Hey everyone!
I'm posting a bit earlier this week to share an important roadmap update!
I've decided to run a free Playtest (letting you explore further than in the demo) starting around mid-September before launching Sinking Eternity into Early Access. You'll be able to request access to the Playtest on the steam page if you'd like to participate.
As shared earlier, the content planned for Early Access is pretty much ready, and I think it will be epic! However, during the last few weeks of working on the game, I realized that giving it more time for testing and polish before Early Access makes a huge difference.
There are a few reasons for this:
-There are still some bugs and inconsistencies that I would really like to fix before Early Access.
-Also, no one other than me has ever tested the content past the Shallow Waters. I think it would be incredibly valuable to have players explore further into the game (for free), share feedback, and report bugs (or annoyances) before the Early Access launch.
-Every day I've spent polishing the game over the last few months has brought such huge improvements. I would like to keep doing that and let you explore the best possible version of this universe on day one of Early Access.
-The extra development time will also let me work on some improvements that I would love to have ready for Early Access, such as seeing the player's arms during more actions, improving the existing food/hunger system, and adding more polish throughout the game.
I know this isn't the first time I've moved the Early Access release date, and I'm sorry for that. Since this is the first game I've released, I'm learning a lot along the way. The good news is that the Early Access v1 build has been reviewed and approved by Steam, the content is ready, and development is going really well. I simply don't want to rush the first Early Access experience when I know it can be substantially better.
So, instead of the Early Access launch, a free Playtest will begin in September! It will let you explore further into Sinking Eternity than you currently can in the demo.
Also, when the new Early Access launch date is confirmed, I'll only start the countdown in the weekly updates 14 days before the release, as Steam prevents developers from moving the date once it is within 14 days of launch. You'll know it won't move haha
Thank you all, I'll share more information about the Playtest soon!