Why Early Access?

“Diamond District is still early in what we want it to become. You can run a jewelry shop today, but several big systems are not built yet: a gem lab that grades and certifies your stones, a refinery for scrap gold, brand deals for your social account and more kinds of staff. We want players in the shop while those are still being designed, so they can tell us which to build first, how each should work, and what else the game is missing. We would rather build the rest of Diamond District with the people who play it than guess alone.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We plan to stay in Early Access for about 6 to 12 months. The exact length depends on what players ask for along the way.”

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

“We plan to add a gem lab where you grade your best stones and issue certificates, a refinery for the scrap gold you buy, brand deals for your social account, new staff roles, and a way to save your in-game clips as real video files. We also plan to add more products, celebrities and street stunts. Players help decide the order, and we hope to build ideas from the community that are not on this list yet.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The core shop loop is playable solo or in online co-op for 1 to 4: stock and price your cases, haggle at the counter, test gold and diamonds at the buy counter, cut stones and craft pieces to order, film and post clips, and grow from one dusty room to two storefronts and a VIP salon upstairs. There are about 70 products, seven celebrities and four street stunts so far. The lab, the refinery, brand deals and the other planned systems are not in yet, and you may run into some rough edges.”

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

“We don’t plan to raise the price when we leave Early Access.”

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

“Our Discord is where players share ideas and talk to us directly, and we plan to keep a public roadmap there and on Steam. We plan to run community polls on which planned feature comes next, and to post regular updates on what changed and why. We read every Steam review and forum post. Playtest feedback has already reshaped the game, and we want Early Access players to steer it the same way.”