So, today is the release date for Etheldia Pepper. The game is finished, and it's all uploaded Steam, but I'm unable to release it. For those who don't know, before you can publish a game on Steam the build has to be approved by its release team. For context, Steam suggests that this process takes 2-3 days usually, but to allow for 5. I submitted the Etheldia Pepper build for approval on the 25th of March, and the game has yet to be approved, 20 days later. Apparently due to the pandemic, the Steam review team are currently working from home so there are delays in the approval process.
It's the first time I've heard of a developer waiting for a platform to release their game and not the other way around so it's a bit of a weird feeling but I've tried reaching out to Steam and the message I got back is that there's not much I can do other than be patient and wait. It feels really good to have finished the game though. I wasn't confident when I set out that I would be able to make the kind of game I envisioned in the time I had allocated but I'm proud to say that I think it's turned out to be a better and much more polished game than I believed possible at the beginning.
I apologize for the delay, and will post an updated release as soon as I learn more. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the game or in general, I'll be happy to answer them.
Thanks,
Hippo.