The Crust News

Hello engineers,
We’ve just released version 0.95.54. This is an interim version ahead of Update One, featuring numerous fixes and expanded functionality for cargo docks, expedition centers, and trucks. We’ve also added colonist notifications, improved their behavior algorithm, and optimized FPS for bases with a large number of colonists.

This build was created from a new branch that underwent significant refactoring and structural improvements, so old saves are guaranteed to cause issues. We urge you to start a new game, and appreciate the innovations for what they are.

[h2]Patch 0.95.54[/h2]

[h2]Added:[/h2]

[h3]Optimization:[/h3]
- Significant performance improvement by refactoring outdated code in the logic of transportation, contracts, colonists, and other game elements that negatively impacted performance.
- Removed cyclic dependencies that caused significant FPS drops when triggering module notifications.

[h3]QoL:[/h3]
- Added difficulty selection at the start of the story campaign.
- Confirmation window when trying to load an old save. In case loading a save will result in critical errors, a hint on how to run it on an old version has been added
- Save menu now displays the original version on which the game was started.
- New highlight effects when hovering over modules.
- The underground level now has visible boundaries beyond which digging is impossible. The playable underground area remains unchanged, but the fully excavated level now looks significantly better.
- By popular request: added display of credits on the colonist hiring panel.
- Displayed the cost of using the landing platform for the sales and logistics interface
- Refined contract system tutorial: added option to skip tutorial and adjusted behaviour of dialogues - now Broker will not repeat the line after the contract has already been sent.
- Added speed modifier from fuel usage for transports on the crater.
- Added tooltips to demolish structures and to the expeditions button.
- Added a hotkey hint to improve the conveyor (P).

[h3]Expedition Control Center mechanics:[/h3]
- Ability to build multiple Expedition Centers on a single base.
- Option to cancel expeditions and contracts.
- Ability to delete the Expedition Center.

[h3]Transport and Cargo Dock mechanics:[/h3]
- Added a button to toggle between manual and automatic unloading modes for transport.
- Trucks can now be manually unloaded into any free Cargo Dock.
- Option to switch trucks between automatic and manual unloading.
- Ability to cancel resource loading into a Cargo Dock.
- Ability to build multiple modules on a single base.
- Option to select a specific dock as the unloading location for a truck.
- Routes can now be assigned to specific Cargo Docks.
- Added science data collection mode for rover: now rover generates science points only when special mode is enabled in the transport interface.

[h3]Colonist states:[/h3]
- Added new states for colonists: "Injury," "Illness," "Dying," and "Low Oxygen."
- Notifications for colonists' needs: health, food, sleep, oxygen, and death.
- Improved colonist movement logic.

[h3]Content:[/h3]
- New factions from backers.
- Lunar orbital map now displays the names of seas and craters.
- Voiceovers added for some secondary characters.
- Added the option to fully refuse the quest involving the hacker.
- Hint added for researching automatic repairs.
- New dialogue hints about constructing the Expedition Center.
- New loading screen quotes.
- Added a message to the contracts interface when it is open, but no contracts are available.
- New colonists: the total number of unique colonists available for recruitment has exceeded 155!
- Building a backer monument grants colonists an inspiration card and increases global reputation.
- New dialog line when negative balance is reached.

[h3]Visuals:[/h3]
- Added new models for the heavy and fast capsule
- Improved visuals and animations for the Rolling Mill.
- Updated visuals for the Smart Concrete Factory.
- Drones are now properly displayed in the Expedition Center interface.

[h3]Sound Effects:[/h3]
- Added sound effects for hovering and clicking on POIs.
- Added sounds for researching POIs.
- New scanning sounds for the rover.
- Sound effects for achieving intermediate goals.
- Sounds added for the assembler's operation.
- Door opening and closing sounds connected.
- Sound effects added for the repeater module.
- Fixed the sound for the Ice Melter module.


[h2]Fixed:[/h2]

[h3]Achievements:[/h3]
- Fixed the conditions for the "Heroes Never Die" achievement—now all 12 quest colonists are counted regardless of the transport used.
- The "Complete Tutorial" achievement is now granted at the end of the tutorial, even if the "Return to Menu" option is selected.

[h3]UI:[/h3]
- Fixed display issues for energy consumption and generation.
- Adjusted the saturation display for regolith.
- Tooltip on energy modules now correctly states "Consumes" for consumers and "Generates" for generators.
- Fixed wear-and-tear display on modules.
- Notification panels no longer overlap each other.
- Fixed day display in the farm interface.
- Number of robots available for hire now displays correctly.
- Adjusted display of bonuses and penalties in contract proposals.
- Fixed expedition loading display when only drones are starting while the truck is in the Expedition Center.
- Fixed fractional numbers in resources and rounded values for extracted regolith and minerals.
- Drones now display correctly in POIs if assigned as resources rather than escorts.
- Fixed the demolish button display when building another module.
- Resolved all potential issues where vehicle construction processes failed to display.
- Fixed a few scenarios that required a double click
- Contract training has been improved: added an option to skip training completely, and the hint arrow no longer flies to the topmost corner if you exit a Commercial Center
- Fixed some typos and localisation errors
- Fixed overlapping tooltips when building an extractor on an unexplored vein.
- Clicking on a cargo drone notification now moves the camera to the drone.
- Fixed errors where Shift and Ctrl did not work the first time.
- Adjusted hover tooltip arrows to point to the right buttons in multiple scenarios.
- Fixed visual artefacts when selecting game mode.
- Fixed typos in localisation.
- POI research indicator is now visible from afar.
- Fixed several bugs when displaying the price chart.
- Fixed contract cancellation button block if it shouldn’t be cancelled.
- Fixed description in the tooltip on the contract timer.
- Conveyor improvement tooltip now displays correctly.

[h3]Drones:[/h3]
- Adjusted drone collision with crater surfaces to prevent getting stuck on terrain folds.
- Fixed drone pricing calculation in the shop.
- Drones are now accounted for in the CPU.
- Correctly display drones assigned to veins after loading.
- Fixed drones getting stuck on depleted veins.
- Drones no longer get stuck at the edge of the underground map.
- Hauling drones in rooms now turn off their lights.

[h3]Transport:[/h3]
- Fixed an issue where trucks did not return to the base after completing a contract to send resources when the return option was checked.
- Resolved transport selection issues when unselected vehicles enter the base.
- Various fixes to module and transport selection when transitioning between levels.

[h3]Miscellaneous:[/h3]
- Fixed oxygen initialization in rooms after demolishing doors between them.
- Fixed a bug where a colonist could go into a room without oxygen.
- Adjusted the quest logic for "Searching for Survivors"—hidden locations can now be discovered before closing the hint window.
- Fixed CPU block display in the shop.
- Corrected credit count calculation after loading a save.
- Reconfigured drilling process updates and digging history for drill interfaces.
- Resolved UI overlap issues during farm interface calls.
- Fixed duplicate sound effects for completing sub-tasks in quests.
- Corrected cell display for extractors.
- Resolved capsule overloading issue when configuring contracts—the resource button disappeared when adjusting the resource count.
- Researched conveyor refund no longer disappears after restarting the game.
- Adjusted resource drop count from walls during excavation to match the resource level counter.
- Cutscenes now skip correctly.
- Fixed issues with loading invalid video files.
- Visual: capsules no longer fall through the textures of landing pads and flight control centre.
- In Farhad mission’s option to clear rubble with a rover the point of interest only appeared after the end of the dialogue, fixed.
- Fixed errors when making an auto save.
- Sometimes after saving and loading, the money for demolishing conveyors was not returned. Fixed.
- Market quest hint is no longer displayed if the market has already been researched.
- Fixed visual display of allocated MDR.


[h2]Balance:[/h2]
- Implemented varying travel delays for capsules between the Moon and Earth. Notifications now indicate arrival delays.
- Capsule logic adjusted: heavy capsules can only land on the Flight Control Center, while small platforms accept only fast and medium capsules.
- Increased rewards for the POI "Resource Warehouse," available after repairing the Cargo Terminal.
- Raised requirements for repairing the Cargo Terminal.
- Added two extra days for the "Examine Repeater" task.
- Extended time for finding the second rescue pod by several days.
- Added a bonus for constructing the backer monument.
- Two drones in the colonist branch are now granted after assigning the room construction task.
- Lunar contracts are now restricted until the first Expedition Center is built.


[h2]In Progress - Update One[/h2]
- New Helium-3 scanning mechanics
- New Helium-3 extraction mechanics
- Helium-3 Harvester
- Expanded MBU extraction mechanics
- New modules: Railgun to launch probes, Thermonuclear Generator, Biogenerator, Blockchain module, AI science module (names are subject to change)
- Advanced sandbox settings from the menu


Your feedback on this version would be greatly appreciated!

Veom Studio Team

Hello, Engineers!

Our team has been working tirelessly on The Crust to bring you a unique experience in managing and automating a lunar colony. We continue to put in our best efforts to make this experience even deeper and more captivating, and we’re thrilled that our game resonates with you!

Now, we have an opportunity to take an important step together — to nominate The Crust for the Steam Awards! We’d be incredibly grateful for your support in any category you feel fits best:

✨ Sit Back and Relax
✨ Best Soundtrack
✨ Most Innovative Gameplay
✨ Best Game You Suck At

Or any other category that you think captures the spirit of The Crust.

To cast your vote:
1️⃣ Visit the The Crust page on Steam.
2️⃣ Click the “Nominate” button and select the category you believe fits best.

Your vote is not just support for our team — it’s an investment in the future of the game. We’re eager to keep delighting you with updates and new lunar stories!

Thank you for being with us. Together, we’ll make The Crust even better! 🌒

Have Fun,
The Crust Team

- Fixed incorrect operation of conveyor distributor in situations when they stand close to each other
- Fixed heavy capsule visual after loading a save

Hello Crusties,

Today we released Patch 0.94.55 as we continue progressing toward the major Update One! This patch improves colonist AI behavior, adds mirror flipping for certain modules, introduces new music tracks, fixes numerous bugs, and enhances localization across all languages.

[h2]Patch Notes 0.94.55[/h2]

Added:

• Introduced the Heavy Cargo Pod: visuals, animations, and sound effects updated;
  
• Added 4 new music tracks;
  
• Replaced cargo pod icons;
  
• Updated UI localization for the following languages: French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Italian, and Japanese;
  
• Refined material for the Backer Monument;
  
• Enabled selectors for large modules;
  
• Added mirroring functionality for the Smelter and Rolling Mill.
  

Fixed:

• Improved colonist AI behavior:
  
  • Colonists now better interact with modules, considering factors such as full storage and power connection;
    
  • Colonists vacate modules marked for demolition;
    
  • Resolved an issue where colonists ignored their assigned workstations in modules.
    
• Updated the Backer List: removed duplicate names and added missing entries;
  
• Fixed a crash caused by constructing underground conveyors directly adjacent to a warehouse output;
  
• Resolved operational issues with the Electrolysis Plant;
  
• Adjusted the LOD (Level of Detail) setting to function correctly;
  
• Fixed drone navigation errors when working with an Ice Extractor placed near walls;
  
• Fixed a queueing issue with trucks at the Cargo Dock during save/load cycles;
  
• Fixed navigation errors on the upper level that caused drones to get stuck in specific terrain locations;
  
• Adjusted splitter behavior logic;
  
• Fixed icon display in the Small Vehicle Plant when loading saves;
  
• Process indication at factories now reset properly when new construction begins;
  
• Fixed issues with the Heavy Vehicle Assembly Bay:
  
  • Module is only active when connected to the power grid;
    
  • Vehicle construction speed now scales correctly with game speed;
    
  • Save/load during construction functions as intended;
    
  • Mobile Drilling Rigs no longer get stuck in the module's structure;
    
  • The icons of different units are displayed correctly;
    
  • Vehicles departing from craters now cannot instantly teleport to their destination.
    
• Fixed a visual bug with the large cargo capsule after loading the game;
  
• Several minor fixes.
  

Balance:

• Increased the maximum possible generation threshold for resource deposits by 100% underground;
  
• RITAG wear rate reduced by a factor of 10;
  
• The maximum power of solar panels has been reduced by 5 units;
  
• Balanced contract rewards for parts, modular terminals and control units;
  
• Balanced the number of science points of contracts.
  

In Progress:

• New Helium-3 scanning mechanics;
  
• New Helium-3 mining mechanics;
  
• Helium-3 Harvesting Vehicle;
  
• New modules: Railgun for probe launching, Fusion Core, Bio reactor, Blockchain Module, and AI Science Module;
  
• Expedition Center upcoming improvements:
  
  • Construction of multiple entities;
    
  • Being able to cancel expeditions and contracts without penalties;
    
  • Ability to dismantle the Expedition Center.
    
• Vehicles and Cargo Dock systems rework:
  
  • Multiple Cargo Docks;
    
  • Designate the vehicle to certain module to work with;
    
  • Assigning specific truck routes to designated docks.
    
• Introduction of a simplified difficulty selection at the start of Story Mode (first iteration);
  
• Expanded sandbox settings accessible from the menu;
  
• New notifications for colonist: health, food, sleep, and oxygen.
  

Hi Crusties,

We're back from a little vacation and getting to work. Today we are releasing a new patch that rebalances some game parameters, expands the Laser Cannon mission, adds a new Pioneer Monument module and a new cargo pod model.

Here’s more about the rebalansing

[h2]Patch 0.94.37[/h2]

[h3]Added:[/h3]

• A monument dedicated to Kickstarter backers has been added.
  
• The quest for building the Laser Installation has been expanded:
  
  
  
  • The "Laser Cannon" mission now activates at a later stage, after completing the main storyline.
    
  • A new stage with a contract offering science points as a reward has been added to the "Laser Cannon" mission.
    
  • The "Laser Cannon" mission now features new dialogues between characters that occur at each stage of the construction process.
    
• A timer for confirming module deletion has been added—deletion now requires holding the demolition button for half a second.
  

[h3]Fixed:[/h3]

• Fixed the logic for hiding interface elements for vehicles and points of interest on the global Moon map.
  
• Fixed a bug where colonists ignored beds and other points after eating.
  
• Fixed rare instances of drones getting stuck after loading.
  
• Fixed rare cases of transporters getting stuck during module breakdowns and demolition.
  
• Fixed a crash caused by resource extraction at the south pole.
  
• Adjusted the logic for notifications about indoor conditions—previously, notifications would disappear at 0% oxygen in a room, but now, if a colonist is present, the notification remains visible. The upper threshold for displaying the oxygen notification has also been changed from 20% to 50%.
  
• Fixed the module interface update when another module breaks down.
  

[h3]Balance:[/h3]

• Decreased the wear rate of all modules by approximately 25%.
  
• Increased the construction speed (action) of modules from 11 to 15.
  
• Increased the repair speed of small modules from 0.8 to 1.0.
  
• Increased the speed of demolishing modules and debris.
  
• Increased production speed when there are no colonists in modules with workstations.
  
• Reduced the base cost of components in credits from 1750 to 1400.
  
• Reduced the arrival and departure speed of the heavy cargo capsule.
  
• Reduced the base cost of modular terminals from 5330 to 5030.
  
• Reduced the base cost of control blocks from 18160 to 17660.
  
• Changed the maintenance resources for the parts factory (microchips to titanium plates).
  
• Changed the maintenance resources for the fuel generator (concrete to components).
  
• Changed the maintenance resources for medium solar panels (steel to silicon).
  
• Changed the maintenance resources for the rolling mill (steel to silicon).
  
• Added research to improve the production efficiency of the modular terminal factory.
  
• Added new research to reduce module wear by 25% and 50%.
  
• Increased the capacity of small batteries from 10 to 25.
  
• Increased the capacity of large batteries from 50 to 100.
  
• Increased the fill and discharge rate of the small water tank from 20 to 25.
  
• Increased the discharge rate of the small oxygen storage from 25 to 50.
  
• Increased the discharge rate of the large oxygen storage from 50 to 100.
  
• Decreased the fill rate of the small oxygen storage from 50 to 25.
  
• Decreased the fill rate of the large oxygen storage from 100 to 50.
  
• Reduced the generation of science points by the rover in both movement and stationary modes.
  
• Decreased the frequency of science point generation updates for the rover.
  
• Added new contracts from HygieaNeoGen offering quick science points as rewards.
  
• Added quick science points as rewards in contracts during the late game stages.
  
• Reduced the cost of upgrades for the Mono-regolith purifier.
  
• Reduced the research costs for the rare minerals purifier, microchip factory, and concrete plant.
  
• Reduced the internal input and output storage of the assembler and constructor from 32 to 16.
  
• Improved the efficiency of colonists with high skill levels; efficiency growth relative to skill is now nonlinear.
  
• Reduced the research cost for automatic repair.
  
• Increased the number of titanium plates required for the production of the Mobile Drilling Unit.
  
• Increased the number of components required for the production of the Ice Harvester.
  

If you want to learn more details about the game development and influence it, join our Discord server

Note: this update is incompatible with previous saves, we recommend starting a new game.