After a full year in the making, the massive update I’ve been working on is finally in its last stage of testing, focused on fixing, balancing, and polishing. What started as a public test build has now officially become the beta for what I’m calling the second "Early Access launch".
Would you play an early access of an early access game? ːsteammockingːːsteamhappyː
This is by far the biggest update yet. The whole game has been basically rebuilt from the ground up. Almost everything under the hood has been rewritten to be more stable, flexible, and future-proof. After launch, the scope of the game grew way beyond the original plans, so this update had to grow with it. Now, it’s finally ready for the long haul.
And the best part? It’s been completely shaped by the community. Every piece of feedback, every bug report, suggestion, wild idea, and late-night rant helped mold what this version became. So really, almost every feature we’ve agreed on together is in it.
So yeah, the main features are in, the new foundation is solid, and things are finally coming together. We’re almost there, and just about to kick off the huge roadmap ahead, packed with major updates and more content. But before all that, I could really use your help for one final round of testing on this upcoming unusually big update.
You can switch to the public test branch and jump in right now!
⚠️ Heads-up: There’s no tutorial yet. So if you’re brand new to the game, I recommend checking out the older version first to get the hang of it. (That tutorial wasn’t the best either, but hey, the new campaign mode and tutorial system are on the way!)
Things are still a bit rough:
Some content is missing, the balance is all over the place, polish is... let’s just say “a work in progress,” and yes, there are definitely still bugs hiding in the corners. So if you’re just looking for a smooth and stable Casino Resort Tower experience, I’d recommend waiting for the main branch release.
Thanks to this new foundation, updates from here on out will be and is much faster and smoother.
How to Switch to the Public Test Branch
Open your Steam Library
Right-click on Casino Resort Tower and select Properties
Go to the Betas tab on the left
In the dropdown menu, select: publictest - Public Test Branch
Close the window, Steam will download the update automatically
Hit Play when it’s ready and enjoy the test build!
💡 Bonus Tip for Testers:
Some of the development tools are still available for now to help you quickly test things, since game balance isn’t fully in place yet.
You can access them by pressing O + P in-game.
📢 Update Logs & Community Posts:
I’m planning to share regular update logs right here on Steam for the public test branch, which will always stay active and maintain the next major update.
This means there will be three types of posts going forward:
Public Test Branch Updates/Changelogs
Main Branch Updates/Changelogs
Community Gazette: where we’ll talk about future plans and community topics
Looking forward to keeping you all in the loop and hearing your feedback! Thank you so much for being here. Let’s make this final stretch count! ːsteamhappyː
📝 The Changelog
Since this is the first changelog for the public test branch here on Steam, I have to start somewhere!
If I tried to list everything that’s changed compared to the current main branch version, it would be massive, so I’ll save that for the Major Update post when it officially goes live on the main branch.
For now, I’m starting with just the highlights, picking up from where I left off in Discord and the Community Gazette.
So, here’s the first official changelog for the publictest branch on Steam!
⚡ Switchboard
While most of the utility system upgrades are planned for the upcoming Seasons Update and Architecting Heights, I’ve decided to release one of them early — because I know the late-game electricity spaghetti was driving some players nuts. 😅
Introducing the Switchboard:
Place a switchboard to merge all electrical connections from items in a room.
You only need to connect the switchboard to the main power line.
It will auto-connect to everything else in that room, greatly reducing wire clutter.
👥 Negotiations Window Overhaul
The HR Manager system already automates the late game hiring and firing (Will also be balanced like a lot of other things), but the negotiation window needed some love too.
You’ll now see the chance of acceptance for your offer during salary negotiations.
Acceptance is based on the job type, candidate traits, and of course, your offer.
This makes the system clearer — or lets you roll the dice with lowball offers if you’re feeling lucky.
Expect more UI/UX improvements to this and other UI systems over the coming week.
🚍 Public Transportation – Fully Rebuilt
The reworked Transportation System mentioned in the last Community Gazette is now fully implemented, though a bunch of bugs are still being ironed out. Here’s a recap of the core features:
Public Transit – Key Highlights
Complete Rebuild: Fully redesigned public transit system.
Vehicle Management: Buy, sell, and maintain taxis, buses, subway wagons, all with unique stats and quirks.
Licensing Required: You'll need to acquire city licenses before running each type of service.
Vehicle Condition: From Brand New to Bad, condition affects pricing, breakdown rate, upkeep, and resale value.
Mileage Tracking: Tracks round trips to and from the casino, influencing wear and tear.
Tradeoffs: High-mileage vehicles are cheaper but wear out faster and resell for less.
Maintenance System: Each vehicle has maintenance intervals and service costs based on its stats and condition.
Automation: Hire Mechanics (as Agents) to handle upkeep and Drivers to run your fleet automatically.
Subway Expansion: Once you convince the city and complete the construction, you can operate a full subway line to your casino.
Modular Trains: Buy/sell different locomotives and wagons to customize your subway train setup.
🧍 Townfolk + Upcoming Polish Phase
Since townfolk relations now matter more, especially when it comes to convincing the city for things like licenses or infrastructure, their quests and interaction style are getting overhauled during this phase.
Lots of smaller improvements, tweaks, and bug fixes have also been made since the last Community Gazette, but these are the biggest changes so far.
As I mentioned earlier, I’ll be posting regular changelogs for the public test branch here on Steam. Expect almost daily balance tweaks, improvements and fixes as we push toward the full main branch release, and clean up the heavy system changes and remaining big construction mess that came with it.
Thanks again for being part of the test! Your feedback truly helps, and now, as we enter the final stretch for the Echoes of the Community update, let’s make it count. 💚
Cheers!