0.8.4

Update 0.8.4 — Community Feedback

This update is focused on the things players have been bringing up the most: performance, AI-generated content, and controller support. Also includes an Inventory Overhaul.

We’ve been reading reviews, discussions, bug reports, Discord feedback, and Steam comments. A lot of 0.8.4 is the result of that feedback, and we want to say thank you to everyone who took the time to report issues or explain what wasn’t working for them.

Performance Improvements

Performance was one of the biggest concerns players reported, so a major part of 0.8.4 was spent rebuilding and optimizing systems that affect every level of the game.

This included adding LODs to many high-detail objects, overhauling the physics system, reducing CPU load across interactions, the character controller, and background processes, and optimizing shadow maps with tiered update rates based on distance.

Culling Overhaul

The largest change was a major overhaul to our culling system. After a lot of late nights, we were able to greatly reduce the number of rooms, lights, physics objects, and other scene elements rendering at once across all performance levels. Physics and rendering now also use a unified culling system, which means physics objects should no longer visibly pop in separately from the rest of the world.

BEFORE

Steam post image

AFTER

In our testing, framerate has improved by roughly 25–100% before upscaling, with some particular situations seeing even larger gains, up to around 5x.

We also added new graphics options that scale with quality presets, giving players more control over how the game runs on their system.

UPSCALING

WARNING: There are some known issues with the Upscalers that we are investigating.

Upscaling support has also been updated, replacing DLSS 2 and adding newer options, including Native AA. Frame generation is not included yet, but we hope to add that soon.

• DLSS 4 / 4.5

• FSR 3.1 / 4.1

Hitch Reduction

Framerate hitches from entities spawning and death sequences has been drastically reduced. Especially with Joey's transformation and death sequence.

Replacing AI-Generated Content

Another major piece of feedback was about AI-generated content in the game. 0.8.4 includes a large pass of new handcrafted assets across multiple levels.

Many corkboard images have been replaced with new handmade images, including some in The Kidrooms that came from previous community fan art competitions. The posters in The Arcade section of The Playrooms have also been replaced with artwork from the winners of our latest Fan Art Contest.

We replaced several AI-generated intercom sounds and voices as well, and made major improvements to the spatial audio of the intercom speakers themselves so they feel more naturally placed in the environment.

The Chewtopia VHS tape has also been remade by hand. Special thanks to Class Wyatt for the incredible help.

There are many other smaller changes throughout the game too, including updates to posters, fast food menus, and other environmental details.

Inventory Overhaul

Improved Controller Support

Controller support was another common issue players reported, especially when navigating menus.

In 0.8.4, we improved controller interaction and selection behavior in the inventory and settings menus, making both much easier to use without switching back to a mouse and keyboard.

More Improvements!

Kidrooms Slingshot Overhaul

We improved the look of the room, redesigned the slingshot, and repositioned it so it feels better to use. The slingshot itself has also been completely rewritten, making it feel much more responsive and physically accurate when aiming and firing.

It can now fit and shoot any physics object, and the room has been decorated with alternate ammunition and a few other details for players to experiment with.

Churchrooms Breaker Room Overhaul

The Churchrooms now have a new breaker room built specifically for the level, instead of reusing the breaker room from The Classrooms.

This should help the area feel more distinct and better match the atmosphere of The Churchrooms.

Hazard System Improvements

The hazard system has been reworked so hazards can now spawn in far more places throughout the game, instead of being limited to more rigid spawn setups.

Custom Mode also now includes options to enable or disable various hazards, giving players more control over the kind of run they want to create in any level.

VHS Tape Improvements

As part of the inventory overhaul, VHS tapes are now much easier to identify and keep track of in your inventory.

VHS tapes are also no longer consumed when watched, so once you find one, you can keep it and replay it any time.

Gangler Improvements

The Gangler now interacts with water more realistically. (Whispering Wyrm does as well)

Gangler also has new improved footstep sounds in water.

Playrooms Stink Pipe Improvements

The Stink Pipes in The Playrooms have been improved. Previously, their hitboxes were much more punishing than they looked, while the smoke effect itself was barely visible.

They now bellow both proudly and justly.

Misc.

• Loot Spawning Improvements

• Improved the look of TV Screens

• Fixed Doll Sting Sound playing through doors

• Fixed issue where screen could blink when walking through doorways sometimes

• Rebalanced Joey Ragdoll

• Fixed VSYNC Option

• Optimized Mirrors

What’s Next

Multiplayer

We’re also still hard at work on multiplayer, which continues to be one of the biggest things we’re building for The Classrooms.

Tape 8

On top of that, the next tape is just around the corner. Please look forward to it!

Thank You!

Thank you again to everyone who has reported issues, left feedback, made videos, posted reviews, or talked with us directly. This update exists because of that feedback, and we’ll keep using it to guide the game moving forward.