Don't Freeze: A Winter Card Survival News

[p]Demo V0.3.1 is live![/p][p]This update introduces Meta Progression, improves tutorial flow, and fixes several long-standing UI issues.[/p][p][/p][p]⸻[/p][p][/p][p]🎮 Gameplay[/p][p]Added[/p][p] • Meta Progression – After dying, you can now purchase Special Cards to increase or decrease the difficulty of your next run[/p][p] • Special Cards are bought using coins accumulated across your runs[/p][p] • Added tooltips and remaining time display for Torch and Gas Mask on the top bar[/p][p][/p][p]⸻[/p][p][/p][p]🧭 UI / UX[/p][p]Updated / Reworked[/p][p] • Revamped all tutorials (order and content)[/p][p] • Tutorials shown will not repeat in the next run[/p][p] • You can still review them via the Tutorial icon on the right[/p][p] • Optimized how the Journal is populated in the popup[/p][p] • Reworked top bar Torch and Gas Mask indicators to better show whether they are clickable[/p][p] • Updated Map and Minimap to more clearly indicate when a new location is unlocked[/p][p][/p][p]⸻[/p][p][/p][p]🐛 Bug Fixes[/p][p] • Fixed indoor items left behind teleporting to the player’s current location after loading a save[/p][p] • Fixed card anchor glitches when moving cards[/p][p] • Fixed objective flicker when completing sub-objectives[/p][p] • Fixed Jerry Can being auto-selected as the first item when starting a fire (even when empty)[/p][p] • Fixed incorrect color in notifications and Journal when items break[/p][p] • Fixed incorrect text label on the Cooking page (Campfire)[/p][p][/p][p]Meta Progression marks a major step toward the Early Access experience.[/p][p]Thank you for playing and helping shape the game.[/p][p][/p][p]As always, we’d love to hear what you think. Join our Discord and tell us how your latest run went.[/p][p][/p]

[p]❄ Demo V0.3.0 Patch Notes ❄[/p][p]This update added Simplified Chinese localization, torch & gas mask indicator and more bugs fixes![/p][p]⸻[/p][p][/p][p]🎮 Gameplay[/p][p] • Simplified Chinese localization added[/p][p] • Drag & drop support for locked chests[/p][p] • Torch and gas mask indicators added to the top bar (with remaining time + flashing warnings)[/p][p][/p][p]⸻[/p][p][/p][p]🧭 UI / UX[/p][p] • Fixed incorrect durability decimal display when dragging cards[/p][p][/p][p]⸻[/p][p][/p][p]🐛 Bug Fixes[/p][p] • Fixed crashes related to harvesting carcasses[/p][p] • Fixed an issue where cards found during exploration were sometimes misaligned when a monologue was triggered[/p][p][/p][p]As always, we’d love to hear what you think. Join our Discord and tell us how your latest run went.[/p][p][/p]

[p]❄ Demo V0.2.9 Patch Notes ❄[/p][p]This update added drag and drop, item broken mechanics and more bug fixes![/p][p][/p][p]🎮 Gameplay[/p][p]Added[/p][p] • Indoor mold sickness (Only in full game)[/p][p] • Gas masks to prevent mold sickness (Only in full game)[/p][p] • Digging mechanics for fishing in the Frozen Lake (Only in full game)[/p][p] • New locations: Town, Gas Station, Small House, Shed (Only in full game)[/p][p] • New items: Generator, Anvil, Emergency Kit, Winding Torch, Hand Warmer (Only in full game)[/p][p] • Hand Warmer mechanic: items stored in the backpack now provide warmth (Only in full game)[/p][p] • Thermal Emergency Blanket (single-use, cannot be repaired) (Only in full game)[/p][p] • Drag-and-drop interactions for Water Flask–related items (Flask ↔ Empty Can)[/p][p] • Drag-and-drop refilling of Jerry Cans at Gas Station fuel pumps (Only in full game)[/p][p] • Additional objectives[/p][p] • More broken and repair states for tools[/p][p]⸻[/p][p]🧭 UI / UX[/p][p]Updated / Reworked[/p][p] • Cooking mechanics revamped to support drag-and-drop[/p][p] • Drying mechanics revamped to support drag-and-drop[/p][p] • Updated tutorial and objectives monologues[/p][p] • Sleep-on-ground tooltips updated from warmth bonus to warmth penalty[/p][p] • Campfire burn duration increased from 10 hours to 16 hours (excluding snow/blizzard)[/p][p] • Affliction text clarified (e.g. “-2x thirst per 15 min” → “2x thirst drain rate”)[/p][p]⸻[/p][p]🐛 Bug Fixes[/p][p] • Fixed affliction animations continuing to play when monologues appear[/p][p] • Fixed crashes caused by the Drying Rack under certain conditions[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]As always, we’d love to hear what you think. Join our Discord and tell us how your latest run went.[/p][p][/p]

[p]❄ Demo V0.2.8 Patch Notes ❄[/p][p]This update added time penalty indicator, welcome overlay, updated craft item order and more bug fixes![/p][p][/p][p]Gameplay[/p][p]Added[/p]

• [p]Added extra action-time indicator for all time-based buttons[/p]
• [p]Added Welcome Overview when starting a new game (also accessible from the sidebar below the Tutorial button)[/p]
• [p]Added scrollable view for Active Objectives[/p]
• [p]Added new early-game objectives (Loot some essentials, Fill up water flask, etc.)[/p]
• [p]Added pausing Explore card animation when a monologue triggers to highlight special items found[/p]
• [p]Added Fishing Line as a crafting material for the Poor Fishing Rod[/p]
• [p]Added capacity information to Backpack card details and Equipment popup[/p]
• [p]Added repair penalty for broken Bedrolls (repairs deduct 10% durability if the Bedroll was broken)[/p]
• [p]Added tooltips explaining why you cannot sleep longer than the Bedroll can support[/p]
• [p]Added monologues for first-time visits to Hill[/p]

[p][/p][p]⸻ [/p][p][/p][p]UI / UX[/p][p]Updated / Reworked[/p]

• [p]Setting an Active Objective now triggers Autosave[/p]
• [p]Needs & Condition upward/downward arrows are now correctly saved and loaded[/p]
• [p]Flare subcategory updated from Trash to Consumable[/p]
• [p]Updated weight for Flare and Used Flare Shell[/p]
• [p]Removed card idle animation[/p]
• [p]Renamed Mountaineering Backpack to Hiker’s Pack[/p]
• [p]Updated location background music[/p]
• [p]Items stored in Campsite can no longer be used to build Fire Barriers[/p]
• [p]Selecting a Tutorial from the list now always scrolls to the top[/p]
• [p]Updated location background music[/p]
• [p]Fire Barriers can no longer be built on Campsite items (Campsite items do not disappear)[/p]
• [p]Selecting a Tutorial from the list now always scrolls to the top[/p]
• [p]Increased chance to obtain Long Stick when harvesting Dead Trees and Fallen Trees (25% → 30%)[/p]
• [p]Long Stick is now craftable[/p]
• [p]Reduced the number of Explore actions required to unlock locations[/p]
• [p]Reduced hunger restored when consuming food[/p]
• [p]Rearranged Crafting and Filter order to: All > Tools > Material > Food > Immovable > Clothing > Decoration > Equipped[/p]
• [p]Updated Immovable icon (from mountain to dumbbell-style icon)[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where animals could never hit the player during combat[/p]

[p][/p][p]⸻ [/p][p][/p][p]Bug Fixes[/p]

• [p]Fixed cutscenes repeatedly showing after force-quitting the game[/p]
• [p]Fixed Autosave sometimes not saving completed objectives[/p]
• [p]Fixed in-progress objectives incorrectly remaining as “Available” after loading[/p]
• [p]Fixed Condition tooltips displaying incorrect decimal values[/p]
• [p]Fixed Cooking button not updating from “Remove” to “Collect” when cooking finished while Campfire popup stayed open[/p]
• [p]Fixed Bedroll being usable despite having negative durability[/p]
• [p]Fixed occasional delay when placing items into the Drying Rack[/p]
• [p]Fixed crashes caused by items left cooking when Campfire depleted[/p]
• [p]Fixed “View All Objectives” always scrolling to the bottom instead of the last selected objective[/p]
• [p]Fixed a Campfire crash when only the second (or later) cooking slot contained an item while the first slot was empty[/p]
• [p]Fixed Food Poisoning not correctly affecting sanity recovery when sleeping[/p]

[p][/p][p]As always, we’d love to hear what you think. Join our Discord and tell us how your latest run went.[/p][p][/p]

[p]Hey Frostbreakers,[/p][p]We're excited to announce that Don't Freeze will be part of Steam Next Fest in February 2026![/p][p]After Next Fest, we'll be launching in Early Access in March 2026.[/p][p][/p][h2]What's included in Early Access:[/h2][p]The game is fully playable from day one with:[/p][p]- 10+ explorable locations[/p][p]- Complete survival and crafting systems[/p][p]- Meta-progression system (earn coins, unlock starting cards for future runs)[/p][p]- Permadeath mode with meaningful progression[/p][p]- 15-20+ hours of gameplay[/p][p]- The beginning of our psychological survival story[/p][p][/p][h2]What we'll add during Early Access:[/h2][p]- Story conclusion and ending[/p][p]- Additional locations (Church, Laboratory, Medical Outpost)[/p][p]- More items and crafting recipes[/p][p]- Quality of life improvements[/p][p]- Balance updates based on your feedback[/p][p][/p][h2]Why Early Access?[/h2][p]As a solo developer (with design help), Early Access allows us to complete the story and add content WITH the community rather than in isolation. Your feedback will directly shape the final game.[/p][p][/p][p]We'll share pricing and exact launch dates in January.[/p][p]The demo is available now if you want to try the game before Next Fest![/p][p]Thank you for your support. We couldn't do this without you.[/p][p][/p][p]Stay warm out there ❄️[/p][p]The Don't Freeze Team[/p]