Great Games That Made The Best Use Of Early Access

Key Takeaways

• Early Access success relies on incorporating fan feedback, clear communication, and gameplay tuning for a rewarding 1.0 release.
• Indie games like Hades, Baldur’s Gate 3, and RimWorld prove that Early Access can lead to masterful releases.
• Early Access periods allow games like Subnautica and Don’t Starve to evolve into indie breakout hits through fan feedback.

The term Early Access can cause a ton of emotions to stir within a player. Some people don’t appreciate the idea of developers selling an experience that isn’t complete, while others feel that fan feedback goes a long way in helping Early Access success stories feel that much more rewarding.

It’s always a gamble to support an Early Access game, but most players love games that do a great job of justifying this beta release by incorporating feedback, communicating with fans, and giving clear information surrounding their game and what fans can expect from a 1.0 release.

8 Hades

Fine-Tuned The Combat For 1.0 Release

Supergiant Games has a great reputation as one of the best indie developers that just gets it. Players love their games for how they manage to intertwine gameplay and stories in a satisfying knot, and Hades is no exception.

This was easily their most ambitious title by a country mile, and Supergiant Games decided to follow an Early Access strategy with complete transparency to ensure that their roguelike action gameplay (their first attempt at the genre) was as strong as ever. The result was a 1.0 release that floored fans and let them enjoy one of the greatest indie action games of all time.

7 Baldur’s Gate 3

Took Player Feedback Into Account To Make For A Monumental Launch

With two amazing modern CRPGs under their belt that turned the Divinity series into a household name among fans of this genre, it was clear that the sky was the limit for Larian Studios. After acquiring one of the biggest CRPG franchises of all time and working on a much-awaited third entry, it was clear that this studio wanted everything to be perfect for Baldur’s Gate 3.

This was achieved with an Early Access release that covered Act 1 of the story and let players enjoy the masterful systems at play in the game. Fan feedback and gameplay tuning were downright necessary for this game’s role-playing and combat to feel as natural as ever, and Baldur’s Gate 3 took all its lessons in stride and released one of the greatest modern RPGs that fans can’t get enough of.

6 Minecraft

A Massive Indie Success Story That Used Its Early Access Feedback To Great Effect

Minecraft is one of the biggest Early Access success stories and has become the best-selling game of all time — indie or otherwise. The survival and crafting elements of this game were a huge inspiration for both genres, allowing these types of games to dominate both indie and AAA gaming landscapes.

It was clear that the Early Access period was a huge reason for the game’s success, improving the gameplay and ensuring that it lived up to fan expectations. With Minecraft continuing to dominate the gaming industry to this day, it’s easy to see why Early Access has become so commonplace for most games nowadays.

5 Darkest Dungeon

Boasts A Hardcore Combat System That Needed An Early Access Period To Iron Out The Kinks

Darkest Dungeon is a hardcore RPG where every party member’s death serves as a learning experience for players. People love the idea of amassing a party and exploring dark, brooding dungeons where huge losses are an eventuality that players must prepare for.

It can be frustrating to lose a party member players have invested a lot of time in, but that’s precisely what makes Darkest Dungeon such a blast to play through. The Early Access period ensured that the title’s gameplay was sharpened to a deadly edge, with any unpopular additions being booted or reworked to make the experience as satisfying as it could possibly be.

4 Slay The Spire

A Roguelike Deck-Builder That Made The Most Of Its Early Access Period

Roguelike games can hugely benefit some time in Early Access to know whether the procedurally generated content is sitting right with fans. Slay the Spire needed this side of the gameplay to be as satisfying as ever if players wanted to immerse themselves in the act of deck-building.

Slay the Spire can be daunting to get into, but fans can rest assured that the gameplay is quite balanced and the difficulty curve isn’t too jarring. All of this is a result of a sublime Early Access period that used fan feedback to ensure that Slay the Spire would be more engaging than ever.

3 RimWorld

One Of The Greatest Colony Simulation Games That Needed An Early Access Period To Flesh Out Its Gameplay

RimWorld is one of the deepest and most engaging colony simulations that players can get their hands on. The numerous layers that make up this title are all expertly crafted and benefited from its time in Early Access.

Without all the improvements made over the course of this period, it’s possible that RimWorld wouldn’t have received half of the love and adoration it’s showered with to this day. Once players get used to the act of resource management and base-building, the individual stories of each colonist are what will keep fans coming back for more as they get attached to their survivors.

2 Subnautica

Didn’t Impress Many Fans In Early Access Only To Slowly Become An Indie Breakout Hit After Integrating Fan Feedback

Players may have to get over their thalassophobia to enjoy Subnautica, but this is a worthwhile effort to make. The amazing atmosphere of this game makes every underwater dive as harrowing as they come as players scavenge for resources, make progress, and ensure that their base is running smoothly.

The Early Access period of this game allowed players to check out a title with a ton of potential, which was met and possibly surpassed with the 1.0 release. The fact that players consider the second game in the series to be inferior to its predecessor is a testament to the genius that led to Subnautica‘s development.

1 Don’t Starve

An Excellent Survival Game That Perfected The Gameplay In Early Access

Don’t Starve combines its hardcore survival gameplay with a gothic art style that looks amazing. Players will be drawn in by the game’s visuals before realizing how tough it can be to survive night after night when the terrors get too much to bear.

This game is somehow charming yet unnerving at the same time, and this masterful atmosphere is just one of the many elements of Don’t Starve that were fine-tuned in Early Access. Players patient enough to back this project and give feedback were treated to one of the greatest indie survival video games of all time.