Highly Anticipated Survival Crafting Aloft Releases to Steam Early Access: What You Need to Know

Revealed during the Summer Game Fest of 2024, Aloft is a brand-new survival-crafting title Developed by Astrolabe Interactive Inc. and published by Funcom. Set to the skies and mobilise a flying island to call your home, using ancient technology that has been lost for centuries.

Why Did Aloft Release to Early Access?

Aloft entered early stages of development in 2021, and by 2022, Astrolabe Interactive was able to release a public demo, creating a close-knit connection with their audience. Regularly taking player feedback and updating the release, the team found that they thoroughly enjoyed keeping the community's insights in mind along the way, and as a small indie studio, they wish to continue this collaborative process.

Throughout the development of the Early Access, the team hopes to continue incorporating community feedback to bolster growth and ensure collaboration to create the best game possible.

How Long Will Aloft Be in Early Access?

Like many games releasing to Steam Early Access, the team is expecting to be in the Early Access period for "at least" a year, though regular content updates are planned, ensuring the gameplay content remains engaging for those who jump ship (or island?) early.

What Will Be Different in Aloft's Final Version?

The whole host of changes aren't set in stone, but Astrolabe Interactive has a fair few ideas of things they want to add. Most importantly, the team mentions that player feedback will help shape some of the content that will be important throughout Aloft, making it difficult to be exact on which items players can expect to explore.

Planned updates for Aloft during Early Access include:

• New game mechanics
• More explorable biomes
• Meteorological events
• Building types
• Challenges to overcome
• Quality-of-life improvements
• Inclusion of player feedback

If you want to learn more about the current state of the game, then you should check out our preview!

Will Aloft's Price Increase in the Full Release?

The team doesn't have a definitive answer, but they are leaning towards yes, yet it isn't definedat this point. You can currently pick it up for £20.99, with the price possibly increasing in the future as new content is added.

How Can I Share My Feedback for Aloft?

Astrolabe Interactive's promise is that they'll keep a transparent dialogue with the community as part of their top priorities. Involving playtests, surveys, and public demos, they're hoping to get feedback from the community and ensure that the information advances everyone's vision for what Aloft can be in the future.

The best way to give feedback about Aloft is by joining the Discord server or by posting on the Steam discussions for the game. Aside from that, the team says you can join their social media platforms and use the in-game bug-reporting tool to give information about what could be causing you issues.