News Tower News

[p]Hey publishers![/p][p]We want to start this one off with a heartfelt thank you to everyone who's supported News Tower. Your excitement, feedback, and love for the game have meant everything to us. It's been amazing to see how many of you have built thriving newspaper empires, experimented with editorial styles, and filled New York with headlines. We're thrilled to see the community growing, and we’re even more excited about what’s just around the corner.[/p][p]We’re getting closer to the full 1.0 release of News Tower, and we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to make it the most newsworthy version of the game yet. And yes, a community playtest is coming soon, where you’ll get an early look at the new features![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]As we zero in on the finish line, we’ve made adjustments to the roadmap to help bring the 1.0 launch to you faster — and with even more content packed in.[/p][p][/p][h3]All future content is now 1.0-focused[/h3][p]We've officially wrapped up pre-launch updates. That means everything we’re working on from here out is going straight into the 1.0 release.[/p][p][/p][h3]No summer update[/h3][p]We’ve decided to merge the summer update with the 1.0 release on the roadmap to keep our focus squarely on 1.0. But don’t worry — a community playtest will be arriving soon so we can gather your feedback and polish the new features together.[/p][p]The goal? A stronger, more feature-rich 1.0 — and a shorter wait to get there.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Let’s take a quick look at a few of the big features arriving in the 1.0 release. We’ll be sharing more details on each one in future posts, but here’s a preview to whet your appetite:[/p][p][/p][h3]Competitor System[/h3][p]You’re not the only paper in town anymore. In the mid-to-late game, two rival newspapers will emerge on the readership map. If you clash in the same area, you’ll trigger a district conflict — a battle of popularity where only one paper comes out on top. Get ready to fight for your turf![/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Perception System[/h3][p]Time to define your editorial voice. Are you Informational, Moderate, or Sensational? Do you chase hard facts, balanced stories, or eye-grabbing headlines? Your editorial line will now shape how readers view your paper and unlock specific ways to gain extra sales. Choose wisely each week to match the needs of your audience or personal preference.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Faction System[/h3][p]Factions are getting a major upgrade in 1.0. You’ll be dealing with four key factions in New York: the Mafia, the Military, the Mayor, and High Society. Each faction includes four NPCs, each with their own quests and agendas. Helping one might make enemies of another, so navigate carefully. Build your reputation, complete missions, and earn unique rewards for your newsroom. Each faction holds specific perks and trade-offs to ensure your choices have an impact on your gameplay.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Leaderboards[/h3][p]With the release of News Tower 1.0, we are also implementing leaderboards. Compete against other news tycoons to see who can make the most out of their years in the business! You'll be able to post and compare your scores against other players, and we look forward to seeing who can get the best score after release. [/p][p][/p][h3]Endgame and New Towers[/h3][p]We've implemented two new towers that you'll be able to unlock through play. The highrise and lowrise. One is a tall, thin building that costs less per floor but requires very efficient use of space. The other is a wide, short building that costs more per floor, but you get way more space to place your gear. Have fun creating your news empire in these two new news towers, coming with the release of 1.0.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Also what’s a good story without a strong ending? With 1.0, News Tower will finally have a true conclusion. We won’t spoil it for you — you’ll have to uncover it yourself and find out what kind of publisher you have become. Keep publishing every Sunday, expand your influence, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll find out what that ending has in store.[/p][p]We'll not spoil this one with an image. You'll have to find out more on your own! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]That’s just a taste of what’s coming — and we’ll be digging deeper into each of these systems in upcoming blogs.[/p][p]We can’t wait to get 1.0 into your hands, and the upcoming community playtest is going to be a key part of that process. Keep your eyes on this space for announcements, sneak peeks, and more in-depth breakdowns of the new content. Be sure to join our Discord server to participate when it begins![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]As a quick summary of what's to come with the 1.0 release:[/p]

• [p]Rival newspapers & district conflicts [/p]

• [p]New perception system [/p]

• [p]Full faction questlines [/p]

• [p]Narrative endgame [/p]

• [p]Community playtest [/p]

• [p]and more...! [/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]Thank you again for being part of the News Tower journey. We're almost there![/p][p][/p][p]The News Tower Team[/p]

We've now rolled out a minor update that includes several supplementary desks for you to use and improve your office. If you're looking to spruce up your office, or improve the abilities of your reporters, you won't want to miss out on adding these to their workspace!

[h2]📋 New Supplementary Desks[/h2]

• 3 new supplementary desks
  • Crime stopper
    
  • Weather report
    
  • Crossword puzzle
    
  • All new desks can be purchased on the map in the photo hub, illustration hub, and the cartographer hub

[h2]🐛 Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Several minor bug fixes

That's it for now, but we'll be back again soon with further additions, improvements and changes. Don't miss out by following all the latest news on X:


Please keep the feedback coming, as it helps us continue updating and fine-tuning the game as we inch closer to our 1.0 release. We'll be back with more news about our early access roadmap, updates and 1.0 soon!

[h2]GREEETINGS NEWSBEARERS! [/h2]



We’ve just rolled out a small but impactful patch to keep your newsroom running smoothly!



[h2]Improvements[/h2]

Improved estimation times for automated desks:

We have improved the estimation times displayed for automated desks. Timers now better reflect the actual remaining work time, even if an employee takes a break during item creation. Pneumatic tube setups will no longer throw off these estimates.

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

Fixed “What a Mess” Introduction Issue:

Resolved a bug where the first introduction bullet could be skipped and cause a soft lock.

Fixed Chain Item Stalling in Long Tubes:

Chain items will no longer get stuck in pneumatic tubes in setups spanning 8+ floors. Even after reroutes or mid-transit saves.



That is it for now!

Thank you for all your feedback and reports, they help us fine-tune the game. We’re already hard at work on the next update and will share more news with you very soon.



Stay tuned!

[h2]Hellooo Newsbearers of the world! 🐻[/h2]

With the Going International update out, we've been closely following your feedback and making adjustments to improve your newsroom experience. This patch brings a mix of improvements and bug fixes to ensure your global expansion runs smoothly! Along with more natural employee behavior and fine-tuned mechanics, we’ve also added Steam Cloud Saves, so your progress stays with you wherever you go. Let’s dive into the details!

[h2]🛠️ Improvements[/h2]

• Steam Cloud saves have been added.
  
• Production employees now only help with the transportation of chain items that are supported by their assigned work station.
  
• Added new Europe and Passive Desk traits to calendars throughout the game.
  
• Tags on guides and quest pop-ups are now clickable, allowing you to sort the article side drawer.
  
• The Popcorn Machine is now prestigious.
  
• Floor construction prices have been lowered.
  

[h2]🐛 Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed the “Above the Fold” quest requirement, which was displaying x2 instead of x3. It now correctly shows x3, in line with the front-page top slot.
  
• Fixed Travel Discounts that were not applying the correct 50% discount.
  
• Fixed a bug where the South American continent lock was visible for a split second when navigating between Europe and North America.
  
• Fixed a bug where some news items were prematurely removed from the globe before all potential story files were processed.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Hiring Board icon in the main HUD continued to display the exclamation mark for new applicants even after opening the Hiring Board.
  
• Fixed an issue where the soap bar could be placed on the wall on top of another object.
  
• Fixed an issue in the newsbook where the employee tab overlapped the speech bubbles of assigned reporters.
  

Thank you for your continued feedback and support! Your insights help shape News Tower, so keep those reports coming.

Stay tuned for more breaking news!

Hello Newsbearers!



[h2]It's tiiime to expand overseas! [/h2]

The Going International update is here. Your newsroom now has access to European headlines via the Telegrapher, letting you cover stories from across the Atlantic.

And to speed up deliveries and make your tower run smoother than ever, we're also introducing the Pneumatic Tubes and the Dumbwaiters. Hopefully they help you keep up with the ever-growing demand for scoops!

This update wouldn't be possible without our incredible community testers, who helped us refine the experience ahead of launch. In the patch notes below, we have highlighted the additions and changes that were a direct result of your input, so you can see how impactful your contribution truly is. Thank you so much for taking part in the testing. ❤

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



[h2]KEY ADDITIONS [/h2]

[h3]International News (Europe) [/h3]

Your tower now has the world at its fingertips! Europe has been introduced as a key region for international stories. To support this expansion, you can hire a dedicated telegrapher to relay news from across the continent with precision.
Additionally, new traits have been added to your employee roster, enhancing their ability to tackle the challenges of international journalism.

[h3]Dumbwaiter [/h3]

The dumbwaiter optimises resource management by facilitating the seamless transfer of coal, paper, food, and more between floors. By strategically selecting the floors where they are installed and ensuring a sufficient number of resuppliers, heavy crates can move from the pavement to their destination in no time!

[h3]Pneumatic Tubes [/h3]

This high-speed transport solution ensures reports and other production items can move swiftly between floors, regardless of distance. With this upgrade, your tower’s workflow will be smoother than ever, allowing you to place critical workstations wherever you see fit.


The tubes can significantly enhance the efficiency of your text and image production chain by directly connecting desks, even across different floors.
Instead of carrying items from one desk to another, climbing stairs, or waiting for the elevator, employees can send them straight to the next desk using the pneumatic tubes.

As a reminder, the flowchart illustrates the sequential steps of the production chain for text and images, from their source to the printer. Connect some of them with tubes - you'll thank us later!



[h2]IMPROVEMENTS[/h2]

[h3]Revamped transportation AI[/h3]

This overhaul ensures that your employees make smarter, more dynamic decisions to keep your operations running smoothly. This upgrade was essential to fully integrate the pneumatic tubes and dumbwaiter into your tower’s logistics, enabling your employees to cooperate, improving the efficiency of transport across all floors.

[h3]Employee List revamped to Staff Board[/h3]

The Staff Board makes employee management easier than ever. You can toggle jobs and skills, view the number of employees assigned to each role, and sort traits and skills efficiently. Expanded employee cards now provide detailed information at a glance.

[h3]New Employee Traits[/h3]

We’ve added a variety of traits tailored to automatic desks and foreign news. These include:

• Policy Hawk: Adds one Quality Star to a Legislative Report.
  
• Market Maven: Adds one Quality Star to a Stock Index.
  
• Locker Room Insider: 50% chance of adding an Insider tag to Baseball Results.
  
• Bloodhound: 50% chance of adding an Evidence tag to a Court Report.
  
• Anointed Pen: Experience gained from working on Obituaries increased by 10%
  
• Astrologist: Task speed on Horoscopes increased by 25% but has a 50% chance of adding a Lie.
  
• Psychic: 25% chance of adding a Forecast tag to Horoscopes and 25% chance of unlocking the next story file within news.
  
• Parisian Socialite: 25% faster reporting times for stories that take place in Paris.
  
• Berlin Observer: 25% faster reporting times for stories that take place in Berlin.
  
• London Insider: 25% faster reporting times for stories that take place in London.
  
• Kremlin Confidant: 25% faster reporting times for stories that take place in Moscow and Leningrad.
  
• Roman Consul: 25% faster reporting times for stories that take place in Rome.
  
• Continental Connector: Increases research speed by 20% for all foreign news.
  
• Polyglot: Opens up Language Barrier locks in news.
  
• Diplomat: Opens up Diplomatic Route locks in news.
  

[h3]Tutors across 1931 [/h3]

To ensure players don’t miss out on important mechanics, we’ve introduced tutors across the 1931 timeline. These guides highlight key features, such as the Europe radio tower, dumbwaiter, pneumatic tubes, advertising systems, graphics processing chains, and the rush button.



[h2]Improvements with the help of the community [/h2]

[h3]Overhauled Europe Content Algorithm [/h3]

The Europe content algorithm has had a complete overhaul and is now completely separated from the rest of the content algorithm. This ensures that all necessary tags for districts or quests will always be available in North America, preventing the game from becoming more difficult when unlocking Europe.

[h3]Globe Filter Lights[/h3]

Globe filters help you prioritise your telegraphers’ efforts towards tags you need. Their lights will now have three states:

• Solid green: The tag can be found on the currently displayed continent.
  
• Blinking green: This newly added state indicates that the tag can be found on a different continent.
  
• Red: The tag has been depleted from the pool for the current week.
  

[h3]Production employees can assist with transportation [/h3]

All production employees can now help with transportation—except the lawyer, who remains focused on lawsuits.

Employees will prioritise their own desk but are not restricted to it.

Preference is given to transporting items on the same floor or nearby, but this is not mandatory.

[h3]Smarter Pre-Transport Planning [/h3]

Production employees who are working on their last item can be considered for “pre transport” planning. This means they can already “reserve” bringing their item to the next desk in advance.
For example, this prevents situations where a distant resupplier is sent when it would have been faster for the employee to handle the task themselves.

[h3]Rebalanced Influence Cost in Newsbook [/h3]

Influence point requirements for the pay-up node in the Newsbook have been adjusted, now capping at 3 Influence Points instead of 10.



[h2]Other fixes made during the community test [/h2]

• Certain cities in Europe now feature dedicated background maps.
  
• Mutable Europe news placeholder text has been removed.
  
• Reporters now begin moving sooner after being dropped off by the taxi in front of the tower.
  
• Fixed a bug where graphic reporters would not assist with items if they’re assigned in the newsbook.
  
• Elevator usage is slightly discouraged for resources. Making the dumbwaiter a little bit more likely to be used when they are close to each other.
  
• Travel mode pricing changed: Boat: $50, Zeppelin: $150, Plane: $300
  
• The travel discounts are not 50% instead of 25%. Note that for legacy save games which already have purchased this discount, unfortunately you are stuck with the 25%. However, you
will still benefit from the zeppelin and plane being cheaper overall.
  
• Fixed a Mayor NPC quest asking for a Mafia tag instead of a Mayor tag
  
• Reduced the “thinking” time when picking up an employee that was carrying an article.
  

[h2]MEET OTHER NEWSBEARERS![/h2]

Join the community! Talk with the dev team, share with other players, be a part of the journey to the 1.0 and beyond!

🌎 Come to our Discord



And to keep in touch with the latest news:

🌍 Follow us on Twitter


See you very soon in the Tower! Take care!

[h3]The News Tower Team[/h3]