We've been really busy at work with a planned alpha version Playtest for Space Dingus! You can now sign up for a chance to play it in the future. Just go to the Steam Store page, and there will be a link at the top where you can request access to the Playtest.
Some notes:
After you sign up, Playtest access will be given by random chance. Steam's Playtest system is set up to allow this. Closer to the game's launch, we may also just invite everyone in that signed up.
We're planning on also having Playtest access be granted at random via our Official Discord. So if you join our Discord, then you'll get extra chances to get into testing.
The first Playtests will likely just focus on making sure the Online Multiplayer works well. So it will be pretty small otherwise. Example, something like "test this one early location".
Once you get in on a Playtest, you'll likely be able to stay in for the Alpha and Beta periods for the game. So testing will start small, but get bigger over time. More locations, and eventually the full game loop.
We're going to see if we can make it so you can have friends that DO NOT have the Playtest be able to join your games, as long as you are hosting! This will happen if we figure out how, plus Steam lets us during a Playtest.
You will have to agree to not stream the game, until we say it's ok in the future. This is to prevent you making videos of a rat clipping through a wall, some bug then turning the rat into 1000 rats, the game overheating your computer, and you then saying "I DEMAND A REFUND*" over the smoking wreckage.
We are shooting for our first Playtest at the end of the year or beginning of the next.**
*Footnote 1: NO REFUNDS
**Footnote 2: We're shooting for it, but no guarantees (also see Footnote 1)
Monthly Developer Logs
Starting on October 30th, we will be doing long, monthly dev log news posts about what we've been doing. They will be posted here, on the Steam community pages. We're going to do these on the last Thursday of every month.
For the first developer log, I will have a lot to catch up on! I have also been posting news to the #future-preview channel of our Discord, and to the platform formerly known as Twitter. Some of what I post will look familiar if you've been following those, but it will be nice to have everything in one place. I will also go into more detail when I summarize things on Steam.
Until then, please Wishlist the game if you haven't already, and sign up for the Playtest if you're interested. Also, tell your friends, especially if they are Death Road to Canada fans!