Hey, everyone! We're super stoked to see the traction 9 Kings has been getting. With the unexpected boom of the last week, we feel it's important to address a few things and make sure everyone knows where we're headed. [h2]What's up with those bugs?[/h2] For those who are new and just got the demo, please keep in mind: [b]this is an alpha demo[/b]. Its main goal is to validate the prototypical structure of 9 Kings and track bugs. We can't thank you enough for all the reports we've received on the community hub. As a very small indie team, we have a limited number of computers to test the game on, so your support has been invaluable. We just ask for your patience while we work through everything! The unit freezing bug—the main bug we've encountered so far—seems to have different causes on different systems. While we've resolved some of them, others are still being addressed and will be fixed asap. We see you, we're on it, and we're committed to never launching 9 Kings with any game-breaking bugs on the radar. [h2]When can we expect the game?[/h2] We're planning to release 9 Kings in Early Access in early 2025. EA supporters will get the game at a discount and, like those of you playing the demo, will be essential in refining the final stages before the 1.0 release. [h2]Why is endless mode scaling so annoying?[/h2] The main experience of 9 Kings was designed to end after 27 turns. But after releasing our first demo, it became clear that the community craves more (which is awesome, really). So, [b]we've decided to expand the original scope and make the endgame more central to the core gameplay[/b]. We have some exciting ideas in the works. Just keep in mind that they won’t be part of the current demo. We've managed to soften the level upscaling a little bit, but that is the main reason it exists. [h2]Does that mean I’ll be able to expand beyond 9 tiles?[/h2] Yes! You’ll be able to have a huge kingdom with more than 9 tiles (!!!). We're very excited about the prototype that implements this feature. But for now, we’re fully focused on fixing the game-breaking bug that has been affecting part of the community. [h2]What else can we expect from the final game?[/h2] Tile expansion. Meta-progression. New events. Harder levels. And, well... 9 Kings. Expect a roadmap post soon :) [h2]What's next?[/h2] This week, we're 100% focused on releasing a stable alpha demo on Steam. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us get there. We apologize in advance for any potential rollbacks, but we're committed to polishing the experience as much as possible before returning to work on the remaining features. Keep in mind the final Alpha demo will be available for a limited amount of time. Expect a new revamped demo on Steam Next Fest! But for now, please keep the feedbacks coming—we're here and we’re listening. Thanks for giving us the extra boost to get 9 Kings where we dream it can be. We won’t let you down. With love, The Sad Socket team