Release decisions
We are happy to present you the full version of the game finally available to all. Many options of how to proceed with releasing Chessboard Kingdoms have crossed our minds, and we opted to go with an Early Access version. Although the game is fully playable, there is yet much to be done if we want to keep it close to the grandeur of the original design. Early Access is here to help us determine how far we can take it and how players will respond to what the game offers right now. Our second big decision is the pricing. Even though we would like to have the game free-to-play with paid downloadable content and user-created items, after nearly two years in development we realize that we simply don't yet have the resources to rely on a free-to-play model, which would not be keeping us afloat for a long time.
Fixes
For this release we prepared a lot of fixes directly based on the recent beta test feedback. There are still a ton of things we should be fixing and the suggestions we had from all who have tried the game before are excellent. Our big desire was to finally make the game available for more people to try, so we had to pause somewhere. Early Access is the way to go, as it should allow us to continue receiving feedback and tweaking the game accordingly, as well as adding new features.
Map Editor
As an important bonus, we released the Map Editor as a DLC. It is a free app that will give you the chance to make your own maps and share them through Steam Workshop (or by sending them out however you like). Needless to say, as long as you and your friends have the map you made, you all can play it together in multiplayer.
In the end...
Most of all we hope that our players will enjoy the game and will have fun making some maps. We value any feedback you are willing to provide. Thank you for your time and enjoy Chessboard Kingdoms!