The Drifter news & patch notes

Another round of fixes and tweaks that have built up while I've been working on ports and other things! Tweaks/minor features-

• Added controller vibration for XBox controllers. (I did try to get it working on steam deck but the results weren't great, so XBox controllers only for now).

• Added a few more autosave points (eg. when entering room for first time).

• Added sfx when navigating left/right on save/restore menu.

And a bunch of fixes-

• Fixed a small stall on title screen from an unnecessary save slot check.

• Hiding main menu on fadeout on restore game.

• "Press Y" tutorial no longer reappears after restoring games.

• Controller gui no longer flickers on after some interactions (eg. Grave, answering machine, coffin).

• Camera shakes now stopped on skipping cutscenes.

• Camera CRT effect now disables when game's running < 540p.

• Fixed controller HUD inventory cursor outline not showing.

• Chapter 1: Shadow sorting fix in boxcar.

• Chapter 2: Could get squeeze multiple times by using the rag on Old Gus.

• Chapter 3: Door sound effect no longer plays after throwing brick through window.

• Chapter 4: Pressing B to deselect inventory item no longer also dismisses answering machine.

• Chapter 6: Detective no longer flips when look at trainline while he's using goggles.

• Chapter 6: Roth's dialog text now positioned correctly while crawling through vent.

• Chapter 6: Detective now clickable if talked to him after getting hit by sister, before using cartridge.

• Chapter 7: Looking at reactor water no longer takes 2 clicks to skip.

• Chapter 8: Fixed music changing early in Ch8 entering the interface Lab without the cartridge.

• Chapter 9: Fixed music changing early when running back to Sophia's room after you have the flamer.

• Chapter 9: Fixed dialogue text not matching VO when reviving Sophia.

• Chapter 9: Coffee sacks stay ripped.

• Chapter 9: Fix for boss drifting off screen.

• Chapter 9: Desert walkable area tweaks and moved Roth down so more obvious he's aiming at Mick.

Cheers! - Dave

• Controller hotspot points back in their correct spots.
• Fixed flag for saving prop data.
• Fix for "Craft Items" tutorial appearing on restore game.

• Grammar fixes - "grey" and "no one" are consistently spelled now.
• Fix to never fading in fully if saved/restored immediately after entering crypt.
• Fix to some animated lights not turning on/off character rim-lights in the Chapter 9 corridors.
• Fix for nonsensical responses when showing items to Hara in Interface lab, and Klein in Chapter 8.
• Fix for cursor vanishing when pressing ESC on the PC in Grace's office.
• Tweak to swim movement under water in Chapter 8
• Updated to PowerQuest v0.20.3.

Just in time for Steam Detective Fest we have another update to The Drifter, and it's 20% off for the festival!

Today's update adds official support for Italian, French and Spanish!

By far the most requested feature for The Drifter has been localization into more languages. There's a lot out there though, and with over 50,000 words we couldn't do them all... officially at least...

So The Drifter now supports fan translations too!

Translators can copy this Google Sheet, add their translations, and share it with others. Instructions are included for installing a custom translation. (Basically just download as translation.csv into the game folder.)

'Ere be a talk-like-a-pirate translation to get ye started. :D

Also in this update:

• A new "wait for click" option can be toggled for subtitles, for players that want to take their time reading. Particularly useful for non-english speakers and hearing impaired players.

• Tweaks to the controller inventory bar, extra slot and scrolling animation to make it easier to use.

• A big backlog of bug-fixes, text correction and optimization.

So what else's been happening?

The Drifter's won a bunch of awards! :O

In October we went to the Australian Game Developer Awards here in Melbourne and picked up awards for Excellence in Art, Sound Design, Narrative, and Game of the Year! We were awarded the Best Aus/NZ Game award in The Indie Game Awards, Best Art Direction in the Smash Jump Awards, and we're a finalist for Story in the DICE awards in Feb. And we've got Honorable Mentions for Art, Sound, and the Grand Prize at the upcoming the IGF awards to top it off!

It's been amazing seeing us on a bunch of end of year top 10 lists and such too. I know this is all very self-indulgent to post about but it means a great deal after working on the game such a big chunk of our lives ;)

Lastly, a big thanks to everyone who's made The Drifter an amazing success for us! Looking back at 2025, (the bits I can remember, it's been a real blur!) we couldn't be happier at the reception for our game. We're blown away that folks are digging it as much as they are, and we can't wait to make more stories for you all to play!

All the best for 2026!

Dave

A few minor fixes and a QoL tweak or two this time-

• Up to 8 pages of save games now supported (hopefully enough for the save-early-save-often folks!). It only shows the first few pages until you fill them up to keep the UI clean.

• Notification option added to Accessibility menu, so you can disable the red number for Topic Notifications, or turn them off completely.

• Typo fix- Effected -> Affected.

• Text tweak to match VO when grinding coffee.

• Fixed rare soft lock in Ch4 when talking to detective about Nazari.

• Fix for partial photograph description updating early in Ch7.

• Some glitchy animation fixed at end of Ch 6 for Roth and Hara .

• Ch7 Interface Lab description now set correctly for Hara.

I'm about to head on a long-awaited trip to Japan with the family for a few weeks, so no more finding bugs until I'm back! ;)

Laters,

Dave

• VSync option now saves/restores correctly.
• Notification setting saves/restores correctly.
• Fixed Ä character font issue in German credits.
• Reporter description updates correctly when you see her in the vent shaft.

• Added Vsync option in the Limit Framerate slider (drag it to the left). New installs default to vsync on rather than limited to 60fps.
• Shift+F now toggles CRT Filter. (Will be added as separate option in menu later)
• Shift+T now toggles Topic notification setting between On, Minimal and Off. (Will be added as separate option in menu later). So you can turn of the red number notifications if you want.
• Fix for potential soft-lock in chapter 9 where Roth floats off the screen.
• Fixed incorrect description in chapter 7 when Roth is in the interface lab.

• Fixed player teleporting to destination after pausing game for 3 sec while walking somewhere.
• Fixed being able to walk through fence in desert.
• Fix for potential softlock after mine explosion if ambient audio wasn't playing.
• Fixed some mouth animation offsets for certain poses.
• Using items on left soldier when climbing on side of building now gives responses.
• Exiting cemetery on right side now plays same sfx as on left side in chapter 4.
• Fixed incorrect description after dying in crypt from collapsing roof on yourself.
• Added German translation for a missing line and fixed a rogue 's' in a line of German text.
• Spelling correction taught -> taut.
• Fixed missing keyhook in kitchen background in chapter 6.
• Using tape on closed answering machine no longer gives misleading response.
• Fix for leafblower potentially never ending when leave chapel area.

• Fixed walk-to point for cutlery drawer with gamepad.
• Fixed potential soft-lock in hospital after Hara knocked out.
• No longer have to leave and return to find something behind the generator.
• Changed "carotid" back to "cartoid" to match colloquial way Mick says it.
• Fixed Butcher sprite being flipped.
• Removed drop-shadow under Mick on winch.
• Fixed "0" topic notification.
• Fixed potential soft-lock walking back into the Vent at start of Ch8.
• Stopped you being able to walk with keyboard while dialogue GUI is active.
• Fixed mouth alignment for Detective and Annie in some poses.
• Typo fix for Geiger counter description.
• Fixed a dead character still being able to talk in Ch6.
• Geiger counter sound and animation fixes.
• Geiger counter no longer reads low when should be high in one instance.
• Fixed missing German localisation descriptions of doors in Ch7.
• Stopped player from walking to the right in the corridor with Sophia in Ch9.
• Music volume no longer plays full volume in the lab when it's turned down in settings.
• Fix for hard-lock in Ch7 on bridge if using inventory together while Alec is talking to you. Hopefully fixes some other super-rare soft-lock issues with background sequences too.
• Fix for flamethrower sound effect potentially never ending.

• Some potential fixes for Mac display issues (Set to native retina display on first launch) to see if it helps with some reported issues there.
• Fixed text alignment under topics gui when using a controller.
• Fix for rare softlock at end of Ch8 When opening hatch in the pool.
• Also a sprite alignment fix in the same place.
• Fix for inventory not being hidden correctly in a Ch8 flashback.
• Fix for controller ring being placed incorrectly being visible in the same place.
• Mick's head flop in Ch8 now works with controller.
• Fixed some unclickable hotspots that showed up on hotspot highlighter.
• Fix for being able to get dressed over and over in the hospital.
• Tweaked walk-to position when offering a hot beverage to Alec.
• Fix for being able to walk all over the screen after restoring game in Ch3 collapsed Crypt.
• Walkable area fix out the front of the newspaper office.
• Added sprite and hotspot in Ch5 for soldier in underground corridor when he's knocked out.
• Fixed my own name in the credits lol.
• Mick can no longer say the caretaker's inside the office when he's not.
• Swapping answering machine tapes in a certain way no longer causes the description to be wrong.

• Fix for soft-lock in Chapter 7 Roth being in his room when he shouldn't be
• Fix for walking through cemetery gate in chapter 4.
• Combine items button prompt no longer persists when it shouldn't.
• Text position fix when attacked at the newspaper office.

• Fix for potential softlock where player could get stuck and couldn't move in Chapter 3 cemetery.
• Fix for potential softlock in Chapter 6, waiting for a timed event.
• Music/Sfx/Dialogue sliders now save/restore correctly.
• Fix for dialog option not working with Sarah in Chapter 4.
• Typo fix "bill" -> "Bill"

The Drifter is out! Check out the launch trailer below, but why bother, the game's out- go play it! :D

Thanks to everyone who waited a long time for this, believe me I've been waiting longer :D We're really proud of the result, can't wait to hear what you all think!

The bangin' Original Soundtrack is also available, you can get an extra discount if you get it as a bundle. We put a bunch of work into making it an experience of its own to listen through- the game's brooding dark-synth soundtrack intercut with radio-play style interludes.

You can listen to the first track on the store page to get in the mood-

It's been a long journey getting here, but I'm so excited to finally have it in people's hands. Let us know what you think in reviews, and hope you have fun.

-Dave

Dev stream

Demo

- Dave

Something's rotten in the city of Mawson.

Updated Demo

New screenshots

Steam deck support

Progress

Check out the whole playlist on youtube!

Dev stream

Demo

Sale

Update on The Drifter

- Dave