Why Early Access?
Because the game is not finished yet, and we need your help!
Since March 2015, we have been building We Happy Few openly with our community. First at PAX East, then with our Kickstarter pre-alpha players, and soon on Early Access. However, this is a fully 3D procedural world, intended to be played over and over again, with multiple playstyles, and with multiple characters. We need solid feedback to make sure that we create the best game we can, and we think Early Access is the best way to do that.
Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?
Between six and twelve months.
How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?
The game's story, apart from certain moments, will not be included in the Early Access version of the game. By "the story" we mean the narrative areas, gameplay and cutscenes that make up a traditional single player story.
We will also be developing the various game modes and difficulties throughout Early Access, and may not have all options available until final release. We will also be iterating on the game with community, including a couple of major updates that will add to the design, so the features listed on this page may change.
What is the current state of the Early Access version?
The Early Access version will be mostly feature complete, at an alpha level. You can fight, conform, hide, and escape the islands (although to start, we will only have access to 3/5 islands). There is a lot of content still to be created, including more islands, encounters, NPC behaviours, gameplay features, and a proper final challenge/ending, and a large amount of work to do on balance and polish.
Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?
Yes, the price will be lower during Early Access.
How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?
We'll be reviewing community feedback on both the Steam and our Compulsion Games forums, sending out surveys, and doing our best to incorporate the feedback into updated builds. We're aiming to send out updates every month, with the idea that they'll both address community feedback and add new content to play. If you want to look at our track record, feel free to look at the Compulsion Games forums or the weekly updates we have been posting since June 2015.