Why Early Access?

“This game was initially made to be a short and quick horror game. It has now ballooned to two and a half years of development. The depth of this game has grown exponentially as well. It is currently in a v. 0.7.2 (uploaded to Steam in a v. 0.7.0 state) state and I am not too close to being able to releasing the mine yet. The mine is half the game as well. And now, this game has become a mere chapter in a story I wish to tell. The game ballooning has become an understatement.
However, after two and a half years, it is time to release what I have as I continue to work on this project. Early access is a fantastic opportunity to be able to share my story finally. I also want it to be enjoyable, so receiving feedback on things to change can become one of my most invaluable tools. The time is right to finally release this game into early access.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“I intend to take this game out of early access once this chapter is completed. The timeline is expected to be by next October, so 10/2027. This timeline is intended to give me ample time. I am hoping it will be sooner, but the plan is 10/2027.”

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

“Oh the planned version is very exciting! In the full version, I plan to have the mine done and the ending sequence done. The mine is intended to be randomly generated so every playthrough is different. The mine is going to be digging for... well no spoilers here. But eventually you will have to run the mine. Once this is done, the ending sequence is planned to take place in your randomly generated mine and then in the mine outside. The ending sequence will not take nearly as long as doing the mine. The ending sequence will be the end of the chapter and will be when the game is taken out of early access. After this, I plan to add new chapters in the same scope as this chapter I am releasing now.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Right now, version 0.7.2 (uploaded to Steam during v. 0.7.0) is available. The 'About This Game' section shows everything that is available, but a quick rundown here of what is currently includes: The first two nights, a single Being (enemy) who will try to track you around the map to hunt you down, outside area of the mining site where you have to used computers to keep the machines operational, moving ore in a front loader vehicle to the Refinery, move bars in the front load to get them shipped, meet shipping objectives, traversing the map in carts and front loaders or by walking/running around and hopping over barriers and onto conveyor belts, avoid the current Being (more to be added) and sometimes manage power from the electrical shed should you decide to utilize its functions. ”

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

“Yes. The amount of current content does not justify the intended final price of the game. The price right at Early Access launch was much too high and it has now been lowered to a better suited, much more appropriate price. As major content updates drop, the price will slowly increase to the intended price of the game. A notification prior to any price increases will be put out on socials saying: 1) how much the price increase will be, and 2) how long before the price actually increases to that amount.”

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

“Feedback. Post feedback on any of my social media channels listed. I have made several locations where I will be checking feedback and interacting with the community. However and wherever you can leave feedback, leave feedback! I check regularly. Seriously, your voices will be heard. I mean even feedback on how to do feedback. I am new at this. I spent two and a half years developing this game so far. This is all new and exciting. Any and all feedback is appreciated!

Now that the game is uploaded to Steam and this is moving forward, I will post ongoing weekly patch notes every Friday (usually night time) on social media as well. While this is an ongoing, frequently changed document, you will be able to see weekly updates to patches and quality-of-life changes I have done. On the same list, there is also lists of bugs I am aware of and quality-of-life changes that are planned to be addressed and implemented. Please not this list is not a promise or guarantee. It is purely made to be as transparent as possible. During development, priorities frequently change and many things get shuffled around, delayed, or postponed indefinitely. It is simply an ongoing list intended to keep the Community in the loop of what is currently being worked on, week by week, and track progress. Anything can be dropped from the list. When it is time for content drops, like version 0.8.0, the list will show more of progression during the content drops.”