Version 1.0.0 is Out!

Startup Freak is finally in full release with a number of requested features, UX improvements, and bug fixes! It's been a fun and challenging journey and the game has come quite a ways from its early days on itch.io and Steam early access launch. My aim has always been to bring you an experience that's unique and different, and captures a more faithful and in-depth look at software making and software startups.

But first, let's look at what's new:

Features

• Added an "Experiment Mode" where you start with $1,000,000 so you can try out strategies at your heart's leisure. Achievements are disabled in this mode.
• Added 24 new investor traits.
• The overall products stats are now shown in the main view so you don't have to jump to the backlog.
• You can now disable tutorial hints in the options menu.
• You are now prompted to confirm when trying to overwrite a save file or load a save file.
• Employees' salary can now only be reduced to 50% of their market value, and they take a few sprints before quitting. This avoids getting around paying redundancy by forcing the employee to quit.
• Network topology graphics have been updated.
• Add a "Guide" button to the main menu which opens the related article in Steam community. Be sure to check it out if some of the concepts in the game are unclear.
• When moving to a new office, once the credited furniture have been placed you automatically exit "place mode". This avoids accidentally purchasing new items.
• When opening the backlog, the view is automatically restored to feature mode.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed: clicking on an employee does not open the right tab and focus that person.
• Fixed: the store panel on the left does not use up the whole vertical space on tall resolutions.
• Fixed: changing the screen resolution after the investment area has been opened causes clipping or a black bar at the bottom of the screen.
• Fixed: when closing the investor UI there is a small pause.
• Fixed: when closing the investor UI the store panel on the left can get stuck.

Hope you enjoy the changes. Happy starting up!