| Phase |
Goal |
Status |
Notes |
| Structural |
Build a game that works mechanically end-to-end |
In Progress |
First playable Dec 2025. Multiplayer Jan 2026. Tech tree Apr 2026. Contracts May 2026. Coalitions, resource routes, and messaging ongoing. Phase complete when all core systems are stable. |
| Tune |
Make the game enjoyable — balance VP paths, contract values, resource economics |
Not Started |
Requires real players playing real games. Structural issues found during tuning will feed back into the structural phase. Iteration between these two phases is expected and normal. |
| Skin |
Make it look good — visual polish, better UI, onboarding |
Not Started |
Deferred until tuning is stable. No point polishing a game whose mechanics are still changing. |
| Alpha |
Feature-complete game, known bugs acceptable |
Not Started |
Structural + Tune + Skin phases done. Game is complete but not necessarily bug-free. |
| Test |
Fix the bugs |
Not Started |
Fix known bugs until satisfied. Feature freeze — no new features after this point. |
| Beta |
External playtesters — find what we missed |
Not Started |
Wider audience, still bug-fixing. Feature freeze holds. Modern games start beta earlier; we won't. |
| Production |
Go live |
Not Started |
For a web game the distinction from beta is mostly ceremonial — it means the URL can be shared publicly without apology. |