Status

1.37 (Arcades | Improvements | Lighting++)

major update

Survive the Nights · published

All eventsRead on Steam

We’re pushing the 1.37 build right out to default, we’re just crazy like that! This update was quick, also a lot of fun. We got some great fixes in and something I’ve personally (JB) wanted to mess with for some time arcades! We’ve spent quite some time checking over reported issues (thank you all) and taking care of some annoying issues. Check the changelog below for a more detailed explanation on just what we’ve been up to as the blog is only a faction of what we’ve accomplished with 1.37.

Arcades


You’ve seen them in-game for quite some time—arcade machines scattered across the world, teasing with their "coming soon" hover UI. Well, the wait is finally over! This update marks the introduction of our first fully functional arcade games, thanks to Andre’s hard work this cycle. To kick things off, players can now enjoy 3 classic games to challenge your reflexes and pass the time between survival runs.

Pong – A timeless classic. Battle against the AI or your friends for dominance.
Meteors – Inspired by Asteroids, dodge and destroy incoming space debris!
Snake – The original "just one more try" game—how long can you grow your snake?

This is just the beginning. Looking ahead, we plan to introduce Workshop integration in Update 1.38, allowing players to create and add their own arcade projects. Get ready to unleash your creativity and bring custom arcade experiences into the world of Survive the Nights!

In addition to working arcade machines, we’ve also added dedicated arcade buildings across the map. There are four in total, strategically placed for easy access. You can find them marked on the map, so be sure to check them out!

We’d love to see your high scores, so don’t forget to share them in our Discord community! Who will claim the top spot?


Arcade in the rain


Pong, Snake and Meteors!


Something comforting about the neon-glow of a retro-arcade!


Fitting name?


Even zombies like arcades!

Street lighting, Strip Mall and Ring Road


In Update 1.36, we introduced island-wide power, bringing the power plant system to life. However, some towns and roads were still left in the dark. This update focuses on expanding street lighting, we were sure to hit all the towns along with the ring-road around the island. To enhance the atmosphere, we also introduced a dynamic flicker effect to select lights in and around towns. You’ll also find this creepy flicker effect at most of our strip malls. This subtle yet eerie addition adds to the overall tension and immersion, making nighttime exploration even more unsettling.

Additional Electrical Changes:

  • Ceiling fans now spin when power is active—because nothing says "normal civilization" like sitting under a working fan while zombies roam outside.
  • Electric breakers & meters now start in the correct positions, reducing setup hassle when restoring power.
  • Strip mall signage now lights up when power is active, adding to the immersion.


Police station lighting


More town lighting


Power plant glowing!


A false sense of calm

In-Game Updates!


Exciting news—many of you are likely reading this directly in-game! Over the years, I’ve written countless updates, and while I hope those who find them enjoy reading them, they often get buried by patches or missed entirely.

With this new in-game update viewer, you’ll always have access to the latest changes, fixes, and upcoming features without having to check external sources. This ensures more players stay informed about what we’re working on and what’s coming next.

We hope this makes it easier to stay connected with Survive the Nights as we continue to improve and expand the game. Thanks for being part of the journey!


In-game changelog and updates!

UI/Inventory Improvements


We've made some important quality-of-life improvements to the UI and inventory system:

Popups now auto-close when you move the cursor away from the selection window, reducing clutter and making interactions smoother. Interaction UIs with only one option no longer display a redundant right-click "options" menu. If there’s only one thing to do, why force an extra click? Item descriptions now occupy the full left page of the inventory, improving readability. Item weights under 1lb now display correctly, making weight tracking more precise.

Some small changes that actually make a huge impact when regularly playing STN! Please continue to let us know what needs improving via our Discord!

Farming Improvements


We've made several fixes and improvements to farming and planting, ensuring a bit more stability and persistence in the entire mechanic.

  • Functional Plant Pots – Previously, spawned plant pots had issues with proper functionality. They now work as intended, allowing you to grow crops without hassle.
  • Growth Progress Display – You can now track the progress of your plants with a visible growth percentage, making it easier to plan harvest times.
  • Persistent Dug Ground – Dug ground will no longer vanish after a server restart, preventing unexpected crop loss and ensuring your hard work in the fields is preserved.


Plant pot with percentage

STN+ and the Batcave


We’ve used this little area for testing since we released the first alpha back in the day. With the addition of STN+ we wanted to share the space with our + members!

  • Added secret underground developer bunker
  • Added Batcave keycard
  • Batcave developer area access keycard added
  • Craftable and placeable arcade machines added


Extra points if you recognize that logo!


Batcave entrance exterior


We’ve tested here for years, now you can have a go!


Staff room

Patch Notes - 1.37

New Features

  • Added dynamic streetlight flickering
  • Added weapon break notifications (now appear on-screen)
  • Added weapon break sound effect
  • Added in-game changelog/update viewer
  • Added working retro arcade cabinets (Workshop support coming soon)

Arcade Features & Fixes

  • Added controller and WASD support for arcade games
  • Fixed snake food spawning outside of the play area
  • Fixed camera sway issues, glitchy camera movement, and camera shake problems
  • Arcade machines can only be used if standing directly in front of them
  • Added names to arcade machine drops

Improvements & Changes


Environment & Locations

  • Added new retro arcade building
  • Added Arcade neon signage
  • Added Arcade-exclusive lighting
  • Removed pool cue and balls from pool table prop
  • Added arcade building to 26
  • Added arcade building to 36
  • Added arcade building to 57 (for the army dudes to relax)
  • Arcade buildings now show on the map

Item Placement

  • Improved item placement in the prison bus
  • Keycard pickups are now larger

Consumables & Vitals

  • Consuming drinks is now blocked when hydration is already full
  • Consumables now display their positive and negative stats in green/red
  • Player vitals are no longer shown on the inventory landing page

Item Descriptions & Weight Display

  • Item descriptions now occupy the full left page; spacing improved for clarity
  • Items with a weight below 1 (lb or kg) now display as x.xx instead of .xx

UI Behavior

  • Moving away from the click window when selecting items now closes the popup
  • Interaction UIs that only have one option no longer show the right-click "options" drop-down

Lighting & Power

  • Stripmall signs are now lit when global power is active
  • Improved street lighting around Oldtown with various flickering lights
  • Added street lighting to Sage Creek
  • Added street lighting to Union Point
  • Added street lights to the entire ring-road
  • Ceiling fans now rotate when power is active
  • Added functionality for certain electric breakers and meters to have all parts and start in the on position

Farming & Planting

  • Spawned plant pots now work correctly
  • Plant pots/plants now show growth percentage
  • Dug ground no longer despawns on server restart, preventing crop loss

Crafting

  • Crafting from the recipe page is now working

Weapons

  • Weapon wear config option is now tied in
  • Weapon condition updates in real time in the stats menu
  • Crossbow arrows now stick in dart boards
  • Arrows no longer disappear from the crossbow when aiming down sight

Miscellaneous & Other

  • World save now clears when closing the play tab

STN+ Exclusive Items

  • Added secret underground developer bunker
  • Added batcave keycard
  • Batcave developer area access keycard added
  • Craftable and placeable arcade machines added

Bug Fixes


Vehicle & Movement

  • Fixed flickering UI while in a moving vehicle
  • Fixed vehicle inputs working while in the main menu
  • Fixed an issue that could cause the “stuck” notification to appear incorrectly

Network & Disconnects

  • Fixed network error when a player forcibly disconnects

Traps & Placement

  • Traps with visible wire now display correctly in placement mode

Achievements

  • Reviewed and fixed achievements so that all should now be attainable

UI & Logs

  • Fixed an error that caused excessively long logs
  • Fixed an error in the quit menu when pressing “cancel”
  • Fixed quit menu position issue

Miscellaneous

  • Removed water harvest point from a well that was unreachable
  • Fixed crafted items’ weights so produced items aren’t heavier than the items consumed

Links
Discord: https://discord.gg/survivethenights

Changelog: https://changelog.survivethenights.net

X: https://x.com/STNgame

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/STNgame

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/a2zinteractive

Website: https://www.survivethenights.net

Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/a2zinteractive