Update v0.1.1 is now available. This update includes new gameplay features, progression balancing, tutorial improvements, visual improvements, and several fixes based on your reports and feedback.
Thank you to everyone who has been sharing feedback and reporting issues since launch!
Box & Pallet Placement: Based on player feedback on Steam, boxes can now be placed directly on the floor and neatly stacked on top of each other. Pallets can also now be properly placed on the floor instead of simply being dropped.
Previously, organizing and stacking loose boxes often required equipment such as a Hand Truck or Platform Cart. With the new placement system, you can now organize your boxes much more easily without needing additional equipment.
Dumpster: A Dumpster has been added, giving you another way to get rid of pallets you no longer need. Unwanted pallets can now be thrown directly into the Dumpster.
You can still return pallets for their deposit as before by placing them back inside the delivery truck at the Loading Dock and closing the truck door. The Dumpster is simply an additional option when you want to discard a pallet instead of returning it for the deposit refund.
Tutorials: Several tutorials have been improved to make important gameplay mechanics clearer and easier to understand.
Outbound Area Visuals: Boxes sent to the Outbound Area previously moved through the air with a visible animation. This animation has been removed to provide a cleaner and more natural-looking transition.
XP Progression: The amount of XP earned from product sales has been reduced. Players were previously gaining XP and leveling up much faster than intended. The XP rates have been carefully adjusted to provide a more balanced progression.
I will continue monitoring your feedback. If the new XP progression feels too slow or negatively affects your experience, please let me know.
Store Expansion & License Prices: Store Expansion and product license prices have been rebalanced to provide a smoother and more consistent progression.
In-Game Time: The length of an in-game day has been increased. One in-game hour now takes 50 seconds in real time, up from 37.5 seconds. This gives you more time during each day to manage your store, organize your stock, and complete your daily tasks.
Out-of-Stock Product Requests: The chance of customers looking for a product that is currently out of stock in your store has been reduced from 10% to 7%.
Fixed several missing and incorrect translations throughout the game.
Fixed an issue where the "Shelf is full" warning could incorrectly appear on Display Tables and TV Stands in several situations.
Fixed an issue where price tags were not visible on Coffee Tables.
When a Coffee Table is boxed while vases are placed on it, the vases are now automatically boxed and their boxes are placed on the floor.
Fixed an issue with customer reservations for display products stored on pallets. Previously, if a box needed for a customer order was located on a pallet, the entire pallet could become reserved. Reservations now correctly begin with the last available box on the pallet, and the pallet itself will only be considered fully reserved once every box on it has been reserved.
Fixed an issue where customers could sometimes become unable to reach a Checkout Counter after it was moved to a new location.
Fixed a visual issue that could occur when shoplifters stole a product and the box appeared in their hands.
Various other minor bugs and visual issues have also been fixed.
Stock App: The Stock app changes were originally planned to be included in this update. However, due to the scope of the changes, they were not included in v0.1.1.
The updated Stock app is now planned for the next update. With the new version, you will be able to view more detailed stock information for products both in your store and warehouse.
You will also be able to quickly see a list of products that are currently out of stock in your store and order them directly, making it much easier to keep track of missing products and restock your store.
Music App: A Music app is also planned for one of the upcoming updates. With this system, you will be able to place speakers around your store and play music directly from your own computer through them.
Instead of simply playing music in the background while you play, your own music will become part of the store itself and play through the in-game speaker system in the 3D environment. This will create a more immersive experience and make your store feel closer to a real-life shopping environment.
If you already enjoy listening to your own music while playing, this system will allow you to experience it naturally inside your store instead of running music separately in the background.
The reason there is currently no background music playing inside the store is intentional. I do not want to force repetitive in-game music on players who may prefer to play in silence or listen to their own music. For this reason, the game's built-in music currently only plays in the main menu.
Once the Music app arrives, you will be able to take your store atmosphere to the next level and choose the music that fits your store best.
Thank you again for all of your feedback, bug reports, and support. I am actively reading your comments and will continue improving Home Store Simulator with upcoming updates.