On the 25th of January 20:00 UTC, we will be hosting a community livestream! We will be playing SCP: Secret Laboratory with our partnered content creators, alongside a special guest. You might know him for his SCP content and great humour!
>> https://www.youtube.com/@Site_42/ <<
That’s right, it’s Dr. Sherman from Site-42. He will be joining us on Saturday to play the game for the first time while being guided by members of our marketing team, Tamer & Alice.
What could possibly go wrong?
An evening full of fun and laughter, come and join us during this wonderful event!
Stay safe, and see you in the dark.
- Northwood Studios
Anniversary Update 2024 - Feedback Survey
Hello everyone,
With our Anniversary/ Christmas Update now concluding, we would like to invite you to participate in this feedback survey.
With the entry into a new year; we would like to thank you, our playerbase, for your continued support and interest in providing us with valuable feedback — so that our studio can continue to improve upon SCP:SL, and make it the best it can be.
https://forms.gle/89k75v2E5fdG63fd6
Here's to another great year and see you in the dark!
~ Northwood Studios
End of Anniversary Patch Changelog
Hello everyone. Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to revert back to the standard game. 14.0.2 is here with some fixes and tweaks we accomplished during the season.
Animation and Graphic Updates
Added an item pickup animation.
Added an animation for the ‘flashed’ status effect, applied by flashbangs.
Added third-person animations for coins and SCP-1576.
Made some adjustments to human running animations.
Improved joint limits on corpses; post-humorous legs should now bend more realistically.
Fixed missing materials for the Jailbird’s third-person particle effects.
Replaced all pre-placed corpses with updated models. Jerry, the helicopter pilot, remains untouched for the time being.
Bug Fixes and Miscellaneous
Laser attachments now point towards screen center in all standard situations; they will now be affected less by weapon sway animations.
Rewrote the code responsible for the shotgun’s reloading, resolving some errors and graphical issues.
Resolved error logs related to blinking lights.
Fixed the candy bag not updating its contents when picking up candies post-escape.
Resolved issues related to hotkey override modes not working as intended.
Fixed some strange culling in the HCZ Nuke room.
Fixed certain guns equipped with the night vision scope not stopping 173 in blacked out rooms.
Fixed strange SCP-914 interaction behavior with the Jailbird and Micro-HID.
Fixed extended AP magazine weapons using short-mag animations.
Fixed the Refresh button in the main menu occasionally not re-downloading data properly.
Fixed SCP-939’s amnestic cloud not requiring a minimum size.
Technical Changes
Made major improvements to how we handle seasonal events behind-the-scenes. While you won’t see immediate effects gameplay wise, we’ll be able to reimplement features for seasonal events much easier in the future, leading to significantly less complications around previous features.
Added the ‘HolidayUtils’ utility script, allowing checks on whether a specific seasonal event is active.
Replaced the ‘Holidays’ enum with ‘HolidayType’. Note that this is not a one-to-one conversion. Ideally, this will be easier for plugin utilization in conjunction with the previously mentioned addition of utility methods.
Improved weapon AutoSync exception handling. This allows for the system to recover from most exceptions without resulting in a softlock. Error logs will also include more details— be sure to report them!
Thank you all once again for another wonderful holiday season. Have fun, and see you in the dark.
14.0.1 Patch Changelog
Hello everyone. We’ve recently released some bug fixes and small changes for the holiday update. Included in this post are details that you may have missed.
Flamingo attack damage multiplier against SCPs is now 2.0x (was 0.9x).
The Flamingo tape player now increases its odds of spawning each round until it is obtained from the tree.
Fixed an issue where Flamingos would get stuck on Surface post-warhead detonation.
Fixed an issue where Flamingos would grant object rewards when killed by humans.
SCP-2536 now teleports to Chaos Insurgency as per any other human role.
Grenades spawned by SCP-2536 will properly deal damage to players, instead of just scaring them.
Restored SCP-173's Christmas/Anniversary Model.
Fixed 173's death animation using its standard model.
Fixed 173's teleport indicator sometimes not appearing correctly.
Added more snow piles throughout all zones, primarily within important rooms.
Fixed snow piles not regenerating after a set amount of time on Surface.
Restored ‘snowy’ textures on Surface's terrain.
Restored Christmas/Anniversary Fog throughout the Facility.
Fixed Pit Shader not being recolored with the Xmas fog.
Restored Chaos Train as a random variant of the Chaos Van during the event. Keep an eye out for flying cars!
Disabled the Achievements Debug Menu.
Fixed misaligned Clutter spawns on the Surface railings.
Extended SCP-079’s fence ever-so-slightly so that you couldn’t jump in and get softlocked.
Removed debug messages from the Server Console.
That is all for today. Have fun, and see you in the dark.
14.0 Full Release + Holiday Update
Hello everyone. After a long month of refinement during our Public Beta, we are happy to conclude and release the ‘Heavy Duty’ update. While we have plenty more in store for the 14.X lineage, we have decided to begin by releasing a redux of 2023’s Anniversary update alongside the full release. We’ll continue refining the last few remaining features in preparation for a festivity-free Facility.
We will briefly revisit what you can expect within this update. For a more detailed changelog of how the game iterated over the beta process, you can read more here.
SCP:SL Version 14.0 — ‘Heavy Duty’
HCZ Rework and Facility Updates
As mentioned in the previous update notes, a primary cornerstone of the ‘Heavy Duty’ update is our changes to Heavy Containment Zone (HCZ). With ten new layouts and massive modifications to level design, we are happy to consider this the first proper ‘zone rework’ we have accomplished.
Following feedback regarding HCZ’s layout, we have opted to proceed with a few adjustments from the beta. We noticed that structures were spawning slightly less than intended, leading us to update our randomisation system. You can now expect an increased number of doors, clutter objects, and improved bulkhead consistency. Also, keep your eyes out for the newly finished Alpha Warhead room!
Respawn Overhaul
Another core feature of ‘Heavy Duty’ is the newly improved Respawn Overhaul systems. With a goal for gameplay decisions to feel more impactful in-game, players will have the ability to observe how actions directly affect the flow of the game.
Firearm Soft Rework
The firearms within SCP:SL went through many iterations during the public beta. Overall bullet accuracy has been improved across the board for every gun, with reduced recoil also leading to a more user-friendly gunplay system. Much has changed since the start of the beta, so be sure to experience the new gunplay systems if you have not done so already..
Experimental Weapons
We have reworked the 3-X Particle Disruptor and experimental weapon spawning systems during the beta. Alongside this, we will be showing off the new Micro-HID with the full release of this update. We hope you enjoy it.
SCP-1344
SCP-1344 is the new SCP item released in this update. As our first item that directly toys with body horror, we are happy to release the ‘eye-catching goggles’ within this update.
Fixes, Improvements, Technical Changes
This update also contains a massive amount of fixes, technical changes, and more for the game community at large. From new achievements, to a ton of bugs being fixed, and the addition of the new Speaker Toy, there are plenty of changes, the details for which can be found in the previously linked Beta Changelog.
Anniversary Update
SCP-2536 — ‘The Gift That Keeps On Giving’
The Christmas tree is back and ready to spread more cheer. This year, we have made adjustments to its available loot pool, meaning that players should expect helpful gifts more tailored to their current situation.
The Chaos Insurgency has also kept themselves off of the naughty list this year, meaning they can now receive gifts as well. How exactly they accomplished this is still to be determined.
SCP-1507 — ‘Pink Flamingos’
We have heard your pleas, the Flamingos are back. Last year when we first introduced them to the public, we felt we accomplished our festive goal of bringing people together. This year we will be achieving the same, alongside some improvements and balancing changes. Here is what you can expect:
As a whole, the possibility of SCP-1507’s tape recorder being a possible gift will be decided upon round start. The biggest downfall of SCP-1507 was the fact that they existed nearly every single round. Now, you can never truly expect when the horde may appear.
SCP-1507 instances must stay together to have their maximum potential speed.
Flamingos now deal reduced damage to SCPs. They are still capable, but it requires more planning and teamwork!
The Flamingos are in your walls. They now spawn inside the HCZ vents.
SCP-559 & SCP-956
The Piñata and cake are also making their return. Having been our first true wildcard seasonal feature, we have also found the time to be able to bring them back as well. Keep on the lookout, as SCP-956 moves twice as often!
We have been hard at work in getting this update out to you folks, and while we have certainly been busy, we are beyond happy to celebrate another year of SCP: Secret Laboratory with the community. From each and everyone at Northwood — thank you all for the unique opportunities you have given us!
Have fun, and see you in the dark.
- Northwood Studios
14.0 Public Beta Feedback Survey Part 2
Hello everyone!
Now that you've had a chance to play with the rebalanced weapons for a while, we invite you to fill out this second part of the 14.0 Public Beta Feedback Survey.
https://forms.gle/vRChG2YyLoQj7sBj6
We thank you for your ongoing support and see you in the dark! ~ Northwood Studios
14.0 Beta Update #2
Hello everyone.
We have just released the second update to the Public Beta. Included are new CASSIE announcements, bug fixes, and more.
Now that the 14.0 Public Beta has been out for a while, we are eager to hear your thoughts on the changes it presents.
We invite you to fill out this Feedback Survey: https://forms.gle/kkQGiib83Zc5iEmn9
We thank you for your ongoing support!
See you in the dark! ~ Northwood Studios
SCP:SL Steam Awards & Development QnA - Part 1
Hello everyone!
2024 has been a crazy, but incredible year for us. Perhaps even the most incredible. To end this year off, we are pursuing the Labour of Love award for the 2024 Steam Awards. SCP: Secret Laboratory has been, and will always be, a labour of love to us, and having the privilege of being able to work on it for the last seven years is nothing but an honour.
In the last year alone, we've completely overhauled Heavy Containment Zone, reworked the Experimental Weapons, added several new rooms and hallway variants in HCZ, implemented our new beautiful human player models, added a new SCP item, refactored our firearm system, reworked the respawn system, expanded the lore, and much more.
We're immensely pleased with what we've accomplished this year. We've heard your feedback, and we're excited to see what else we can do in the years to come! We're proud that SCP: Secret Laboratory has evolved into what it is now, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
So whether you're a veteran or a new player, we would be incredibly grateful if you could nominate us for this award.
In any case, we hope that you can stick around as we continue to further develop SCP: Secret Laboratory for many years to come.
Thank you for your continued support. We hope you enjoy playing the 14.0 Public Beta as much as we enjoyed making it.
QnA - Part 1
Apropos to the Steam Awards, we would like to use this opportunity to answer some community questions today! Due to a large amount of questions towards us, we have selected some of them to be answered in this post. But worry not, more will follow in the future.
The questions we will be answering today are separated in five categories;
SCPs
Humans
Map
Game and Update Development
Servers and Modding
Let’s dive right into them!
Dev QnA
SCPs
Question Will another playable SCP be added?
Answer Yes, we do plan to introduce another playable SCP in the future. We have a few ideas, but we want any new SCP to be both distinct and well-suited to the multiplayer nature of the game.
In other words - our SCPs must be fun to play "as", and "against". In the past, we've rushed certain concepts, leading to issues and frustrations that we're still working to resolve to this day. To avoid repeating those mistakes, we'll be taking our time to prototype and test new SCP ideas before introducing them. Question Will you update or rework 079?
Answer A complete rework of SCP-079 isn't planned anytime soon. However, we are actively looking for ways to rework specific abilities that have been causing issues, such as the door locking and the heavy reliance on teammates. Question Will you add neutral SCPs?
Answer We aren't planning on adding neutral - playable - SCPs, mainly because introducing them would essentially create a new faction, which is not something we want to do anytime soon. Question Will you add AI-controlled SCPs?
Answer AI-controlled SCPs aren't out of the question, although there are no immediate plans to implement them. We would only make something AI controlled if it does not make sense that a human controls it, as some SCPs aren’t able to be AI controlled without going against the core premise of the game. Which is being able to fight as the SCPs, or fight people controlling said SCPs. Question Will the femur breaker make a return in the future?
Answer We aren’t sure, it may return in the future as it is a unique mechanic to 106 which adds lots of personality and gameplay mechanics. If it does make a return it probably will not be used as a way to instantly kill SCP-106, but if we cannot find a suitable way to implement this mechanic there is a chance of it being removed completely.
Humans
Question Will there be new human teams/factions?
Answer Although it's not completely impossible that we might consider such a thing in the far future, right now making the Chaos Insurgency and Foundation both fit well is a lot to handle.
The main reason it would take so long is that we’d want each and any faction to feel distinct. We’d want to explore these factions in depth, get them right from the beginning. Due to this amount of work, it won’t be our focus for a long time. Question Will there be new types of weapons? -Flamethrower, AoE, damage over time stuff, melee
Answer We want to try and experiment with new types of weapons everytime we add one to the game, no weapons – or special weapons should feel the same to use. Question Will guards get a rework?
Answer We do recognise guards as one of the classes a large number of players do not enjoy as much as others, so I definitely think there is room for some major improvements in the future. Question Will classes get more specific objectives?
Answer As we continue to develop the game, we do hope to deepen methods players can go about completing the game, a hypothetical facility guard expansion, like asked for, would probably be a class that benefits the most from such. Question Will movement get a rework in the future?
Answer We are satisfied with the current human movement system, but changes to specific SCPs, including new movement abilities isn’t out of the question. Question Will classes without subclasses get subclasses in the future? (I.E. D-Class and Scientist)
Answer There are no current plans, but it isn’t out of the question. Question Are there plans to make existing classes have specific perks? (I.E. New MTF having Night Vision or Chaos having gas resistance)
Answer We haven’t experimented with perks for human classes, but like the previous question, it’s not ruled out. We want to avoid any human abilities that feel supernatural in nature, specifically regarding things like a gas mask. Well, that would also require that we implement a set of mechanics that make it useful. So it would be a lot of work to make it possible. Question Will there be crouching/proning?
Answer We have no current plans regarding this.
Map
Question Will you rework Light/Heavy/Entrance/Surface?
Answer Definitely, we will get around to reworking all the zones as time passes, starting with Heavy Containment Zone as we are doing for the 14.0 update. The same treatment will be given to the other zones, as they have begun to show their age and require a full rework to be up to the standard that the game will soon have.
With every rework, we like to address the flaws in the current game map, these include a lack of variety between rooms and a lack of things to interact with in these. We want to work with Level Design and make new and fun ways of navigating and interacting with our game world while fixing some of the largest problems in the current maps, such as rooms that are easily camped. Once we finish Heavy Containment Zone, we will be moving on to rework another zone. Question Will you add new zones?
Answer As of right now, the answer is no. This is not a priority since we want to make the existing zones more fleshed out and expand upon them. Once the current zones have been reworked, and the map is as good as possible, we could look into potential (sub)zones, but only if they would add something meaningful to the game. Question Will you add new rooms?
Answer Yes, no doubt about this. Adding new room variants is important for our future plans, as these are very important aspects of the game. Each of these rooms have their own individual purpose to fulfil, and we plan to fill every zone with new rooms and room variants. Question Will you add more environmental hazards?
Answer Environmental hazards are an extra layer of variety in the game, and variety is something we strive for. These act as extra layers of challenges for players, like the various pits and pipes in Heavy Containment Zone. So yes, when we have the time, you can expect to see more of them. Question What is level designs goal when reworking the facility?
Answer The goal of Level Design is to make each zone feel different, either by its usefulness or by its theme being a completely different atmosphere from each other.
For example, Heavy Containment Zone would act as a large hub of sorts while Entrance Zone is a maze of multiple different rooms and areas. What each zone has and the unique plans for each zone are still up in the air however. Question How will the layouts of the different zones change in the future?
Answer We want to make each round feel unique and different, one way to achieve this is to increase the variety in layouts as well as the amount of them. We want to make sure that the map is:
Conductive to immersion, and by extension, horror;
Varied enough so the player wants to explore and discover lots of loot;
Visually up to par, and plays well;
Allowing the player to seek different approaches to the situations that may occur.
We have implemented these factors into our Heavy Containment Zone rework, where we added and changed some layouts. Question Will pocket dimension get an update?
Answer There is not an easy answer for this at the moment. What we can say is that 106 will have more work put into his fundamental design if we do decide to update him. This then raises the question if we need a pocket dimension at all. All approaches have benefits and drawbacks attached to them, and they will need to be considered thoroughly.
We are, however, looking at a visual rework to move away from the old visuals and update them to fit with our visions for the game. Question Will there be changes to the way humans gain access to navigate or escape the facility, without relying on 914?
Answer We are currently looking into it as we can see that the pathfinding and escaping relies heavily on SCP-914 and the loot in Light Containment Zone, and this requires a lot of improvements such as better loot distribution and better escape paths (as seen in the Loot Overhaul PEARs test).
We’d like to explore different escape paths or ways to access areas once the game has expanded further and more in depth human mechanics are developed. There are a lot of possibilities we could explore regardless of the direction we choose to take, however we will be looking to improve these systems over time.
Game and Update Development
Question Will you improve the game's optimisation?
Answer Game optimization is much more complex than people realise, for the past few years we have been working on refactoring our codebase to improve both the maintainability and performance of the game. There are limits to what we can do due to SL’s reliance on third-party assets, but we have made significant improvements in our own assets and code. We are currently working to update, and remove these third-party assets where possible, so you can expect to see gradual improvements in the game performance over time. Question Why do updates take so long?
Answer Game development often takes longer than people might expect, especially when it’s done by a small, independent studio like ours with a limited budget. Additionally, most of the team members work on the game as a secondary job, dedicating their free time and energy on these projects. This combination causes the fact that updates take longer to complete. Question Do you have a roadmap? Do you have an ETA for x?
Answer We don’t have a roadmap, nor have any plan for it at the moment. Our primary focus remains on improving the core gameplay experience by introducing new content, reworking the frustrating mechanics and replacing assets from SCP- Containment Breach.
We have many projects and ideas we’d like to work on, however the priorities of these are often shifted based on the ever-changing needs of our playerbase as the playstyles and preferences adapt as the community grows. Question Will you add new achievements?
Answer Yes. Question What has the biggest priority when designing updates, and how is this determined?
Answer This is difficult to answer, because of the countless factors that go into prioritisation, but the main priority in an update goes to try and fix a major deficiency within the game. For example, Heavy Containment Zone with 14.0.
How we choose this, however, is more complicated. It mostly boils down to whatever makes sense with the resources we have, as well as what might speed up other projects. The community also has a voice in this, with feedback through surveys and forums, as we try to listen to the improvements they’d like to see or what problems they have been experiencing. This is no easy task, since the community has many subcommunities that each have their own needs and wants.
We also consider the team’s motivation for certain projects, as we believe that being genuinely excited about what we are working on leads to improved productivity. Question What is the end goal for SCP: SL? / Vision?
Answer SCP: SL does not have a fixed end goal. We will continue to provide updates for as long as there is demand for new features, community support, and it remains financially viable. Question How do you plan to expand upon the horror aspects of SL?
Answer Horror is a complicated topic in a multiplayer shooter, multiple games with replayability struggle with this issue: How do you keep a game scary, while still being fun to play? Because experienced players will get used to the scares, and will not find it as scary as before.
Our horror shines due to the fear of the unknown, the lack of knowledge of what is around the corner and yet being brave enough to face it. There are many aspects that go with this, but these are the main ones that I want to touch upon for this question:
Light and Sound The atmosphere makes or breaks the scariness of each corner, which is at its best when isolated and alone. We want to make the facility feel darker and put more dread into the players.
Randomization This is the fear of the unknown, not knowing what comes next. What does the map layout look like? What threat are we facing? What can the threat do to you? Since players don’t know what they will be facing in the dark, they are more likely to run away from any major threat instead of fighting it. We plan to expand on this more in the future as this greatly increases the horror.
SCPs Some SCPs are not that scary model-wise, like 049. We plan to fix this and perhaps add more to the raster to make more variety in each game and put more uncertainty on what you might face.
Of course, most of these work best on the newer players. Experienced players have already got a good grasp of the possibilities within each round and will get used to the scares. Question Will there be any form of monetization in the future?/ How do you make money on a free game?
Answer We primarily monetize our game through our Patreon page, where you can support us directly. In addition to Patreon, we occasionally launch special campaigns, such as collaborations for exclusive plushies with Makeship or promotions with our server providers. In order to keep this project self-sustainable, we may explore additional non-intrusive monetization sources. Question Will SCP:SL ever come to other platforms? (Linux, Mac, console, ...)
Answer SCP:SL currently runs on Linux via Proton.
Sometimes it breaks since it's running via an incomplete compatibility layer, but we try to make it work. As for MacOS, the best we can say is that it's a little difficult as we don’t have the necessary tools to test this at the moment.
Servers and Modding
Question Will you consider adding community made plugins as base game?
Answer Yes and no. We have previously implemented community-requested features into vanilla as an option, which are now server settings the server host can play around with.
That being said, with the LabAPI Project now being something we can publicly discuss, we have expressed our interest in providing better support for people to create the tools they need, specifically tailored to their (or others') servers, as opposed to creating basic and generalised features. Question Will you allow custom models/ textures/ sounds, and will modding support ever improve?
Answer Our primary focus will always be on delivering high-quality content and updates for the base game. While proper client-modding support is not entirely out of the question, we want to prioritise providing the best gameplay experience we can.
That being said, server plugins have been something we are strongly in favour of providing constant support for, as it helps servers moderate and provide some unique experiences tailored to what their communities want, with no need for downloading external assets.
In terms of providing an easily accessible server modding framework, our upcoming LabAP is one of our goals, and we expect to provide more fun tools for modders to play around with and expand their custom created features within the constraints of the game. Question Will you add steam workshop support?
Answer While we aren't considering workshop support, we are looking into making plugin development and installation significantly easier with the release of the LabAPI, our own plugin development framework. Plugins are the primary way to add server-based custom additions. We're hoping to further support and aid plugin development throughout the future. Question Will you improve the server browser filters/ make a matchmaking system?
Answer If we are to revisit server browser filters, we'd consider expanding the system with more ways for servers to identify themselves and for community members to sort through them. Unfortunately this is more difficult than it sounds, and ensuring that all filters are accurate will be a challenge due to the community server based nature of SCP:SL.
We currently have no plans for matchmaking at this time. It's difficult to ensure that players are sent to a server that follows all of the standards we'd like to achieve. Another significant challenge with any sort of matchmaking system is the unfair nature of tossing in new players with extremely experienced ones. We feel it's best for players to sort themselves into communities they enjoy. Question Will text chat ever be added?
Answer The core goal of a system like text chat is to aid folks who may not have microphones. Due to the fast-paced nature of SL, we worry that a text chat would result in players being killed or otherwise punished for using such a feature. Instead of a text-based message system, we would rather aim to explore alternative ideas for players without microphones - such as hand-signs or callouts - if possible. Question Will you rework remote admin?
Answer The Remote Admin (RA) menu has gone through multiple iterations throughout the years. We are currently on RA 4.0, and are focussing on expanding the menu as needed whenever new features or commands are added. We would be open for a RA 5.0 if this is deemed necessary, as we are always open to suggestions and potential features we can implement to aid server hosts. Question Will there be peer-to-peer servers? As in, will there be an option to host a game from within the client, without a need for a dedicated server?
Answer Unfortunately due to the chosen network architecture and technical limitations, such an option is unlikely to appear in the future.
More to Follow!
Those were the questions for today's batch.
Make sure to stay tuned however, since there is a second part on its way! Expect to get more of your questions answered, like why we decided to rework Heavy Containment Zone before Surface or why we are releasing more overhauls and balance changes instead of adding new content. But for now…
