Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been pouring a ton of work into the towns of Wayward Shadows, and I’m excited to share the latest updates. Motels and pawn shops are now (almost) fully functional, and there are brand-new ways to scrape together some cash on the side. Here’s a rundown of what’s new and improved.

If you want any hope of taking down a werewolf or vampire, you’ll need the right tools for the job. Every town in Wayward Shadows now has a pawn shop stocked with a rotating selection of weapons and armor. The big news? It actually works now. I’ve overhauled the inventory generation algorithm, and it’s a lot better now. What you’ll find on offer in the shops now depends on factors like the difficulty of your current case, how many days you’ve survived in your run, and a few other things.

Plus, I’ve added improved tooltips, clearer feedback when buying or selling, and a bunch of polish to make the experience smoother. Your next monster-slaying upgrade is waiting—assuming you’ve got the cash.

The energy/rest system has also gotten a major tune-up. I’ve rebalanced energy regeneration during sleep, and it feels way better now. Fork over some cash to rent a room, and can sleep to get rid of those “Tired” or “Exhausted” debuffs. That’s right—along with the motel overhaul, I’ve introduced new debuffs that hit your hunters when you push them too long without a break. The hunter's energy level is now an important stat to keep your eye on.


What’s a hustle, you ask?
Monster hunting doesn’t exactly pay the bills, so sometimes you’ve got to get creative to keep the cash flowing. That’s where “Hustles” come in—special actions you can take at certain locations to score some quick cash. These are high-risk, high-reward moves, though. Cheat at the pool table, hack an ATM, or swipe a tip jar, and you might walk away richer… or you might attract the wrong kind of attention and get your butt handed to you if you’re caught.

It’s all about weighing the odds. You can play it safe, or roll the dice to stay cash flow positive.

With pawn shops, motels, and hustles now in the mix—alongside all the other locations you can explore—towns in Wayward Shadows feel so much more dynamic. They’re not just a backdrop for your cases anymore; they’re living, breathing hubs where every choice matters. Whether you’re bartering for a new blade, catching some sleep, or risking it all on a shady gig, there’s always something to do.

As always, thanks for reading and following along with the development of Wayward Shadows. I’m hammering away at a playable demo as fast as I can, but it’s not quite ready yet. Stick with me—I can’t wait for you to dive in and explore the game for yourself!

The world map in Wayward Shadows just got a whole lot better. (Yes, I know it’s technically just a map of the United States, but we’ve been calling it the world map forever. Americentrism much?)

This isn’t just a new coat of paint—though it looks much better than before — we’ve also added tons of fresh gameplay features to make exploring the map more fun and strategic. Here’s what’s new:

• New background art for better readability
  
• Improved rendering on high resolution screens
  
• New travel line: See exactly where you’re headed and how you’re getting there.
  
• Smoother vehicle pathfinding: Goodbye, awkward straight lines.
  
• Reworked fuel mechanics: Manage your gas—or end up stranded.
  
• Lots of new location and event types to discover on the map

All new world map art


The biggest addition besides the background art is an all new travel line that shows you where you are going and was path you are taking. Before it wasn't really clear what your driving path would look like and how long it takes you to get to your destination. With the new travel line it is much easier to see where you are going.


We implemented a new, smoother pathfinding system when driving around on the map with your hunters. Before you could only go in straight line from A to B. Now your vehicle will move smoothly along a nicely animated path. It looks better, feels better, and makes getting around the map way more satisfying.


We also added a ton of new gameplay to the world map. Without giving too much away, you’ll now stumble upon rare locations and unexpected events—like the FBI chasing you down for all those shady break-ins. (What? Did you think stealing cash all the time had no consequences?)
Plus, gas management just got real. Run out of fuel, and you’ll find yourself stuck on the side of the road. Vehicles also have reworked stats, giving you more meaningful choices when building your hunting team.

Lots of choices in the vehicle selection screen now


As usual Wayward Shadows is way behind schedule and far from completion but 2024 has been a great year nonetheless. I hope you all stick around for the great new stuff we have planned for 2025! As always, thank you for reading this and taking the time to keep up to date with development of Wayward Shadows!

Have a happy new year and a great 2025!