Why Early Access?

“Early Access is a great way for me to deliver a game to the early adopters who have been wanting to play and level up their Joltzsi skills.

While I believe there are many features needed to release this game to the broader public, the current state of the game is perfect for those players who want to dive into the game, start playing and compete on the leaderboard. An analogy I’d make is that the game is as fully featured as NES Tetris which is entirely playable, but not something I would regard as “complete” for the broader audience of 2024.

An additional benefit will be to respond to player feedback now - balancing the game, fixing potential bugs and adding quality of life improvements. It will also be a great way for this game to be community driven, as I can prioritize new features ahead of the official release.

In short, Early Access is the perfect way to deliver Joltzsi to those who have been waiting to play, while making it clear that it is far from the final vision to be delivered.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“My target is Q1 of 2025.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“While the current state of the game is a complete experience on its own, with the full release I plan to target features for long term gameplay which may include:

- Steam Achievements
- Player Stats and Bios
- Additional, unlockable, Game Modes
- Game customizations (such as custom height and board sizes)
- More refined leaderboards
- Additional Backgrounds
- Online Multiplayer
- Native Mac and Steam Deck support

Some other Post-Release goals will include:
- “On-Fire” edition DLC
- Integrated Leagues and Tournaments
- Elo Rating System”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Early Access currently contains the following Features:

Three complete game modes for an endless action block puzzle game, multiple music tracks, polished 3d backgrounds, a leaderboard and complete voice over. The current build is very stable and polished.

Feature Details:

Game A:
A complete action block puzzle game, using Tetrominoes, where you stack and clear blocks with values 1-4. You’ll try to earn a high score in an endless puzzle game where speeds increase, and animating 3D backgrounds transition as you level up.

Game B:
Game B is a variation of Game A, but you’ll drop other block types from Tetrominoes, and instead of stacking values one at a time you may stack values of 2, 3 and 4 at a time.

Local Battle Mode:
Play with a friend locally in which 2 players are competing in Game A mode but against each other on the same board. It’s a Joltzsi tug of war in which player 1 is trying to clear blocks of positive values while player 2 is trying to drag values into negative values and clear lines.

Leaderboard:
Players can compare their highest score against the competition with a global leaderboard.

Voice Over:
In addition to three electronic music tracks, Early Access comes with the voice of Tim Kitzrow (NBA Jam fame) to drive home the classic arcade experience.

Audio Settings:
Tired of hearing Tim? Silence him! You have complete control over SFX, Music and VO volume to ensure quality of life even at this Early Access stage.

Controller Support:
Joltzsi has been successfully tested on Playstation and XBOX controllers and has support for keyboard controls.

Platforms:
Joltzsi is available for PC (tested on Windows 10 and above). It does not currently have native support for Steam Deck though it has been successfully tested by several beta testers without issue. This is not yet officially supported however, so your mileage may vary.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“Yes, I anticipate a higher price for all of the additional features.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“Connect with me through my dedicated Joltzsi email or SuperAnthony discord (where we already have a dedicated fanbase). My YouTube channels will also provide updates on the development of Joltzsi.

I very much want this to be a community driven experience and I encourage everyone interested in the direction of this game to participate!”