Major Update #4 | New Symbols, Scares, Locations, and Huge Gameplay Changes!
Your ExperienceWhy hello there, Screamers!
If you are enjoying the game and haven't yet left your feedback via a Steam Review, would you consider letting others know about your experience? Reviews are super important for small developers like us, and we truly appreciate your support.
https://store.steampowered.com/recommended/recommendgame/2497900
It’s been a little while since our last update, and this one brings some of the most significant changes yet. We’ve listened closely to your feedback, fixed a ton of issues, and introduced new features that should make DON’T SCREAM scarier, fairer, and more replayable than ever.
DON'T SCREAM is now 25% off as part of Steam's Daily Deal. Spread the word to your friends!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2497900/DONT_SCREAM/
Encountered bugs or have feedback? Connect with us on our Steam Forums or Discord. Thank you!
[h3]PLEASE NOTE: TRANSLATION HOTFIX INCOMING ASAP![/h3]
One of the biggest additions in this update is the introduction of Symbols. The arrow marker now points you towards an unknown location in the forest, but it is up to you to search that area and find the symbols themselves. This creates clear objectives without revealing everything, and it heightens the tension, since focusing on a symbol can leave you exposed if you are not careful. Of course, it's still vital to find batteries and keep your camcorder powered!
We also made important adjustments to traps. They should be dangerous, but we know they were previously too hard to see. We added a camcorder-style glitch effect that fits the game’s look and makes traps easier to spot without removing the surprise.
Another major change is full controller support. Menus, interface, and gameplay now work cleanly on a controller, with improved icons for different controller types. If you prefer to play from the couch, the experience should feel much smoother.
We have also changed how time is shown in the game. The original HUD used an 18-minute countdown that only ticked when you moved. That countdown is gone. You now start at 15 : 46 : 37 and the HUD shows the in-game world clock, still advancing only when you move, until you reach 08:00 and escape the forest. Under the hood, it is still 18 minutes, but this presentation makes scares less predictable and the atmosphere much tenser. Taking away the countdown keeps you from waiting for the end and makes every step feel more unpredictable.
Alongside new content, we also wanted to address one of the biggest discussions from the last major update: the Hunters. Not everyone enjoyed the Hunters we introduced, so we added an option to remove them completely. This leaves the scares, batteries, and environmental traps as the core challenge. At the same time, we expanded this idea into new modes and options that give you more control over how you experience the game. Atmospheric Mode focuses on sound and mood with fewer direct scares, Chaos Mode delivers completely unpredictable frights, and custom intensity rules let you set the overall length of a playthrough. These additions give you more freedom to tailor the game to your own style of horror.
We’ll stop here, but this update goes further. Alongside these highlights, you’ll find lots of other small and big changes, fresh scares, and improvements across performance, readability, and stability. The full notes are below.
Oh, and yes, there are a lot more locations to find. I’ll just leave this one here...
PATCH NOTES
[h3]MAJOR CHANGES[/h3]
- Added Atmospheric Mode: Less in your face scares, more audio horrors and no Hunters
- Added Chaos Mode: No rules, just random scares with no build-up or suspense
- Added No Hunters option: Disable Hunters from spawning in the world
- Added Custom game intensity rules for changing the length of play time
- Added Unique Symbols to reveal forest secrets and unlock locations
- Added Achievements to the in-game menu to better track progress
- Added Better ending page showing new discoveries and game progress
- Added Microphone calibration screen to make setup easier
- Added New locations with story snippets to find
- Added Player power batteries at locations where you previously died
- Added New locations: Castle Ruins, Abandoned Tower, The Pit, Greenhouse, and Hellscape
- Added Restart button in the in-game menu to quickly start a new session with different rules
- Added More trail markers and paths around the forest to help guide players
- Added Full controller support (menus + gameplay; improved controls)
- Added Many new scares — world, camera, creatures, and hunters
- Added Day counter showing how many days you’ve been trapped in the forest
- Improved Audio device support — more devices and better mic compatibility
- Improved Tutorial for new players
- Improved Hunters’ hearing when sprinting and not entering some interiors
- Improved Controller icons for different controller types (PS & XB)
- Improved Mic input peaks/dips to help prevent false-positive deaths
- Improved Overall performance; DLSS & FSR updates
- Improved Picking up batteries and symbols
- Improved Trap visibility — traps now highlight in the dark
- Fixed Many scares not showing properly or appearing where they shouldn’t
- Fixed binding-key issues with controllers
- Fixed Numerous community-reported crash bugs
- Fixed Tape preview mode causing crashes or huge frame-rate drops
- Fixed End-of-level screen not receiving inputs after alt-tabbing
- Fixed Cases where the menu wouldn’t show (e.g., when dying)
- Fixed Scroll menus for Locations and Relics to loop properly
- Fixed Blurry screen when picking up batteries and symbols
- Fixed Window-resolution changes not applying instantly
- Fixed Spots where players could get stuck or fall through the floor
- Fixed Loud bear voices when inside closed rooms
- Fixed Hunter animals sometimes not updating state while roaming
- Fixed Steam forcing a restart outside of the shipping build
- Fixed Crash in game state classes during tape preview
- Fixed AudioThread not ticking audio commands while the game is paused
Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend ahead! - Joe
- Digital Cybercherries
Socials
Twitter | Discord