Early Access Release Date, What to Expect & 2025 Roadmap

Hello everyone!

It’s hard to believe that six months have passed since we first shared Aotenjo with our players. Since then, we've had a public demo, participated in the Steam Next Fest, and undergone multiple revisions and internal tests—all thanks to your valuable feedback! The game has evolved significantly from its early days, and we sincerely appreciate all the players who have supported and provided feedback.

In our last update, we mentioned that we were working hard to release the game before the Lunar New Year. Now, with the final build submitted for review, we’re excited to officially announce that Aotenjo will launch in Early Access on January 19th (Sunday) at 7:00 PM PST!

To celebrate, we’ve also released a brand-new trailer featuring our updated UI and our new name:
Watch on YouTube
Don’t forget to add Aotenjo to your Steam Wishlist to stay updated and be notified when it goes live:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3066570/_/

What’s Included in the Early Access Version?

After half a year of development, Aotenjo has come a long way from its original demo. Many of you might be wondering: How much content will be in the EA version?

To put it simply: The Early Access version will have roughly three times the content of the previous demo.

We’ve shared many of these updates in our previous dev logs:
UI Overhaul, New Decks & Bosses
Bamboo Mahjong, Porcelain Tiles & Advanced Difficulty
Developer FAQ

Since Aotenjo is a roguelike deck-building game themed around mahjong, pure content volume isn’t the only measure of its depth. By launching in Early Access, we aim to provide a solid core gameplay experience with strong replayability, while continuously refining and expanding the game.

We’ve spent a lot of time fine-tuning the strategic depth of Aotenjo:

• Each deck has its own unique theme and mechanics
• Encourages players to experiment with different builds and adapt strategies dynamically
• Boss fights are designed to challenge your tactics—not just your stats

Future Updates & 2025 Roadmap

As fellow Steam players, we understand the concerns about games that enter Early Access but are never fully released. That’s why we’ve carefully planned our development roadmap to give you a clear picture of what’s ahead.

Beyond regular bug fixes and balance adjustments, we will roll out major content updates every 1-2 months until we reach our vision for version 1.0, which includes:

• 16 fully developed decks, complete with unique relics and events
• New tile enhancement systems, including custom tile sets
• Additional game modes, such as Challenge Mode & Puzzle Mode
• Creative Workshop 1.0, allowing players to customize tile skins, tile effects, and hand combinations

Don't forget to join the Community!

Be sure to join our official Discord community to discuss strategies, and participate in playtests. We always read your feedback and look forward to chat with you!