Update v0.5.1 – Inventory System, Performance Upgrades & Tutorial Improvements

📅 April 22, 2026

Hi everyone,

Update v0.5.1 is now live, bringing new systems, major performance improvements, and several gameplay and quality-of-life updates.

✨ New Features

• Added a Player Inventory system:

  • Store and quickly switch between items like the broom, baseball bat, and baskets.

  • Scroll between items without needing to drop them.

  • Picking up a basket while already holding one will now transfer items automatically.

• Added a Thief Focus Camera (HUD assist):

  • Briefly highlights suspicious thief behavior for new players.

  • Appears only a limited number of times to help players learn the system.

• Added a hardware compatibility check on startup:

  • Automatically adjusts graphics settings if required GPU features are not supported.

🚀 Performance Improvements

• Added a culling system for shop buildings:

  • Objects are culled based on distance and view quality settings to improve performance.

• Added low-resolution crowd NPCs for distant characters:

  • Far-away NPCs now use lightweight vertex animation instead of full character rigs.

  • Nearby NPCs remain high-quality for visual fidelity.

• Updated tree meshes to Nanite-supported versions:

  • Improves rendering performance and visual quality, especially at distance.

🔄 Improvements & Changes

• Updated the tutorial for new players with clearer guidance and additional tips.

• Improved basket item transfer:

  • Items now transfer all at once instead of requiring multiple clicks.

• Added a new road exit out of town to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion.

• Improved thief interaction balance:

  • Reduced the number of hits required for thieves to drop stolen items.

🐞 Fixes

• Fixed a bug where the floor would not display correctly.

• Fixed an issue where the world could become too dark near the end of the day.

• Fixed minor issues in the traffic system.

• Fixed startup performance hitches when starting or loading a game.

Thanks again for all the feedback and support, it continues to help improve the game step by step. ❤️ More improvements and optimizations are already in progress.