind its development.”