Outbreak Island News

[p]Hey everyone!
This update introduces a brand-new location, the first NPC with basic dialogue, a money & trading system, new farm items, and lots of quality-of-life improvements. Let’s jump in:
[/p][h3]New Location: Goodwin Farm[/h3][p]Explore a fresh new area added to the world.[/p][p][/p][h3]New NPC: Edward Goodwin (BETA)[/h3][p]First NPC is now in the game!
Edward works at the Goodwin Farm and comes with a basic dialogue system.
For now, he can:
Give 2 quests, Trade items (Buy/Sell), Provide information
This is a simple foundation, but it opens the door for many upcoming characters.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]New Trade System[/h3][p]You can now buy and sell various items.[/p][p][/p][p] [/p][h3]Money System Added[/h3][p]A new money icon appears in your inventory showing how much currency you have.[/p][p][/p][h3]
Quests & Challenges[/h3][p]Quest and Challenge menus redesigned: improved fonts, categories moved to the right, and Active / Completed quests are now split into separate sections.[/p][p]New quest categories added: farming, fishing, hunting, and more (visible inside each quest info box).[/p][p]Added new quest items: Edgar’s backpack and several new resource items.[/p][p][/p][p] [/p][h3]New Items & Farming Additions[/h3][p]-New items: Honey, Bees, Honey Toast, Wax Scraper, and more.[/p][p]-New farm buildable: Bee Hives — you can now build them on your farm and collect honey.[/p][p]-Added a quest guiding you to build your first bee hive.[/p][p][/p][h3]Animals (Not interactable for now)[/h3][p]-Added chickens and horses to the world.
Note: They’re not interactable yet — I’m actively working on behavior, interactions, and future systems.


[/p][h3]World & Visual Improvements[/h3][p]-Polished visuals in several areas.[/p][p]-Increased loading distance in the Canyon location.[/p][p][/p][p]-Added more sleeping tents around the world.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]-Added a storage box at the Fishing Village pier.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Added Toggle Sprint option.[/h3][p] [/p][h3]Smaller Fixes[/h3][p]-Fishing nets now save/load correctly.[/p][p]-Fixed fishing net text (no more “No Bait” when bait is actually there).[/p][p]-Small collision fixes.[/p][p]-Improved game intro illustrations.[/p][p]-Fixed Engineer Skill issue where the requirement sometimes stayed active even after learning the skill.
[/p][h3]Sneak Peek: What I’m Working on[/h3][p]Here’s a small devlog of what’s coming:[/p][p]-More NPCs[/p][p]-More animals[/p][p]-Wild bears, wolves[/p][p]-New locations[/p][p]-Horse riding system[/p][p]-Ability to build a chicken coop and harvest eggs[/p][p]-And more![/p][p]Also:
I’m collecting all your bug reports, comments, and crash logs. Still investigating some crash cases and the EOS SDK DLL issue — the game doesn’t use Epic Online Services, so I’m trying to understand why the DLL is included (possibly related to the Supporter Pack DLC). Looking into it![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]
[/p][p]Thank you all for your support, feedback, reviews, and bug reports — it really helps a lot!
I’ll keep polishing the game, fixing issues, and building new content for upcoming updates.[/p]

[p]Hello, Survivors![/p][p]A massive thank you to everyone exploring the dangers of Outbreak Island! Your support, your detailed feedback, and bug reports have been incredibly valuable, and I'm actively reading everything and adding it to my development list.[/p][p]The work is far from over. I'm currently deep in development on a bigger update. Here's a sneak peek at what I'm working on right now:[/p]

• [p]Writing dialogue trees for NPCs to bring the world and its characters to life.[/p]
• [p]Creating new locations for you to explore and scavenge.[/p]
• [p]Expanding the crafting system with new possibilities.[/p]
• [p]Adding wild and farm animals to change up the ecosystem and survival strategies.[/p]
• [p]Implementing new settings and options for a better player experience.[/p]
• [p]Squashing bugs and improving overall game stability.[/p]

[p]On top of that, I'm continuously working on technical excellence. This includes optimizing the game for Steam Deck and low-end devices to ensure a smooth experience for all players, while also working on improving the game's visuals for those who want to push their systems.[/p][p]This brings me to an exciting point: the Steam Awards 2025 have begun![/p][p]If you've enjoyed playing Outbreak Island on the go, please consider nominating us for the Best Game on Steam Deck Award. And if the game's lush, deadly environments and tense atmosphere have captivated you, we would be honored by your nomination for the Outstanding Visual Style Award.[/p][p]Your support in these categories would mean the world to me.[/p][p]And if you have a moment, leaving a Steam review would also help us immensely. Hearing about your experiences is crucial for the game's growth.[/p][p]Thank you for playing, surviving, and helping me build Outbreak Island[/p]

[h2]Weapons[/h2][p]New Weapon: Rocket Launcher You can finally blast things with rockets! This feature is new, so there may still be some bugs — but it’s already fun to play with.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Craftable Rockets (Ammo) Rockets can now be crafted so you can keep the explosions going.[/p][p]Small Ammo Crafting & Spawn Rebalance Minor adjustments to ammo availability and crafting amounts.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Gamepad Support[/h2][p]Full Gamepad Support Added. Still experimental and might have bugs, but should be playable with a controller. More improvements will come, but everything works and shows proper button icons.[/p][p][/p][p]Manual Controller Layout Selection Choose between Xbox and PlayStation layouts.
Default: Auto Detect.[/p][p][/p][p]New Controls Tutorial Window You can now view an info popup showing PS/Xbox control maps directly in the menu.[/p][p][/p][p]Sprint Bug Fixed Fixed an issue where sprinting didn’t work correctly while moving left/right.[/p][p]Full Feature Support Radial menu, map navigation, flashlight, and more now work smoothly on gamepad.[/p][p]Hot-Plug Support You can switch between gamepad and keyboard at any time — no restarts needed. UI updates instantly when input changes.[/p][p]Improved DualShock 4 & DualSense Recognition No need for external tools like DS4Windows — the game now includes a built-in driver.[/p][p][/p][h2]General Improvements[/h2][p]Smaller Crafting/Tools/Renovation/Farming Buttons
Less scrolling when searching for items.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Improved Object Placement
It should now be easier to place tents or display collectibles.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Added Object Rotation Instructions
Clear info on how to rotate objects while placing them.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Solar Parts Are Now Craftable
Requires tools, items, and the Engineer skill.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Greenwood Location Improvements
Less floating objects and a cleaner, more polished look.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Radar Upgrade
Radar now aligns correctly with the map (N/E/S/W) and displays accurate degrees (0–360).[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Added storage to the Fishing Village house — you now have extra space available in that location.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Smaller Bug Fixes[/h2][p]-Prevented opening inventory, map, and other menus while paused or inside containers to avoid UI issues.[/p][p]-Resolution setting no longer syncs with Steam Cloud (avoids switching to wrong resolution when changing PCs).[/p][p]-Improved loading logic — fewer chances of spawning underground.[/p][p]-Removed empty key bindings from the controls list.[/p][p]-Various collision fixes, stuck spots, and small improvements.[/p][p]-Improved Steam Achievement logic — fewer bugs.[/p][p]-Removed black borders from the main menu.[/p][p]-Overall image is now a bit more sharper (Will add sharpness and other FX settings later).[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you all for submitting bugs and leaving reviews — it really helps a lot! I’m continuing to fix issues, polish the game, and I’m also working on new content (more info coming soon!). Your support means a ton, and I hope you enjoy the update![/p]

[p]Hey Survivors!
I made new update for you — added new tools, new renovations, and few of quality-of-life changes based directly on your feedback. Let’s dive in[/p][p][/p][h3]New Features[/h3][p][/p][p]Added Flashlight (Beta) — You can now light up dark areas! Default key: F (remappable)[/p][p]Currently has unlimited power — I got suggestions about battery logic, maybe it will come in a future update. Note: Lighting may still have some visual bugs (I am still working on it!).[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]New Renovation: Plant Watering System[/p][p]Automatically keeps your plants hydrated.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]New Renovation: Garden Storage[/p][p]Adds a 100-slot outdoor storage box to your garden for extra space.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]New Quest: “Automatic Irrigation”[/p][p]A new farming quest focused on building your watering system.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]New Setting: Show Hints[/p][p]You can now disable automatic tutorial popups. Tutorials remain available in the Tutorials section. Recommended for first-time players to keep ON.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]New Setting: Weather Sound Volume[/p][p]Control the loudness of rain, wind, and ambient weather separately.[/p][p][/p][p]New Clock Format Option[/p][p]Choose between 24-hour or AM/PM display.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Improvements & Changes[/h3][p][/p][p]Radial Menu Improvements:[/p][p]Hold Q to open, hover over a weapon, then release to equip.[/p][p]No more clicking to select or close — it’s smoother than ever.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Consumables Removed from Radial Menu:[/p][p]They’re easier to use directly from your inventory.[/p][p][/p][p]Classic Weapon Switch Key is Back![/p][p]Default: 1 (remappable in settings).[/p][p]Added Quick Heal Button[/p][p]Default: 2 — instantly consumes a healing item.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Renovation Dependencies:[/p][p]Some renovations now require others first (e.g., can’t craft solar panels without an inverter, or greenhouses without garden beds).[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Melting Station Relocated[/p][p]Now found in the Auto Repair Shop (was in the nearby hangar).[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Bug Fixes & Minor Tweaks[/h3][p]-Fixed music volume slider not always reacting properly.[/p][p]-Various resolution, VSync, and graphics setting improvements.[/p][p]-Updated a story note — the bunker key is in one of the rooms, not specifically the server room.[/p][p]-Sleeping now correctly advances Fishing Nets and Farm Bed progress.[/p][p]-Increased in-house storage capacity (30–50 per storage).[/p][p][/p][p]-Improved collision at Forest Tower — you can now walk up wooden stairs normally (no more jumping needed!).[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Thank you all for your continued feedback and bug reports
Keep posting your thoughts — I am reading everything and planning more new features and improvements next![/p]

[p]Hey everyone! Hope you had good weekend.[/p][p]New update is here with some improvements, balance changes, and bug fixes.[/p][h3]Main Changes[/h3][p]-New Radial Menu (Default Q key) — pressing it now opens a quick radial menu instead of just cycling through weapons. You can switch between Equipment and Consumables, making it much easier to quickly heal, eat, or pick the right weapon in combat. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]-Scientist #4 quest updated — now the quest marker points to the portal instead of directly to the Arctic Military Base (to avoid confusion).[/p][p]-Car engine sound improved — it’s still a work in progress, but should sound a bit better for now. I plan to replace it later with a more dynamic system (with gear shifts and more variety).[/p][p]-“Store All” in storage now skips weapons — no more accidentally storing your guns![/p][p]-Fixed Story Notes Challenge and Steam Achievement not triggering correctly.[/p][p]-Default vehicle storage increased — now 80 slots by default, and 100 with the storage upgrade.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]-Water Storages are now refillable! They slowly refill a bit after each rain (not fully, but it helps).[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]-Hunger re-balance — your character now survives a bit longer without food, so you can focus more on exploration instead of constant eating.[/p][p]-Day cycle slightly slowed down — days last longer.
[/p][h3]Smaller Fixes & Improvements[/h3][p]-Fixed several floating objects above ground.[/p][p]-Fixed inaccessible garden soil inside barns.[/p][p]-Fixed a few collision and localization issues.[/p][p]-Fixed infinite UI toggle bug (Inventory, Map, Journal) that happened when holding keys.[/p][p]-Improved resolution settings when using 4K monitors.[/p][p]-After cleaning/renovating house areas, drinking a water bottle now correctly gives back an empty bottle.[/p][p]-Fixed repairing ladders, lab panels, etc. — now crafting resources are actually consumed (no more free repairs).
[/p][p][/p][p]-Improved vehicle paint color loading — your paint and skin now load properly after reloading the game (no need to reapply in the shop).[/p][p]-Mushrooms and Grilled Mushrooms now display the correct hunger restoration percentage in their descriptions.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]-Sleeping Tent is now properly called “Sleeping Tent” in the world, not “Bed.”
[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]I’m continuing work on more improvements, bigger content updates coming soon.[/p][p]Thanks again for being part of this journey — your support and feedback keep this project alive and moving forward every day.[/p]