Heart of the Machine leaves early access on March 6 with two endings

Heart of the Machine will reach 1.0 on March 6, exiting early access. Arcen Games designer Chris Park says the main focus of the release update is to add a proper ending after criticism that past Arcen titles had "lackluster endings. Usually just 'you win, go play again'." Early impressions have likened the game to Crusader Kings 3, noting it’s as much about finding your place as seizing control.

Dominic Tarason observed that "choices really do matter here, and the writing (often framed as your AI's internal monologue) really encourages you to roleplay it your own way." The 1.0 build will add two "major ending scenarios" with six sub-variants. Park says one is focused on "committing ALL the war crimes," while the other "is a construction sandbox, and pays off a bunch of other story beats with minimal combat." Park estimates a single run to the end will take 25–40 hours, with a "minimum" of 175 hours to reach 100%.

arcen games, chris park, early access, 1.0, march 6, endings, war crimes, construction sandbox, crusader kings, dominic tarason