Endless Alice

Endless Alice entered Steam Early Access on January 15, 2025 and remains there — the game is still on version 0.3.x with the Early Access flag active. HowlingRain has maintained an active development pace throughout 2026. Major updates include: the Final Boss challenge "E.C.I.L.A" and new playable character Mia (May 14, 2026, version 0.2.0); E.C.I.L.A. added as a second new playable character (July 21, 2026, version 0.3.0); a Yukata DLC batch and further character fixes (September 15, 2026, version 0.3.7); and a substantial patch adding new items, a new map mechanic, audio improvements, and balance changes (October 1, 2026, version 0.3.8 — the most recent update as of today). The Unreal Engine 5.8 upgrade flagged in the August 20, 2026 post was confirmed complete in the September 8, 2026 patch, with the developer stating they would "accelerate the pace of updates again." In an April 9, 2026 developer post, HowlingRain laid out what still needs to happen before 1.0: at least four additional playable characters (Maho, an unnamed wolf-sister, Mao, and crossover characters from their other games), at least one new gameplay mode, one to two new themed maps, new and variant enemies, an emote system, a skin accessory system, and special stages. The developer estimated 1.0 is "within the next 12 months" from that April 2026 post, placing a rough target around April 2027. The studio has been candid about financial pressure. The April 9, 2026 post warned that without better sales the project risks a "slow death," with revenue on non-sale days sometimes as low as $50–$70 USD. Development has been sustained largely through cosmetic DLC sales, and the team typically operates with only 10–15 people. The active October 1, 2026 patch shows the team is still shipping, but the studio's financial fragility means the project's ability to reach its promised 1.0 milestone with the full slate of content remains genuinely uncertain.