Why Early Access?

“Industrial Petting is an experimental game which has been designed by adding in mechanics and seeing what sticks. This is mostly a one-man project, and having many more eyes on this will help guide it. Now with the transition to Early Access, more systems will be tested and more things will break, but now with an audience. I'm hoping that feedback from players at this stage will shape what this game will become, and have people enjoy the ride of figuring out exactly what this game will be!”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“The current plan is at least a year of development in Early Access, potentially longer. Full release will just be a milestone indicating that a certain amount of refined gameplay and content is working in-game, with as many bugs crushed as possible.”

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

“The full release of the game will have many more areas to explore, pets to befriend, and ways to befriend them. Features for the near future are VR support, new pets for the forest, and designing the first new area. I'm hoping to focus on the features and systems that resonate with people the most; if there's an overwhelming desire for more automation gameplay I'll head in that direction, but if everyone just wants to take care of a bunch of little creatures, I'll go for that.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The current Early Access version has the basic systems and gameplay in place of the final game: going out and finding new pets, selling them, and setting up automatic systems to build and sell them, alone or with friends online! I'm starting with a small, polished base and building up from that. The current state of the game is aiming to be as stable and bug-free as possible, but like any pre-release product, you may find the occasional bug which could break the experience, and every part of the design is subject to change. Make sure to report any bugs and suggestions with the in-game reporting tool!”

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

“The price of the game will increase as we move through early access and into release. If the current price of the game seems too high, just wait for a little while as new features and systems get added. The price will increase after exiting Early Access. The amount of that change depends on how many systems and features are added.”

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

“Community feedback is very important for figuring out the future design and path for the game! I'll keep track of what people are saying both here and on an official discord channel, and will be giving regular updates on the current roadmap and progress on the project.”