Why Early Access?

“GameStack is built around my own workflow, and now I want to hear how it works for yours. Every dev makes games differently, and Early Access lets me find out what you need, what's missing, and what's getting in your way while the app is still taking shape. I use GameStack on my own games, so it's improving all the time, and your feedback will help decide what gets built and fixed next. The Planner, Pixel, Modeler, Sound effects and Unity link are all in and usable today. A chiptune song editor is next on the list.”

Approximately how long will this software be in Early Access?

“I expect GameStack to be in Early Access for about 12 to 18 months. The main pieces are already in: the Planner,
Pixel, Modeler, Sound effects and the Unity link. Here's what I plan to add before the full release:

- A chiptune song editor for your game's music
- A Godot link, so your sprites and models show up in your Godot project the same way they already do in Unity
- Real-time team sync for the Planner, so your whole team can work on the design doc and task board together (this
will be an optional subscription, because it runs on servers that cost money every month. Everything else is included
in the one-time price.)
- Support for more AI assistants beyond Claude

There will also be a lot of polish, plus whatever the community tells me is missing or getting in the way. I'd rather
take the time to get it right than rush it out, so if feedback shows there's more worth adding, I'll keep working on
it until it's ready.”

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

“The full version will have everything that's in Early Access now, plus:

- A chiptune song editor, so you can make your game's music as well as its sound effects
- A Godot link that sends your sprites and models straight into your Godot project, like the Unity link does now
- Real-time team sync for the Planner, so your team can work on the design doc and task board together (an optional
subscription, since it runs on servers)
- Support for more AI assistants beyond Claude
- A light theme, new custom pixel art icons, and a lot of polish across the whole app
- Fixes and features based on what the community asks for

The core workflow won't change. If you start a project in Early Access, it will open in the full version with nothing
lost.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“GameStack is fully usable right now. I use it on my own games. Here's what's in it today:

- Planner: game design doc editor (Markdown with live preview, or a drag-and-drop block editor) and a task board with
team members, labels, priorities, filters and links to the design doc
- Pixel: a full pixel art and animation editor with layers, selections, palettes, symmetry, onion skin and tags. Opens
and saves .aseprite files and exports PNG, GIF and sprite sheets
- Modeler: low-poly box and mesh modeling, painting textures right on the model, UV editing and keyframe animation.
Exports glTF, OBJ, FBX and .bbmodel
- Sound: a retro sound effect maker with presets, random and mutate, and WAV export
- Unity link: your sprites and models sync into your Unity project automatically
- Claude connector: Claude can read and write your design doc and tasks

It's Windows only for now. Projects autosave as you work and are saved as plain folders, so they work with Git and
Steam Cloud. Since this is Early Access, expect some rough edges and the occasional bug. If something breaks or feels
off, let me know and I'll fix it.”

Will this software be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“Yes, the price will go up when GameStack leaves Early Access, since the full version will have more in it. If you buy
during Early Access, you get every update up to the full release, and everything after it, at no extra cost.

The one exception is real-time team sync for the Planner. It will be an optional subscription, because it runs on
servers that cost money every month. Everything else is included in the one-time price.”

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

“GameStack is built around my own workflow, so I need to hear about yours. Here's how you can be part of it:

- Steam discussions: report bugs, suggest features and tell me what's getting in your way. I read them.
- Discord: talk to me and other devs who use GameStack, share what you're making, and get help.
- YouTube: I make game dev videos on my channel, Pvt Parts, and I'll show new GameStack features and the games I make
with it there.

Your feedback decides what gets fixed and built next. If enough people ask for something, it goes on the list. I'll
post update notes on Steam with every release so you can see what changed and what's coming.”