It’s pretty crazy to that Dead Cells is already an indie hit, when it isn’t even out yet. This is because the game has already been available via Early Access on Steam. With 750,000 copies sold and a vast majority of positive reviews since originally entering Early Access for Windows back on May 10, 2017, it’s clear that this was the right choice. But Early Access didn’t seem like such a good (or safe) idea back then, according to responses given in a Gamasutra interview with Motion Twin Lead Designer Sébastien Bénard. Here’s how the team when from skeptical to successful.
Bénard cited the Motion Twin’s approach as a key factor in keeping fans content, while allowing the game to grow through additional development and experimentation. It was all about making things clear to the community and never promising something that had a chance of not being ready on time or being the right fit. Bénard reflected, “If it was some kind of experimental thing, we?d just explain that it was experimental, and that it might not survive Early Access. That was true of multiplayer, something the team mentioned as a possibility early on: it was always described as a ‘maybe,’ so fans weren?t angry when the idea was ditched.” But not making fans angry wasn’t the same as making everyone happy. Every game  will be criticized. Sometimes, that’s on the player and their tastes, but other times there’s something there f...