Playtest versus Early Access

The playtest is a short technical build you can request now. Early Access is the Steam launch planned for later in 2026, and the store page still says Coming soon. They are not the same download, and a bad hour in the test is not a review of the launch.

Side by side

The playtest, as of the 12 November post and the 14 November store check:

• Open, with the NDA lifted, on playtest app 4584570, and described as closing the week after 12 November.
• Progression ends before Birch Trees.
• Befriending Väsen is off. Fights are exaggerated, including fights among the beings.
• Not every Väsen is present.
• Some tools, workstations, building pieces, decorations, furniture, ingredients and materials are missing.
• Keys cannot be rebound. AZERTY may not play as intended.
• English only.
• Bugs, crashes and broken balance are expected. Known issues lists saves, dialogue, audio, host performance, desync, bad spawns and failed joins.

Early Access, as described on 14 October and contrasted in the playtest post:

• The launch itself, later in 2026, with no day and no price. See release date and price.
• The features the test removed are supposed to be in that release, including befriending and a way to play without combat if you want.
• More Väsen, more stations, more building parts and a progression that is not cut off before Birch Trees.
• The same fantasy the store page already sells: solo offline or up to 8 players, a procedural Dark Forest, crafting, and a home in the trees.

There is no separate demo. The demos list on the store page is empty. The playtest is the public tryout.

How to judge each one

Use the playtest to learn whether your PC holds a host, whether saves survive a clean quit, and whether the climb-and-shelter fantasy is fun while systems are missing. Use system requirements first so a minimum-spec crash is not a verdict on the game. Use beginner guide so you spend the hour on a roof instead of a missing forge.

Use Early Access, when it exists, to judge befriending, the longer forest and the craft range from arrows to musical instruments. Do not write the launch off because a playtest workstation was gone. The post told you it would be gone.

Worth wishlisting is the buying decision. The test is the hands-on decision, and only while the open flag lasts.

Verdict: Join the playtest for saves, co-op and the climb. Judge the game at Early Access, when befriending and the rest of the progression are supposed to be back. Do not pay anyone for either build today.

FAQ