The ‘art is never (really) finished’ award goes to Project Zomboid

Making a game is hard work. It’s even harder if you’re a small, independent team. Sure, it’s easier now than ever with access to the internet and powerful, free-to-use game engines, but it’s still a monumental effort. Luckily, for smaller teams, the last decade has seen the popularization and surge of the “early access” game release.

“Early access, what in the Dickens is that,” you may ask. Have a seat upon my knee and I’ll tell you. No? Ok, I’ll tell you anyway. Early access is a way for developers to release their game in an unfinished state, often at a discount, to help fund further production and receive feedback from the community. Quite a number of well-received games have started in early access — titles like Hades, Subnautica, and Slay the Spire, to name a few.