Why Early Access?

“I wanted to make Go Together feel like sitting down across from another person and giving each other a little time. Early Access lets me develop that experience with feedback from the people playing it. I would like to hear how the board feels to use, how clearly the game explains what is happening, and how enjoyable local play, online games and the seasonal AI ladder are to return to. My aim is a thoughtful, welcoming place to enjoy Go, whether you are learning or returning to the game.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“I currently expect Go Together to remain in Early Access for roughly 6–12 months. This is an estimate and may change depending on development progress and player feedback.”

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

“I plan to refine the board interaction, menus, camera options and overall presentation, and expand the choice of environments, boards and stones. I would also like to improve the explanations and options for computer opponents, make online play more comfortable and reliable, and develop the seasonal AI ladder with feedback from the people taking part. These are development intentions, and the scope may change as I learn from testing and player feedback.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Go Together supports local two-player games on one device, online games through Steam, and solo matches against three computer opponents: my own built-in opponent, KataGo and a C# adaptation of Michi. You can invite friends, host public games and browse open games. Regular games can be played on 9 × 9, 13 × 13 and 19 × 19 boards.

The seasonal AI ladder offers 19 × 19 games against a fixed computer opponent with shared match settings. Wins count towards a Steam leaderboard, with global and friends views. It is a way to compare progress against the same opponent, rather than a human skill rating.

An introductory tutorial covers stone placement, liberties and capturing, alongside a separate practice mode. Provisional stone placement, turn confirmation, illegal-move feedback, captures and end-of-game scoring are included. Mouse, keyboard and gamepad controls are supported, with camera options and adjustable graphics and audio settings.

Players can choose from a range of environments, including ricefields, forests and a fireside, with day and night settings. Board and stone choices, selectable and unlockable hands, three interface styles, a music player, environmental ambience and a small gallery of historical Go artwork are also included.

I am continuing to refine the presentation, usability, online play, opponent behaviour and performance. Bugs and rough edges should be expected during Early Access.”

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

“I plan to keep Go Together at the same price throughout Early Access and after its full release.”

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

“I welcome players’ experiences, suggestions and bug reports through the Steam discussions and the Go Together Discord community. I am especially interested in what makes the game easier to understand, more comfortable to control and enjoyable to return to, including experiences with online play and the seasonal AI ladder. I plan to use that feedback to help prioritise improvements and share what I am working on through development updates.”