Milestones: alpha, beta, gold

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How done is it?

A milestone is a checkpoint with a clear test, so everyone agrees whether it has been reached. Games use names like alpha, beta and gold.

Studios define these words differently, so a team writes its own definitions down, usually in the design doc.

Shard Garden's definitions

The studio picks one common set:

Quick check

In beta, Kai wants to add a new garden. What do the studio's definitions say?

  1. Not now: content is locked in beta, so only fixes, balance and polish
  2. Yes: beta is the time for new ideas
  3. Yes, as long as it is a small garden
Show the answer

Not now: content is locked in beta, so only fixes, balance and polish

Content lock is the point of beta: every new garden brings new bugs just when the team is trying to remove them. The garden can come in an update after launch.

Different studios, different words

Cornell University's game design course uses its own scheme: there, the "golden master" is feature complete, and "Your game is finished, but not polished." Other studios would call that beta.

Neither is wrong. That is why Shard Garden's definitions are written down: so "we hit beta" means the same thing to Kai, Remy, the publisher and you.

Quick check

Alpha, beta and gold mean exactly the same thing at every studio.

Show the answer

False

The words are common, but their definitions vary. A team writes its own down so nobody argues about whether a milestone was reached.

Some dates are fixed

Some steps take a set time, however hard the team works. Steam's release guide says a store page must show as "coming soon" for at least 2 weeks, and its review "typically takes 3-5 business days". The game build is reviewed separately. Consoles have their own certification.

The plan puts these in as fixed blocks before launch day.

Plan the dates

Shard Garden goes gold on 1 March. Its Steam page is not public yet. When is the earliest sensible Steam launch?

  1. At least 2 weeks after the page goes up as coming soon, once the store and build reviews pass
  2. On 1 March, the gold date
  3. The same day the store page goes up
Show the answer

At least 2 weeks after the page goes up as coming soon, once the store and build reviews pass

Gold means the build is ready, not that Steam is. The coming soon page needs at least 2 weeks, and both reviews must pass. Putting the page up early avoids the wait.

How do we know it is done?

Every milestone depends on knowing when a feature is finished. "Done" needs a test anyone can check.

Bolt says: Next: writing requirements a test can check.

Fact-checked 12 October 2026