How long did they say Early Access would take, and how long has it been? · 2,149 in Early Access · 2,757 promises read · 941 announced, not started
| Year | Games | In Early Access now | Graduated | Median time in EA | Promise read | Overdue | Promise kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,077 | 1,059 | 182% | 1 month | 99492% | 32of 898 parsed | — |
| 2025 | 392 | 392 | 00% | 13 months | 34287% | 126of 296 parsed | — |
| 2024 | 195 | 195 | 00% | 2 years 1 month | 17389% | 104of 140 parsed | — |
| 2023 | 112 | 112 | 00% | 3 years 2 months | 9888% | 57of 77 parsed | — |
| 2022 | 76 | 76 | 00% | 4 years 2 months | 6788% | 43of 51 parsed | — |
| 2021 | 50 | 50 | 00% | 5 years 1 month | 4284% | 24of 32 parsed | — |
| 2020 | 44 | 44 | 00% | 6 years 1 month | 3989% | 19of 23 parsed | — |
| 2019 | 39 | 39 | 00% | 7 years 3 months | 39100% | 19of 22 parsed | — |
| 2018 | 21 | 21 | 00% | 8 years 1 month | 1990% | 10of 11 parsed | — |
| 2017 | 19 | 19 | 00% | 9 years 3 months | 1895% | 8of 10 parsed | — |
| Game | Promise | Promised | Elapsed | Clock | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watchstander: COLREGS/Rules of the Road Training AdministratorWatchstander: COLREGS/Rules of the Road Training Administrator | I expect COLREGS Trainer to remain in Early Access for 3–6 months while I expand the question bank, improve analytics, and refine the interface. Since it shares core systems with the full Watchstander simulator, updates will track closely with that project but remain independently stable.read 11 Sep 2026 | 3–6 months | 1 week | 4% | On the clock6 months left | |
| FD 27: Direct Your Football ClubFD 27: Direct Your Football Club | Approximately one to two years maximum from the launch of version 0.1.read 11 Sep 2026 | 12–24 months | 4 weeks | 4% | On the clock23 months left | |
| EndlessRainEndlessRain | I plan to be in Early Access for roughly 6 to 12 months. The core game is already complete and can be played from beginning to end, so this time is meant for balancing, adding content, and responding to feedback rather than for building missing systems. If players want more time for additional content, I would rather extend that window than leave Early Access early.read 5 Sep 2026 | 6–12 months | 2 weeks | 4% | On the clock12 months left | |
| Janshin -infinity-Janshin -infinity- | At this point, we expect the game to remain in Early Access for about one year. This may change depending on development progress and player feedback, but our plan is to continue improving the game and adding content throughout that period.read 9 Sep 2026 | about 12 months | 2 weeks | 4% | On the clock12 months left | |
| Car D GameCar D Game | I expect roughly 6 to 12 months, though this may shift based on player feedback and how much content the community wants to see before calling it 1.0.read 9 Sep 2026 | 6–12 months | 2 weeks | 4% | On the clock12 months left | |
| Story BoredStory Bored | We hope by the end of the year to early next year, we will have a "ready game"- but honestly, there can always be more to add and update. That said- the game will be "finished" once everything we know can be added, fixed, and removed is done, which will hopefully be completed by June 2027 at the latest. There will ALWAYS be more updates after!read 7 Sep 2026 | 10 monthsuntil 30 Jun 2027 | 2 weeks | 3% | On the clock10 months left | |
| UltradimensionalUltradimensional | We expect Early Access to last around 1–2 years.read 5 Sep 2026 | 12–24 months | 3 weeks | 3% | On the clock23 months left | |
| PetCraftPetCraft | Our Early Access will be about 8-12 months long if everything goes well.read 6 Sep 2026 | 8–12 months | 2 weeks | 3% | On the clock12 months left | |
| The ConglomerateThe Conglomerate | We anticipate remaining in Early Access for approximately 6 to 12 months. This timeline allows us to expand the content within the 'Studio' and 'Conglomerate' phases while refining the core loop based on player feedback.read 6 Sep 2026 | 6–12 months | 2 weeks | 3% | On the clock12 months left | |
| Damage ChessDamage Chess | Approximately 6 to 12 months.read 6 Sep 2026 | 6–12 months | 2 weeks | 3% | On the clock12 months left | |
| Damage XiangqiDamage Xiangqi | Approximately 6 to 12 months.read 6 Sep 2026 | 6–12 months | 2 weeks | 3% | On the clock12 months left | |
| Airline FounderAirline Founder | 3–6 monthsread 11 Sep 2026 | 3–6 months | 6 days | 3% | On the clock6 months left | |
| StarShip-DFStarShip-DF | 2 to 5 yearsread 11 Sep 2026 | 24–60 months | 2 months | 3% | On the clock4 years 10 months left | |
| ReliquaryReliquary | I'm planning on roughly 12 months in Early Access. That's an estimate, not a promise. How long it actually takes depends on how the card pool grows and how long the format takes to settle into something I'm happy to call finished. If it needs longer, it will take longer — I'd rather leave Early Access late than early.read 9 Sep 2026 | about 12 months | 2 weeks | 3% | On the clock12 months left | |
| TyrTyr | We anticipate being in Early Access for about 12 months before moving to full release. However, we're committed to taking the time necessary to deliver a polished, complete experience rather than rushing to meet an arbitrary deadline, so we’ll adapt and communicate changes as we gather feedback.read 11 Sep 2026 | about 12 months | 1 week | 3% | On the clock12 months left | |
| Wall Street DonkeyWall Street Donkey | We currently expect Early Access to last approximately 6 to 12 months. This estimate may change depending on development progress and player feedback.read 6 Sep 2026 | 6–12 months | 1 week | 3% | On the clock12 months left | |
| Who Haunts The Haunters?Who Haunts The Haunters? | We estimate the Early Access period will last around 6 months.read 8 Sep 2026 | about 6 months | 5 days | 3% | On the clock6 months left | |
| Midwinter Fan RemasterMidwinter Fan Remaster | Around 6 months. The goal is 1.0 once the full campaign is complete and stable across the whole island and at various difficulty levels.read 8 Sep 2026 | about 6 months | 5 days | 3% | On the clock6 months left | |
| Launch Window: 1961Launch Window: 1961 | The current plan is for Launch Window to remain in Early Access for about one year after release. This may change depending on player feedback, development progress, and the amount of polish or additional content that makes sense to add before the full release.read 8 Sep 2026 | about 12 months | 1 week | 2% | On the clock12 months left | |
| DicewayfarerDicewayfarer | We currently expect Dicewayfarer to remain in Early Access for approximately 3–6 months. However, this may change depending on player feedback and the amount of additional balancing and polish required.read 8 Sep 2026 | 3–6 months | 4 days | 2% | On the clock6 months left | |
| Crown MarshalCrown Marshal | We currently expect Crown Marshal to remain in Early Access for approximately 24 months. This estimate may change depending on development progress, testing results, and community feedback. Rather than rushing to meet a fixed date, we intend to evaluate when the game is ready to leave Early Access based on its content, stability, and overall level of polish.read 6 Sep 2026 | about 2 years | 2 weeks | 2% | On the clock2 years left | |
| Gridiron ManagerGridiron Manager | We currently expect Gridiron Manager to remain in Early Access for approximately 12 to 18 months. This estimate may change depending on development progress and community feedback.read 10 Sep 2026 | 12–18 months | 1 week | 2% | On the clock18 months left | |
| Load FactorLoad Factor | We plan to be in Early Access for roughly 12 months. That's an estimate, not a promise, we'd rather leave Early Access when the game is genuinely ready than hit an arbitrary date. If the game needs more time to reach the depth and polish we're aiming for, we'll take it.read 7 Sep 2026 | about 12 months | 6 days | 2% | On the clock12 months left | |
| Road to Millionaire – InvestingRoad to Millionaire – Investing | We currently expect Road to Millionaire – Investing to remain in Early Access for approximately 12 months. During this period, we will continue to expand the game's content, improve gameplay systems, and polish the overall player experience. If additional development time is needed to deliver a higher-quality game, we will prioritize quality over a fixed release schedule.read 10 Sep 2026 | about 12 months | 5 days | 1% | On the clock12 months left | |
| Dungeon SettlersDungeon Settlers | We currently expect Dungeon Settlers to remain in Early Access for approximately 2 years. This timeframe may change depending on development progress and community feedback. Our goal is to leave Early Access when we believe the game offers the level of polish and content we are aiming for. Throughout Early Access, we plan to continue releasing regular updates with new content, improvements, and refinements.read 10 Sep 2026 | about 2 years | 1 week | 1% | On the clock2 years left | |
| Between Adventures IDLEBetween Adventures IDLE | We currently expect Between Adventures IDLE to remain in Early Access for approximately one year. During this time, we plan to release several major updates that gradually add new activities, progression systems, acts, seasonal content, and the endgame. This timeline may change depending on development needs and player feedback. We will continue sharing roadmap updates so players can follow the game’s progress and see what we are working on next.read 10 Sep 2026 | about 12 months | 4 days | 1% | On the clock12 months left | |
| CARDCRAFTERCARDCRAFTER | We anticipate a period of 6 to 12 months. The actual timeline may be adjusted based on content expansion and community feedback, but we do not intend to remain in Early Access indefinitely.read 9 Sep 2026 | 6–12 months | 4 days | 1% | On the clock12 months left | |
| Drawing DeadDrawing Dead | We currently estimate around 6-12 months in Early Access. The exact length will depend on player feedback: we will leave Early Access when the planned content feels complete and the balance is where we want it, rather than on a fixed date.read 8 Sep 2026 | 6–12 months | 4 days | 1% | On the clock12 months 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.