Hello survivors!

Not Quite Dead is getting very close to its Early Access release, so I wanted to give everyone a proper overview of what the game has become and what you can expect at launch.

Over the past months, the game has grown far beyond its original survival prototype. The main gameplay systems are now in place, the introductory questline is complete, multiplayer systems have received a lot of work, and the world is finally starting to feel like a real place to survive and explore.

Survive Your Way

Not Quite Dead is an open-world survival game where you can explore alone or with friends, gather resources, craft equipment, build a base, fight infected creatures, use vehicles and gradually push into more dangerous areas of the island.

At Early Access launch, the game includes:

• Solo and co-op survival with (permadeath or not)

• Gathering and crafting

• Base building

• Large inventory and equipment system

• Weapon durability and repairs

• Weapon upgrades from U1 to U6

• Cars, boats and helicopters

• Vehicle storage, fuel and repairs

• Traders and an economy

• Cooking and processing stations

• Temperature and heat-source mechanics

• Radiation zones and Gas Masks

• Multiple enemy types and dangerous areas

• World infestation events with shared rewards

• Co-op pings and teammate map markers

• Persistent manual Big Map waypoints

• An introductory quest progression

• Bunker-style dungeon exploration

• An optional Permadeath mode

• A full faction reputation and reward system

• Support for multiple languages

Factions

Three survivor factions are being introduced across the island.

Players can find their representatives, collect Faction Tokens, donate them and build reputation independently with each faction.

Each faction has five reward tiers:

250 → 750 → 2,000 → 5,000 → 10,000 Tokens

Rewards include supplies, Weapon Parts, weapon components, blueprints and upgraded weapons.

Faction progress is personal to each player in co-op and is saved with your current survivor.

Bunkers and Dangerous Locations

Bunkers are becoming some of the more dangerous dungeon-style locations in the game.

You may need radiation protection, weapons, healing supplies and proper preparation before entering them.

Some bunkers begin without electricity, requiring players to locate a power box and restore power before fully exploring the facility.

These locations are intended to contain better loot, environmental storytelling and reasons to return to the more dangerous parts of the island.

A Guided Beginning, Then Freedom

The beginning of the game now teaches the major survival mechanics before letting the player loose on the island.

You will learn how to gather resources, craft tools and a backpack, trade, use vehicles, find weapons, survive radiation, raid dangerous locations and eventually enter your first bunker.

After that, where you go is up to you.

Build a base. Hunt for better weapons. Complete infestations. Support factions. Explore contaminated locations. Search for vehicles. Take a boat somewhere you probably shouldn't. :)

The Map — Around 75% Complete

I also want to be transparent about the state of the world.

The main map is currently around 75% complete.

A large portion of the island is already built and playable, with towns, roads, military locations, industrial areas, radiation zones, faction locations, points of interest and exploration areas.

However, I still have parts of the island that I want to expand, improve and populate with additional content.

Rather than delaying the game until every last corner of the world is finished, I want to continue building those remaining areas during Early Access.

That means Early Access will allow the world to continue growing with new locations, additional bunker areas, points of interest and other content as development continues.

The goal isn't simply to make the map bigger — it's to make the remaining areas worth exploring.

What Happens During Early Access?

The core game is now largely in place, so my focus during Early Access will shift toward polish, balancing, bug fixing and expanding existing content, rather than constantly introducing completely new systems.

Expect continued work on the remaining map, additional locations and bunkers, balancing, performance, multiplayer stability, quality-of-life improvements and content based on player feedback.

There are also features that I would rather develop carefully after launch, such as additional survivor save slots, more difficulty options and further faction/content expansion.

Almost There

There has been an enormous amount of development behind Not Quite Dead, especially over the last few months.

The game now has survival, building, vehicles, multiplayer, progression, quests, factions, world events, bunkers, radiation, weapon upgrades and a large open world all working together.

There will always be more I want to add — that's the dangerous part of making a survival game. :)

But the goal now is clear:

Polish it. Test it. Release it. Then keep building it together during Early Access.

Thank you to everyone who has followed the project, played the tests, wishlisted the game and sent feedback.

We're getting very close.

See you on the island.