🎉 MindWare Version 0.3.7 (Public Release)
Hey everyone!
After fixing a few more bugs that turned up during the release candidate, MindWare 0.3.7 is now out publicly for everyone. This update's headline scene is the Trix supply closet finale, there are new options in the Files app, and behind the scenes I reworked how supporter access is verified to make it even more private and more reliable. More on all of that below.
An even more private and reliable supporter sign-in
The Oauth-based supporter verification process itself isn't new (supporters have unlocked Extra Options by signing in with Patreon or SubscribeStar since 0.3.6). What's changed in 0.3.7 is how that sign-in works behind the scenes.
Previously, the game re-checked your supporter status with my server on a regular basis, which meant I had to keep a record of your account on my end (an account number provided by Patreon or SubscribeStar - nothing that could really compromise your privacy). Now, when you sign in, the game gets a self-contained pass that's stored on your own device and stays valid for 30 days (like before, the access to supporter features keeps working when my server doesn't), so there are no repeated check-ins, and ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about your account kept on my server.
The only difference you'll notice is that the pass expires after 30 days, so roughly once a month you'll do a quick one-click re-sign-in to refresh it. I think it's a worthy compromise, but feel free to voice your opinions in the comment section below.
If you experience any issues whatsoever with the authentication system, please let me know!
In-game Content Maps
Version 0.3.7 also introduces Content Maps, which are browsable visual maps of the game's content that you open right inside the game. Each map lays out how the scenes in a storyline branch and connect, so it's easier to see what's there and spot anything you might have missed. It's a supporter feature, available once you've signed in to Extra Options, and I'll keep adding maps for more of the game over time.
New content this version
The biggest new scene is the Trix supply closet finale. After the repeatable closet encounters have built up far enough, you can try to improve your work-life balance in the office supply closet even more by taking things further than before. Just be ready for Ray to interrupt at the worst possible moment and force a choice about what happens next.
One of the things you can do in response to Ray's increasingly unhinged behavior is listen to AVA and swap his test-boosting pills for something with the opposite effect. This is the thread I'll be pulling on most next (see "What's next" at the bottom).
This release also adds a new mode in the Files app. Your saved image collection can now be used to trigger extra actions that unlock based on your items and stats. Each action is basically a scene set to a slideshow built from your own saved image collection.
Other improvements
After a player request, I also added a game-wide color-blind filter in Settings and updated the Panacea spy-cam sweep minigame so it's easier to read without relying only on color.
And there's a new in-game update notification so the game can tell you when a newer release is available.
Download Links:
GoFile: https://gofile.io/d/BYQbMq
The online version (playmindware.com) has already been updated
Extra Options / Supporter Access: No password needed — use the online sign-in in Extra Options.
What's New (everything since the first 0.3.7 beta)
New Content:
Added: Trix supply closet finale with Ray's interruption and branching aftermath
Added: New mode in the Files app — auto-play a slideshow from your saved collection, filtered by category
New ByteBunker gig
Added: Post-completion "Visit nurse Amy for health checkup" action at the Panacea lobby (placeholder content for now)
Added: In-game Content Maps
Added: Game-wide color-blind filter in Settings
Added: In-game update notification that tells you when a newer release is out
Changes & Improvements:
Changed: Supporter verification for Extra Options and Content Maps now works privately on your own device — sign in for a 30-day pass with nothing about your account kept on my server, and a longer offline window than before
Added: "Update" button in Extra Options to pull the latest supporter content on demand
Improved: Hospital spy-cam sweep minigame is now colorblind-friendly
Improved: Files app category filters now support multi-select — combine several at once, click again to deselect
Improved: File-app category filter names no longer wrap onto two lines
Improved: Hardened several screens against the script parser issue that previously broke the Dept of Records login
Improved: The phone gallery password is now accepted regardless of letter case
Improved: Extra Options polish
Bug Fixes:
Fixed: The EroSphere S.I.M.S. pod kiosk no longer errors out when you approach it
Fixed: The alley knife fight could freeze mid-fight and make dodging impossible
Fixed: Pressing space after the "Try not to come" challenge ends now continues the scene instead of freezing it
Fixed: The GitGud fist fight and the office records search can no longer be started twice at once
Fixed: The chapter 1 relax scene now loads its images correctly
Fixed: Post-implant saves looping back to the after-hospital reflection no longer get sent through the hospital-sleep arc again
Fixed: BrainFry CodeBuddy installer left you stuck on the install page when you couldn't afford the subscription
Fixed: Ray's computer-spy login now accepts the password regardless of letter case and ignores accidental surrounding spaces
Fixed: The side-panel character avatar now correctly shows your selected avatar variant instead of always showing the first one
Fixed: Settings showed the wrong game version on loaded saves
Fixed: Some special dreams replayed every night instead of just once
Fixed: The wake-up after the first transformation dream repeated every morning
Fixed: Opening Cipher's EroSphere club message no longer errors out and cuts the chat short
Fixed: The office filing-cabinet search minigame no longer appears over the title screen at startup
Fixed: The Xavier implant deal button now shows the correct price ($50,000)
Fixed: The Roderick and Sarah EroSphere meetup no longer reappears after its bad ending
Fixed: The SUCKER rent machine no longer claims to add 100 credits when it only clears your leftover rent
Fixed: The Ugly Bastard freezer quest no longer replays its final scene after you've already finished it
Fixed: Files app no longer overflows past the right side of the screen
Fixed: Extra Options could fail to appear for verified supporters when protected content was rejected during install
What's Next
The route I'm most excited to build out next picks up right where the Trix closet finale leaves off. If you take AVA's suggestion and start swapping Ray's pills, then it will lead to the Panacea Clinic psychiatrist content that I cut out of the game a long time ago. She'll be the source of the estrogen pills for Ray, and possibly for the player too.
Alongside that, I want to keep pushing through the Chapter 2 backlog and cleaning up older quest branches that need better follow-up. I should have more time over the summer, and I want to use it to get as much new content into the game as I can.
Thank you for playing, and thank you to my supporters for making it possible. Enjoy the update!