The represents a significant milestone in the game's development history, specifically known as the Gamescom 2015 Build . Released in August 2015, it is currently one of the oldest surviving public versions of the game available through preservation archives . Historical Context and Availability

: Players often encountered unique pre-alpha glitches, such as "flying" when jumping off certain bridges, though saving in that state would result in death upon reloading . Evolution into Early Access

Compared to the polished 2018 retail release, this pre-alpha build offers a raw and drastically different experience:

This build paved the way for subsequent updates like Build 11 (January 2016), which introduced tutorial elements, denser environments, and a dedicated journal screen . The game eventually transitioned from this pre-alpha state into its official phase in July 2016, adding more complex narrative elements like the voiced prologue .

: The environment is significantly darker, featuring a different HUD and "old-school" procedural world generation that was more sparse but often considered more atmospheric by early testers .

: It was primarily a "pure" survival game with almost no story content . Survival systems were more demanding; for instance, the player menu did not pause the game, and inventory management was more restrictive .

Build 11164 was used to showcase the game at Gamescom a month after its successful , which raised over 330,000 Canadian dollars . At this stage, earlier June and May 2015 builds are considered lost, making Build 11164 (along with Build 11219) the effective starting point for players looking to explore the game's earliest playable state . Key Features and Differences

: Combat was simpler, featuring fewer weapons and more aggressive "Bobbies" (police) . Some later-standard mechanics, such as the ability to drag and hide bodies, were not yet implemented .