Hello all,
We want to share an update on the release plans for The Killing Stone.
As development has progressed and we’ve begun receiving larger waves of feedback, it became clear that the game has evolved in ways that benefit from a more collaborative launch approach. While our recent release date announcement trailer was made with a full release in mind, some of these insights came in later than we'd anticipated, prompting us to reassess the best path forward.
As a result, we are now planning to release The Killing Stone in Early Access on February 18, 2026, with a full 1.0 launch planned for later this year.
We're sorry for the confusion and late change of plans, but we want to adjust that message now so that it's very clear what folks will get if they buy the game on the 18th.
The Early Access build includes:
All three primary story arcs (and associated decks of cards), one for each family member
All the Optional missions (called Rituals)
A total of three demon lord opponents across critical path and optional content
However, Early Access will not contain the game's substantial endgame arc, called The Reckoning - that will be added with the final 1.0 release.
Over the course of development, The Killing Stone became more story-forward than originally envisioned in pre-production. It now features a mystery-driven narrative, and interactive conversations with a modern English script and a 17th century script (player's choice).
The feedback we've gotten from our playtesters suggests that players are especially invested in this narrative layer. They want more story, more voice acted content - and they want to puzzle out what's going on without being spoon-fed, all of which is going to take a lot of iteration based directly on player feedback.
During Early Access, we plan to:
Expand and refine voiced narrative content
Test story clarity and comprehension throughout the experience
Revise pacing and presentation based on player feedback
Give players access to 90%+ of the cards and mechanical combos in the intricate deckbuilder component of the game, making changes to balance and tuning based on the input from our Early Access community
Thank you so much for your understanding and continued interest. We're excited to welcome players on February 18 who enjoy the Early Access experience and want to help us shape the story and deckbuilding systems at the heart of The Killing Stone.
- J. Thomas, Question LLC