Here’s a list of the top games with the longest time in Early Access on Steam I included those still in EA and those that finally released after years of development.
| Rank | Game | Early Access Start | Full Release (if any) | Time in EA | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caves of Qud | ~2009 (pre-Steam EA) | Dec 2024 | ~15 years | ✅ Released |
| 2 | Project Zomboid | Nov 8, 2013 | — | 11+ years (ongoing) | 🟡 Still in EA |
| 3 | 7 Days to Die | Dec 13, 2013 | Jun 27, 2024 | 10.5 years | ✅ Released |
| 4 | Universe Sandbox | Aug 24, 2015 | — | 10 years (ongoing) | 🟡 Still in EA |
| 5 | Interstellar Marines | Jul 2, 2013 | — (abandoned?) | 12 years (stalled) | 🔴 Development stalled |
| 6 | My Summer Car | Oct 24, 2016 | Jan 8, 2025 | ~8 years, 3 months | ✅ Released |
| 7 | Kenshi | Mar 20, 2013 | Dec 6, 2018 | ~5 years, 9 months | ✅ Released |
| 8 | DayZ | Dec 16, 2013 | Dec 13, 2018 | ~5 years | ✅ Released |
| 9 | RimWorld | Nov 4, 2013 | Oct 17, 2018 | ~5 years | ✅ Released |
| 10 | Besiege | Jan 28, 2015 | Feb 18, 2022 | ~7 years | ✅ Released |
| 11 | Rust | Dec 11, 2013 | Feb 8, 2018 | ~4 years, 2 months | ✅ Released |
| 12 | Subnautica | Dec 16, 2014 | Jan 23, 2018 | ~3 years, 1 month | ✅ Released |
| 13 | Starbound | Dec 4, 2013 | Jul 22, 2016 | ~2 years, 8 months | ✅ Released |
| 14 | Prison Architect | Sep 25, 2012 | Oct 6, 2015 | ~3 years | ✅ Released |
| 15 | Starmancer | Aug 5, 2021 | — | ~4 years (ongoing) | 🟡 Still in EA |
🟡 Ongoing or Stalled Games (Not Yet Released)
- Project Zomboid – 11+ years, still receiving major updates (Build 42 in progress).
- Universe Sandbox – 10 years in EA with constant updates and roadmap ahead.
- Interstellar Marines – 12 years in EA; little to no development since 2017.
- Starmancer – 4 years in EA; still actively worked on.
🧠 Notes
- Caves of Qud had one of the longest EA periods in indie history, though it started before the formal Steam EA system.
- Interstellar Marines technically takes the crown for time spent in EA without full release, but it’s mostly considered abandoned.
- This list includes only games that were available via Steam Early Access and had a continuous EA presence (excluding games like Star Citizen that are on other platforms or run their own alphas/betas).
- Games like Owlboy were in development for nearly a decade but were not Early Access titles.
