Award-winning "Papers, Please meets Oxenfree" adventure where you play as a news editor & shape public opinion. Set in a genetically-modified society plagued by mysterious disease and foreign threat...
The new version of Headliner: NoviNews is official!
Highlights:
Controller and Keyboard support (with an alternate Office functionality mode)
Office articles will now "stick" when dragged to the top (you no longer have to hold the mouse)
You can now stamp Staff Memos and Letters (yes, this was requested a lot, lol)
Re-balances and re-writes, making the game bit more forgiving and with a wider "middle-ground" path
Improved performance and fixed ton of bugs/typos!
Full Changelog below:
1.2.2 [WRIT] Justin no longer asks you how your date went (Bro04_Crashover0) if you didn't get the date with Evie
[WRIT] Radio no longer mentions truck accident if it didn't happen
[TWEAK] Removed Doggo AI log spam at home
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1.2.1 [BUG] Fixed a bug that could freeze convos if 2 convos were played right after another (accidentally re-introduced the "doggo freeze bug")
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1.2.0 [ART] Replaced station cop portrait with a new portrait made by Emmy
[FEAT] Added tutorial for Keyboard/Joystick mode
[WRIT] Changed intro to Evie Convo in Day 12 which didn't segue from boss taken away / riot started to rest of convo
[WRIT] Fixed boss incorrectly saying there are no quotes when being taken away
[WRIT] Changed intro text messages
[BUG] Fixed not being able to stand up from couch/chair on Nintendo Switch
[BUG] Fixed UI input being eaten when pressing D-Pad too fast on Nintendo Switch
[BUG] Fixed dying cops/rioters occasionally freezing in place instead of playing dying animation
[TYPO] Fixed typo in Evie convo in Day 12 ("They’ve taken taken the boss away")
[TYPO] Fixed home Dronno conversation typo ("... prohibits me from pursing punitive actions..." should be "pursuing")
[TYPO] Fixed several article typos and overflow issues
[TWEAK] Removed Main Menu "Quit" button on Nintendo Switch
[TWEAK] In conversation, if you click/tap away from the dialogue, pressing up/down will now re-select the first option
[TWEAK] Adjusted amount of Police/Drones/Drunks/Crazies who spawn randomly
[TWEAK] PlayerCreate and Doggo Namer will not let you select the InputFields if using controller (otherwise get stuck) and include a note saying to use mouse/keyboard to select those fields
[TWEAK] Rioters will no longer attack drones
[TWEAK] Change default twitter share text to mention the game's name
[OPT] Slight improved performance in NPC logic checks
[OPT] Randomized NPC attacker time when looking for targets so it doesn't happen all on the same frame causing stuttering
[OPT] Fixed the 1-2 second stall when conversations are started (commented out conversationManager.PopulateCharacterCache() in Conversation::Start() )
[OPT] Fixed stuttering every other second (I think) by making attacker FindClosestTarget() function use a smaller, pre-cached list of attackers
[OPT] Fixed lag when Molotovs explode caused by rioters sending "MsgCrimeCommited" message to all objects (funny this was really only a problem on Switch eh?)
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1.1.7 [TWEAK] Suicide blame articles will no longer be stapled (so you have a choice not to blame anything)
[WRIT] Justin now credits you during his show for inspiring his jokes
[TYPO] Fixed scripting in Conspirator convo meeting
[TYPO] Fixed typo in Evie convo in Day 10 ("...and missing some of my prescriptions." missing "my")
[TYPO] Fixed typo in Conspirator Meeting Invite convo ("Remeber" was misspelled because you're writer can't type for sh*t)
[TYPO] Fixed typo in Justin covo on day 6 when talking about conspiracy article ("And that articles" should be singular)
[TYPO] Fixed typo in Evie11_Date1 convo ("Thank you for publish..." should be publishing)
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1.1.6 [FEAT] Added new "sticky mode" to office where articles will stick zoomed in when you release the mouse, unless you pick up another one
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1.1.5 [WRIT] Fixed type in end screen text ("I gave comedy got new face")
[WRIT] Henri's name will now show up in conversation after he introduces himsel.
[WRIT] When talking to Doggo, "You" is now replaced with Player's Name (Thanks PeachyAenne!)
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1.1.4 [BUG] Fixed a bug where RollerTanks weren't showing anymore
[WRIT] Tweaked some of the ending texts
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1.1.3 [TWEAK] Truck Accident will only happen on 2nd+ playthrough and only when badmouthing the government
[TWEAK] Re-balanced protesters and preachers to appear only when the newspaper stance is more extreme (allowing for more middle-ground)
[TWEAK] Added a new article on last day if Henri the homeless man was helped
[TWEAK] Changed startup tutorial to be clearer
[TWEAK] You can now still buy dog/drone food even if Rudy sells out to BetterBuzz
[TWEAK] You will now still see last day of office even when fired (so you can see all the final papers)
[WRIT] Edited/re-wrote parts of Justin's early dialogue
[WRIT] Edited/re-wrote parts of Evie's dialogue
[WRIT] Re-wrote some newspaper articles
[BUG] Fixed a bug in final Evie convo (at home) when the screen would fade to black, and then briefly fade out before changing to next day
[BUG] Fixed a bug where BetterBuzz PTSD and Medicinal Purposes articles would show up on the same day (now they show up on opposite playthroughs)
[BUG] Fixed a bug where your brother might die in a case where he wasn't supposed to (health not nationalized but drugs affordable)
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1.1.2 [FEAT] Added support for controlling the game with keyboard/joystick
[FEAT] Added experimental Switch support
[FEAT] Purchased home decor items will now be preserved on future playthroughs (but only if the game is actually completed)
[FEAT] Added support for saving Persistent Data to config instead of PlayerPrefs (for Nintendo Switch)
[FEAT] Added Nintendo Switch tutorial messages
[FEAT] The Boss will now give you a bonus on day 8 if you manage to make BetterBuzz investors happy
[WRIT] Fixed typo in Cop conversation on day 2: "my counselor didn't approved me" should be "approve"
[WRIT] Fixed type in Hermann conversation : "Sofia was the love of my live" should be "life"
[WRIT] Rudy no longer mentions player filling out the [do not fill] area of the player creation (was getting too much...)
[WRIT] Toned down some of the explicit languages (f-bombs)
[TWEAK] Added a Max Save Slot cap for Nintendo Switch (4)
[TWEAK] Re-arranged office desk objects to prevent things from being blocked in controller mode
[TWEAK] Updated Office Quota Messages graphic
[TWEAK] Added a new version of Wallpaper Color picker that works with keyboard/controller
[TWEAK] Lowered volume of clock when speaking to boss
[TWEAK] Change RunAtPlayer AI to update destination at set interval instead of every frame (intro crowd now does it once a second), which should improve performance
[TWEAK] Decreased volume of drone humming sound
[BUG] Fixed an issue where Day 2 "Travel" ad would appear in both normal and spoofed versions
(Header stock art courtesy of Vecteezy)
Play next big update early on beta branch!
Hey everyone,
We've been listening to feedback and working on a patch with some big re-balances and re-writes (on top of usual bug fixes). We'd like to share early access to the new version before it goes official, and in turn ask you let us know if you run into any bugs or glitches :)
What's New?
The biggest complaint was that the game is a little too punishing and some events weren't clearly connected to your actions. We re-balanced a number of events, added some extra rewards and articles, and re-wrote some dialogues to make things clearer. There's also now a wider "middle ground" path you can take with less crazy things happening. But don't worry, you can still turn the city into a burning mess, you just have to try a bit harder now ;)
On top of that, we're also adding a full keyboard/controller mode support! We're still tweaking it, but the new keys are:
[Arrows] / Joystick - move around and switch between articles
[Space] / Joy 1 - Interact / Approve current paper
[Tab] / Joy 2 - Cancel / Reject current paper
[E] / Joy 3 - Exit the Office
[Escape] / Joy 4 - Pause/Quit menu
We will post the full change log when the patch is officially out, but there's quite a lot of tweaks.
How to access the update?
In your Steam library, right click on Headliner: NoviNews and select Properites. Go to the Betas tab and in the box, put the code "fakenewsfake" (without quotations). Click "Check Code," and it should show a confirmation message below. Now, select "beta" from the dropdown and click close. The game should now update and show [beta] next to it in your Steam library. If it doesn't, try restarting Steam. In the main menu, you should see version 1.1.5 on the bottom right, to confirm.
Share your feedback!
As always, we're greatful for any feedback we get! Particularly if you run into any bugs and glitches. Just post in our forums or join our discord, or comment on this announcement!
Cheers,
Jakub
Lead Dev
Mega Update!
Toot, toot, new content and life of quality improvements are in! Give the game another go to learn about Deputy Helene and help her solve a murder mystery....
We also added a Mac version and (experimental) Linux version! Here's the full list of changes:
[FEAT] Added NEW Police Woman character you can talk to most days and replaced Station Cop with a different portrait to avoid confusion
[FEAT] Added a new murder mystery side-plot for the new Police Woman character (CopQuest!)
[FEAT] Added new articles that will show up on secondary playthroughs
[FEAT] Added 2 new achievements
[FEAT] Added Mac and Linux versions
[FEAT] Speech Bubble will now show for a shorter/longer time depending on their length
[FEAT] Added a Speech Bubble Speed slider to Settings and Pause menu
[WRT] Change endgame text to clarify the game was meant to be replayed
[WRT] Replaced end-game texts to focus on player's actions/accomplishments
[TWEAK] Improved text graffiti quality
[TWEAK] Home: Drones outside will now only start showing up on later days
[TWEAK] Anti-Wolff protesters will no longer show on day 11 or 12 if he is assassinated
[TWEAK] Protesters walking left will now wander around after getting to the end of their march, rather than standing in place
[BUG] Puker's puke will now properly come out of their mouth (Ew)
[BUG] Fixed Shopkeeper's Daughter sometimes flashing at the end of a conversation
[BUG] Fixed minor bug where police checkpoint conversation would make the game think player attended the conspiracy meeting
Big Content Update and Price Change Coming Soon
Hey everyone!
The past month and a half we've been working on a big, big update! We're expanding the existing cop lady into a whole new character you can chat with daily, together with her own murder-mystery side-plot! *GASP*
We've also been listening to your feedback and added a whole bunch of Quality of Life improvements, like a toggle for the Speech Bubble speed, higher resolution graffiti text, improved NPC behavior, and bunch of other bugfixes and tweaks.
Finally, we'll also release the Mac version and hopefully Linux (if we can sort some linux-specific bugs in time).
We're planning to release the update in the next week or two. We are also raising the price into the $10-15 range (TBD). After talking with fellow devs and our community (AKA you!), we feel it better reflects the value of the game, especially with the new content and fixes.
However, if you already bought the game, or buy before the update, all the new content is totally free for you :) So here's a heads up to grab it in the next few days, if you want to save some $$
Patch 1.0.40s Out - Fixes Galore!
Latest patch fixes a ton of small bugs, balancing issues, and typos pointed out by the awesome folks in our forums and Discord =) We also have experimental Mac and Linux support if you wanna give it a try on the OS :D
Here's the nitty-gritty:
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1.0.40s
[PROG] Added experimental Mac and Linux Support
[FEAT] Dog home conversation will now reflect the doggo's chosen name
[TWEAK] Moved Home "Sleep" interact button closer to camera to no longer overlap player
[TWEAK] Player Create screen smoothed out Avatar preview box and added a background
[TWEAK] Home Justin OD cutscene, Dronno no loger disappears after
[TWEAK] Quality settings will now default to Medium if game has never been launched yet
[BUG] Fixed Settings Anti Aliasing not working, and added new Anti Aliasing settings
[BUG] Fixed a bug where penalty count wasn't calculated properly, causing the pay to not be docked after 3 penalties
[BUG] Fixed Pause Manu -> Quit Confirm prompt not showing Yes/No text on buttons
[WRIT] Shop Changed "Vintage Computor" to "Computer" (it was a joke nobody got, hnngh)
[WRIT] Dronno convo at home, clarified the convo choice that allows player to pick their own title (i.e. Master )
[WRIT] Change endgame text to encourage re-plays more
[WRIT] Day 0 Boss clarifies the currency pronounciation (NoviBucks ʯ)
[TYPO] Fixed typo in "Innocent Casualty in Police Shootout" article ("Fun" should have been "Fund")
[TYPO] Fixed missing "have" in "Genetic Medication Might Have Triggered Incident" article
[TYPO] Fixed typo in Boss Day 0 convo ("disbursment" should've been "disbursement")
[TYPO] Fixed repeated line in Bro08_Jail (" I know we haven't always been there for each other...")
[TYPO] Fixed repeated line in Bro06_AdFavor_Therapy_Start ("Yeah, it's really...")
[TYPO] Fixed typo in Conspirator09_SecretMeeting ("...tears up its own DNA to shreds.")
[TYPO] Fixed typo in Boss Replacement Gov Agent Day 12 ("....such as you previous boss." should be "yours")
[TYPO] Fixed typo in "Novistan Government Engineered the Plague" article ("cultivate" should be "cultivated")
Patches? In MY indie game!?!?!
Another update today, fixing mostly minor issues and adding a new checkbox in Settings letting you disable the constant "Beeps" during conversations
beep beep beep beep beep
Full change log for the curious souls:
1.0.38s
[AUDIO] Toned down the volume of the clock in Boss convo
[FEATURE] Added a new Setting to toggle conversation beeps
[TYPO] Fixed typo in Evie date 0 convo ("dfficult choices")
First Patch is out!
Hey Folks!
With the release yesterday, we're working hard to address any issues you might have reported (including a hotfix yesterday, fixing conversation beeps volume reported by Mrs. Wow).
We just pushed a new patch with a few re-balances, typo fixes, and a little extra office item you will see on subsequent playthrus ;) Here's the full changelog so far:
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1.0.36s
[FEATURE] Added the "Bias Indicator" Box to Office on 2nd+ playthru
[BUG] Fixed Publishing Brother's Show article not causing penalty
[TWEAK] It's now easier to help Rudy succeed with selling BetterBuzz
[TWEAK] Player being attacked is now avoided if they lose the job
[WRITING] Justin no longer mentions asking you to post an AD if his show failed and you didn't post it
[WRITING] Fixed a whole number of small typos
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1.0.35s [Hotfix]
[BUG] Global Volume now affects ALL sounds (preivously Conversation Beeps weren't affected)
[TYPO] Fixed minor typos
Cheers!
Play Headliner at PAX West!
We'll be showing Headliner: NoviNews at Indie Megabooth Friday and Saturday during PAX West! Come stop by!!!
If you CAN'T make it, we will ALSO be at Seattle Indies Expo on Sunday, just a block across from PAX, no badge required and beer/food provided!
