Don't Freeze: A Winter Card Survival News

[p]❄ Demo V0.2.5 Patch Notes ❄[/p][p]This update revamps cooking, improves survival balance, adds clearer feedback (icons, flashes, SFX), and fixes several crashes and edge cases. Thanks for all the reports and playtime![/p][p][/p][p]Gameplay[/p]

• [p]Cooking revamped: food is now cooked directly at the campfire instead of via crafting.[/p]
• [p]Added Frozen Potable Water and Frozen Unsafe Water.[/p]
• [p]Removed Day 1 midnight campfire auto-extinguish event (to avoid confusion).[/p]
• [p]Activities rebalanced: timings now feel more realistic
  (e.g., drinking water now takes 3 minutes instead of 15 — no more leisurely sipping!).[/p]
• [p]Small carcasses (rat, squirrel, fox) are now movable.[/p]
• [p]Partial harvests enabled for fallen/dead trees and large carcasses (bear, wolf, fox) instead of one massive 4h+ action.[/p]
• [p]Campfire warmth increased by 5°C to avoid freezing near fire.[/p]
• [p]Bedroll warmth buffed to prevent freezing while sleeping.[/p]
• [p]Crash Site exploration cap removed.[/p]
• [p]Woods: guaranteed minimum of 2 item types per explore, improved wood drop rates, and capped at 1 cigarette butt.[/p]
• [p]Torch objective renamed from “Equip” to “Light.”[/p]
• [p]Starter Campfire now defaults to Torch as the first item.[/p]
• [p]Tool order for opening cans updated.[/p]

[p][/p][p]UI/UX[/p]

• [p]Objectives system:[/p]
• [p]Completed objectives cannot be re-added as active.[/p]
• [p]Completed objectives now auto-collapse.[/p]
• [p]Objective text auto-scales to fit.[/p]
• [p]Tooltip system overhauled: tooltips auto-fit text length (afflictions, sleep, categories, wiki, etc).[/p]
• [p]Insufficient material/tool tooltip now links to Wiki on click.[/p]
• [p]Harvested items auto-scroll into view in loot containers.[/p]
• [p]Over-encumbrance icon added to top-right afflictions panel.[/p]
• [p]Needs/conditions indicators added:[/p]
  • [p]Up/down arrows show changes each turn.[/p]
  • [p]Flashing warnings when needs/conditions
• [p]Flashing icon for over-encumbrance.[/p]
• [p]Sleep popup description updated; warmth bonus/punishment displayed.[/p]
• [p]Card movement controls improved:[/p]
  • [p]Existing Shift + drag and Shift + right-click still work.[/p]
  • [p]Added middle mouse click to move a whole stack.[/p]
  • [p]Added right-click + drag to move a whole stack.[/p]
• [p]BGM volume reduced across the board; Crash Site music made less piercing.[/p]
• [p]Added dusk and morning SFX.[/p]
• [p]Added SFX + notification when items break or rot.[/p]

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

• [p]Fixed dragging cards left↔right multiple times sometimes freezing the game.[/p]
• [p]Fixed equipped items being incorrectly counted toward backpack carry weight.[/p]
• [p]Fixed crafting with multiple firewood types not auto-switching when one type is consumed.[/p]
• [p]Fixed pluralization issue on hrs/mins labels.[/p]
• [p]Fixed completed objectives monologue missing punctuation.[/p]
• [p]Fixed tooltip persistence after hovering buttons (location/crafting/affliction/equipment).[/p]
• [p]Fixed food poisoning bug that incorrectly increased sanity drain rate when triggered multiple times.[/p]
• [p]Updated various event monologues; added new ones when needs are depleted.[/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 V0.2.4 Patch Notes ❄[/p][p]This update adds quality-of-life improvements to sleeping, crafting, and clothing, plus some new player guidance, bug fixes, and a fresh item to help you stay warm.[/p][p][/p][p]Gameplay[/p]

• [p]New item added: Hay (used in crafting, can be dried with grass).[/p]
• [p]Improved Bedroll recipe now includes Hay.[/p]
• [p]Starter Bedroll is now provided at the beginning of a new game (starts at 20% durability).[/p]
• [p]Bedroll durability now decreases based on how many hours you sleep.[/p]
• [p]Sleep popup now includes warmth bonuses or penalties based on how you sleep.[/p]
• [p]Added hypothermia warning for Sleeping on the Ground.[/p]
• [p]Chapter Title scenes and Game Over scenes are now skippable.[/p]
• [p]Bedroll, Improved Bedroll, and Bearskin Bedroll now require Cloth (not Scrap Cloth) for repair.[/p]
• [p]Fixed missing warning popup when leaving the Crash Site after max exploration while items remain in the Loot Pile.[/p][p][/p]

[p]UI/UX[/p]

• [p]Card Details Page now allows equip/unequip of clothing and torches.[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Equipped items now show durability on the Equipment Page.[/p]
• [p]“Harvest” button for canned food updated to say “Open” for clarity.[/p]
• [p]Sleep popup now shows warmth effects (bonus/punishment).[/p]
• [p]Objectives system updated with better guidance on moving cards.[/p]
• [p]Objective text now auto-scales height to prevent cutoff.[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where tooltips remained visible after mouse was no longer hovering.[/p]
• [p]Bug report page now checks internet connection before submitting.[/p][p][/p]

[p]Bug Fixes[/p]

• [p]Fixed issue where sound settings were not saved between sessions.[/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 V0.2.3a Patch Notes ❄[/p][p]We’ve patched up some bugs, rebalanced crafting requirements, and made a few quality-of-life updates. Thanks for all the feedback during the demo![/p][p][/p][p]Gameplay[/p]

• [p]Added confirmation popup when crafting Immovable Items in a Loot Pile.[/p]

[p]Immovable Items can’t be picked up once placed. Since Loot Pile contents disappear when you return to the Campsite or travel to another location, the popup warns you before crafting something permanent in a temporary spot.[/p][p][/p][p]UI/UX[/p]

• [p]Updated Under Darkness monologue to include guidance on how to overcome it.[/p]
• [p]Fixed crafted campfire sometimes not becoming the first item in the container (Loot Pile or Campsite).[/p]
• [p]Fixed crafted campfire sometimes appearing out of bounds.[/p]

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

• [p]Fixed New Game → Crafting menu showing clickable Craft button that did nothing.[/p]
• [p]Fixed combat mode allowing drag-and-drop of animal cards.[/p]
• [p]Fixed combat mode allowing drag-and-drop of player cards.[/p]
• [p]Fixed combat mode allowing animal cards to be clicked.[/p]
• [p]Fixed combat mode allowing player cards to be clicked.[/p]
• [p]Fixed combat mode showing mouse-over animations on animal cards.[/p]
• [p]Fixed combat mode showing mouse-over animations on player cards.[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where pouring water into a water flask could freeze the game and block progress.[/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]We’re part of the Debut Indie Festival from August 7–11![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Don’t Freeze is a survival card game where you explore a frozen wasteland, make tough choices, and try not to die (or lose your mind). If you’re into cold hands and colder hearts, grab the demo and give it a shot.[/p][p][/p][p]🧊 New? Hit that wishlist button.[/p][p]🃏 Already playing? Tell a friend. Misery loves company.[/p][p][/p][p]Come hang out, play the demo, and maybe survive a few more days![/p]

[p]We’re thrilled to share that Don’t Freeze is now featured in the East Asia Indie Games Celebration, a special Steam showcase spotlighting indie games inspired by East Asian cultures.[/p][p][/p][p]Event Dates: August 5 – August 19, 2025 (GMT+8)[/p][p][/p][p]Come explore our cold, card‑based survival world and discover a unique blend of strategy, tension, and seasonal solitude. Whether you’re a seasoned survivor or a newcomer, now’s the perfect time to wishlist or give our demo a try![/p][p][/p][p][/p]