Content Update - Hard Mode, Explore Mode, and more changes
Hey everyone! I have a proper content update this time. Hope you all enjoy. Here's what you can expect:
Major Additions
Hard Mode. You have additional "survival mechanics" to manage, like hunger, thirst, and bleeding. There are a couple new items/interactions to let you deal with these new systems. There's also fall damage on this mode, and the Butcher is a bit more aware of you.
Explore Mode. You can now playthrough the game without having to deal with any hostile characters. Some scripted sequences involving hostile characters will still play out as normal though.
Document Viewer. Available from the Inventory screen, you can view any document you had seen before. Useful for tracking the investigator achievement, or for double checking a puzzle code.
The Hammer can now also be used as a defensive weapon. It's the slowest melee weapon.
There is a new secret achievement to unlock
Bug Spray item can be used to make the Butcher retreat
You can trap the Butcher and Dog in a specific room... if you're quick enough. Doing so can also skip an event with the Butcher near the end of the game.
Using the VHS or 16mm video setting with make the voice acting lo-fi
"Text over FX" setting lets any text and certain UI elements readable even if you have a video effect enabled
High Pitch Sounds setting lets you disable/enable any high pitched sound effects
QoL and Bug Fixes
Fixed issue where you could take out the nails on a floor board from the wrong side
Fixed issue where the player could double-back to the House after going through a scripted ending sequence
Control prompt appears when interacting with the Clock Puzzle
Certain items (Drain Cleaner, Rubbing alcohol) become unusable once they served their purpose
You can alternatively unlock the Hero achievement by leading a Victim through the front door
You can kill Rats with the Knife
You cannot use Bandages if you are already at full health
Fixed issue where victim's dead bodies could get frozen in the air
Fixed issue where the ending hospital scene was too dark
Fixed a couple cases where using "RT" on a controller would skip past dialogue too quickly
Fixed issue where picking up and dropping the wooden plank could sometimes make the wooden plank huge in scale
Fixed a couple buggy interactions with the Crippled Woman
Fixed bug where if you made the Butcher retreat while he was killing a victim, the victim's screams wouldn't stop
Fixed visual issue where a puzzle prompt didn't appear visible at first
Fixed issue where Roxanne's voice was lower than it should've been
Fixed issue where if you were crouched you wouldn't be able to stand, in a very specific location
Fixed some AI issues related to the Dog
Fixed a couple "floating" objects
Fixed bug where Butcher would walk through the Fridge in the Kitchen
Fixed some radar issues
That's it! Thanks for playing STAY OUT OF THE HOUSE!
1.0.20 - Lots of fixed + adjustments
Hi everyone, I'm back with another patch. This time, we got a ton of bug fixes and little adjustments in.
We still have some new content on the way, but this patch had some critical fixes in it, so we decided to release this ahead of the content update.
Fixed bug that prevented player from interacting with items, if the game was left running for a long time
Fixed bug that prevented the player from opening their inventory or the options screen
Security cameras have a new visual for the "sight cones"
Adjustments to door physics
Some minor adjustments to various puzzles to make them a bit more clear
Fixed bug where certain moveable objects would have slow/floaty physics
Fixed bug where if it was the first time you ever saved, you wouldn't be able to Load your game from the pause screen until you quit
Fixed bug where you could pick up a trap that the butcher was stuck in
Fixed bug where the CRT would become active when you entered the game, even if you had turned it off
Adjusted Inventory screen, so you can navigate through your inventory with the D-Pad on controller
Fixed issue where you always had to crouch to pick up the Wooden Plank item
Fixed bug where if you died in a bear trap, the bear trap would still be around and bring up the "Escape" prompt
Fixed dialogue issues in Night Shift, if you used a controller
The "Safe" Bear Trap now uses a different model
Fixed issue where Rock items were a bit too bright
Fixed the Drawer texture issue
Fixed issue where a couple notes didn't have text
Fixed typo in credits for Dave's animations
Fixed issue where TVs weren't animating
Texture Stretching is off by default
Fixed bug where using the gun could "break" the game, if you swapped items at the exact same time
Fixed some Butcher AI behaviors when he uses the elevator
Fixed bug where if you were underwater, interacted with a locked door, then resurfaced, you'd hear the locked door sound effect
Fixed bug where Victims could open the doors to the cages
Victims are easier to move out of your way
Fixed bug where the FOV zoom would bug out if you interacted with the Fallout Keypad
Fixed an issue related to Fuse items physics
Fixed physics bug related to the dog cage door
Fixed bug where items on dinning room table would be floating even if Butcher flipped the table
Fixed bug where you could interact with cabinet drawers through a cage
Fixed bug where opening the elevator hatch could knock you out of bounds, depending on where you were standing
Fixed issues where you could use the peak mechanic to go through walls in Night Shift
Fixed bug where adjusting the Gamma on Night Shift made the UI pitch black
Fixed an issue where a "dialogue cutscene" would repeat even after you saved / loaded
Fixed bug where the Butcher could not attack you when you stood on top of a hatch
Fixed bug where the state of the "dying man" wasn't saving properly
Fixed bug where the "bugs" were making sounds, even if they were gone after you saved / loaded
Fixed issue with the Special Thanks in the credits
Fixed issue where climbable vents would display "Can't reach" when you were above them
Thanks everyone for your patience and support!
Stay out of the House Halloween Update
First of all I want to thank everyone for picking up the game. I hope you've enjoyed it.
Stay out of the House is in much better shape now. Lum and I have been working our asses off. The bugs are almost all fixed and things are pretty stable. If you had issues before, you should be safe giving it another shot this Halloween.
I apologize for the launch. It was a shame working on a game for almost 5 years and then botching the release in the worst way possible with multiple delays and then bugs. We actually did more testing than any other Puppet Combo game with 10 testers on the payroll. But the sandbox-y nature of everything hid some bugs we didn't expect once it hit the public. Not to mention some engine issues that were totally unexpected but bricked the game for a small number of gamers. I hope everyone feels satisfied with their purchase now or got a refund if you didn't want to wait for patches.
It hasn't done the great commercially with almost no media coverage or reviews but I'm confident the game's reputation will grow over time. Please leave a review if you have time, those really help!
But aside from the struggles, I'm proud of what was accomplished. The game has turned out exactly how I envisioned it. I know it's not a game for everyone but I think it's find it's audience over the years. Huge thanks to you guys for supporting it from the start.
Happy Halloween Everyone!
1.0.19b - hotfix
Well, just when I said we'd be slowing down patches... an immediate hotfix is uploaded!
There was an error related to the gun which should now be resolved.
Thanks for your patience!
1.0.19 - Toggle texture stretching, Butcher costume changes, and more bug fixes!
A small bit of restored content, a new toggle in the options menu, and more fixes!
Hopefully you aren't all tired of me saying this, but: thank you for sticking with us!
The Butcher has some new costume changes that happen when he reaches specific "phases"!
Affine Texture toggle is added to the Display Settings. This will let you disable texture stretching, as some users reported this as causing headaches.
Improved ambient sounds in Night Shift - Outside, Inside, Refridgerators all have proper sound design
Changes to item physics - this should prevent issues where items would fall (or get knocked) out of bounds.
Fixed issue where dropping items in the barbed wire pit would mean they were gone forever. These items will immediately reset to the player's position
Fixed issue with cigarette pack in Night Shift, where it didn't have a model or item description in the inventory
Fixed issue related to the "closet padlock" where the camera would sometimes not line up, and you wouldn't be able to change the bottom 3 numbers.
The framerate in the attic is greatly improved
Fixed bug where you could solve the Clock puzzle earlier than intended
As a heads up, we expect patches will be a bit slower from now on (unless an emergency comes up). We currently have a bigger update planned (some new content), which we think you will all appreciate.
That being said, we've been working very hard on SOOTH the past month, and we need some time to rest and regroup. We think you will all really enjoy the next update we have planned, though!
Hope everyone has a great weekend, and happy Halloween!
1.0.18 - Candy Bar + lots of misc. fixes
Back with more fixes. We've changed our work flow so patches should be much more stable than they were in the past. I can't say for certain we'll always be perfect, but things have been a lot better on our end after making these changes.
Thanks, as always, for your patience and for sticking with us!
Here's what's new:
A new item (candy bar) has been added to the house, which can be given to a specific victim
You can disarm bear traps when using a controller
Additional controller interactions fixed
You can unlock the Easy achievement when beating it on Medium. If you've already completed the game on Medium, then you will unlock the Easy achievement when you boot up the game
Fixed issue where the button prompt for commanding victims wasn't updating to your rebinded controls
Improved issue where the Butcher could stack multiple bear traps on top of each other. During testing we saw this happen in one scenario, though it should be much less frequent.
Fixed bug where dog did not react to you touching it
Fixed bug where you could still interact with a security camera after it was shot out
Fixed issue where stealing the Butcher's key while he was stuck in a trap lead to weird animation issues (it was fun while it lasted though)
PART 4 should no longer be unlocked by default
Photo mode should correctly unlock
Improvements to the audio occlusion system
Additional feedback added to an end-game puzzle, so it's easier to tell when you've entered the correct code
Fixed bug where you could get stuck between the 1st floor bathroom door and inside a cabinet
On Easy mode, any Screws that were removed no longer have a shine on them
Added some ambience/music to a specific secret room
Adjusted the default volume levels
Fixed some issues related to the prologue house
More fixes and adjustments are on the way. A few have been promised for a few days now, but have been difficult to replicate. We're doing our best to continue improving the game!
Still to do:
victim dead bodies get stuck in the air under certain conditions (I know, I know... this one's been on the Coming Soon list for a while)
being able to kill victims with the knife
improvements to movable objects (chairs)
improvement to framerate in attic
1.0.17 - More bug fixes
Thanks everyone for your patience with the game. We're working very hard to continue fixing bugs!
1.0.17
Fixed the Butcher's "Frenzy" state
Puppet Combo logo returned to game's intro
The can in the kitchen was moved back onto the shelf
Fixed issue where Steam would (by default) detect a controller as Mouse+Keyboard
Fixed issue where a specific victim wasn't saying the correct dialogue after being saved
Photo mode has been fixed, and the Smile achievement should correctly unlock
There were additional UI + controller display issues fixed for Photo mode as well
Victim pathfinding AI fixed
Fixed bug where some red buttons were visible through walls
Fixed issue where dying in the vents would cause the "vent ambience" to continue playing after respawning
Fixed bug where Butcher would "rediscover" the dead mother
Adjusted the fuse puzzle items
We have more fixes and adjustments coming soon, but they are still in the testing phase.
Bug where you can't disarm bear traps with a controller, and adjustments for other controller interactions
Victim bodies sometimes getting frozen in the air (still working on it... sorry!)
Fixes related to bear traps
...and more!
1.0.16 - Quality of life fixes
I apologize for the launch bugs but the game keeps getting better and better. It should be a lot more stable now. I've been making subtitle optimizations, refining a few mechanics, and adding some quality of life improvements.
1.0.16
THE BITCH IS DEAD - Granny will stay dead now on your saves.
The dog and baby stay dead too.
Added now ambient audio to the house for more mood
The killer won't alert himself when he opens doors (getting stuck in doors)
You can't see bullet flares through the drawers and cabinets anymore
Fixed annoying FOV resets (let me know if any more remain that I missed)
More feedback when you try to climb. The game will tell you if you can't reach something - you probably have to stand on a chair for ceiling vents.
Fixed passable food buckets in the bucket room and hopefully improved the framerate.
Added a key outside for the barn door so you can't get softlocked.
The butcher's alert should no longer play forever if he's chasing you and gets stuck in a bear trap.
Opening doors should feel tighter.
Updates that are coming:
Fix issues with the victims dead bodies flying around the map or freezing in the air (even if it is funny)
Add the puppet combo logo back to the game (if we can find a video format that doesn't explode unity
Stay out of the House coming this week
You've waited for years and now Stay out of the House is finally coming next week. Check out the new gameplay trailer below, which explains it better than I can:
While it could have been worked on at a faster pace (I took a year off to make Murder House, not to mention all the other games), I feel it was worth taking the extra time on this one. The resulting gameplay is incredibly deep, and every ambition and idea I had for the game has been included. No corners were cut.
Lum (of SEARCH PARTY fame) joined in on development for the last 6 months, which has been incredible. Smoothing out the gameplay and implementing the remaining systems, while I worked on new gameplay sections and puzzles that no one has seen yet.
The gameplay will make have you on edge, with the amount of things to manage inside of the house. It's like a chess game with the butcher. Everything is meant to work extremely logically, so you can plan out each move and the risks involved. You'll be pouring sweat after every narrow encounter you survive.
Clear your calendar next weekend. Tell your job you're sick. Dump the kids at the babysitters house. You'll be glued to your PC
Puppet Combo Direct Showcase
Puppet Combo Direct Live Stream is Tonight
New game announcements World premieres Console ports
Who will survival and what will be left of them?
You can watch on the Stay out of the House Steam page or on Twitch
