Early access

Early access is a way for developers to sell a game before it is finished. Players pay to play an unfinished version, the developer uses that money and feedback to keep building, and the game is updated over time until it reaches a “1.0” or full release. Prices are often lower during early access and may rise later.

Valve launched its Steam Early Access programme on 20 March 2013 with twelve games, and the model has since spread to other PC stores and to consoles, sometimes under names like “game preview”.

Why developers and players use it

For small studios especially, early access can fund development and provide real-world testing on a scale they could never organise themselves. Players get to try a game early, see it evolve and, in many cases, influence its direction through feedback. Several well-known games spent long periods in early access before full launch.

The risks

An early access game is unfinished by definition. Expect bugs, missing features, placeholder art and changes that can break save files. More seriously, there is no guarantee it will ever be completed. Steam’s own guidance warns that some teams will be unable to finish their game, and advises buying only if you are happy playing it in its current state. A study of Steam games cited on Wikipedia found that, as of November 2014, only about a quarter of early access titles had reached a final release.

How to judge an early access game

Look at how often it has been updated recently, whether the developer communicates clearly about plans, and what recent player reviews say about its current state rather than its promises. Read the store page’s early access section, which usually explains how long the developer expects development to take. If a game is bought as a gift, make sure the recipient knows it is unfinished, so the bugs are not a disappointment.