Summary
Early access gives players an opportunity to look at and play some of thebest upcoming gamesbefore they are completed. At the same time, slowly updating a game until it is finished allows developers to closely integrate feedback into the development process. It also allows them to start monetizing their work before the game is fully finished, which can be beneficial for many indie games without a publisher.
The best early access games are not only functional and playable, but replayable as well. With this in mind, it shouldn’t be surprising thatmany early access gamesare roguelikes, a genre built on replayability. Other popular genres include multiplayer games, especially party games, and anything built on procedural generation.
Run Prop, Run!is an early accessprop hunt gamein the vein of classicHalf-Life 2andTeam Fortress 2mods. One or more players take on the role of the hunters, tasked with capturing the other players, who transform into props and hide in plain sight. Props, in the prop hunt genre, refer to game objects: 3D models that usually litter game levels like office chairs, crates, coins, and so on.
Prop hunt games likeRun Prop, Run!aren’t what most would consider a traditional stealth game. But if the popularity of the genre is any indication, this is the best way to turn slow, methodical sneaking into a party game for up to 12 players.
Kapellmeisteris a unique stealth game about completing puzzle game-like tasks while constantly being stalked. In what seems like a hint of inspiration from theFive Nights at Freddy’sseries, survival relies in great part on checking security cameras on the phone to make sure the killer isn’t on the current hunt.
The game currently contains only one map, divided into five phases called “nights.” The final release will feature multiple maps and more tasks to fit a larger game.Kapellmeisterwill remain in Steam Early Access for only a few months, according to the game’s store page.
Wanted Raccoonis a surprisingly competent early-access stealth game about a raccoon thief and his criminal friends. It has base-building elements, tool crafting for advanced test maneuvers, and skating. It also has traps and projectiles to fight the people who have “taken your home.”
It’s impossible to playWanted Raccoonwithout getting some form of déjà vu. Indeed, the premise of the game is surprisingly similar to the DreamWorks animated movieOver the Hedge. There’s a raccoon thief who hates humans, an organized animal society unsure how much crime it should allow, and animals driving human vehicles.
Shadows of Doubtcalls itself a sandbox detective stealth game. Let’s add procedurally-generated and alternate reality to this list of buzzwords, too.Shadows of Doubtis anexploration game that simulates an entire city, although it has some strong stealth influences, with randomly generated cases and plenty of dirt to uncover and sell.
Unlike many other games in the same situation,Shadows of Doubtdoesn’t plan to remain in early access indefinitely. The game’s 1.0 version is planned to come out at some point during 2024. The team is slightly behind the roadmap though, as it still hasn’t fully implemented the mod support promised for winter 2023. Hopefully, the game will eventually get a full release.
Of Guards And Thieveshas been around for a while. While the Steam Store page has only been added in 2016, the game itself has been out in some way or another since 2014. Considering this game is still in early access, this is not a good sign. Another problem is that this multiplayer-only game doesn’t have an active community, and the servers are empty.
And yet,Of Guards And Thievesis so much fun. This isometric, asymmetrical multiplayer game puts sneaking thieves against well-armed but slow guards, and arms both with unique gadgets like alarms, mines, night vision goggles, and so on. While it’s hard to recommend on its own,Of Guards And Thievesis free and plenty of fun with a large group of friends.
Gloomwoodhas been likened to the classic stealth seriesThief, and for good reasons. This first-person stealth horror game also showcases quite a lot of immersive sim and retro shooter influences. This might be in part due to the influence of its producer, New Blood Interactive, responsible for some of thebest retro-inspired shooters around.
Gloomwoodcurrently includes a very polished few hours of gameplay. The developers think the game might remain in early access for about two years, about as long asDuskandUltrakill. If that is the case, the game will be released sometime in 2024 or 2025.
