Early Access Release Date and Beta Playtest Results

This is a very special announcement. After the beta test and a lot of careful consideration, we believe Northwind is ready for Early Access. We’re thrilled to let you know that Northwind will launch in Early Access on 22nd September 2025! ːsteamhappyː

Here is our Release Date Trailer!

OMG! We'll be launching literally in just two weeks!!! As I’m writing this, we’re both nervous and excited at the same time. This is our debut title, and it’s been quite a journey. We first started developing Northwind back in 2019 as just ideas, then began prototyping in 2020. That’s 5 years ago! Our team has worked on games before as employees for other companies, but this is the first one that’s fully ours! Our vision of the game!

At the beginning, we had no idea what the game would become. But you, our players, shaped it with us. Some of you joined us during alpha, some came for the demo, some returned for the beta and many of you are discovering Northwind for the very first time. Whether you’ve been with us from the start or just found us today— thank you so much for playing.

Your feedback, your playtime, your support… all of it made Northwind what it is today. And even now, right up until launch day, we’re polishing the game as much as possible.

We’re truly humbled and excited to have our launch date revealed during the Hungry Ghost Festival!

The BETA Results

We’d like to share some numbers from the beta test (no graphs this time, just a summary):

• 150+ players participated in the beta.

• 50% new players, 50% veterans.

• 1000+ runs were played.

• Average playtime per person: around 7 hours across the week, with 2–4 hours played daily.

• About 30% of players won the game (defeated the final boss).

We honestly didn’t expect these numbers! Thank you! it fills our team with joy and drives us to give everything we have for this final push before launch.

Fixes & Updates

Here’s what we learned and what’s changing:

• FixedPyrotech unlocksOnly ~50% of players got to play Pyrotech. We wanted closer to 70%, so we’ve made her unlock condition easier. We also fixed several of her cards that were too difficult to use or not generating enough value.
• AdjustedBoss encountersFewer than 20% of players fought bosses beyond Wolf boss - Frostfangs. Some met the Warlord, but that was still too low. We’ve adjusted boss unlock conditions so players can encounter more bosses.

• Hazard system: It didn’t feel impactful enough and came across as grindy. We'll make each Hazard more impactful to climb.

• Card removal service: Prices will be more expensive.

• AdjustedItem pricingAdjusted, since some items were clearly stronger than others.

• Event UX: We found out that many players unintentionally skipped rewards. You’ll now be able to revisit the event page and make clearer choices than before.

• Compendium: Now accessible at the top-right corner of the screen.

• …and many more!

Final Words

Northwind Northwind has gone through... honestly.. I’ve lost count, maybe 5 playtest now? xD Each one taught us so much about how to make the game better, thanks to you. The game wouldn’t be nearly as fun or as refined without your feedback and playtime.

Now, we believe we’re ready to take the next step into Early Access. The grind will still be there!! That’s what Early Access is for. We want to add so much more to the game, and we hope you’ll continue this journey with us, as we refine Northwind together.

– The Northwind Team, Barking Kitten Interactive