Bootstrap Island news & patch notes

Dear Survivors,

It's summer on Bootstrap Island all year round! 😎

But the Steam Summer Sale won't last forever. Take advantage of our biggest discount yet and put your survival skills to the test with 35% OFF for a limited time.

Thank you for your continued support, and see you on the island!

The Bootstrap Island Team 🌴

Guides & Solutions: Performance Guide and Virtual Desktop VDXR Support Join our Active Community on Steam Community Hub or Discord Check out our t-shirts and hoodies: Merch Store

Dear Survivors, Hotfix 1.1.1 is now live!

Thank you for all your feedback following the release of Major Update 1.1.0!

Hotfix 1.1.1 brings further improvements to the new Crate inventory system, gameplay, world visuals, audio, and overall polish, while refining inventory interactions, animal behavior, and many other aspects of the survival experience.

Below are the full patch notes.

We're grateful to have you with us on this journey. Thank you for your continued support!

The Bootstrap Island Team 🌴

Guides & Solutions: Performance Guide and Virtual Desktop VDXR Support Join our Active Community on Steam Community Hub or Discord Check out our t-shirts and hoodies: Merch Store

🚨 HOTFIX 1.1.1 PATCH NOTES - SPOILER ALERT 🚨

Inventory & Items

• Fixed Crates disappearing in some cases (already broken Crates should be burned)

• Tweaked the process of item removal from inventory

• Tweaked the grabbing priorities of items inside inventory to improve usability

• Fixed bullets sometimes disappearing if the bullet box is filled inside a Satchel

• Fixed human meat not being edible

• Tweaked one potion in the medicine box

Gameplay

• Tweaked the force needed for gutting

• Tweaked the musket's recoil force

• Musket can now kick out of hand when overcharged and held with one hand

• Tweaked the weight and buoyancy of all night animals

• Improved the ragdoll stability of monitor lizards and bats

• Fixed night ape meat turning visually raw when it should decay instead

World & Visuals

• Improved the popping of some faraway geometry and foliage

• Brought some floating trees back onto the ground

• Fixed broken level LODs and HLODs

• Tweaked the collision of the shipwreck

• Fixed animals not creating water splash effects below sea level

• Fixed birds sometimes not appearing in the world

Audio & Music

• Tweaked the fade-in time of shaman music

• Fixed some music tracks not playing correctly

• Tweaked the frequency of bat screams

• Fixed a sliding sound sometimes occurring after putting the knife into inventory

• Fixed a drowning sound sometimes occurring in the start menu

UI & Quality of Life

• Added a Continue button to the start menu when the game is quit after death

• Fixed tutorial text boxes displaying information incorrectly for some languages

Bug Fixes

• Fixed some effects being displayed infinitely when an arrow is shot underwater

Thank you, and see you on the island! 🌴

Dear Survivors,

The first major update since Full Release is live!

This update introduces a brand-new cumulative progression system, the Crate early-game inventory, dangerous Night Apes, full bHaptics support, and numerous gameplay improvements designed to make survival more rewarding and immersive than ever before.

Cumulative Progression

Unlocking new tools and items is now tied to your cumulative survival time across all playthroughs. Every day survived contributes toward future unlocks, ensuring that every expedition advances your progress - even when a run ends in failure.

The Crate

Managing resources in the early game is now easier with the Crate. Discover floating crates around the island, fill them with supplies, and carry them by hand until you unlock more advanced inventory options such as satchels.

Night Apes

The island's nights have become significantly more dangerous. New nocturnal predators now emerge after sunset. These aggressive ape-like creatures stalk the darkness, hunting survivors who venture too far from the safety of their campfires.

bHaptics Support

Bootstrap Island now supports bHaptics devices (a wearable haptic vest), allowing players to feel impacts, combat encounters, animal attacks, raging storms, lightning strikes, and other survival events throughout their adventure.

More Improvements

Update 1.1.0 also includes increased player movement speed, animal combat improvements, a refreshed shipwreck area, loading screen tips, balancing changes, bug fixes, and many other refinements based on community feedback.

Thank you for supporting us and we hope you enjoy the update! 🌴

Yours, Bootstrap Island team 🌴

Guides & Solutions: Performance Guide and Virtual Desktop VDXR Support Join our Active Community on Steam Community Hub or Discord Check out our t-shirts and hoodies: Merch Store

🚨Major Update 1.1.0: Patch Notes! SPOILER ALERT!🚨

New Features:

• New feature - Night Apes

• New feature - Reworked Crate

• New feature - Cumulative Progression System

• New feature - Loading Screen Tips

• Added support for bHaptic devices

World & Environment:

• Improved the shipwreck model and gameplay

• Added more birds above the ravine crossing

• Added variations for dead seamates

• Caves and chests are now visible from further away

• Changed the behaviour of coal and trash items

• Made trash interactions more consistent

• Landscape optimizations and fixes

• Foliage optimizations and fixes

• Increased the view distance for Epic setting

• Fixed slippery mud problems of The Dark Lair

Gameplay & Balance:

• Improved animal behaviour and combat

• Tweaked gutting and stabbing

• Reduced the force needed to create sparks with rocks

• Slightly increased player speed when walking or running

• Added a new hidden use for the talking stick

• Slingless muskets now get upgraded when the sling is unlocked

• Reduced the food values of coconut meat

• Improved gharial and warthog animations

• Arrows are now more likely to be gifted by tribals

• Tribals now avoid the rain more

• Disabled controller haptics during loading screen

Inventory & Items:

• Bullets can now be grabbed from and inserted into bulletbox while inside Satchel or Crate

• Fixed a bug where placing one bullet into multiple bulletboxes was possible

• Fixed items not having correct visuals while the item state changes in inventory area

• Switched the order of the bow and talking stick icons in the equipment menu

• Fixed the automatic grabbing of a firearm after sliding the bullet in the barrel

• Tweaked tinder position in inventory to avoid clipping

• Fixed coconut halves displaying incorrect states inside inventory

Audio & Music

• Added a new night combat music track

• Fixed tribal music sometimes playing when no tribals are currently present

• Fixed shaman music not playing

• Removed the biting sound when bringing dead seamates near your mouth (this broke the edibilty of human meat - will be fixed with the next patch)

• Fixed game audio suddenly stopping on the loading screen

UI & Quality of Life:

• Added new elements to the death screen

• Spacing fix for restart confirmation text

• Tweaked the animation timings of death screen elements

• Fixed spectator screen subtitles not appearing in tutorial

• Save file size optimizations

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed boots sometimes not spawning in Seymour’s chest

• Fixed all stats updating correctly when restarting the game

• Try Again death screen option now correctly refreshes the seed for the regular game mode

• Fixed dead seamates drifting away in some cases

• Fixed blood VFX missing in some cases

• Fixed eel state changes not saving correctly

• Fixed arrows whistling when caught mid-air

• Fixed eggs sometimes not breaking on impact

• Fixed restarting in a cutscene breaking the game

• Fixed sickness health being affected when eating cooked iguanas and frogs

Thank you, Survivors! 🌴

Get Ready for Major Update 1.1.0 - 25% Off During the June Sale!

A major update is coming soon to Bootstrap Island, and now is the perfect time to prepare.

Major Update 1.1.0 will introduce (Sneak Peek):

• A new cumulative progression system

• A redesigned early-game inventory experience

• New dangers lurking in the night

• A lot of improvements and additions

If you've been waiting to test your survival skills, you can now grab Bootstrap Island with 25% off during our June Sale and be ready when the update arrives.

Guides & Solutions: Performance Guide and Virtual Desktop VDXR Support Thank you, Survivors!

The Bootstrap Island Team 🌴

Join our Active Community on Steam Community Hub or Discord Check out our t-shirts and hoodies: Merch Store

Sneak Peek: Post-Launch Major Update 1 - Cumulative Days for Unlocks

In Post-Launch Major Update 1, we’re introducing a major evolution to the Progression System.

Unlocking new tools and items will now be tied to your total cumulative days survived on the island. Every day you survive becomes a persistent resource that contributes toward future unlocks.

This change makes progression less punishing, encourages to take more risks, improves early-game flow, and makes each run feel meaningful - even when things don’t go according to plan.

So even unsuccessful runs will still contribute toward long-term progression and experimentation.

But that’s not all! Stay tuned for more content coming in Major Update 1, including new features and new dangers lurking in the night.

Thank you, and see you on the island! The Bootstrap Island Team 🌴

Join Our Active Community on Steam Community Hub or Discord

Check out our t-shirts and hoodies! Merch Store

Performance Questions & Solutions:

If your PC meets the system requirements, you should not experience major performance issues. Render resolution should not exceed 100% in SteamVR and/or Quest Link.

• Virtual Desktop support is available in a Separate Branch

• Performance Guide: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1942110/discussions/0/4345480979783161508/?ctp=2

If you have any questions or issues, we are happy to help on Steam Discussions or Discord. Thank you!

Dear Survivors, Patch 1.0.5 is now live!

Our fifth post-release update brings further optimization improvements to make the experience smoother and more stable. We’ve also refined the unlocking logic for tribal trading items to make it clearer. We will continue delivering additional improvements in future patches.

Full list of patch notes below!

Performance Issues & Solutions:

• If your PC meets the system requirements, you should not experience major performance issues. Render resolution should not exceed 100% in SteamVR and/or Quest Link

• Virtual Desktop support is available in a Separate Branch

• Performance Guide:

  https://steamcommunity.com/app/1942110/discussions/0/4345480979783161508/?ctp=2

Thank you for being part of the journey and for your valuable feedback and support!

The Bootstrap Island Team 🌴

Join our Active Community on Steam Community Hub or Discord

Check out our t-shirts and hoodies! Merch Store

🚨PATCH 1.0.5 NOTES - SPOILER ALERT 🚨

• Landscape optimizations

• Foliage optimizations & fixes

• Game thread optimizations

• Changed the unlocking logic for tribal items. UI now indicates which items can be received through trading

• Improved animal navigation for all areas

• Fixed palm leaves not spawning in some game versions

• Tweaked waterfall effects

• Choosing “Quit“ on the deathscreen quits the game back to the start menu

• Tweaked the placement of art assets on deathscreen

• Tweaked the appearance of end credits

• Tweaked the time it takes for decals of consumable objects to disappear

• Tweaked the food value of opened crab

• Fixed raw critters being spawned on the trading altars

• Tweaked a handpose in cutscenes

Thank you, and see you on the island!

Dear Survivors,

It’s been just over a month since our 1.0 release. Since then, we’ve rolled out four patch updates, and your feedback has been invaluable in helping us focus on what matters most.

We’re committed to continuing to improve the game - with further optimizations, gameplay adjustments, and new features on the way.

You can now enjoy the full experience with 25% OFF for a limited time.

We truly appreciate your support!

The Bootstrap Island Team 🌴

Join our Active Community on Steam Community Hub or Discord

Check out our t-shirts and hoodies! Merch Store

Dear Survivors, the Bootstrap Island Demo has returned!

We have updated the demo so it now includes the tutorial, gameplay additions, main menu, and optimization improvements from the full game.

Replay the demo as many times as you want, just keep in mind - every stay on the island lasts a single in-game day and night.

Important Notes:

• Virtual Desktop support is also available for the demo in a Separate Branch: Access: Right-click the game → Properties → Game Versions & Betas → virtual_desktop branch

• Performance Guide: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1942110/discussions/0/4345480979783161508/?ctp=2

Ready for the full adventure? Dive into the complete game: Full Game

Thank you, and see you on the island! The Bootstrap Island Team 🌴

Join Our Active Community on Steam Community Hub or Discord

Check out our t-shirts and hoodies! Merch Store

Dear Survivors, Patch 1.0.4 is now live!

Our fourth post-release update focuses on optimization and overall performance improvements to make the experience smoother and more stable. We will continue refining performance and delivering further improvements in future patches.

Additionally, we’ve made some quality-of-life improvements and tweaks.

Full list of Patch Notes below!

Performance Issues & Solutions:

• Virtual Desktop support is available in a Separate Branch

• Render resolution should not exceed 100% in SteamVR and/or Quest Link

• Performance Guide: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1942110/discussions/0/4345480979783161508/?ctp=2

If your PC meets the system requirements, you should not experience major performance issues.

Thank you for your feedback and support - we truly appreciate it!

The Bootstrap Island Team 🌴

🚨PATCH 1.0.4 NOTES - SPOILER ALERT 🚨

• Landscape optimizations & fixes

• Foliage optimizations & fixes

• General performance & hitching improvements

• Fixed dark water damage sometimes occuring on land

• Fixed most cases of palm leaves and talking sticks not spawning in certain older saves

• Roof recipe is now unlocked right after entering chapter 3 and does not require dying

• Tweaked blood challenger logic - his introduction now happens only once in the story, he does not need to be unlocked again in the future

• Fixed a situation where player hand would grab a satchel instead of the item inside

• Fixed automatically grabbing shoulder items when consuming food

• Tweaked the appearance of death screen and end credits

Thank you, and see you on the island!

Please keep sharing your thoughts, bug reports, and survival stories in Steam Discussions or on our Discord.

Dear Survivors,

This is our third update since the full release. Thank you for your kind words and feedback - it helps us improve the game with every patch.

Patch 1.0.3 is now live!

• Reworked Chest Spawn System – Locked chests can now spawn any items you’ve unlocked, with newly unlocked items appearing more frequently.

• Grab Pull is now the default grab option.

• Performance improvements and fixes.

Full list of Patch Notes below!

Performance Issues and Solutions in the Guide:

https://steamcommunity.com/app/1942110/discussions/0/4345480979783161508/?ctp=2

• Virtual Desktop support is available in a separate branch

• Render resolution should not exceed 100% in SteamVR and/or Quest Link

• If your PC meets the system requirements, you should not experience major performance issues

We are continuing to refine performance across the game, with ongoing improvements being rolled out regularly in upcoming patches.

Thank you for your patience and continued support - we truly appreciate it!

The Bootstrap Island Team 🌴

🚨PATCH 1.0.3 NOTES - SPOILER ALERT 🚨

• Chest Rework: All locked chests can now spawn all unlocked items. Fresh unlocks are more likely to spawn first.

• Grab Pull is now the default grab option

• Further optimized landscape & foliage to improve performance and reduce lagspikes

• Animal optimizations

• Guaranteed one day of good weather after killing Seymour

• Guaranteed good weather after cutscenes

• Reduced the chance of unintentionally dropping items while doing fast hand movements or being affected by outside forces

• Fixed cutscene 1 triggering too early in some cases

• Blood Challenger remains on his arena after the player’s death in Story

• Tribe People can now still appear in some regions while the Blood Challenger is active in the Story

• Tribe People can no longer appear during Blood Challenger fight

• Tribe People now flee more smoothly

• Tweaked the shoulder slot placement

• Reduced the Flintlock Pistol’s reappear delay in the tutorial

• Fixed a bug where very high sickness value would result in full health regeneration

• Fixed Start Menu navigation issue when the player moves far away from it

• Fixed a bug that caused instability in Jungle beach area

• Fixed the menu pointers looking unnaturally bright

• Fixed items being automatically placed into satchel/wood sling when forced out of hand

• Fixed an issue where arrows would fail to deal damage on hit

• Fixed an issue where monitor lizards would instantly get gutted or spoiled on death

• Fixed shortcut tree felled status not saving in some cases

• Fixed audio location issues in cutscenes

• Tweaked subtitle timing

• Alignment fixes for the deathscreen

• Added announcement text to the bandolier in Custom Mode

• Added announcement text to the boots

Thank you, and see you on the island!

Please keep sharing your thoughts, bug reports, and survival stories in Steam Discussions or on our Discord.

Dear Survivors,

It’s been two weeks since the Full Release, and we’re incredibly grateful for the amazing response from players and creators alike. Your feedback continues to play a vital role in helping us improve the experience.

Hotfix 2 is now live and includes a range of improvements (see Patch Notes below).

Performance-related topics remain our highest priority, and we are actively working on further optimizations. That said, we want to emphasize that if your PC meets the system requirements, you should not experience major performance issues.

The most common causes of performance issues we’ve identified are:

Dear Survivors,

It’s been a week since the Full Release, and we’re incredibly excited about the positive reactions from players and creators. At the same time, we know that some of you have encountered issues. We’ve released Hotfix 1 to address these problems. Additionally, we’ve added a new feature!

Main issues reported:

Dear Survivors,

With Bootstrap Island now fully released and more survivors joining the adventure every day, celebrate the moment with a limited-time VR survival bundle that brings together two unforgiving worlds.

Step into the surreal Pechorsk Anomaly zone in Into the Radius, scavenge for gear, brave deadly anomalies, and hunt for mysterious artifacts.

Then fight for your life in the brutal 17th‑century world of Bootstrap Island, where wild beasts, hunger, and the jungle itself are out to get you.

This bundle includes a 15% discount and is available only until April 12. Grab it now to expand your VR survival collection and test your skills in both realities.

Survive as best as you can!

The Bootstrap Island and Into the Radius Teams

🌴 Join our Active Community! Discord

🌴Check out our t-shirts and hoodies! Merch Store

Dear Survivors — today is the day. The Full Release is here 🔥

After two years in Early Access and five major and a lot of small updates, the island is now more alive and dangerous than ever. Our largest update yet introduces the local tribe, concludes Daniel’s story, and brings new threats, gameplay systems, and major improvements across the game.

A Ruthless Survival Adventure Designed for VR

You step into the role of Daniel, a 17th-century castaway fighting to survive on a ruthless tropical island. With no guidance and no predefined solutions, survival depends entirely on instinct, observation, and experimentation.

The island operates as a dynamic, systems-driven world, shaped by interacting elements such as weather, fire, liquids, physics, and animal behavior. You gather resources, hunt wildlife, build shelters, and prepare for the dangers that emerge after dark.

Instead of watching danger unfold, you stand inside it — reacting physically and solving survival challenges your own way.

What’s New in Full Release

The Local Tribe

The island now has inhabitants — a local tribe equipped with their own tools (Wood Sling, Talking Stick), weapons (Bow and Arrows), and behaviors. Through a new communication and trading system, including Trading Altars, you can build friendly or hostile relationships with them. The future of your island life is in your hands.

The Complete Story

Uncover the story of Daniel, the shipwrecked survivor — his past, the events that led to the shipwreck, and the possible paths his fate may take.

New Threats and Survival Challenges

The island becomes even more dangerous with the introduction of a new boss encounter — the Blood Challenger — along with additional weapons and expanded combat possibilities. New environmental additions also bring more variety to the island.

Custom Mode

You can now tailor the survival experience through Custom Mode, adjusting parameters like day length, world intensity, and survival systems to create either a relentless challenge or a slower, exploration- and building-focused journey.

Performance Improvements, Achievements, and Localizations

The Full Release also brings significant performance improvements, Steam Achievements, and subtitles in 12 languages.

Launch Discount and Supporter Pack

To celebrate the Full Release, Bootstrap Island will be available for a limited time at its Early Access price — $24.99 USD with a 10% launch discount. After the promotion ends, the base price will increase to $27.99 USD, reflecting the expanded scope and content added throughout development.

At launch, a $4.99 USD cosmetic Supporter Pack DLC will also be available for players who want to further support the indie team and equip more prestigious weapons and accoutrements. A bundle including the game and the supporter pack will also be available with a 10% discount.

👉 When continuing an existing save:

Old save files may have issues due to the many changes made to the game. We recommend starting a new game.

Thank you to everyone who supported us during Early Access and helped shape Bootstrap Island into what it is today. We’ll see you on the island. 🌴

Yours truly, The Bootstrap Island Team

🌴 Join Our Active Community! Discord

🌴 Check out our t-shirts and hoodies! Merch Store

🚨Full Release: Patch Notes! SPOILER ALERT!🚨

New Features and Systems:

• New feature - Full Story Campaign with 4 Chapters and Cutscenes

• New feature - Local Tribes

• New feature - Bow

• New feature - Custom Game

• New feature - Trade Altars

• New feature - Wood Sling

• New feature - Talking Stick

• New feature - Equipment Screen

• New feature - Collectible Eggs

• New feature - Achievements

• New feature - Player Arms

• New feature - Start Menu Level

• New feature - Localized Menus and Subtitles for 12 languages

• New boss enemy - Blood Challenger

• New character - Shaman

Gameplay Improvements

• New music by composer Liina Sumera

• New voiceovers

• New sound effects

• Added end credits

• Reworked save slots progress

• Changed number of save slots from 3 to 5

• DLC support added

• Reworked satchel

• Reworked loading screen

• Plants visually react to the player now

• Melee combat improvements

• Added a brightness option

• The amount of days required for unlocks information can be seen on Deathscreen

• Fixed falling/flying when loading a save

• Fixed underwater sounds playing when starting a new run

• Button presses now make the deathscreen progress quicker

• Increased the number of locations providing shelter from the rain

• Increased the speed of chest regeneration

• Added support for resource regeneration (not yet active, will be activated with a patch soon)

World and Environment

• Added treebridges to Riverlands

• New plants in Riverlands

• Reworked arena and other areas in Riverlands

• Environmental improvements in all areas

• Added more fish

• Added more currents to the ocean

• Added more dead shipmates around the shipwreck

• Added a pyre to the vantage point

• Fixed rain disappearing in some areas

• Fixed fish swimming out of water

• Cooked warthog meat looks more delicious

• Improved warthog navigation

• General game optimization with some reworked systems

Various Fixes and Tweaks

• Fixed accidentally grabbing the pistol while climbing

• Crates have been removed from the game. They will return after being reworked.

• Fire audio tweaks while running

• Deathscreen improvements

• Fixed a bug where chests would become permanently closed

• Fixed getting hurt when falling into deep water

• Fixed foreign objects appearing in the loading environment

• Fixed a visual glitch when opening coconuts

• Other bugfixes and improvements

Dear Survivors,

The wait is almost over. Bootstrap Island’s Full Release arrives in just 2 days.

Before launch, we wanted to take a moment to share an overview of the new features and content arriving with the Full Release — our biggest update yet.

Many of the additions were inspired by ideas and discussions from the community, and you might even recognize some of your own suggestions.

In the video below, Creative Director Rein Zobel walks through the major additions coming to the island and what you can expect when the game leaves Early Access.

Full Release Overview

We’re incredibly excited to finally share the complete experience with you.

See you on the island soon. 🌴 The Bootstrap Island Team

🌴 Join Our Active Community! Discord

🌴Check out our t-shirts and hoodies! Merch Store

Bootstrap Island Sets Sail for Full Release – March 12, 2026 🌴

After an incredible Early Access journey together, we’re beyond excited to share this:

Bootstrap Island is leaving Early Access and launching in Full Release on Steam on March 12, 2026.

This will be the biggest and most ambitious update in the game’s history - unveiling the world of the local tribe, complete with their own tools, weapons, and trading and communication systems; concluding the survivor’s story; and adding new challenges, boss encounters, and much more.

Meet the Local Tribe

For the first time, you’ll step into the world of the island’s local tribe.

They have their own tools, weapons, and ways of life. With the new trading and communication system, you decide how relationships unfold. Will you build trust? Trade and cooperate? Or create tension?

The future of island life is in your hands.

New Threats, Weapons & Challenges

Full Release also introduces: a brand-new boss encounter, additional weapons, expanded survival systems, more layered and intense combat. Combined with the new tribe systems, survival becomes deeper, more dynamic, and more unpredictable than ever.

The Survivor’s Story – Complete

Full Release finally concludes the survivor’s journey.

With cinematic cutscenes and full voice acting, you’ll uncover his past, the truth behind the shipwreck, and the possible futures that await him. Your survival is no longer just about the present - it’s about understanding how you got here.

Custom Mode – Survival Your Way

Early Access shaped Bootstrap Island in a huge way. Your feedback helped us refine systems, rebalance mechanics, and even introduce entirely new features.

One example is Custom Mode, allowing you to adjust difficulty and intensity to match your playstyle. Whether you’re looking for relentless tension or a more exploration-focused experience, you can fine-tune the challenge without breaking immersion.

Realizing the Full Vision

Beyond the headline features, Full Release includes extensive optimizations, gameplay refinements, and narrative improvements to fully realize our vision of an authentic VR survival adventure.

Bootstrap Island was built exclusively for PC VR to deliver on the original promise of virtual reality - an experience so immersive you forget you’re in a virtual world.

Thank You!

Early Access allowed us to build this game with you. Every update, every system improvement, and many of the new features coming in Full Release were shaped by community feedback.

We can’t wait for you to experience the island at its fullest on March 12, 2026.

Please note: With the transition to Full Release, the game’s price will increase to reflect the expanded scope and content added throughout development.

If you’ve been waiting - now’s the perfect time to prepare for the journey ahead.

See you on the island 🌴 Yours, The Bootstrap Island Team

😎 Check out our Merch Store: Merch Store

🌴 Join Our Active Community! Discord

Big News This February!

Full Release Soon, Early Access Price Ending

Bootstrap Island is approaching full release, which means Early Access pricing will be ending soon. Now is the perfect time to jump in before the next chapter begins.

Merch Store Live!

We’re also thrilled to launch our official merch store - featuring original Bootstrap Island designs so you can bring a piece of the island with you beyond the game! And yes - we ship worldwide!

😎 Check out the Store: Merch Store

Join Our Active Community!

🌴 Join the other survivors on our Discord

As we move toward full release in Q1 2026, we want to give a special thank you to all the survivors who joined us during Early Access. 💚 Your feedback and support played a huge role in shaping the game into its final form, and we’re incredibly excited to share everything we’ve created. 🌴

This is the final opportunity to enter the island at the Early Access price -20% OFF (Now - January 19) Step in before the challenge changes forever.

Thank you for being part of the journey, and let’s keep surviving. 🔥

🌴 Share your survival stories on our Discord!

Hey, Survivors!

We’re kicking off our first ever community art event - and we want to see your take on a mysterious character from the island... 👀🏝️

We’ve prepared a special page from the survivor’s journal with the silhouette of a Mystery Character.

Your task: Create your own version of this character!

How to enter:

- Use the provided PNG or PSD template

- Draw your version of the character

- Upload your final artwork in the Discord event thread

Prize:

- Best Artist: Chosen by public vote - wins an official Bootstrap Island T-shirt! 👕

This event also marks the first reveal of one of the upcoming Bootstrap Island Merch

Dates:

- Submissions: Now - January 13, 2026

- Community voting on Discord: January, 13 - 20

- Winner revealed: January 20

💫 Join our Discord, let your creativity fly and win a Bootstrap Island T-Shirt!

❄ Last Winter Sale before Full Release - with Early Access prices! ❄

We’re heading toward full release in Q1 2026, making this the final Winter Sale where you can grab the game at the Early Access price with a frosty discount.

Face the island before full release raises the stakes!

Thank you for surviving with us!

🌴 Share your survival stories on our Discord!

Dear Survivors 🌊,

Major Update 5: Visions has now been out for a week, and we’re really thankful for all the feedback you’ve been sending our way. Seeing you battle sickness, chase the hallucinations, and push through the fever fits has been both terrifying and inspiring.

Today we’re rolling out a quick Hotfix #1 to smooth out some rough edges from Visions and tighten up the overall experience. You can find the full list of patch notes just below this post.

We’ll keep monitoring your feedback and working on further improvements. Please keep sharing your thoughts, bug reports, and survival stories here or on our Discord.

See you on the shore,

The Bootstrap Island Team 🌴

🚨HOTFIX #1 - PATCH NOTES - SPOILER ALERT 🚨

Fixes

• Fixed an issue where Chapter 3 would not start correctly

• Fixed a possible soft-lock preventing players from finishing the tutorial

• Fixed caves flickering in the distance

• Fixed players being launched into the air when crouching in quicksand

• Fixed dark water damage occurring while in quicksand

• Applied visual tweaks to death screen icons

• Foliage and landscape fixes

• Adjusted tutorial fight timing

• Fixed a typo in one of the text boxes

• Fixed some animal behaviour issues

• Added hand spasm animations during fever fits and electric shocks

• Tweaked fire effects when running with a torch

• Fixed jungle tinder hovering

• Tutorial animation tweaks

• Fixed the tutorial pistol missing its hammer in some animations

• Adjusted dead seamate physics

• Added more resources to Riverlands

• Fixed a crash when entering specific ponds in Riverlands

• Improved performance in The Dark Lair

Dear Survivors,

The last major update before the full release has arrived - and it’s live now with a 20% discount to celebrate this milestone!

“Visions” brings a new layer of psychological survival, introducing sickness and hallucinations that blur the line between reality and illusion. As the infection spreads, your senses deceive you - and the only hope lies in discovering the mysterious Medicine Box or harnessing the healing power of the Lotus Flower.

The update also enriches the island with a story-driven tutorial, in-game unlocks, and fresh environmental additions and challenges including cenotes, quicksand, and the remains of shipmates washed ashore. Each addition makes the island feel more dynamic, treacherous, and unpredictable than ever.

What’s New in “Visions”:

Sickness & Hallucinations

Illness adds new layers of challenge, impacting survival and perception.

Medicine Box

Six mysterious bottles, each with unknown contents and consequences.

Lotus Flower

A natural cure that works best when dried and preserved.

Story-Driven Tutorial

A narrative introduction that teaches mechanics while revealing the survivor’s backstory.

In-Game Unlocks

Unlocked items now appear on the island during the ongoing run, waiting to be discovered.

Chest Regeneration

New chests will gradually appear over time, containing unlocked items.

Cenotes

Subterranean sinkholes that may hold rare resources or hidden cures.

Quicksand

A deceptive new threat lurking beneath the surface.

Dead Shipmates

Face the horrors of the shipwreck.

Grab Pull

A quality-of-life improvement for more natural item handling.

👉 When continuing an existing save:

All new systems and content should still work as intended with existing saves, but some new items might not spawn. Enjoy your adventure!

Thank you for surviving with us!🌴

🚨Major Update 5: Patch Notes! SPOILER ALERT!🚨

New Features and Systems:

• New Story Chapter – Visions

• Sickness System

• Hallucinations

• Story-Driven Tutorial

• Chest Regeneration

• In-Game Unlocks

• Medicine Box

• Lotus Flower

• Grab Pull

• Dead Shipmates

• Cenotes

• Quicksand

Gameplay Improvements

• Spoiled food can now be eaten

• Coconut husks can now be removed without regrabbing the last piece

• Item selection accuracy improved

• Buildings are now more resistant to destruction

• Bottle interactions are more responsive and less prone to breaking

• Navigation in water is now more stable in seated play mode

• Adjusted bullet impact effect orientation

• Improved gharial collision detection

• Added highlighting for bullets in the bullet box

• New Voiceover Lines

• New Music Tracks by composer Liina Sumera

• New Sound Effects

World and Environment

• The Riverlands entrance is now more noticeable

• Introduced a new climbable object

• More ponds added to the Riverlands

• More resources added to the Riverlands

• Foliage and landscape fixes

• Removed ladders from the shipwreck

• Removed a safe area from certain caves

• Fixed sunlight passing through some caves

Various Fixes and Improvements

• Fixed hand release issues when climbing

• Fixed electric eel shock causing a permanent freeze

• Fixed unlock visibility issues on death screen

• Changed musket sling unlock text on death screen

• Fixed discrepancies in coconut food values

• Fixed an issue where items could be placed into the satchel while still being held

• Fixed the constant ticking sound bug

• Fixed strap pieces appearing on muskets without slings

• Fixed guns spinning when held by the hammer

• Fixed issue with fish vanishing when killed underwater

• Fixed fruits sometimes not displaying selection highlights

• Fixed an issue where the sky would flicker

• Corrected particle brightness inconsistencies between eyes for some effects

• Removed waviness from still water sources

• Fixed collision issues with gharial and objects

• Fixed some cave lighting and safe area issues

• Tweaked voiceover and music timing

• Tweaked Giant Tree Bridge falling animation and effects

• Added smoothing to text during saving

• Adjusted the size of certain animal meats

We welcome you on our Discord! Come and tell us about your survival adventure! 🌴

Some major changes are coming soon ... but before that... enjoy the Sale on Bootstrap Island - 20% OFF.

Take a deep breath, and explore the island at your own pace - before things get intense with the Major Update 5: Visions! Stay tuned!

Share your survival stories on our Discord!

Major Update 5: Visions - Sneak Peek!

“Visions” brings a host of new systems and mysteries that push survival and sanity to the edge.

A strange sickness takes hold, twisting perception and blurring the line between reality and illusion. What you see may not be what truly is.

You’ll need to use all your survival instincts to overcome the sickness or it will take you. Prepare to face your fears, your mind, and the unknown!

Stay tuned for reveals of new features and additions!

Major Update 5: Visions - Coming in November 2025!

Join the other survivor on our Discord!

October has arrived, and the island feels different... a bit more spooky?

Bootstrap Island is 20% OFF until October 12.

Longer nights, falling leaves, and the quiet sense that you're being watched.

Keep your fire burning, your musket dry, and your nerves steady.

How long would you last with no sun in sight?

Share your survival stories on our Discord!

Building Challenge Results!

The hammers... we mean rocks, have stopped and the results are in - our Bootstrap Island Building Event has officially wrapped up!

🥇 exect01 – 3:13 🥈 Ralecs – 4:18 🥉 MrYobo – 7:16

A huge congratulations to our winners for showing incredible speed and skill! Whether you built for glory or just enjoyed the challenge, we're glad to have you.

Thank you for participating!

Stay tuned for more events coming soon - and keep your tools ready for the next challenge!

Link to event here

The rains are coming, and the jungle doesn’t sleep.

Bootstrap Island is 30% OFF during the Steam Autumn Sale - until October 6! 🌧️

Caves feel colder, the wind cuts sharper, and every shadow moves just a little too much.

Stock up, stay dry, and don’t take your eyes off the treeline.

How many frogs can you catch before the storm hits?

Share your survival stories on our Discord!

Hey, Survivors!

A new challenge has arrived - this time, it’s all about speed and construction! Welcome to the Bootstrap Island Building Event!

Hammer fast – Building Challenge!

We’ve prepared a save file with everything set up. Your mission: Build the bungalow and fence as fast as you can! All participants who upload a video will receive 1000 jewels!

Building Rules:

✔ Use the provided save file

✔ Time starts on the first hit with the rock

✔ Time ends when the final piece is placed

✔ You may use your own timer, or we’ll track the time from your video

✔ Record your full attempt

✔ Edits for promotional purposes are OK – but keep the original video for verification

✔ Submit your recording in the Discord event forum

Get the savefile HERE!

NB! Back up your own save files if you want to keep your progress.

To use the save file:

Sharpshooter Challenge Results!

The shots have landed - and the Sharpshooter Challenge has officially wrapped up! After countless bullets and some wildly creative aiming, it’s time to celebrate the winners: 🥇 HuitziFranco and DarkVRKnight – true island sharpshooters! 🥈 @MrYobo 🥉 NoChoice

Special Recognition:

💥 A special shoutout to Roto, winner of the **@0aim100style** title for style, flair, and one unforgettable shot.

Thank you for participating!

Whether you nailed every target or just gave it your best shot - we loved seeing your submissions. We’re always amazed by your creativity, persistence, and... in some cases, your complete disregard for proper aiming form. ❤️

Stay sharp - more challenges are coming soon!

Link to event here