We have a new beta build with the new animal system on the Tropical Island level. There are definitely things we plan to improve, but we wanted to get this in front of folks to look at over the holiday period.

Changes

- Animals for tropical island
- Remove territory penalty for non-ideal animals, and rebalance
- Boost animal territory size for harder difficulties by a bit to make them more doable
- QoL: when placing multiple buildings with shift, keep current rotation
- Fix some bugs with animals in zen mode
- Fixes for animal migration oscillations
- Better mouse selection of animals when there are multiple in vicinity
- Fix: clicking on animal group icons opens info panel
- Button for sorting animal groups in the dock
- Quick animations for animal dock
- Fix: don't hover over animals when game is won and launch button is pressed
- Add little arrow below animal need indicator
- Reduce time between animal spawning from 30s -> 20s
- Animals can have slightly worse initial happiness with higher difficulties
- Other minor tweaks and improvements

Let us know what you think over on the Free Lives Discord

Hi SteamWorld Build players!

We have an important update on our EULA and our use of third-party tools that we have been working on since launch.

Some of you rightly raised concerns when you read our original EULA and looked at our use of data collection tools. We have moved as quickly as we can to address this and are happy to finally be able to give you the update you deserved.

As this involved some legal discussions we couldn’t be as open as we normally would want when we are updating our games based on player feedback. But now we have an update almost in place we can give you the complete picture.

For complete clarity we are working hard on a Hot Patch that we are aiming to get out as soon as possible, ideally next week. The below Q&A on an update is speaking to that, but if something delays this our community team will let you know.


The EULA is a legal agreement granting the player a licence to be able to play SteamWorld Build. This is standard practice across the games industry.


This is a tool called PlayFab, an industry tool offered by Microsoft and run on Azure to collect player data safely and securely.

As Thunderful is an independent publisher we made the decision to utilise a fully GDPR compliant, highly secure existing industry tool rather than attempting to build our own to store player data. All data collected was for the sole purpose of improving the game and player experience.

We are removing the paragraph titled Third-Party Tools in the EULA because we are removing the third-party tool from the game with next week's Hot Patch.


When the community raised concerns on the way our EULA had been written we started investigating how we had integrated PlayFab into SteamWorld Build. We discovered that although we had remained fully GDPR compliant, our wording in the EULA was misleading (we would never sell on player data or work with people who do or work with anyone who would put player data at risk), and our way of integrating the tool could have been better from a player point of view. Therefore we looked closely at the best way to move forward; create an opt-out, or disconnect PlayFab entirely. We realised if we attempted to add the opt-out we actually put our own development patch schedule at risk. So the decision was made in the best interest of our players, removing the integration altogether and updating our EULA to avoid any more confusion.


Players who play the game from launch through to our Hot Patch next week have had anonymised data collected per play session, not per player. Each session data set showed us what the anonymous player had done in that session in game.

We didn’t collect anything associated with the player e.g. Usernames, emails etc


We are looking into this and will update when we can. Our first step is to look at how we can make sure a player can access any data on PlayFab.Then we will provide an update which shows how this can be done.

This is a high priority for us.

UPDATE 21/12/2023: After a thorough investigation, as we initially thought the data is anonymised to the point a player couldn't put in an individual request to have any data associated with them removed. Therefore, as a show of good faith, we are working to delete all the data and we apologise for any upset this may have caused you.


Yes. This was an initial test to help us improve how we can bring games to players. It didn’t work as intended and the way our EULA was written understandably upset some players.

We are always looking for ways to improve how we use data to make the playing experience better. Moving forward we will always provide an opt-out to players for Third Party data collecting tools.

Microsoft Azure’s PlayFab is a great tool, for both developers and players.


At Thunderful we pride ourselves on being a truly player first games developer and publisher. All decisions are made with you, our loyal playing community in mind. From what tools we want to use to make our games better, through to how we respond to issues when they are raised to us by you.

This was a big lesson for us, we’ve taken it all onboard and thank the community for letting us know what is and isn’t acceptable. Please carry on keeping us on our toes and we’ll continue being open with you.

Keep on building!
Everyone at Thunderful

This patch adds a new UI feature: inspector mode. You can enter it by pressing space or using the radial menu. You can rebind the key if you want to.

In the inspector mode you can easily get information about creatures, NPCs, and certain level features. Not all features are ‘inspectable’ just yet. We’ll add more over the course of the next couple of patches.

New Features:
- Adds an inspector mode!

Bug Fixes:
- Reading a specific book found in a specific dungeon correctly unlocks a part of a specific legend once more.

Hello Big Fat Battlers!
Starting December 20th, Big Fat Battle is leveling up with a free-to-play update, opening the doors to everyone and introducing a host of thrilling new characters and weapons.

Let’s go through it 👇

Jump into the frenzy with the most original knockout-style combat game out there. Now with no barriers to entry, you can bring even more friends into the battle. The base game is yours, including all the guns and buffs!


Meet the formidable Meowamoto, the Bossy Baby, and more characters who bring unique flair to the battlefield.
Arm yourself with an array of new melee weapons, from the devastating Sledgehammer to the Lollipop, each adding a twist to your combat strategy.




Big Fat Battle is set to become your go to for over the top chaos and non-stop laughs.


See you in the arenas!

We're happy to announce the release of the next regular update for "Breeze of Passion"!

As always, we've been working hard and hope you will enjoy this update.

It contains 1175 new images and many new hot animations!

Thank you for your support and unwavering trust!
We promise to keep improving so we could deliver even more high-quality content to you!

Enjoy the Game!

1. Father's Sacred Chant:

Father Mercy has answered your calls! Unleash the power of his sacred chant to bolster your team and strike fear into the hearts of vampires. Embrace the newfound strength and turn the tide of battle in your favor.

2. Improved Father's Prayer Animation:

Witness the grace and power of Father Mercy as his prayer animation receives a significant improvement. A visual spectacle awaits as he calls upon divine forces, creating a more immersive experience for players.

3. TDM Kill Cap Fixed:

We've addressed an issue in Team Deathmatch (TDM) mode where the kill cap wasn't aligning with the intended gameplay. The cap is now fixed, ensuring a balanced and competitive environment. Get ready for intense battles with a clear objective.

We hope this update will find you well, surrounded by joy & warmth, and ready for a new year.

Allow us to present our final update for this year and final game name, BEAST: False Prophet.



In the spirit of giving, we are excited to introduce you to our Major Update #2! Besides all new missions, enemies, and enhanced visuals, you can now finally play the game from start to finish and see our first ending!

We've left no stone unturned in our quest to make BEAST an unforgettable adventure. We now hope current and future players will see the kind of game we want to finish developing.

As we stand on the edge of finalizing our game, we recognize that our journey has one more chapter of polishing and bugfixing to be done.

We now turn to our amazing community for help in spreading the word and ask your friends to support future development by buying this early-access version.

Your continued support is the key to making BEAST the masterpiece it deserves to be. Together, let's bring this chapter to a close and set the stage for even more thrilling adventures ahead.

At the end thank you for your amazing support and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 🎄

➼ join our amazing community on Discord and connect with other players and the BEAST Dev Team!

Enjoy
~BEAST Dev Team

• Added 5 new missions on 3 new maps
  
• Added 6 new enemy types and 2 new enemy classes
  
• Added 8 new cutscenes, including 2 new travel cutscenes
  
• Added 1 new camp
  
• Added 22 new models for existing enemy classes for an increased variety
  
• Added 49 achievements
  
• Added alternative Beast Mode transformation for the players who invest in Exercise Beast Tree
  
• Added Credits to the Main Menu
  
• Added custom concept art to loading screens before each mission
  
• Added a Loyalty/Treason feature that makes your companion leave the Warband if their Treason stat is maxed out before their Loyalty.

• Updated meshing for most cutscenes
  
• Updated lighting for multiple cutscenes

• Added multiple SFX and sounds to animations, dialogues, and cutscenes
  
• Added multiple ambiance SFX
  
• Added multiple missing level SFX
  
• Updated footstep sounds over multiple levels

• Updated Cyril transformation model during the boss fight
  
• Updated mesh for a horse wagon
  
• Updated visuals of multiple Camps
  
• Updated visuals of the Liakhyan Hospitality mission
  
• Updated Beast Mode visuals of the Monastery Must Pay mission

• Added information about weapon attack effects in camp and ability bar
  
• Updated icons for Sharpshooter abilities
  
• Added a tutorial step that teaches the player how to decide what spot they perform an ability from when attacking
  
• Updated UI in Camp view
  
• Updated icons for Defender’s, and Anton’s Exercise abilities
  
• Updated icons for enemy commanders
  
• Updated ability icons for the Duelist class
  
• Added missing character bios

• Updated multiple movement and combat animations

• When entering Beast Mode involuntarily (after staying on max Insanity for 3 turns) Anton will now go berserk for his following turn and attack the closest character
  
• Reduced enemy damage and defensive stats during the boss fight in the Roadside Inn mission
  
• Added additional enemies for both phases of the boss fight in the Roadside Inn mission
  
• Rebalanced Stress triggers to increase their impact if Anton is the reason for the change

• Fixed an issue with Grenadier: Far Throw ability not working properly
  
• Fixed an issue with Onslaught ability not working properly
  
• Fixed an issue with Offensive ability not working properly
  
• Fixed an issue with Trickster ability not working properly
  
• Fixed an issue with the Sword and Cloak ability not working properly
  
• Fixed an issue with enemies using Bloody Sacrifice being able to instantly kill downed companions
  
• Fixed an issue with companions being able to leave the party before the first boss fight
  
• Fixed an issue with enemies hit by Barrage Fire ability cannot being targeted by other party members until the end of the turn
  
• Fixed an issue with the weapon disappearing after using the Pressing Offense ability
  
• Fixed an issue with Anton in Beast mode not hugging the wall while in full cover
  
• Fixed an issue with Rudolf recruited in Camp Monastery not having the proper model
  
• Fixed an issue with Alfred not auto-leveling properly
  
• Fixed an issue with Cyril not having proper abilities available during Plague Town: Main Street and Plague Town: Exit missions
  
• Fixed an issue with completing the mission on the turn when either The Day is Ours! or Now Is The Time! abilities were used permanently increasing the total AP pool of affected characters
  
• Fixed multiple issues with buildings not occluding properly in the Suburbs map
  
• Multiple fixes for localization
  
• Fixed a potential blocker with the camera being stuck after a kill-cam
  
• Fixed an issue with the camera not returning to the team after showing the mission objective after the level intro
  
• Fixed an issue with Insanity not changing properly during Roadside Inn mission
  
• Fixed an issue with the player not being able to take part in Verchovne and Graverobbers side missions
  
• Fixed an issue with the improper order of portraits in camps
  
• Fixed an issue with sliders in Options unnecessarily displaying decimals
  
• Fixed an issue with Cyril surname (Sone) not displaying properly
  
• Fixed an issue with En garde ability not working properly
  
• Fixed an issue with Horseman’s Axe weapon’s mesh not displaying properly
  
• Fixed an issue with the player not being able to increase any Trait to 5
  
• Fixed an issue with Pierre (Prince’s companion) having the wrong abilities
  
• Fixed an issue with critical hits performed with 2-handed weapons forcing defending characters to play animation of dying, despite them not being dead
  
• Fixed an issue with holding down A on a gamepad while selecting attack direction not working properly
  
• Fixed an issue with the player not being able to scroll tutorial messages on a gamepad. It’s now possible with the right stick
  
• Fixed an issue with the Quit popup not being navigable on a gamepad
  
• Fixed an issue with the player not being able to confirm setting up Overwatch during the tutorial sequence on a gamepad
  
• Fixed multiple issues with navigation of the pause menu on a gamepad
  
• Fixed multiple issues with tracking and handling UI on a gamepad
  
• Fixed multiple issues with loss of focus while navigating UI on a gamepad
  
• Fixed multiple issues with missing voiceovers during combat
  
• Fixed multiple issues with missing translations (still work in progress)
  
• Fixed a potential issue with loading saved games leading to a black screen
  
• Multiple ability descriptions fixes
  
• Fixed a crash after using Devil's Claws ability on a wooden barrel
  
• Fixed a blocker with not being able to move the camera after using Canvas during tutorial when using a gamepad
  
• Fixed a potential blocker during finisher animation when the enemy holds a gun
  
• Fixed a potential blocker with the Unlawful Execution mission not ending after the rescued NPC dies
  
• Fixed a potential blocker with the escorted NPC during the Unlawful Execution mission ignoring navmesh boundaries and falling off the map
  
• Fixed an issue with enemies during the Unlawful Execution mission respawning indefinitely
  
• Fixed an issue with the NPC during Plague Town: Rescue mission not having proper equipment, stats, and abilities
  
• Fixed an issue with released prisoners playing the wrong animations during Molfar’s Sacrifice
  
• Fixed an issue with destructible elements not blocking horse-wagon movement
  
• Fixed an issue with the tutorial widget in the first camp overlapping a part of the UI
  
• Fixed an issue with Zygmas and Bohdan disappearing from Warband if they’re not selected to participate in Plague Town: Plaza mission
  
• Fixed multiple issues with the player not receiving experience after completing some side missions
  
• Fixed multiple issues with missing translations, especially with character responses during combat, and conversations in camps (still work in progress)
  
• Fixed multiple issues with companions not having some abilities displayed on the ability bar
  
• Multiple collision and visual bug fixes
  
• Multiple smaller fixes

Glad to announce that "Looking Up I See Only A Ceiling" is now available also in German! 🥳

Thanks to sillynala for the translation!

We've got good news for you! We're currently working on the multiplayer build and playtesting is going very well. If you'd like to take part, you'll find all the details on our Discord channel. So you'll soon be able to play with your friends.

The content we see on Youtube and Twitch is really good quality, and we're proud to have such talented content creators in our community. Once again this week, we feel it's important to highlight some of you.

Follow us on our social media!:

Discord / Twitch / Youtube / Twitter / Facebook

The videos selected this week:
Roguelight® Games: Pathfinder Gallowspire Survivors - New Companion System Revamp Update
Fast Win Walkthroughs: Pathfinder Gallowspire Survivors Gameplay part 33 - 4K 60FPS No commentary
moReidan: Tank Fighter Leveling Part 2 | Pathfinder Gallowspire Survivors Early Access
Reidan: HUGE Companion Rework! They Get SKILLS! | Pathfinder Gallowspire Survivors Early Access


👉🏻Get the game on Steam now!

French translation has been added for chapters 1 & 2 of the story mode along with some bugfixes related with the inventory, the UI and the management of the menus in the game.