Steam's Early Access program has secret rules for developers

Steam's Early Access program is full of games waiting to be completed, and Valve seem to be quite laid-back about it. A document obtained by PC Gamer has revealed how Valve deals with those in the program, and how they don't really have any punishments on hand for those who break promises to their customers.

The document, which was only intended to be read by Steam Developers, is split up into three sections: rules, guidelines, and frequently asked questions. There are four rules in total, but only one tells developers how to correctly communicate their progress to players; basically stating that they should market the game in its current state, not what it could be like on completion.

The entirety of the rules section also conveys that Valve are quite lax when it comes to enforcing these rules. While they will go over the marketing for each release destined for Early Access, the rules show that they give much of the power to the developer; there are also no stated consequences for those who break the rules or do not follow the guidelines (though it may be safe to assume that repeated violations will result in a removal from Steam).

You can check out the full set of developer guidelines, courtesy of PC Gamer, http://www.pcgamer.com/steams-secret-early-access-rules-reveal-valves-hands-off-approach/2/. Do you think Valve are too relaxed when it comes to what Early Access developers should be doing, or is their current approach just right? Let us know in the comments!