Big Early Access Games That Are Officially Dead

Steam Early Access has been a valuable tool for many successful games over the past ten years, providing crucial funding and building interest while the game is still being developed. It lets developers introduce their game to players early on, and many players enjoy trying out unfinished versions of games they plan to purchase later.

I’ve seen so many promising games enter Early Access, but it’s heartbreaking how many never actually get finished. It’s tough to get the support needed, or sometimes the problems just seem insurmountable. We all remember The Culling – even launching isn’t a guarantee of success! But these games? They unfortunately never even got that far, and that’s a real shame.

Godus

An Experiment That Ended Poorly

Marketed as a true “God game” spearheaded by the hype around Curiosity – What’s Inside the Cube?
Long-term development promises and updates.
Declines due to stalled updates and a lack of developer communication.
Source

I remember when Godus first came out – there was so much hype! It was supposed to completely redefine god games, letting civilizations actually evolve based on what players did, with the developers promising constant updates guided by the community. The initial Early Access period was really promising, especially because of the buzz from the Curiosity project beforehand. For a while, it genuinely felt like this game could be something special and stick around for years.

Unfortunately, the game’s development soon hit roadblocks. Features that were promised never appeared, and the developers became less communicative. Key parts of the game were left incomplete, and planned content was never added, causing players to lose interest. The team later started working on other projects, including a related game, but ultimately funding and support dried up. As a result, the game stands as a warning about development challenges rather than a successful achievement.

Fault: Elder Orb

Attempting To Revive A Fan-Favourite MOBA

A Paragon–inspired MOBA using open-source assets.
Emphasis on heroes and competitive integrity.
Smaller playerbase made it hard to support long-term.
Source

Fault: Elder Orb launched in early access as a follow-up to the popular game Paragon, hoping to bring back the third-person MOBA style of gameplay. It offered a fresh, updated experience for fans, with well-developed heroes and the potential to become a successful game in a competitive market.

The project ultimately failed because not enough people played it, and the online multiplayer experience became increasingly difficult. With fewer players online, it became hard to find matches, and without a strong community, the game lost momentum and was eventually forgotten.

The Day Before

Misleading Players From The Start

Large-scale MMO with both PvP and PvE elements.
Generated hype through cinematic trailers and ambitious design.
Delivered a poorly polished final product that didn’t reflect the promises.
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Before its release, The Day Before was heavily promoted as a large-scale, online survival game that blended the styles of The Division and The Last of Us. Trailers and marketing materials showed a detailed and immersive world with exciting combat, and its strong focus on multiplayer gameplay generated a lot of hype.

The game’s launch was a disaster. Once players started playing, it became clear the released version was drastically different – and much worse – than what was shown in trailers. Many felt the developers had been dishonest, leading to widespread criticism. The game was quickly removed from Steam due to the overwhelming negative reaction.

Worlds Adrift

Player-Driven Worlds With Not Enough Players

An MMO influenced heavily by player actions.
Unique floating island setting that could be navigated with airships.
High server costs and low player count led to its decline.
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As a huge fan of innovative games, I was really excited about Worlds Adrift. It wasn’t like anything else out there – a massively multiplayer online game built around realistic physics where you designed and built your own skyships! The whole world was set amongst the clouds, and the way the game let you explore and discover things felt really natural and organic. That unique approach definitely grabbed a lot of people’s attention when it first came out.

Despite its grand vision, the game ultimately struggled with practical challenges. Running the game required a lot of expensive server power, and upkeep costs continued to rise. Combined with slow updates and a limited number of players, the game couldn’t afford to keep running, and sadly, it ended before reaching its full potential, even with a dedicated group of fans.

Radical Heights

Gone Before It Could Truly Blossom

A battle royale with an 80s neon aesthetic.
Aimed to release weekly updates and integrate with Twitch features.
Launched in a saturated market with unfinished mechanics.
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Radical Heights launched when battle royale games were incredibly popular, trying to stand out with its bright, neon look and fast-paced, arcade-style shooting. Though the game world was relatively small, it was action-packed, featuring quick movement. The developers planned to keep players interested by regularly updating the game and maintaining open communication with the player community.

The game initially seemed promising with its frequent updates, but those updates didn’t live up to expectations and key features were never finished. This led to a quick loss of players, and ultimately, the developers stopped working on the game altogether.

Folk Tale

Left Unfinished Forever

A city-building simulator with a range of unique mechanics.
Sandbox-level freedom.
Developmental delays and internal problems led to the game’s decline.
Source

Folk Tale was a game where you built and managed a medieval village. You guided your villagers, constructed buildings, and expanded your territory over time. The game emphasized realistic, unpredictable events; villagers acted on their own, and you had to solve unique problems as they arose, rather than following a set storyline.

Although Folk Tale showed promise, development stalled, and many planned features were never added. The game’s future became unclear, and the developer faced internal problems that led to it being temporarily taken off Steam. Ultimately, it was removed from the store permanently.

2025-11-25 06:07