What is Steam Early Access and how does it work?

Steam Early Access is a program that allows developers to sell their game on Steam while it is still in development. The program clearly provides customers with the context that a product should be considered "unfinished".

What is Early Access?

Early Access is intended for games that are in a playable alpha or beta state, are worth the current value of the playable build, and which the developer plans to develop further for the final release. Releasing a game in Early Access helps set expectations for potential customers and gives them information about the developer's plans and goals before a "final" release.

What Early Access is not

According to Valve's official documentation, Early Access is explicitly not a crowdfunding method for developing a product. Developers should not use Early Access solely to finance development. If a developer is counting on selling a specific number of copies to finish the game, they should carefully consider what it would mean if that number is not reached.

Early Access is also not a pre-purchase. The program is not intended as a form of pre-sale, but as a tool to make the game available to Steam users and gather feedback while completing the game. Early Access titles must deliver a playable game or usable software to the customer at the time of purchase, while pre-purchase games are delivered at a future date.

Additionally, Steam Early Access is not the same as Advance Access. Advance Access is often called "early access" on other platforms, but is a completely different concept on Steam. Advance Access is a pre-purchase incentive where customers who pre-purchase a "Deluxe" package get access to the game earlier than customers who buy the "Standard" package.

Is Early Access right for your game?

Early Access is a tool to develop a game together with the community by giving users access to the title before it is officially released. Valve recommends carefully considering whether the program is suitable for a specific game. The documentation refers to other Early Access games on Steam, developer forums, and case studies to learn more about developer experiences with Early Access.