Why Early Access?

“Developing a game is easy and challenging at the same time.

With the help of the Community, we can fix problems quickly and get some first feedback about the game, what needs to be changed to make it better playable or more fun. This helps to create a better game for unforgettable game experience.
Also, we want to involve our Community and get some ideas and feedback about new features, game modes or killers, which can easily be changed during the Early Access without affecting the launch of the final game.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Depending on the further progress we are planning to deploy the classic singleplayer of "The Woods" latest in Summer 2018, but not earlier than Juli 2018 as an official full version with all expected features implemented.

The planned multiplayer, which we are going to start in Summer '18, will be released as an own but completely free game and is not going to impact the release of the singleplayer version.

Community ideas and features may be added after the release of the full version.
We need to inform that the final release has no final written date yet since the developing progress can change anytime.”

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

“First of all, we are planning a Multiplayer Game Mode at the moment, where the player can play in different game modes with friends or randoms. The Multiplayer will be a standalone free-to-play version. More about it will follow soon.

For the standalone singleplayer, we are planning to add a few more different killers, to add some different game approaches and ways to play.

Also planned are some other singleplayer game modess to extend the fun. These game modes will be a decision by the community since we don't want to stretch the game unnecessary.

Features or ideas the community brings up can be in the full version as well, but this is an unplanned process for now.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The actual state is a fully playable singleplayer version.

To shorten it up here a list of features and content which are not included in the actual version:

- The map doesn't include all details we want to have
- The map is smaller than the actual planned size. Depending on the game experience it may stay as it is
- decision-based gameplay is missing (cruel killer decisions)
- story and the final game end is not added yet (coming in the first week of June 2018)
- AI can analyze only some of your movements (more will be coming with the first update)
- AI is not self-learning yet
- Footprints and plant/tree interactions are not added yet
- Some places are not changing their appearance yet
- Heart Rate Monitor is not connected yet
- Some wild animals are missing
- some interesting locations are not existing
- Secrets are not added yet
- huge traps are not added yet
- some brutal gore visualizations are missing
- weapons and some items are missing
- the killer might not be always working correctly and can have missing animations

Also, there need to be said, that the AI might not react 100% intelligent as we are planning to do and are still in process and the actual point of interest during our developing process. So the player might experience in the actual state in rare cases a dumb AI.

All other features mentioned below but not here are added and available in that current state.”

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

“We won't raise the price during EA.”

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

“We welcome every help from the Community.

As an essential part of the Early Access, the Community can help to find bugs and faults in the game and detect hardware issues so that we can make the game available for everyone in a stable version with excellent graphics.

Also, we take any suggestions and ideas and try to implement them if possible. We want that the Community gets a big part of our game and help to create something incredible they would like.”