How long did they say Early Access would take, and how long has it been? · 2,743 in Early Access · 3,798 promises read · 1,255 announced, not started
| Year | Games | In Early Access now | Graduated | Median time in EA | Promise read | Overdue | Promise kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,217 | 1,192 | 252% | 2 months | 1,16295% | 46of 1,047 parsed | — |
| 2025 | 486 | 486 | 00% | 13 months | 45493% | 170of 388 parsed | — |
| 2024 | 257 | 257 | 00% | 2 years 1 month | 24395% | 147of 197 parsed | — |
| 2023 | 136 | 136 | 00% | 3 years 2 months | 12693% | 81of 104 parsed | — |
| 2022 | 92 | 92 | 00% | 4 years 2 months | 8592% | 54of 65 parsed | — |
| 2021 | 72 | 72 | 00% | 5 years 2 months | 6590% | 41of 50 parsed | — |
| 2020 | 57 | 57 | 00% | 6 years 2 months | 5698% | 30of 37 parsed | — |
| 2019 | 53 | 53 | 00% | 7 years 3 months | 53100% | 27of 30 parsed | — |
| 2018 | 36 | 36 | 00% | 8 years 3 months | 3494% | 26of 27 parsed | — |
| 2017 | 47 | 47 | 00% | 9 years 3 months | 4698% | 25of 27 parsed | — |
| Game | Promise | Promised | Elapsed | Clock | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkillWarzSkillWarz | We expect SkillWarz to remain in Early Access for approximately 12 months. The exact duration will depend on community feedback and the level of polish we want to achieve before considering the Steam edition complete.read 11 Sep 2026 | about 12 months | 2 months | 13% | On the clock10 months left | |
| Rent DueRent Due | I plan for around 6 to 12 months. Honestly, it depends on feedback. I'd rather leave Early Access when the game feels complete than rush a date.read 14 Sep 2026 | 6–12 months | 1 month | 11% | On the clock11 months left | |
| Lawn OrderLawn Order | A few months, though quality comes before the calendar. If the roadmap needs more time, we'll take it and keep the community posted.read 6 Sep 2026 | 3–6 months | 3 weeks | 11% | On the clock5 months left | |
| THE REF - Football Referee SimulatorTHE REF - Football Referee Simulator | I expect roughly 6 to 12 months. The exit from Early Access is driven by milestones rather than a date: rock-solid online co-op across many real-world connections, a career mode the community considers well-balanced, and a polish pass informed by player feedback.read 10 Sep 2026 | 6–12 months | 1 month | 11% | On the clock11 months left | |
| MEOWMIMEOWMI | Expect the game to remain in Early Access for approximately 6–12 months, depending on feedback and development progress.read 6 Sep 2026 | 6–12 months | 1 month | 10% | On the clock11 months left | |
| Legend of Deepshade: The Shattered SealLegend of Deepshade: The Shattered Seal | I expect the game to remain in Early Access for approximately **6–12 months**, depending on player feedback, development progress, and the amount of additional content and improvements added. During this time I will continue working on balancing, fixing bugs, improving existing systems, adding more puzzles and set pieces, and expanding the overall experience. The final release timing will depend on making sure the game reaches the quality level I want it to have.read 6 Sep 2026 | 6–12 months | 1 month | 10% | On the clock11 months left | |
| KingBattleKingBattle | At this time, we expect KingBattle to remain in Early Access for roughly 1.5–2 years. That should be enough time to add our core planned features, expand content, improve online match stability, and refine the overall experience based on community feedback. As with any actively evolving project, this timeline may change depending on the game's needs, player feedback, and new opportunities that arise during development.read 14 Sep 2026 | 18–24 months | 3 months | 10% | On the clock21 months left | |
| ClickonomyClickonomy | Time and work are key to developing this game. I want to provide more content and core gameplay mechanics over time, such as seasons and some others major additions to the already rich game. This early access will probably last for 6 to 8 months as I'll publish the 1.0 release when I feel like the game is ready!read 6 Sep 2026 | 6–8 months | 3 weeks | 10% | On the clock7 months left | |
| Zoo ProtocolZoo Protocol | At the moment, we expect Zoo Protocol to remain in Early Access for around 12 to 18 months. The exact timeline will depend on the pace of development, the stability of the network systems, the amount of new content, community feedback, and the scope that can be supported by a solo developer. We want to use this time to refine the core mechanics, expand the content, improve balance, and bring the co-op experience closer to the level we expect from a full release.read 8 Sep 2026 | 12–18 months | 2 months | 10% | On the clock16 months left | |
| Ramajay! Riddim RabbitRamajay! Riddim Rabbit | We expect Riddim Rabbit to remain in Early Access for approximately 6–12 months. That may change depending on development and the feedback we receive. We don’t want to commit to a specific full-release date before we’re confident the game has reached the level of content and polish we’re aiming for.read 6 Sep 2026 | 6–12 months | 1 month | 9% | On the clock11 months left | |
| Nicotine Merchant Simulator™Nicotine Merchant Simulator™ | I expect Early Access to last about a year, but the exact timeline will depend on player feedback and the needs of the community.read 13 Sep 2026 | about 12 months | 1 month | 9% | On the clock11 months left | |
| Infinite BackroomsInfinite Backrooms | We plan to remain in Early Access for approximately 6 to 12 months. Our roadmap includes new environments, additional entities, an escape mechanic, and an expanded multiplayer experience. When we feel the game truly delivers the definitive infinite Backrooms experience, we will move to full release.read 8 Sep 2026 | 6–12 months | 1 month | 9% | On the clock11 months left | |
| Chaos Football Club (CFC)Chaos Football Club (CFC) | We expect PITCH RIOT to be in Early Access for roughly 9–12 months, targeting release around mid-2027. The remaining work covers the full club and stadium roster, additional game modes, story mode chapters, expanded special powers, and a final balance and polish pass across ball physics and controller feel. Development timelines can shift, particularly based on what players prioritise during Early Access, and we will update our roadmap and post an announcement if that estimate changes significantly.read 6 Sep 2026 | 9–12 months | 4 weeks | 8% | On the clock11 months left | |
| Hex TownHex Town | I want to release Hex Town ASAP! My plan is to stay in Early Access for 1-3 months based on player feedback, and to fully release before the end of 2026.read 10 Sep 2026 | 1–3 months | 6 days | 7% | On the clock3 months left | |
| Nazi ZombiesNazi Zombies | This game will be in early access for approximately 1-2 years.read 13 Sep 2026 | 12–24 months | 2 months | 6% | On the clock22 months left | |
| The Rise Of The Slime KingThe Rise Of The Slime King | I currently expect Rise of the Slime King to remain in Early Access for approximately six months to one year. This estimate may change depending on player feedback, development progress, and the amount of testing required for planned systems and content.read 6 Sep 2026 | 6–12 months | 3 weeks | 5% | On the clock11 months left | |
| Survival DimensionSurvival Dimension | We plan to keep our game in early access for one year.read 6 Sep 2026 | about 12 months | 2 weeks | 4% | On the clock12 months left | |
| Fog of War: Book TwoFog of War: Book Two | 2-3 years.read 14 Sep 2026 | 24–36 months | 1 month | 3% | On the clock2 years 11 months left | |
| Project: StationProject: Station | We currently estimate Project: Station will remain in Early Access for approximately 12 to 18 months. During this time we plan to expand content, add new enemies, stations, and quests, and refine core systems based on community feedback. This timeline may shift as the game evolves with player input.read 6 Sep 2026 | 12–18 months | 2 weeks | 3% | On the clock17 months left | |
| Infected EscapedInfected Escaped | About 2 to 3 yearsread 9 Sep 2026 | 24–36 months | 3 weeks | 2% | On the clock2 years 11 months left | |
| Random ShitRandom Shit | This game will be in Early Access for roughly 18 months. This is an estimate rather than a promise — my solo development timeline will most likely shift, and I'd rather extend Early Access than leave it before the game is ready.read 9 Sep 2026 | about 18 months | 5 days | 1% | On the clock18 months left | |
| Yushou Xianmen: Mortal RealmYushou Xianmen: Mortal Realm | We expect Early Access to last approximately 12 to 24 months. Since this game is developed by a solo developer, the exact timeline may change depending on player feedback, development progress, and the amount of new content added. During Early Access, I will continue improving the game, including adding more stages, improving faction systems, balancing gameplay, polishing UI and visuals, and fixing bugs.read 12 Sep 2026 | 12–24 months | 4 days | 1% | On the clock2 years left |
A game is in Early Access when the store lists it among its genres; the clock starts on the day the ledger saw it enter or, for a game that launched into Early Access, on the release date the store prints. The promise is the developer’s own questionnaire answer, kept word for word; only ranges and single figures are compared, open answers are listed as open, and answers the parser could not read say so. Graduations are recorded from 3 Sep 2026, so earlier years undercount them. A game whose questionnaire has not been read yet says “not read yet” under No promise (how). Data by SteamPeaks.com.