Patch 1.9 - Releasing Oct 24th:
I’m sharing the changelog early to build some hype for Patch 1.9! Everything listed here is locked in, though a few additional changes may still be added. I’m currently focused on final polishing and playtesting ahead of release.
This is one of our largest updates yet, expanding Craven Oaks with new areas, major updates to combat and enemies, along with new enemies, equipment, weapons, resources, story content, and major combat and quality-of-life improvements. It also introduces Japanese localization, adds Paula as a playable Survivor Stories character, and brings a substantial round of fixes and polish throughout the game.
One-Year Early Access Anniversary Sale
Sanguine is celebrating its first anniversary in Early Access! From October 24 through November 1, the game will be 30% off—its biggest discount yet. Whether you’ve been following development for a while or are discovering Sanguine for the first time, this is a great opportunity to jump in and provide feedback!
Story:
New Areas & Story Content
Farmhouse Expansion
Several new areas to explore with lore and backstories to learn.
Mobile Homes Expansion
Everything in this location is now fully explorable, including new interactions with Big Mama
Main St Updates
Updated existing save area on Main St with a new area to explore - the Church
New Area to find and explore: The Club
This unique area holds key story beats and encounters too groovy to explain here.
New Area to explore: Parking Lot A
This area is now fully explorable, if you can find and get the parking pass.
New Area to explore: Parking Lot B
This area is now fully explorable, if you can find and get- you guessed it, the parking pass.
Updated areas: Sewers, Gas Station, Forest/Diner, 2nd St
Several new Cutscenes to experience. No Spoilers.
The VHS Breakroom Tape can now be watched as that found footage has been added.
Kris will now physically look at items and things she can interact with in the world.
New Documents & Collectibles
Added 10+ new Documents to find and read.
Added 3 new Doll heads to find, destroy and collect.
Added 2 new Newspaper pages to find, read and collect.
Added 2 new Cassette tapes to find, listen to and collect.
Added 1 new Audio tape to find and listen to.
Cassette tapes now appear beside the radio as they are unlocked.
Updated all the cassette collectible tape textures.
The Journal now tracks Doll Heads.
Updated the eye colors of existing Doll Heads at their locations.
Added Doll Heads to the Collectibles Map and Blood Shop.
Added discovered newspapers to the Blood Shop where they are displayed and can be reread.
Increased the total found document capacity by one row.
Examination Report #5 has been rewritten to support one of the new enemy types.
Doll Head tracking note: Existing Doll Heads will update the Journal when they are destroyed from this point forward (existing destroyed ones will not be tracked until a new game is started).
Gameplay:
Global Leaderboards
Leaderboards have been added! Compete for the fastest completion times and see how you stack up against other players.
Upon completing a new run of the campaign, your best score will automatically be submitted to the leaderboard.
Leaderboards can be viewed from the Main Menu or immediately after completing the campaign and submitting your score.
Leaderboard entries display your position, country, Steam username, and completion time, with the fastest completion times ranking highest.
Only your best completion time will be retained, so you can replay the campaign and climb the rankings!
Early Access Note: Leaderboards will be reset with major game updates and again for the official 1.0 release to ensure a fair playing field as Sanguine continues to evolve during Early Access.
Enemy Combat & Balance Updates
More impactful enemy deaths:
Corpse Blood enemies now collapse with physics-driven reactions based on the weapon used and the direction of the hit.
Explosive kills tear them apart with flying body parts and new blood effects.
Slugs killed by explosions or fire now curl up and shrivel.
Removed the option to spam Q & E to push back an enemy grab. This would often cause players to quick turn if they didn't necessarily want to, so now its just to Spam E (A on gamepad) while grabbed.
Additionally, if successful on the first attempt you will no longer take damage from the enemy.
Additionally, if successful on an enemy crawler, Kris will now stomp their head killing them.
Reworked Corpse Blood enemy hit feedback: blood sprays now appear at the exact impact point, follow the direction of the hit, and include more visual variation.
Additionally bullet holes, slashes and burn marks will appear on Corpse Blood bodies depending on what they were hit with.
Added new HUD feedback when the player takes damage, with visuals based on damage type and severity.
Improved Slug Blood damage feedback: Slug Bloods now lose chunks of flesh from both lethal and non-lethal hits, with wounds worsening under repeated attacks.
Improved Blood Sac damage feedback: Sacs glow brighter as you approach, show visible weapon damage, and will now burst with blood effects and textured debris that clears after 30 seconds.
Improved Mutated Corpse Blood damage feedback: Weapon hits now carve into their bodies, tearing off chunks of flesh with blood splatter. Repeated hits deepen wounds, while heavier weapons leave larger injuries.
Updated the Sewers Boss encounter to look and feel way more cool (No Spoilers).
Updated the enemy "hard hats" behavior and added the physics-driven reactions based on weapon type.
Updated enemy detection and alert responses from players shooting at long distances.
Added a new animation when crawlers grab the player.
Corpse Blood Shambler types can now have their legs destroyed, turning them into crawlers & added a cool effect to accompany.
Enemies display a new visual effect on them while they are Slowed.
Improved Hunting Rifle aiming smoothness.
The Laser Sight is now active only while aiming.
Removed ability to toggle laser sight as a result.
Balanced the maximum stack sizes for ammunition, consumables, and crafting items.
Increased storage capacity by 8 slots, for a new total of 38.
Enemy Landmines have been replaced with a clearer Proxy Mine model and updated visuals/lighting.
New Enemy Types
Blue Slug
A large, slow-moving enemy with high durability. Deals minor damage and inflicts the new Slowed status, reducing the player's movement speed by half for 10 seconds.
Armored Corpse Blood
A new Corpse Blood variant equipped with Body Armor which absorbs a percentage of non-critical damage, making headshots especially valuable.
Corpse Blood Hurler
This new and unique evasive variant keeps its distance and throws Slug Blood at the player's location like a grenade. Be aware of it's variant types if you can guess what they do...
New Boss:
Added the teased new boss encounter at the AlTran Parking lot. This boss has unique abilities and behaviors, it took a long time to get right which is why I previously delayed it, but now I think it's a lot of fun and look forward to seeing player's take it on. No spoilers.
New Equipment
Finally, the Bolt Cutters
Now only a new puzzle guards the path from you obtaining them. Bolt Cutters can now open new routes and locked containers in the various locations and be equipped on your back.
Added the Defusal Kit
Found somewhere (no spoilers), this equipment which can be equipped in your belt slot can be used to defuse enemy landmines, obtaining new crafting materials in the process. But beware, you're vulnerable to attacks while disarming.
Added Body Armor
This unique Equipment is active as long as it's in the players inventory, it will reduce incoming damage by 50% and remove durability in the process, which is tracked while active in the players inventory. Can be purchased a the Blood Shop.
Added the Body Armor Repair Kit
One time use to fully repair your Body Armor, purchased at the Blood Shop.
Added the GATE Link
This unique Equipment developed by AlTran is active as long as it's in the players inventory and not broken. It will allow the player to revive on death if they so chose, but will break in the process. Can be purchased at the Blood Shop.
Added the GATE Link Repair Kit
One time use to fully repair your GATE Link, purchased at the Blood Shop.
New Weapons
Added the Flamethrower
This new AOE weapon uses fuel tanks that visually update based on the current ammo count. They have the chance to inflict burn on enemies, lighting them on fire dealing damage over time.
Brought back Grenades
Now with updated the mechanics, models and visuals. AOE, goes boom, don't get caught in the blast.
Added the Flashbang
Slows enemies and can also slow Kris when caught in the blast.
Added the Incendiary Grenade
Deals damage and sets enemies—and Kris if caught in the blast—on fire.
Upgrades
Added a new weapon upgrade: UMP Parts which will you know, upgrade your UMP. No spoilers.
Added a new Crossbow upgrade: the Quiver which has a 50% chance of returning a target hit crossbolt fired to it.
Added a new weapon upgrade: Shotgun Parts which will again you know, upgrade your Shotgun. No spoilers.
Added a new character upgrade: Movement Upgrade which will negate movement penalties from health statuses like danger, warning & caution.
Added a new character upgrade: Push Ability which, when acquired will allow your character to push enemies nearby back, on a cooldown - still in progress but the model/initial logic is in.
Resources
Resources are a new category in the Blood Shop with completely optional resources that come at a cost.
Added Gunpowder Recipes
This will unlock all the gunpowder recipes updating your Journal.
Added Crafting Recipes
This will unlock all the crafting recipes updating your Journal.
Added the Fabricator Directory
This grants a Found Document containing all the Fabricator usernames and passwords.
Added the Collectables Map
This grants a Found Document containing a treasure map of all the locations and the collectables within them.
Crafting & Fabricator
Added Spare Parts
Spare parts are a new crafting item which can be used to create gunpowder at the Fabricator.
Added Refined Gunpowder
The final tier of gunpowder, adding new crafting and fabrication options to discover.
Updated the Fabricator for new items, it now contains a page 1 and page 2 to navigate.
Journal, Maps & Interface
Added a Pause Menu during cutscenes, including the ability to skip supported cutscenes.
Updated the Journal's visual presentation when entering The Club.
Repositioned Journal page numbers so they no longer overlap page text.
Added text labels to Journal buttons and updated log-line colors.
Added/updated Journal objectives for the Bolt Cutters, AlTran HQ, Doll Heads, and new story content.
Updated in-game maps for new and expanded areas.
Added map icons for new progression content.
Improved map icon layering so icons no longer clip beneath doors.
Removed an incorrect dialogue icon from the Detective's map marker.
Updated the Press Start flow with brightness, language, input selection & ability to toggle pop-up hints on/off before the Early Access acknowledgment.
Added five early-game tutorials explaining the Journal, Quick Turn, and Focus Mode which can be disabled in the press start flow mentioned above.
Maximum ammo and item counts are now shown in blue in the Inventory for improved readability.
Dropped items now leave an icon on the map until collected.
Auto Sort now combines compatible item stacks inside containers.
Equipped items can no longer be moved, and other items can no longer be moved into equipment slots fixing a critical bug.
Storage lists now display an item caret, and storage containers show category icons for weapons, ammo, crafting materials, key items, throwables, equipment, healing items, and generic items.
Updated Storage container UI.
Settings & World Polish
Added an option to invert the left and right audio channels.
Corrected the audio volume percentage so the slider now maps 1:1 to the displayed value.
The radio now resumes its previous tape instead of resetting to Tape 0 when interacting with.
Improved and created several new shots for the radio camera in the Blood Shop.
Added new SFX for the Offer Statue recall.
Improved the headlight to be less harsh at close range and more readable outdoors.
Updated Kris, Bill, Enemies, and other existing character and creature textures with additional detail and shading.
Added female Blood variants throughout Craven Oaks.
Added eight new Mutated Corpse Blood texture variants.
Added new world decals and environmental dressing, including broken glass, ooze, garbage, Slug Blood trails, creature-rest stains, bullet impacts, cigarette butts, poster remnants, local flyers, chalk drawings, graffiti, drag marks, and Ethereal Squad symbols.
Added a new rotating Craven Oaks Diner sign.
Removed unintended shadows from several objects in the Farmhouse, VHS shop, and Diner.
Added new models for the Diner Key and Diner Kitchen Storage.
Added a wraparound route near the Gas Station save room to reduce the risk of being trapped by groups of enemies.
Improved the Sewers water-pressure cutscene to better show the massive door opening.
Localization
Added Japanese localization.
Localized new items, Blood Shop content, radio track text, documents, objectives, and other Patch 1.9 content across supported languages.
Localized the Hunting Rifle's name and description.
Blood Shop
Added a new Resources category with updated navigation and controls.
Added Body Armor, Body Armor Repair Kits, GATE Link, GATE Link Repair Kits, recipes, maps, collectibles, and other new stock.
Filled the remaining display cases with previews of future upgrades.
Existing character upgrades now have matching icons in their inventory.
Added descriptions to Blood Shop items.
Improved mouse-highlight feedback and camera movement.
Updated the tutorial to remind players to pick up purchased items.
Fixed localization and sold-out display behavior for Blood Shop items.
Survivor Stories
Added Paula as a playable character to be unlocked by completing the Diner area with any character.
Rebalanced starting equipment and Blood Shards across multiple characters.
Expanded possible locker drops.
Added throwables to Tier 2 and Tier 3 drop pools.
Added the Slug Blood Launcher as a T2 enemy.
Fixed an issue preventing weapons from being equipped or unequipped.
Fixed full-inventory messages displaying the wrong character name.
Fixes
Fixed issue where the player could occasionally turn 180 degrees off certain use interactions.
Fixed the Sewers Access A door's open/close trigger.
Fixed the AlTran parking lot exit animation and related Journal trigger.
Fixed the Mobile Homes door map state before and after using the Bolt Cutters.
Fixed drawer animations replaying after loading a save.
Fixed enemy collision around several newly opened doors and rooms.
Fixed enemies entering or ignoring collision in the Diner bathroom stalls, Sewers, Farmhouse, and boss arena.
Fixed Focus Mode remaining available while the player is grabbed.
Fixed Focus Mode in certain close-up camera views.
Fixed Slug Blood death animations failing to trigger consistently.
Fixed Landmines being triggered by leftover enemy entities.
Fixed Auto Sort selecting the first item after using an item.
Fixed the UMP's examine scale.
Improved examine-camera framing across ALL items.
Fixed item look/examine behavior in affected scenes.
Fixed end-game rank recording.
Fixed collision on the Second Street save-room tent, laundry doorway, and other affected geometry.
Fixed the Crowbar being usable through the wall of the metal container outside the Second Street Sewers entrance.
Fixed the Radio being interactable from the teleporter exit zone.
Fixed several map icons clipping beneath door graphics.
Fixed the Gas Station blackboard text.
Fixed “unknown” being misspelled in the Chem-C description.
Fixed the Chapter 8 Journal title not triggering at the correct time.
Fixed localized radio track and Blood Shop item text.
Fixed the Second Street recall animation.
Thank you
~For helping Sanguine reach its first Early Access anniversary, and for supporting the game throughout Early Access. Patch 1.9 is one of our largest updates yet, and I’m incredibly excited to hear what you all think.
If anyone encounters any issues or has feedback, please send it my way—it genuinely helps make Sanguine better. If you’ve been enjoying the game, please consider leaving a Steam review. Reviews are a huge help to an independent developer and make it easier for new players to discover the game.
I’ve also been sharing previews and development clips of upcoming features on X/Twitter. Follow @SanguineTheGame if you’d like to see some of what’s coming before it appears in a future update.
Thank you again for playing, sharing your feedback, and helping shape the future of Sanguine!
-Ryan