Mars Attracts News

[p]In the course of their studies of humanity, the Martians have discovered a fascinating new concept: Christmas! [/p][p][/p][p]And in that festive spirit, we have an early gift for you: A brand new content update loaded with new features, content and gameplay tweaks, plus an all new seasonal decor set. And since we’re feeling generous, the game is also discounted by 10% for Steam’s Winter sale. [/p][h3]
New Map: Mall Rats[/h3][p][/p][p]The Martians have recently constructed a shiny new shopping mall, but it still needs a human themed park to bring in the crowds. This latest map has an even greater financial challenge than any of the previous missions, so you’ll need your management skills on point to beat this one![/p][h3]
New Human Enclosure: USSR [/h3][p]A new map really needs a new set of humans to populate it, so we’ve added an all new enclosure type – The USSR. This human civilization was built on shared ideals, shared resources, and the shared experience of standing in line, so they should fit right in here on Mars.[/p][p][/p][p]This new habitat comes with its own despotic special character, a host of soviet-themed amenities and decor, and an all new snowy terrain type.[/p][h3]
Food and Drink Update [/h3][p][/p][p]This update also adds a new layer to managing your food and drinks stalls with the option to change the items on sale to a selection of unlockable options. [/p][p][/p][p]Complete missions for special characters and you may unlock such notable Martian delicacies as The Hot Bug, People Corn or the infamous Zero G & T. [/p][p][/p][p]As well as impacting gameplay, these new options will add some more visual variety to your parks: changing the item a stall sells will also transform that stall’s appearance.[/p][p][/p][h3]Other Improvements[/h3][p]Holiday decorations - As our Halloween decor pack was so well received we've expanded the seasonal decor to include Christmas trees and presents. Supporter's Edition players also have the option to enable/disable the different seasonal packs whenever they like![/p][p][/p][p]Control Rebinding - Controller rebinds have been a much requested feature since we launched, and we have now fully implemented the ability to select a control layout that works for you. [/p][p][/p][p]Achievements 2.0 - To match our expanded content, we have also greatly expanded the number of Steam Achievements for Mars Attracts. Will you be the first one to unlock them all?[/p][p][/p][p]Bug Fixes[/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where optional objective rewards failed to unlock, as well as adding more variety and balance to optional missions [/p]
• [p]It is now possible to select all humans in your inventory correctly when choosing humans to dissect for specimens [/p]
• [p]Power and water lines are now visible when placing a building that requires them [/p]
• [p]Multiple fixes to quest objectives not completing or displaying incorrect information [/p]
• [p]Repaired an issue where Toilet Trap wasn’t placeable [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where adjusted prices weren’t persisting after save/load[/p]
• [p]Fixed performance issues associated with save/load [/p]
• [p]All Martian terrain types are now available in build menu [/p]
• [p]Wild West Shooting range now has the correct animation [/p]
• [p]Fixed a visual glitch with the Martian SWAT team’s laser animation, and made them better at prioritising nearby targets [/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with guests getting on and off a ride while it was moving[/p]

[p][/p][p]As we mentioned in our previous post we still have lots of content in the works to be added to Mars Attracts in 2026. [/p][p][/p][p]But as always, what we really want to do is to ensure that our 1.0 release lives up to players’ expectation and delivers everything that they want to see from the game. [/p][p][/p][p]To share your thoughts on the direction of Mars Attracts, please join us on our very friendly Discord. Our community has already had a profound impact on how the game has developed, and we want to keep this going for 2026. [/p][p][/p][p]Happy Holidays!
[/p][p]Love,[/p][p][/p][p]Paul & the Outlier team[/p][p]
[/p]

[p]It has been a frantic and exciting few months here in Outlier HQ since we launched Mars Attracts into Early Access back in September, but we still have a lot more we want to add to the game before we're ready for the 1.0 release![/p][p]
As we said in our previous post, we have a load of new content coming in our next update on December 18, but we’re not stopping there. [/p][p][/p][p]We have a number of features that we’re still fine tuning, and we’ll be rolling these out over the course of the coming year. Here's a little peak of what to expect.[/p][p][/p][h3]Experiment Overhaul [/h3][p]Right now we’re in the process of revamping our system for experimenting on your poor human captives.  [/p][p][/p][p]We have a range of gruesome new experiments (complete with all new animations), but we wanted to add these alongside additional functionality to make sure that they had a real impact on the way experiments work in Mars Attracts.[/p][p][/p][p]With this revamp, humans will now have a chance of death from every experiment performed on them. To counter this, the player will have full control over which humans in an enclosure will be experimented on – letting you keep your favourite human safe from risk, or ensure that the one annoying human that you really hate gets all of the punishment. [/p][p][/p][p]By adding greater choice and control over how experiments are performed, we hope that this system will offer the player a lot more choice in how to play the game, and offer a further reward for efficient management. [/p][p][/p][p]This system still needs a little work before we’re ready to share it, so watch this space for further updates! [/p][h3]
Upcoming Content [/h3][p]
But experiments aren’t the only thing we have in the pipeline. After our Martian Mall map drops in a couple of weeks we’ll be looking ahead to the next new map – one we hope will provide a very different Martian setting not yet seen, as well as introducing an all new Martian special character and new challenges to beat. [/p][p][/p][p]We also have several new human types that we will be gradually rolling out – including the oft-requested Prehistoric enclosure that we have had a lot of fun designing! The question of how we should visualise a toilet for prehistoric humans was the subject of far more meetings than it probably should have been… [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Alongside all of these, we’re still continuing to polish the game as Early Access progresses. [/p][p]
[/p][p]Our Discord community has been invaluable in identifying those bugs that somehow escaped our notice in testing, but they have also made a real contribution to the direction we have taken, and will no doubt continue to do so for the rest of Early Access and beyond. If you would like to have your say in where we go next with Mars Attracts, please join the conversation here. [/p][p][/p][p]Love,[/p][p]
Bernard & the Outlier team
[/p]

[p]We’ve been hard at work here at Mars Attracts HQ prepping our next update, and we’re delighted that we're now in the final stages of testing and can now announce a release date. The next big update for Mars Attracts will go live on December 18.[/p][p][/p][p]This update will add a whole host of new features to the game, while also resolving a number of issues reported by players. [/p][p][/p][h3]New Map & Human Habitat[/h3][p][/p][p]The next update will add a whole load of new content into the game, including:[/p]

• [p]A brand map set in a cavernous Martian shopping mall – a very different setting to all of previous maps with its own unique gameplay challenges to overcome [/p]
• [p]A USSR themed enclosure type, complete with new buildings, decorations and an all new special character [/p]
• [p]Updated food and drink stall variants to provide more diversity and choice for your Martian guests, as well as improved control for managing and pricing the items sold[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][h3]New Seasonal Decor Set[/h3][p][/p][p]Since our Halloween themed decor set was so well received, we decided that it only made sense to do Christmas next! The December update will see your parks receive a very festive flavour ahead of the holiday season. 
[/p][p]These decor sets are time-limited, but we have had a number of requests to make them permanent additions to the game. With that in mind, players who purchase our Supporter’s Edition will be getting the option to toggle on these seasonal decor sets – so if you want to build a Halloween themed park in February, who's to stop you?[/p][p][/p][h3]Bug Fixes[/h3][p][/p][p]As well as all of the shiny content mentioned above, our December update will address many of the top reported issues, including: 
[/p]

• [p]Issues with selecting multiple humans for dissection[/p]
• [p]Issues with placing the toilet trap [/p]
• [p]Save/load issues where important info was not persisting on load [/p]
• [p]Quest related bugs where objectives were not completing correctly, or completing before all of the stated criteria were met[/p]

[p][/p][h3]What's Next? You Decide![/h3][p][/p][p]There is still a lot we want to do to Mars Attracts before we reach our 1.0 release, and we will have more information to share about these next steps of our journey soon. [/p][p][/p][p]But in the meantime, if you want to have your say on the direction of the game, please join us over on our Discord. [/p][p][/p][p]We want to hear all about what features you really want to see next, as well as anything we can do to help shape Mars Attracts into the game that you have always wanted to play. [/p][p]
Love,[/p][p]
Bernard & the Outlier team[/p]

[p]Halloween is here, and with it a big update for Mars Attracts! In addition to some spooky surprises, we have introduced three of the most commonly requested features to the game - park inspections, editing enclosure footprints, and returning humans to inventory! As an added bonus, the game is also 10% off during the Steam Scream 4 Fest 🥳[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Park Inspections[/h3][p]Be prepared to meet the board! Characters can now propose special visits to the park, and will inspect the facilities based on their personalities. Improve your park to meet their standards and you'll be rewarded, but fail to impress them and your approval rating will fall.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Enclosure Footprints[/h3][p]The new "Reduce Footprint" toggle means you can both expand and shrink your enclosure footprints, allowing you to edit existing enclosures and create whatever shape and size fits your park.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Returning Humans[/h3][p]Finding a human particularly troublesome? Regretting placing a human in the park? You can now choose to return them to your inventory, where they can also be disassembled for Specimens. Be careful - if a human is unhappy or escaping you won't be able to pick them up until you've pacified them.[/p][p][/p][h3]Spooky Decorations[/h3][p]The update also includes a time-limited Halloween decorations park, automatically imbuing your park with a spooky theme![/p][p][/p][h3]Bug Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Research points disappearing on load[/p]
• [p]High resolution monitors causing resolution settings to be invisible[/p]
• [p]Staff getting stuck on gates[/p]
• [p]Some save files not loading[/p]

[p][/p][p]Hope you enjoy! We're hard at work on the next update so let us know what you'd like to see next![/p][p][/p][p]Love,[/p][p][/p][p]Paul & the Outlier team[/p]

[p]It has now been 3 weeks since the Early Access launch of Mars Attracts, and we wanted to thank everyone who picked up a copy (plus a special extra thankyou to those who bought the Supporter's Edition)![/p][p]We hope you're enjoying the game, and have been hard at work integrating your feedback. We'll soon be shifting focus to concentrate on new content, however have just pushed the second hotfix patch to address the most common bugs and requests from launch. If you're jumping in for the first time since launch, here's what's new:[/p][p][/p][h3]New Features[/h3]

• [p]10+ new Martian decorations[/p]
• [p]New enclosure demolition system to prevent accidental gaps in walls[/p]
• [p]Available staff now sorted by distance[/p]
• [p]Autosave during missions[/p]
• [p]More music variation[/p]

[h3]Bug Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Resolution not setting correctly for some screens[/p]
• [p]'Ghost' enclosures appearing on maps after autosave[/p]
• [p]Characters getting stuck at park entrance[/p]
• [p]Litter and bodies sometimes spawned on inaccessible tiles[/p]
• [p]Older save files not loading[/p]
• [p]Resolution not setting correctly for some screens[/p]
• [p]Steam achievements not triggering immediately[/p]
• [p]Characters getting stuck on vending machines & fountains[/p]
• [p]Janitors getting stuck on bridges[/p]
• [p]Some humans invincible when escaping[/p]
• [p]Some humans not returned to enclosure after being stunned[/p]
• [p]Paid decor unlocks not saving[/p]
• [p]Pause menu performance issue[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]As ever, drop a comment using the in-game feedback form, on the Steam forums, or chat to us on Discord! Keep the suggestions coming - they're the cornerstone of the game's Early Access roadmap.[/p][p][/p][p]Thanks again![/p][p][/p][p]Love,[/p][p][/p][p]Paul & the Outlier team[/p]