Why Early Access?

“Because the combat is finished and the dungeon isn't.

I can tell you exactly how a fight plays, because I've measured it — how often the biggest word is the right one, how much a shared table actually takes out of the enemy's swing, what a chain is worth to a player who plans three turns ahead. What I can't tell you is how it feels on run forty, when you've seen every relic and you're hunting the last cards in the Tome. That's not something I can measure on my own. It needs people playing it more than I can.

The game needs lots of player feedback regarding quality of life features and balance content.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Six months to a year, and I'd rather say that honestly than say six months and take eighteen.

It leaves when the back half of the run is as considered as the front half, and when I've stopped finding things in the feedback that change my mind about the design. If that takes longer, it takes longer — the game will keep getting updates either way.”

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

“Better graphics, art style and UX/UI, more relics and items, more enemy types and boss fights.
Complete story and lore

Beyond that:
- Online PvP
- Localizations and Multi-Language Support for the Dictionary
- Adventure Mode
- More of the Tome, and more reasons to want particular letters
- A harder difficulty ”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Playable start to finish, and stable. It is not a demo or a vertical slice.

You get the full combat system — the shared table, the declared blows, the chain, the elements and their afflictions, the galdr words, the guard, the relics and the Tome. Six characters. Three difficulties. Hotseat PvP local multiplayer. Branching maps and dungeons that keeps going as long as you do. I've also added, and currently testing Controller and Steam Deck Support.

What's thin is the far end. Later acts reuse more than I'd like, and the hardest difficulty isn't offered yet because I haven't balanced it and I'm not going to pretend otherwise.”

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

“The price will slightly go up at full release depending on how much content I was able to add.”

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

“By reading everything and arguing with some of it.

I will keep on the look out on the Steam forums and Discord channels. I will also add a bug reporting and suggestion/complaint submissions in-game.

Word games have a particular kind of player who will find the degenerate strategy on day one (I'm one of them). If that's you, please break it in public. I'll fix it and say so in the patch notes.”