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Hello everyone!
We’ve been carefully reading your feedback after the latest update, especially the negative reviews and comments about progression, item search, and lack of clear guidance.
We understand the main issue: some required items are too hard to find, and in several cases the game does not explain clearly enough where players should go next or what they should be looking for. This can make progression feel confusing instead of exciting, especially in the later stages of the game.
Today’s patch is focused on improving this experience. We will continue reading your feedback and improving the update step by step. Thank you to everyone who took the time to explain what felt frustrating. It helps us understand exactly where the experience needs to be improved.
What’s changing in today’s patch:
We’ve added hints for all required Receiver items, including information about the rooms or areas where these items can be found. This should make the search for important progression items much clearer and reduce situations where players feel forced to search blindly.
We also improved the tutorial flow. The game will now better explain what the required parts look like, where the garage is located, where the car is, how to assemble it, and which parts are needed through the parts map.
A new hint has also been added for the rocket launcher, which can be used to scare off the sniper.
For players who prefer the more difficult version of the Receiver item search, we’ve added an option to disable hints in the game settings.
Bomb-dropping drones can now be used as an alternative way to destroy boarded-up barricades blocking access to important rooms.
We’ve added a new unstuck option for the city. If the player gets stuck, they can now use the pause menu to teleport to a safe position where they can move again.
We’ve added an option to disable the rifle marker in the game settings.
The default dog barking frequency has been reduced.
The way the magnetic grenade and rifle are dropped has been adjusted. Dropping the rifle now requires holding the button, while dropping the magnetic grenade only requires a single press.
The sniper’s vision radius has been reduced.
The HP of explosive-dropping drones has been reduced.
The collectible lollipop has been moved to a more obvious location.
The number of door clicks required in the maniac area has been reduced.
Fixed an issue where the player could not obtain the keyboard required for upgrading the Receiver.
Fixed an issue where enemy waves would not spawn after choosing to continue the game with waves enabled.
Fixed an issue where pressing Load Game during the save process could break the game.
Fixed an issue where the bunker code could stay stuck on the screen after loading a save in which the bunker had already been opened.
Fixed an issue where the fireplace room door could not be opened when playing with a controller.
Some objects in the city that could not be picked up should now be collectible.
Several additional quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes are also included in this patch.
Thank you again for your feedback and patience. We know some parts of the latest update created unnecessary frustration, and this patch is a step toward making progression clearer, smoother, and more fair.
Looking for more?Check out the Forklift Interactive publisher page and follow it to see new games and updates as they arrive.The wait is over. Our biggest update so far has officially arrived on the main branch!
This update completely changes the way you progress through the game and brings a huge amount of new content to explore.
A brand new city packed with NPCs, secrets, dangerous enemies, a marketplace, hidden artifacts, breakable loot crates, cosmetics, and plenty of places to explore.
Unlocking new tiers is no longer just about grinding resources. You'll now need to discover special components hidden throughout the world, making exploration a core part of progression.
Finish the main game to unlock the legendary Wi Fi Shovel. A completely unique late game tool with its own mechanics, visual effects, combat abilities, and the new "Perfectionist" challenge.
The mine has grown with brand new rooms, hidden areas, puzzles, quests, secrets, and a new guardian protecting one of its deepest mysteries.
Spend your hard earned money on powerful upgrades and cosmetic items to personalize your adventure.
New cutscenes, improved progression moments, better presentation, and many quality of life improvements throughout the entire game.
3 new artifacts
New achievements
Expanded equipment upgrades
Improved detector system
Enemies in Las Veganos
Loot crates
Claw Machine
Mine completion tracker
Turret progression overhaul
Dozens of balance changes and QoL improvements
This update contains many various of improvements and is by far the biggest step forward for The Spotter: Dig or Die.
As always, thank you to everyone who has been playing, reporting bugs, and supporting the project. Your feedback helped shape this update, and we're already working on what comes next.
See you underground ⛏️
Looking for more?Check out the Forklift Interactive publisher page and follow it to see new games and updates as they arrive.Update 1.1 is now available in the Experimental Branch on Steam. This has turned into a truly massive update, bringing a huge amount of new content, mechanics, improvements, and fixes to the game. While we've already completed extensive internal testing and haven't encountered any critical issues on our end, a release of this size needs as much real-world testing as possible before it moves to the main branch.
That's why we're opening the Experimental Branch to everyone who wants to jump in early, explore the new content, and help us put the finishing touches on the update.
You can find the full patch notes below.
All content is already included: The experimental version contains absolutely all the innovations planned for the upcoming official update.
The choice is yours: If you want a stable gameplay experience, we recommend staying on the main branch and waiting for the official release. If you cannot wait and eager to play right now and are ready to help us uncover hidden issues, the experimental branch is completely at your disposal.
Feedback: Please report all found bugs, crashes, and balance issues to our Discord in the The Spotter: Dig or Die🔧┃bug_report section. Your help will make the game better!
Backup your saves: If you want to keep your previous saves, please back them up to a different folder. In the current version, starting a new game will overwrite and delete your existing save files.
Saves location: You can find your saves here:
C:\\Users\\serge\\AppData\\Local\\The_Spotter\\Saved\\SaveGames\\Manual
C:\\Users\\serge\\AppData\\Local\\The_Spotter\\Saved\\SaveGames\\Checkpoint
Note: Make sure to delete the steam_autocloud.vdf file in those directories to prevent Steam from overwriting your backups.
Open your Steam Library
Right-click on the game and select Properties
Go to the Betas tab
In the drop-down list, select the "Experimental" branch
Wait for the update to finish downloading and launch the game
Wi-Fi Shovel: After completing the main game, players are now awarded the legendary Wi-Fi Shovel from the final cutscene.
Tier System Overhaul: We have completely changed how tiers are unlocked. The number of required resources has been reduced to lower the amount of grind in the game. However, players will now need specific items to unlock tiers. A brand new graphical interface (UX/UI) has also been implemented for this mechanic.
Loot Crates: Added a new mechanic allowing players to destroy wooden crates to obtain valuable resources.
New Global Location: Venture to the surface and explore the city streets and its hidden secrets in Las Veganos.
Underground Complex Expansion: 5 new unique rooms are now open for exploration in the mine, each featuring its own secrets, mechanics, and atmosphere.
Las Veganos Marketplace: A fully functional shop has opened in the city. Earn currency to purchase powerful new upgrades for your gear and unique cosmetic items.
Industrial City Threats: The streets of Las Veganos are unsafe. New types of dangerous enemies have been added to the city, forcing you to adapt your movement tactics.
Mad Old Man: A formidable new guardian has appeared in the depths of the mine, protecting the approaches to one of the secret rooms.
New Artifacts: The arsenal has been expanded with 3 new unique artifacts featuring their own special mechanics.
Item Detector Overhaul: The detector has been reworked and now senses various types of items, such as car parts, artifacts, and boosters. Its operational range has also been increased.
Expanded Upgrade Path: New upgrade levels have been added for your equipment. Modernize the radius and capacity of dynamite, increase the vacuum collection zone for items, carry more beacons at once, and unlock other hidden efficiency improvements.
Drill Control Settings: A new setting has been added to the game options, allowing you to toggle the drill between holding or a single press to turn it on or off.
Wi-Fi Shovel Radius Control: Added a control hint informing players that the Wi-Fi Shovel radius can now be adjusted by scrolling the Middle Mouse Button (MMB Scroll).
Menu Frame Rate Limit: Implemented a 60 FPS limit in both the main menu and in-game menus.
Shovel Combat Utility: The Wi-Fi Shovel can now deal damage to enemies.
Interactive Arcade Machines: Added a "Claw Machine" mechanic to the game world (a physical claw to grab items).
Defense Auto-Turret Restructuring: The progression structure of the Auto-Turret systems has been completely redesigned. Auto-Turret upgrades are now independent and strictly sequential, eliminating the ability to skip intermediate tiers.
Main Turret Type Swapping: Players can now roll back main turret upgrades, changing its type to a different one at any point in the game.
Steam Achievements Integration: New achievements have been integrated, including "Hula Collection," "Cheese Collection," "Lollipop Collection," "Milkshake Collection," and "Perfectionist" (100% pit clearance). The "Hula Collection" and "Cheese Collection" achievements should now function properly. They were previously visible on Steam but lacked in-game logic, which led many players to believe they could be completed.
Mine Progress Tracker: The terminal now features a dedicated space (top left) showing a percentage of dirt excavated from the pit. This addition will help players track their progress and achieve the Perfectionist achievement.
Thank you for your support. See you in the game!
Looking for more?
Check out the Forklift Interactive publisher page and follow it to see new games and updates as they arrive.
We’ve continued actively expanding the world of the game, and today we want to share more details about the new mechanics, locations, improvements, and content the team has been working on over the past month. This is one of the biggest updates so far, and it significantly changes the feeling of progression, exploration, and endgame content.
The Receiver is no longer unlocked simply by spending resources.
Players will need to truly explore the world in order to restore it. Repairing it will require special parts scattered across different locations. Some are hidden behind puzzles, others are tied to quests or dangerous areas.
We wanted the Receiver restoration process to feel more atmospheric and meaningful, like a real adventure instead of just another grind.
One of the biggest additions in this update is the fully realized city of Las Veganos.
After assembling the vehicle, players will be able to travel to an entirely new location filled with activities, NPCs, secrets, and dangers.
Inside the city players will be able to find:
A merchant shop
Upgrades and cosmetics purchasable with in game currency
Breakable crates containing resources
New artifacts hidden throughout the city
NPCs with dialogues and hints
A unique city atmosphere
Additional events and dangers
Las Veganos was designed as a place that contrasts with the mine and gives players the feeling of a real journey beyond the main area, encouraging exploration and secret hunting.
Now your hard-earned money finally has a real purpose.
The new city introduces a full shop system where you can purchase:
Upgrade items
Cosmetic items
We’ve also started actively expanding the visual customization system to give players more ways to personalize their play-through.
The main mine has become much more diverse.
We added many new rooms and hidden areas. Some rooms contain quests, while others feature unique devices, artifacts, or secrets.
Exploring the mine now feels far less linear, and attentive players will be able to discover genuinely useful and unusual things.
A brand new endgame challenge unlocks after completing the main game.
Players will be able to obtain the "End of the World" edition WiFi Shovel and begin the “Perfectionist” quest achievement.
This is not just another drill. We designed the WiFi Shovel as a completely unique tool with its own functionality, visual effects, and mechanics.
It feels entirely different compared to previous devices and opens up new possibilities for late game progression.
Using this shovel, players will be able to complete the new challenge and earn the “Perfectionist” achievement with greater ease!
The game now includes many new cut-scenes.
We wanted to add more cinematic presentation and give the world additional charm and personality.
Cut-scenes now accompany:
Upgrades
Certain events
Special rooms
Important progression moments
This update is an important step in the game’s development. We are planning to release it in June, since the patch turned out to be much larger in scope than we originally expected.
We are continuing to work on new content and preparing even more exciting additions for future updates.
Thank you to everyone who comes back to play, shares feedback, and supports the project. There’s still a lot more ahead.
We’ve been a bit quieter lately, but all our focus has been on the major May patch. Work hasn’t stopped for a single day.
We’ve already spent about three weeks on this update, and there are roughly three more weeks to go.
This patch will bring a significant expansion of the content we talked about in the latest devblog. Even if you’ve already completed the game, there will be a reason to come back and play it again.
We’re here. We’re working.
Buckle up! 🚀
This update delivers a major performance overhaul with global map optimization and critical fixes for save data and achievements. This update also refines core gameplay mechanics, adds automated crash reporting, and introduces tactical improvements like AI-powered turret defense against UFOs.
Data Safety: Fixed a critical issue where save files could be corrupted or deleted under certain conditions.
Global Optimization: Conducted a full revision of the entire map, significantly reducing the load on both CPU and GPU.
Automated Crash Reports: Added a crash reporting system — error reports and game crashes are now automatically sent to the developers for immediate analysis.
Localization: Improved and corrected various translations and language-related issues.
UI Improvements: Enhanced multiple aspects of the user interface for a smoother player experience.
Advanced Defense: Turrets equipped with an AI Chip will now automatically target and attack UFOs.
Achievement Fixes: Fixed issues preventing the following achievements from triggering: Steady Aim, Collector, Scrap Tycoon, Girls best friend, Guardian of the gas station, Night Shifts Veteran, and The First Hundred.
Full Repair Receiver: This achievement has been moved from Tier 4 to Tier 5 to better align with game progression.
Procrastinator Achievement: Requirement reworked — the achievement is now only granted if the player does not mine any voxels for a full in-game day.
Retroactive Fix: Players who collected 6 artifacts before this patch will now receive the corresponding achievement automatically upon loading their save.
Night Watch: Improved mob performance during nighttime, resolving specific FPS drops.
Mining Stability: Added a 60 FPS cap specifically for drilling to prevent voxel physics calculation errors.
Babayka Fix: Fixed a softlock where Babayka could be trapped behind doors.
New Loot: Defeating Babayka now drops a key to his locked room.
Visual Effects: Replaced old hit particles for Babayka with new blood effects.
Rifle Placement: The rifle has been moved to the first floor, located near the main entrance.
Safe Terminal: Alien events will no longer trigger while the player is interacting with the terminal interface.
Slot Machine Fix: Fixed a bug where money would disappear if a bet was placed but the lever wasn't pulled before sleeping or saving.
Resource Spawn: Resolved a rare issue where resources would fail to spawn on the map.
Controller Support: Sensitivity settings now correctly affect both character and turret movement when using a gamepad.
Electrical System: Added a glowing material effect to cables that activates once the entire circuit is correctly connected.
Cable Fix: Wires are now correctly removed from the world after use.
Interface Icons: Fixed the disappearance of the Refiner and Recycler icons (including issues occurring at -28m depth).
Drone Softlock: Fixed a critical bug where using the drone could lock player controls.
New UI Icons: Added dedicated status icons for Infinite Jetpack and Infinite Energy effects.
Restart Steam, download the patch, and have a great evening!
Looking for more?
Check out the Forklift Interactive publisher page and follow it to see new games and updates as they arrive.
We continue to actively work on the game and carefully read your feedback. Thank you for helping us make it better. In this update, we focused on the core gameplay feel: reworked stamina, improved progression, and removed a number of frustrating issues.
Stamina Rebalance: A complete overhaul of the stamina system (based on yesterday’s discussion).
Motion Sickness Fixes: Added toggles to disable weapon and camera sway. Updated the ground shader to help players better distinguish between floor and ceiling.
Escape Issue: Fixed an issue where players could not exit the terminal using the Escape key.
Economy: We increased the amount of gold in certain layers during Tier 2/3/4 so the game feels less grindy.
Progression: We have overhauled the upgrade tree to ensure that every improvement is as useful as possible at specific stages of the game. To achieve this, we’ve redistributed several technologies and adjusted their costs. Now, Tier 4 unlocks faster, while Tier 5 takes longer to reach. We did this intentionally so you won’t get stuck at the Tier 3 'resource wall.' Instead, you’ll gain quick access to Tier 4 features, allowing you to fully explore all its content before making the final push toward Tier 5.
Lasers: Reduced laser damage to eliminate the "bottleneck effect" for players who found this stage too punishing.
Dynamite: Rebalanced dynamite stats and effectiveness. The dynamite radius has been increased.
Audio: Added new music tracks to main menu. We continue working on the remaining tracks.
UI/UX Improvements: Clicking an upgrade that requires a choice (e.g., turret types) now opens the selection window instantly. This addresses the issue where players didn't realize upgrades could be variable.
Anti-Misclick Protection: Added a confirmation popup when attempting to load a game during an active session to prevent accidental loss of progress.
Mob Optimization: Optimized AI logic for mobs when they are outside the player's field of view. This should address FPS drops reported during nighttime digging.
Restart Steam, download the patch, and have a great evening!
It’s been nearly a week since launch, and we have officially surpassed 4,000 concurrent players. This is entirely your achievement! We’ve been spending a lot of time analyzing Steam reviews and Discord discussions. This launch has provided us with a massive amount of data, and today we want to have an honest conversation about the future direction of the game.
We want to dedicate this section to a deep dive into game balance. The main takeaway from your feedback is that the game’s pacing noticeably "stalls" at Tier 3. We’ve seen that from this stage onward, progression turns into an exhausting resource grind, which was never our original intent. Unfortunately, because of the heavy focus on mining, many players miss out on unique underground rooms and available content simply because they aren't aware of them.
Our goal for the coming weeks is to shift the focus from monotonous grinding to immersive and exciting exploration. We plan to give you more tools for world discovery, expand the map, and fill every step you take underground with new findings. We intend to significantly reduce the resource requirements for unlocking new tiers, replacing them with a requirement to find unique receiver parts hidden in both familiar and brand-new areas of the mine. We are adding more points of interest specifically for Tiers 3 and 4, ensuring that progression feels like the work of a true scout rather than a simple laborer. These changes will also make replaying the game a fresh experience for those who have already finished it. Additionally, we are overhauling the stamina system, as it heavily impacts the feeling of grind and backtracking. We will iterate on stamina mechanics and monitor your feedback closely to find the perfect balance.
We are working on creating a location that can be reached by the repaired car. Here, you will meet a survivor trader who will offer to exchange your hard-earned money for unique upgrades and more. You will be able purchase cosmetics for your base, making it a little more personalized. Valuable resources, artifacts, and receiver parts will also be hidden in this location.
We are expanding the overall size of the mine, adding new locations to explore on the lower levels. One such area will be a guardian’s lair in the web zone. This guardian will be protecting not only valuable loot, but also a functional teleport to the surface. We understand how tiring it is to trek back up from the very bottom of the map, so fast travel will be your well-deserved reward for defeating this formidable foe. Furthermore, we plan to increase the number of artifacts you can find, though we’ll keep their specific powers a secret for now.
To keep base defense dynamic, we are working on adding new types of mutants. These creatures will have new behavior patterns, forcing you to rethink your defensive strategies and make smarter use of your turrets and traps. We want every wave to feel like a fresh challenge.
At the same time, we understand that everyone sees the "perfect adventure" differently. Some want a meditative experience, while others want to survive on the edge. We are continuing our work on difficulty modes to give you fine-grained control over your gameplay: from a relaxed "Explorer" mode to a grueling "Survivor" mode, where every resource counts and any mistake could be fatal.
For those who have already completed the main story, we are preparing a special challenge. We’ve noticed many players digging out the entire mine for meditative or perfectionist reasons. We’ve decided to officially support this! At the end of the game, you will gain access to “The End of the World Edition” shovel, a shovel that allows you to clear the entire pit voxel by voxel. A special achievement will be added for those dedicated enough to clean the entire location.
We plan to spend the next 2-3 weeks working on a major patch scheduled for the first half of May. In the meantime, smaller bug-fix updates will continue to roll out. We are also dreaming of implementing a co-op mode, which would fundamentally change the game. To make this possible, we need your support and your Steam reviews! We’ll stay in touch and keep you updated on all the news.
Today we are planning a new patch 1.0.4.4 with improvements! See you in the depths!
Hello Spotters! Welcome UPDATE 1.0.4.3 and some news from us.
This release week has been incredibly intense and exciting for us, even if a bit sleepless. Your support inspires us to keep making the game better and more fun! Starting next week, we begin work on a content patch, so get ready to play through the game again, haha.
We’ve reviewed your feedback and can confirm that you’ll be able to travel to the city of LAS VEGANOS by car and explore it on foot. What exactly you’ll be doing there will remain a mystery for now. Repairing the receiver will now require not only resources but also repair parts, which you’ll need to find or earn by completing tasks. After finishing the game, we’ve also decided to reward you with a special Wi-Fi shovel, which will unlock a unique mission for the president. And this is just the beginning of our plans. Stay tuned, there’s more to come!
We’re wrapping up this week with a patch full of improvements.
Now onto the update changes:
Added the ability to collect money using the vacuum.
The “Babai” in the horror bunker can now be killed with a rifle (we will soon add effects and an HP bar for it).
Save file size has been optimized for proper Cloud Saves functionality. It should now work reliably.
Fixed white screen freeze after teleportation.
Fixed infinite stamina bug.
Fixed items getting stuck in the air when loading autosaves.
Fixed a bug where the player could spawn under the map when loading a new day.
Removed the default 30 FPS cap for Steam Deck.
Added the ability to close the artifact selection window and choose later.
Increased the number of car parts and added more spawn locations.
Added a new ground surface material in the bunker area.
Artifact achievement now unlocks after collecting 6 items.
Added sound feedback when turning the vacuum on and off.
Fixed flashlight upgrade functionality.
Turret camera shake now only works when the player is inside it.
Detector now shows artifacts (we will expand this feature in the next patch).
Slightly reduced radio volume.
General minor map improvements.
Restart Steam, download the patch, and have a great weekend!
Technical optimization and critical bug fixes
In this update, we implemented a forced data refresh system on load. Now all balance changes are applied correctly both when starting a “New Game” and when loading existing saves.
Spawn point: Fixed an issue where the player could spawn at a random location on the map. You will now always spawn near your bed when loading.
Save safety: Fixed a problem where the player could get locked behind a door in the “Horror” zone after loading.
Door passwords: Fixed a bug where the bunker entrance door password would reset after player death.
Hints: Added a pop-up notification for the password received from the repaired receiver.
Time freeze: Fixed a critical issue that allowed players to permanently stop time in the world using teleportation.
Laser trap: Fixed a bug where the jetpack would not activate after teleporting out of the laser zone.
UFO: After shooting down the UFO, it will no longer revisit your location (the mission is now properly completed).
Difficulty: On “Low” difficulty, daytime duration has been increased by 2x to give players more time to dig.
Tesla Gun: Final fix for AI chip interaction. The combination now works reliably.
Turret: Fixed the “infinite firing” bug when using the AI chip.
Vacuum: Improved item collection; fixed cases where resources were missed.
Flashlight: Slightly reduced brightness to prevent blinding players.
Bunker: Fixed an issue where an extra bunker handle could spawn when loading from autosave.
Recycler Artifact: Fixed description — the correct range (27 meters) is now displayed.
Audio layers: Fixed overlapping background music, radio, and mutant attack tracks. Daytime music now fades out correctly when night waves begin.
Radio: Radio now automatically turns off at night to avoid interfering with combat music.
Horror zones: Fixed a bug where music would not return to normal after leaving a horror room.
Artifacts: The artifact collection achievement is now awarded after finding 6 artifacts. Also fixed the display of the first artifact immediately after selection.
Waves: Fixed a Tier 5 bug where waves could stop cycling and disappear. After Tier 5, waves now continue to scale in difficulty each day until the player presses the receiver button.
Content removal: The “Final Wave” achievement has been removed as it is no longer relevant.
Fixed translations on digital displays for horror doors.
Added missing translations in the statistics window.
If you haven’t left a review on Steam yet, please do! For a small team like ours, this is extremely important. Your reviews are the strongest support that helps the game grow and improve. For bugs, issues, or suggestions, please share them in our Discord. We see everything, read everything, and truly appreciate each of you.
Thank you for being with us!
Weapon overheating was not decreasing, fixed
Note: If you still have this issue, it’s 100% caused by old cached game data. There are a few ways to fix it: make sure you have downloaded the hotfix, try purchasing any upgrade in the terminal, and if that doesn’t help, reinstalling the game will definitely resolve it.
Navigation Improvements & Gameplay Fixes
World Hints: We’ve added notes at key points of interest. These notes will help you orient yourself and provide guidance on which direction to head next.
Bunker Lid: Removed the non-functional handle hole on the bunker lid. This element previously misled many players and caused confusion when trying to open the passage.
Resource Vacuum: Fixed a bug with the vacuum upgrade. It should now correctly pull in and pick up all types of items.
Tesla Cannon: Resolved an issue where the Tesla Cannon was not functioning correctly when paired with the AI Chip.
Easy Mode: To make the experience more accessible for newcomers, we have doubled (x2) the Base HP when playing on Easy difficulty.
We keep working!
Important announcement and first fixes
Friends, we’re thrilled! Together, we’ve reached 3,500 concurrent players. Thank you so much for your engagement and incredible support on launch day!
We already have big plans for the game’s future, but this month will be fully dedicated to bug fixing and balance polishing, so that each of you can fully enjoy what’s already there. As soon as we’re confident the game runs smoothly and players are satisfied, we’ll release a detailed devblog outlining our future plans.
We’re also open to your ideas! Share your suggestions in the community, we’ll review each of them as a potential addition to our development roadmap.
Inventory Capacity: Rebalanced all upgrades starting from Tier 2. Bag capacity bonuses are now significantly higher.
Energy & Drills: Rebalanced all stamina upgrades, drills now consume less energy.
Note: We are carefully monitoring your feedback. If these changes aren’t enough, we will continue adjusting.
Jetpack Upgrade: Upgrades are now more effective, and battery recharge speed has been noticeably increased.
Drone: Fixed an issue where the drone didn’t always detonate correctly on impact.
Weapons & Turrets: Fixed a bug where weapons could jam when entering a turret.
AI Chip Integration: Optimized and reworked the AI-assisted weapon. It now overheats less and targets enemies more accurately.
Navigation: After unlocking the final tier on the receiver, a marker now appears to help you find it more easily.
Economy: Large rewards now automatically stack instead of cluttering the area visually.
Achievements: The requirement for the basketball achievement has been eased, distance reduced from 20 to 12 meters.
Stability: Fixed several critical crashes caused by high GPU load.
Optimization: General bug fixes and performance improvements.
We keep working! This might not be the only patch today, stay tuned for the evening!
P.S. We need your support!
If you haven’t left a review on Steam yet, please do! For a small team like ours, this is extremely important. Your reviews are the strongest support that helps the game grow and improve. For bugs, issues, or suggestions, please share them in our Discord. We see everything, read everything, and truly appreciate each of you.
Thank you for being with us!
Fixed an issue where your own drone could destroy your base
Added a save file check: the game now detects demo saves and prevents launching the full game from them
The easiest difficulty level is now even easier
You can now exit the turret using the B button on a controller
Reduced energy consumption for drills, so you’ll need to use the refrigerator less often
✨ Please restart Steam to update the game
We continue working on further improvements and polishing.
We would be very grateful if you leave a review on Steam, it’s very important to us and helps us a lot. Cheers ❤️
Hey everyone!
We’ve identified a crash issue affecting players using new-generation CPUs with NPU (Neural Processing Unit).
If your processor includes an NPU (Intel AI Boost), our game may crash on launch.
This is due to incompatibility with Unreal Engine 5.7, as this technology is still very new.
To play the game, please disable the NPU (Neural Processing Unit) in your system settings. How-To FIX: Right click START MENU button bottom left, choose Device Manager. Go to Neural Processors section , right click the Intel (R) AI Boost object, and choose disable. Now Reboot to take effect.
This may affect Intel Core Ultra series, including:
Intel Core Ultra 5 (125H, 135H, etc.)
Intel Core Ultra 7 (155H, 165H, etc.)
Intel Core Ultra 9 (185H, 275HX, etc.)
Other Core Ultra (Series 1 & 2) processors with NPU
We are currently in contact with Epic Games (Unreal Engine developers) to find a proper solution.
Until then, disabling the NPU is the only reliable workaround.
Thanks for your patience and understanding 🙏
We’ve identified a critical bug affecting players who previously played the demo version of the game.
If you purchased the full version, your old demo save may still be present. Continuing the game using this save can lead to multiple serious bugs and broken gameplay.
To avoid issues, you must start a New Game to properly overwrite the old save file.
We are actively working right now to resolve this issue for new players.
Thank you for your understanding and support!
For urgent questions, join our Discord or comment below 💛
Cheers!
It’s time.
After everything you’ve seen, played, and tested, The Spotter: Dig or Die is officially live on Steam. Doomsday is here, and the gas station is no longer just your responsibility in theory. It’s yours now for real.
From this moment on, it’s up to you to hold the line.
You’ll dig deep during the day, chasing resources, upgrades, and that one more risky run that always seems like a good idea at the time. And when night falls, you’ll defend what you’ve built against waves of mutants that absolutely do not care about your plans. Somewhere in between, you’ll try to repair the receiver and restore the signal, because that message you’re waiting for might be the last hope anyone has left.
If you jump in and enjoy your time with the game, we’d really appreciate it if you left a Steam review.
We say this a lot, but it’s because it’s true. Early reviews during launch have a huge impact. They help more players discover the game, they increase visibility, and they give indie teams like ours a real chance to grow in these first critical days.
It doesn’t have to be long. Even a couple of sentences about your first run, your best moment, or your biggest disaster helps more than you might think. And you can always come back and update it later.
The Spotter wasn’t built behind closed doors. It evolved with you. Your feedback, your curiosity, the hours you spent digging, breaking, and testing all of that left a mark on the game.
So seeing it finally go live doesn’t feel like the end of something, but like a moment we’re sharing together.
Cheers!
Looking for more?
Check out the Forklift Interactive publisher page and follow it to see new games and updates as they arrive.
Not just you. For weeks, we’ve been seeing your messages, comments, and questions about the release date everywhere. And every single time, we wanted to answer. Really. But we had to hold it back just a little longer, even when it was getting harder and harder not to 😅
We’re incredibly happy to finally be at this point. The release is very close! It honestly feels a bit surreal to say that out loud and to share this moment with all of you after everything that’s happened along the way.
Take a closer look at the new trailer below… the date is in there 👇
This game didn’t come together on its own. Your feedback, your time, your support, your curiosity all of it helped shape what The Spotter is today. We’re genuinely grateful that you’ve been part of this journey with us.
In the meantime, the demo is still available, so you can jump in and keep playing while we count down 👀
Cheers!
Check out the Forklift Interactive publisher page and follow it to see new games and updates as they arrive.
Cheers!
Greetings, Spotters!
It’s been exactly one month since the launch of our demo, and the results have left us absolutely speechless. We knew that working in the mines wouldn't be easy, but we didn't expect our community to be so united and active.
35,000 unique players descended into the depths in just one month.
We’ve officially crossed the 50,000 Wishlists mark! This is a huge milestone for our small team, and we can't thank you enough.
A 95% Positive Rating, this is your trust rating, which we value above all else.
2,000 completed feedback forms. Friends, this is incredible! More than 5% of you didn’t just play, you took the time to help us make the game better.
We have carefully studied every single message. Initially, our plan for the final weeks before release was focused on simple polishing. But seeing your passion, we’ve made a decision: we are expanding the game right now.
Your feedback clearly highlighted the priorities: performance and stability are the "heart" of a comfortable experience.
Performance First: We are working on improving FPS, especially in deep zones with a high density of objects.
Bug Fixing: We are reworking collisions and movement mechanics so you are no longer held hostage by accidentally dug-out pits.
The vehicle is your faithful companion in defending the base. We decided to make driving more dynamic:
Booster System: Now, while driving, you can collect temporary power-ups.
Instant Advantage: Boosters will give your vehicle a temporary advantage, whether it’s a speed burst, additional fuel, mounted weapons, or other enhancements.
The dungeons will get deeper, not just in meters, but in story as well. We are adding interactive characters:
Random Encounters: Meet "Pit Dwellers" in the most secluded corners. Discover their stories and the secrets of these depths.
Rewards: Interacting with NPCs will allow you to obtain various items.
We are adding locations that will test not only your shovel but also your nerves:
\ Horror Labyrinth: We don’t want to reveal all the details yet, but be prepared to survive in this zone. The Room Guardian lives here, and he doesn’t like uninvited guests. Can you outsmart him and make it out with the loot?
Obstacle Course: A hall full of traps where one wrong step separates you from a valuable artifact.
Radiation Zones: The most dangerous sections of the mines. Here lie the rarest resources, but without special protection, your health will melt away before your eyes.
The progression system has become deeper and more exciting:
Underground Cash: Now you can find hidden stacks of dollars in the depths.
Gambling Machine: Found some currency? Try your luck at the slot machine to hit the resource jackpot.
Skill Rewards: We are introducing bonuses for precision shots on mutants.
Dangerous Cargo: Radioactive items now deal damage while you carry them in your hands, but they offer massive rewards during recycling.
3 Difficulty Levels: From meditative exploration to hardcore survival.
Collection Menu: A convenient board in the menu to track all your found items.
New Collectibles: We’ve hidden even more unique items deep underground.
Our work won't stop for a second, even after the game is released. We are a small team of 3 full-time developers, and we fully understand: when thousands of new players descend into the depths, issues may surface that we missed during testing. Therefore, we will dedicate the first month after release entirely to balancing and hotfixing. Your support and feedback during this period will be the deciding factor for us.
A crucial point: We want to be honest with you. In the reality of Steam, your positive reviews are the single most important factor for the survival and growth of the project. Every review is a signal to the algorithms that the game is worth showing to others. Without your public support, we cannot move forward so your voice on launch day will literally determine the fate of the game.
In the second month, we will present a detailed roadmap based on both your ideas and ours. Our goal is to turn the game into a deep, highly replayable platform. We are preparing content that will motivate you to return to the depths again and again, offering new challenges and meanings with every playthrough. You’ll find out exactly how we plan to do this in future devblogs.
We believe that together we can breathe new life into the "digging" genre by offering a more complex and replayable approach.
Thank you for being with us from the very beginning. Please don’t forget to Wishlist the project and leave a review on release, it’s the best way to give our team a chance to realize all our planned ideas!
Oh and by the way, join our Discord! 🐾
The PuppyRoar Games TeamHello Spotters!
⚠️⚠️⚠️
We have deployed a quick HOTFIX (v0.9.6.2) for yesterday's DEMO update, aimed at fixing an issue that caused mutants to get stuck during the waves. Please restart Steam and update the game.
We sincerely apologize for the inconveniences this may have caused.
Thank you for flagging this issue.
Patch v0.9.6.1 for DEMO:
🛠️ Fixes:
Fixed issue with “ESC” key when in upgrade terminal.
Minor localization improvements.
Fixed effect stacking from the hookah.
📫 General Improvements and QoL Adjustments:
Added button to load from Manual save after base destruction.
Added sensitivity threshold for gamepads. This should prevent UI hints from flickering in some rare cases.
Added a new collectible!
Cheers!
The Puppyroar Team
PATCH 1.0.6 is live on Steam DEMO version. Fixes:
Fixed texture bug on lamp above the digging area
Fixed sound loudness in the cut-scene (Audio settings now also have a dedicated setting for cut-scene volume)
Fixed wrong icon on prickly pear buff indicator
Fixed minor missing localizations
Fixed an issue where the “Not Enough Energy” notification did not trigger correctly while holding the dig button.
General Improvements and QoL Adjustments:
Reworked and polished start cut-scene
Adjusted the concrete slab in-front of the gas station entrance so it wont stumble the player
Adjusted text in the tutorial right after using the detector hinting to be careful digging too deep
Renamed save slots to “Autosave” and “Manual save” for better clarity
Added option to control main menu interface sounds volume in the Audio settings
Added option to control cut-scene sounds volume in the Audio settings
Added collectible progress information in Pause menu
Added a new collectible!
Balance Adjustments:
Increased prickly pear buff duration from 1 minute to 4 minutes
Slightly decreased energy consumption from digging
Performance Improvements:
Optimized voxel chunk rendering to significantly reduce draw calls.
Improved performance when looking into deep excavated areas.
Reduced CPU (Render Thread) load in large voxel scenes.
Minor background optimizations for smoother gameplay on mid-range PCs.
Players with older GPUs and CPUs should see improved stability and more consistent FPS, especially in large dug-out areas.
Please restart Steam to update the game. We continue working on further improvements and polishing. Cheers!
⚠️ PATCH 1.0.5.1 is live on Steam DEMO version.
🛠️ Fixes:
Fixed a possible way to be able to stay locked out of the garage
Fixed disappearing bunker handle after saving and loading the game
Fixed reappearing garage/cage lock after saving and loading the game
Fixed fireplace sounds that sometimes could be heard during the day
📫 General Improvements and QoL Adjustments:
Potentially resolved a copyright-related issue by replacing the in-game music
Reduced chance of the fart sound when jumping
Demo disclaimer UI reworked
Please restart Steam to update the game.
We continue working on further improvements and polishing.
Cheers!
PATCH 1.0.5 is live on Steam DEMO version. Fixes:
Fixed FPS drops caused by mirrors by optimizing reflection rendering
Fixed an issue where the detector could not be picked up
Fixed an issue where the terminal would not close properly when pressing Esc
Fixed a bug in the mini-game where barrel collision would not disappear
General Improvements and QoL Adjustments:
It is no longer possible to pause the game during cutscenes
Added an option in the audio settings to disable gross sounds (farting and burping)
Localized some notes texts
Replaced several underground loot items
Updated ranged mutant to add a visual distinction
Improved lighting in certain areas of the map
Please restart Steam to update the game. We continue working on further improvements and polishing. Cheers!
🏁 Demo Speedrun Challenge During Steam Demo Festival From February 23 to March 2, during the Steam Demo Festival, we are launching a speedrun challenge for our demo. Your goal is simple — complete the demo and finish all required objectives faster than anyone else. 🎯 Required objectives (must be completed for your run to qualify):
Reach Tier 2 technologies (it’s not necessary to unlock all the upgrades.)
Find and activate the first artifact
Prevent Frodo the dog from being kidnapped (if the UFO didn’t show up, you got lucky)
Open the garage with the car
Only runs that complete all listed objectives will be considered valid. 🏆 Rewards: 🥇 1st place — 3 full game keys + access to the closed pre-release playtest + your name in the game credits 🥈 2nd place — 2 full game keys + access to the closed pre-release playtest + your name in the game credits 🥉 3rd place — 1 full game keys + access to the closed pre-release playtest + your name in the game credits 📋 How to participate:
Complete the demo and finish all required objectives.
Record your full playthrough.
Upload the video to YouTube.
Post the video link in our Discord (https://discord.gg/UHj5XEHDZb) channel called challenge for verification.
Include your final completion time in the message.
📌 Rules:
Only full runs with all objectives completed will be accepted.
The video must be continuous, with no cuts or edits.
The use of bugs, exploits, or any unintended mechanics is strictly prohibited.
We reserve the right to reject any submission that violates fair play rules.
After the festival ends, we will review all submitted videos and determine the winners based on the fastest valid completion time. Results will be announced after all submissions have been reviewed. If you believe you have what it takes, this is your chance to prove it.
That’s it. The demo is officially live.
You can jump in right now, start digging, start defending, and see how long your gas station survives the nightly raids.
If you enjoy your time with the demo, please consider leaving a Steam review after your first session.
Early reviews matter more than most people realize. They help the demo gain visibility, reach new players, and give indie teams like ours a real chance to grow during launch moments like this. Even a short review written today can make a big difference for us. And remember, you can always edit or update your review later as the game evolves.
And of course if you have suggestions for new content, improvements or need to relay some performance issues, please do also fill out our Feedback Survey!
Right now, your support helps shape what happens next. We’ll be watching closely, reading everything, and collecting feedback as it comes in.
👉 Join our Discord and share your thoughts with us directly.
Now go hold the line!
Cheers!
The PuppyRoar Team
Looking for more?
Check out the Forklift Interactive publisher page and follow it to see new games and updates as they arrive.
Spotters, it’s almost time...
The Spotter's brand new demo goes live this Thursday, and we want you there from the very first minute. This is a big milestone for the team and the beginning of a new phase where your feedback helps shape what comes next.
Dig deep. Build smart. Defend hard.
Demo launches are huge for indie teams, and your support really makes a difference, so please:
Play the demo when it goes live;
Leave a Steam review about your coolest moments;
Give us all your thoughts for improvements and additions in the Feedback Survey;
Wishlist the game to help more players discover it;
Tell your friends (especially the ones who like explosions)!
Want to share feedback, report bugs, or hang out with the team?
We’ll be watching closely and can’t wait to see your first runs. See you on Thursday!
Cheers!
The PuppyRoar Team
Looking for more?
Check out the Forklift Interactive publisher page and follow it to see new games and updates as they arrive.
Hello Spotters!
We are back with a quick post-playtest update for you! First of all, we want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who played and shared their feedback. We truly value it!
A short summary:
A total of 1,400 players participated. For our small team, this is a very good result. We received a lot of valuable input, and it truly helps us improve the game.
The statistics are strong: the median time played was 49 minutes, while the average demo completion time is around 40 minutes. That’s a great level of engagement.
We are carefully reviewing all the feedback and we have already implemented a number of changes. Below is a list of updates made based on the playtest results:
Fixed missing key assignment option in the main menu for the Character and Turret
Garage windows should now save properly when the garage is unlocked
Camera adjusted to prevent clipping through walls
Ground smoothing while peeing reworked to prevent pushing the player into the ground
Small floating ground particles should now get cleaned up
Fixed missing audio effects due to incorrect sound class settings
Missing Turkish glyphs added to the game’s font
Fixed minor misspellings
The saving process was reworked so the game should no longer freeze when exiting the turret or when saving at the bed
You can now pet Frodo the dog at any time
Motion blur can now be turned OFF in the settings
Default game volume balance adjusted
Added anti-aliasing type setting
Head bob can now be adjusted for players prone to motion sickness
Reworked the motion detector to make it more useful and user-friendly
Slightly reduced fall damage
Added a dig location indicator
Frodo (the dog) should not bark as often anymore
Aliens will not bother the player until he learns how to use the turret
Added reload indicator above auto-turrets
Added a board in the garage to track vehicle repair progress
Added a mirror in the garage so you can look at your beautiful self!
Various audio improvements
Starting from the second shovel upgrade, you can now hold LMB to dig without repeated clicking
Improved environment visuals and lighting
Added virtual shadows, a new lighting technology to soften shadows (can be toggled in the settings)
Rebalanced main turret recoil
Rebalanced inventory upgrades
Cheers!
The PuppyRoar Team
Hey Spotters!
The wait is finally over! Our playtest of The Spotter: Dig or Die kicks off today at 4pm CET and will be running until the end of Friday, February 6th.
This is your chance to jump in early and help shape the game’s future. During the playtest, you’ll get:
A first hands-on look at the core gameplay loop
The opportunity to share feedback that directly impacts development
A chance to get familiar with the story, world, and tone
Your thoughts, bug reports, and impressions mean a ton to us - so dig in, explore, and check out our Discord for questions, answers and community fun!
Thank you for your interest in The Spotter: Dig or Die ❤️
The PuppyRoar Team
Before we jump into the updates, a quick note. Yes, we know - we’ve been a little quiet lately. We didn’t disappear, get abducted by aliens, or fall into a bottomless bunker. We’re a handful of sleepless devs, and the past few weeks were spent deep in development mode. Now we’re back, full of news, and excited to reconnect and show you what we’ve been cooking behind the scenes.
For those of you who are visiting our corner for the first time, here's a little recap on what The Spotter: Dig or Die is all about:
You are a Spotter, and your mission is to hold the line against hordes of mutants breaking out of the ruins of the post-apocalyptic city of Las Veganos, while you await a crucial message from the President himself. However, a massive sandstorm destroys your rusty gas station base and knocks out the only communications receiver. You lose your last connection with other survivors, and now everything depends on whether you can restore it in time. Dig by day, fight by night, and bring the signal back before humanity’s last hope is lost.
We’re continuing to actively work on both the Demo and the full version of the game, and we want to share a few fresh updates and new features that are already in the game or are in their final stages of implementation.
The mutants hate rain. Humans, in general, do too - but not the Spotters. Thunderstorms scare the mutants away, and that's when it's your time to dig, upgrade the base, and prepare for the next wave of madness! Weather now directly affects the game’s pace and strategy.
The underground world is more than just dirt and junk. Hidden bunkers, secret rooms, tunnels, and other locations - both large and small. Some contain rare artifacts and valuable resources, and some require some thinking to reach inside!
Mutants - beware! Our spotter can now repair his own ride and smash everything on his path. Once the car is repaired, take control and smash hordes of mutants in pure, chaotic mayhem.
Attention! An anomaly detected! Ever watched The X-Files? Looks like Mulder is already on his way. An alien spacecraft has been spotted over the desert - and it’s definitely up to something sneaky.
Underground, it’s not just old-world relics waiting for you, but some very nasty surprises left behind after the apocalypse. One wrong move - and that’s it. So maybe think twice before enthusiastically whacking every suspicious piece of metal with your shovel.
Rumor has it there’s a hunting rifle hidden somewhere underground - left behind by the old gas station owner. If you manage to find it, it's all yours!
We all know the classic Doom. The Spotter loves it too - so much that one day he fixed the old gas station arcade machine. In his free time, he doesn’t mind relaxing by blasting some mutants in old-school style.
Controlling drones has never been this fun. Especially kamikaze drones. You fly - and you explode. Simple. Effective. Beautiful.
As we get closer to the demo release, we’ll definitely share the launch date both here on Steam and in our Discord community.
Thank you for your interest in The Spotter: Dig or Die ❤️ We’re doing everything we can to make the game as enjoyable as possible for you. There’s plenty more ahead - so stay with us!
The PuppyRoar Games Team
About
This page aggregates Steam news feeds, patch notes, and developer announcements for The Spotter: Dig or Die, sourced from official Steam community posts.
Major updates, balance changes, and seasonal events often correlate with player-count spikes — cross-reference announcements here with the live charts on the main The Spotter: Dig or Die statistics page.
Articles link back to Steam for full changelogs. SteamScope refreshes news entries as new posts are published to the game's Steam hub.