Version 0.7.0 is here! It's not a big change as far as game features go, but between all the improvements in the last version and the Early Access release coming up, I thought upping the number is a good idea. This is going to be the final build before the Early Access release on Steam unless any huge last minute bugs come up.
Improvements:
Bug Fixes:
Steam Early Access release is less than 10 days away! I'm excited, nervous, happy, sad, ... wow!
Beta 0.6.3
Hey everybody, here we are with another batch of improvements, and a couple of important bug fixes:
Improvements:
You can now right click (as well as double click) on sprint items to cancel/remove them.
Improvements to feature design flow:
You can now freely switch between different feature types during feature design, if you haven't placed any components.
You can now freely run a sprint if you have started to design a feature but haven't placed any components.
If you have placed some feature components, you now get a warning when trying to switch to another type of feature.
Events now display a countdown of the number of weeks they will be in effect.
Eliminated the possibility of two security attacks occurring within a very short time span of time.
Upgrade flags now become translucent so that bugs are visible underneath them.
In the feature details window, the list of upgrades is now always scrolled to the top when it's opened.
Feature upgrades in the sprint now have a different icon to differentiate them from features.
Bugs:
Fixed: Training staff doesn't change their actual output.
Fixed: Churn is calculated incorrectly after a pricing change (can lead to a crash).
Fixed: Quickly clicking the "question" button in investment tutorial right after starting causes an error.
Also in case you were wondering: version 0.6.2 was released but only included a couple of bug fixes so we didn't bother posting about it. In hindsight we probably should have!
Early access is so close. I think my hands are shaking :)
New Trailer!
Hey everyone, the new trailer for Startup Freak has just gone up on the store page, and also uploaded to Youtube.
This was more of a refresh to the previous trailer. I just updated the graphics, added a section showing off the "pitch to investors" mini game, and also recorded the whole thing in 60fps for a smoother result!
Beta 0.6.1 - Hotfix
Hi Everyone,
Beta 0.6.0 had a couple of glaring and severe bugs in it. The new hotfix build patches the following issues:
Beta 0.6.0 is Here!
Is Beta 0.6.0 late? You betcha! Is it lacking in new content and features? Absolutely not! Check out the list below or better still, get yourself a copy from itch and try it out:
Features and Improvements
Added two new markets, representing easy and hard difficulties. (Note: these still need to be balanced, so expect some rough edges).
Added 3 music tracks.
Added 12 Steam achievements (will become with available on Steam release).
Added support for localisation to the game (only English is currently available but the plan is to release other languages throughout Early Access).
Improved the game load performance.
Added summarised product metrics as a HUD to the backlog product view.
The player is now prompted to place their credited furniture after moving.
The player is now prompted to confirm when cancelling or deprecating features.
The candidate HUD UI now shows the maximum skill available for each skill type.
Server width information, as well as height, is now shown in the server selection UI.
When building tests, now the tech components are highlighted so it's more clear where to build tests.
A more intuitive tooltip UI is added for tasks and feature upgrades, which replaces the click-and-hold input.
Added sprint notifications for feature upgrades.
Changed the Milestone C checkpoint text to be more accurate.
Added discord and twitter links on the title menu screens.
Updated the icons for offices.
The server selection / topology menus are now auto-collapsed when the data centre UI is opened.
Improved highlighting of several buttons when they first become available,
including milestone checklist, upgrades, and sprint run.
The question mark in the investment mini game now glows on and off.
Added visual and audio feedback when placing down the market research radar.
Update the graphics for sliders.
Investor profile no longer displays their affinity directly. Player has to guess based on the portfolio alone.
Improved tutorial texts for product metrics.
Bug Fixes
Fixed: Moving truck freezes if the investment UI is opened before the truck has left the scene.
Fixed: Notification bubbles on menu buttons freeze in position when the investment UI is opened.
Fixed: Context menu click registers through backlog side panels.
Fixed: Invisible requested features are click-able (when sprint is full an error is shown).
Fixed: Investor bonus string is not formatted correctly.
Fixed: Marketing area doesn't unlock if the game is saved just after leveling up the first marketing task and then loading it again.
Fixed: Corrected tutorial text in investment mini-game.
Fixed: Sometimes both Inbox and Junk mailboxes are selected.
Have fun!
State of Affairs #1
It's been a little while since the last update and release of the Beta, so I wanted to quickly update you with where we are at with the game...
Upcoming Changes
The primary focus over the last couple of weeks has been music. It has been a slow process and at this point it looks like we'll be going into Early Access with 3 tracks, and add a couple more before final release.
10 Steam Achievements have been added to the game! Just a reminder for itch.io owners: you'll receive Steam keys once the game is released so you'll be able to unlock the achievements.
2 new product types are being added (which you can select at the beginning of the game). Please keep in mind that product types don't change the game content, however they determine a number of variables in the game such as optimal pricing and marketing activities, best feature upgrades to build, and game difficulty.
Lots of bug fixes, smaller improvements and general polish is going in.
At this point the plan is to put up one new release on itch.io before going into Early Access.
Release Date Change
You may have noticed that the release date has moved from February to March. This isn't really because the game is not in a state that can be released, but rather a scheduling conflict. I'm currently working full time, and my plan is to take a month off and focus on the game release and do some promotional work leading up to it. February was just not going to be a good time. At this point the release is planned for early March. I'll have an exact date pretty soon!
I'm not gonna lie: I'm excited!
Game Play Videos
A few Youtubers have kindly been playing the game on their channels. If you are still unsure what actually happens Startup Freak, feel free to check them out here!
Beta 0.5.0 is Here with More Goodies!
Beta 0.5.0 brings a bunch of new improvements to Startup Freak; mostly around UI and giving better information to you, when you most need it.
Features and Improvements
Bug Fixes
<*>Feature details UI is now automatically closed when a sprint is run, and next time it's opened, its data are refreshed.
<*>Marketing activity reports no longer repeat the same pairs of activities (until all pairs have been researched).
Happy Pitching!
Beta 0.4.0 is Here!
Beta 0.4.0 is here for your enjoyment! It's really starting to come together as we move towards Steam Early Access:
Features/Improvements
Balancing
Bug Fixes:
Happy Starting Up :)
Beta 0.3.0 is Now Available!
Here we are with another release of Startup Freak, full of goodies and improvements. As always you can download it on itch.io! (I know, I know, it will be on Steam soon enough...)
Here is what you can expect in this release:
Features
Added 23 new office furniture/items including new employee desks and computers.
All server placeholders have been replaced with shiny new art assets!
Market report now has hints for pricing.
Improved the presentation of the investor mini game. Note that the art is still placeholder, and will be replaced in the next release.
Added new investor profiles.
Added investment mini game tutorial.
Office items can now be moved after being placed.
Bug Fixes
Fixed a crashing bug on some computers during loading of game settings.
Fixed incorrect collision detection when placing some office items.
The level can now be scrolled left and right when placing office items.
The player can no longer place a investment counter offer which is worse than what was offered by the investor.
The player can no longer rent an office that has less capacity than the current employee count (resulting in errors).
Happy Starting Up!
Beta 0.2.0 is Here!
Over the past few weeks my focus has been mostly on getting the new art content, but a whole lot of other changes have also made their way into Beta 0.2.0. You can access the beta by pre-ordering on itch
Changes
<*> You can now build tests for you product, similar to performance and security features. Tests reduce the occurrence of bugs in adjacent tech components.
<*> There is now a new Office and Supplies task (operations) which the player needs to level up to unlock offices and furniture.
<*> Market Research Report is greatly enhanced and has a lot more useful information.
<*> Increased the total number of random events to 30.
<*> Added 25 new furniture/office items.
<*> Added 2 new offices.
<*> Added a title/main menu screen.
<*> Added UI sound effects.
<*> You can now change job candidate names.
<*> Many more improvements, balancing, and bug fixes.
Here are some tests in action:
And here are some of the office items you can expect to grace your office with:
Pre-Orders
As I mentioned, you can now access the private beta and all future beta and full releases by pre-ordering the game on itch. You'll also receive a Steam key once it becomes available here.
