Hello Ranchers!

What a week it’s been. 🔥

Seeing the demo in your hands during Steam Next Fest has been an incredible milestone for us. Watching you explore the world, stream the game, and share your thoughts has been both exciting and motivating. ❤️

We’ve been reading every review and piece of feedback carefully. That’s the purpose of this demo, to learn, adjust, and make The Ranchers stronger.

Over the past few days, I’ve been fully focused on improvements. Bug fixes and quality-of-life updates are underway and will be shared in a dedicated post soon.

Today, I want to address one specific topic clearly.

After reviewing community feedback, we’ve decided to remove all AI-generated elements from the game.

Some players felt these elements didn’t align with the experience we want to deliver. We agree that the game should feel cohesive and intentional, so we’ve taken action.

Here are the changes:

Game version: 0.8.10.235 - Available now on Steam.

- Removed NPC phone call voiceovers, replaced with dialogue-style audio cues
- Removed the NPC dialogue Q&A mechanic for visitors and resident NPCs
- Replaced loading screens with the main game illustration (temporary solution, gameplay tip screens will be implemented later)
- Removed all AI-generated artworks, including wall paintings
- Replaced AI-generated car radio music with licensed music

For streamers, we’re also preparing a solution to ensure you won’t face copyright issues while broadcasting.

We’re building this game together, step by step, and every update brings it closer to the experience we want to deliver at Early Access.

If you’re enjoying the demo, leaving a Steam review helps us tremendously. And as always, keep sharing your feedback, it directly shapes what comes next.❤️❤️❤️

More updates very soon.

Ethan

https://psteamproxy.yuanyoumao.com/app/1501310/The_Ranchers/

Hello Ranchers!!

Today is the day, The Ranchers demo is finally live!🔥

To celebrate this incredible milestone, I’m excited to share our brand-new demo trailer with you:

The goal of this demo is simple, to give everyone a first taste of The Ranchers, share the heart of what we’re building, and shape its future together with you. ❤️

We’ve put a lot of care into making this demo as smooth and enjoyable as possible. At the same time, the game is still actively in development, so you might come across a few bugs or small hiccups along the way. If that happens, we’d truly appreciate you letting us know through the Steam forums, or even better, on our Discord[ranchers.game], where I and our amazing community can help you directly.

Once again, thank you for being part of this journey. We are building this together!❤️❤️❤️

With love,

Ethan


https://psteamproxy.yuanyoumao.com/app/1501310/The_Ranchers/

Hello Ranchers 💚

In less than 48 hours, the demo of The Ranchers will finally be live.🔥🔥🔥

I’m incredibly excited, but also deeply humbled, to share years of work, love, and dedication with you. Building a game with the scope and freedom of The Ranchers, while being a very small team led by a solo developer, is honestly a bit of madness.🤯

None of this would be possible without the support, patience, and trust you’ve given us along the way. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in this crazy project and for helping us get here. ❤️❤️❤️

In this demo, you’ll arrive in Sunvale City, where your new ranch is waiting. Since you’re new to the city, you’ll start from scratch. You’ll create your first fields, buy seeds, craft the early parts of your home, meet villagers, grow crops, visit shops, drive into the city center, and begin shaping your new life.

The demo experience covers roughly the first 1.5 hours of the main questline. There is no time limit per play session, so you can explore and experiment at your own pace. The demo will be available from February 12th (10 am PDT / 18h GMT) until March 2nd.

Some features that are already part of the full game, such as co-op multiplayer, ranching systems, and certain building blueprints and interiors, won’t be available in this demo. You’ll be able to experience them in future demos or when we reach Early Access.

The goal of this demo is simple, to give everyone a first taste of The Ranchers, show you the heart of what we’re building, and shape its future together with you.❤️

We’ve done our absolute best to make this demo as smooth and enjoyable as possible. That said, the game is still actively in development, so you may encounter some bugs, glitches, or performance issues, especially on lower-end hardware. If you do, please let us know through the Steam forums, or even better, on our Discord[ranchers.game], where I and our amazing community can help directly.

You’ll also find a Feedback app inside your in-game smartphone, allowing you to share thoughts, ideas, and feedback while you’re playing.

Once again, thank you for being part of this journey.
We’re beyond excited to finally put the game in your hands and can’t wait to hear what you think as we move toward Early Access. 💚🔥❤️

With love,
Ethan

https://psteamproxy.yuanyoumao.com/app/1501310/The_Ranchers/

Hello Ranchers,

I hope you are all doing great, and I wish you an amazing start to this new year. 🎄🎁 Thank you for being here, for your patience, and for the trust you have shown us over the years. ❤️

Today is a very special day for us, and honestly, one we have been waiting a long time to share. I have two big announcements, and both mark a major step forward for The Ranchers.

First, I am incredibly happy to announce that The Ranchers has been officially selected by Steam to take part in Steam Next Fest, taking place this February 2026!!!

This means that everyone around the world will be able to play The Ranchers Demo for free, from February 12th to March 2nd. 🥳🕺🎉

For many of you, this will be the very first time you can get your hands on the game, explore the world, and experience what we have been building for years.

Steam Next Fest is a huge moment for us. It is not just about visibility, it is about finally sharing the game with you, listening to your feedback, and continuing to shape The Ranchers together as we move closer to release. ❤️

And this brings me to the second announcement.

We finally have a window for Early Access.

The Ranchers will launch in Early Access in Q2 2026 (between April and June).

The exact release date is locked and will be revealed very soon during upcoming gaming events where The Ranchers will be featured.🔥🔥🔥

Reaching this milestone feels unreal. What started as a small idea has grown into a full world, and that only happened because of your constant support, encouragement, and belief in the project. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for sticking with us through every step of this journey, the good moments, the hard ones, and everything in between.❤️❤️❤️

This is only the beginning of the next chapter. We have a lot more to show, a lot more to share, and many surprises coming very soon.

Stay tuned, exciting news is right around the corner.

Thank you for being part of this adventure. ❤️

Ethan

👉 Try The Ranchers for free before it reaches the wider public, Join The Ranchers insider Program[ranchers.game]

👉 Wishlist The Ranchers on Steam to get notified when the demo and Early Access go live.

https://psteamproxy.yuanyoumao.com/app/1501310/The_Ranchers/

Hello Ranchers!

Hope y’all are safe and doing great!

Today, I’m excited to introduce our newest feature: The Ranchers Police District (R.P.D). 🎉🎉🎉

From the start, The Ranchers has given you tons of freedom to play the game your way. You can stick to the rules and enjoy a calm, relaxed experience, or you can mix things up—maybe even try something a little daring, like swiping NPCs' crops, cars, cows, or chickens, vandalizing public property, or even shaking up national security for a bit of mischief 😀

Ultimately, it’s your call, and you probably have your own reasons for how you play (don’t we all? 😀).


Before, if you got caught, the game would hit you with a fine to teach you a lesson—harsh and not very fun, especially in an open-world farming sim where freedom is key.

Now, things feel a bit more like real life (isn’t that what a simulation’s all about?): your actions have consequences. Each misdeed you commit will trigger a reaction from the Ranchers police, giving you the freedom to deal with it your way.

You can pay up, surrender, or even push things further with the R.P.D—at your own risk (and potential reward) 😀








- Status: Code Green
- Behavior: Police drones aim for a peaceful resolution.
- Action: They won’t arrest or attack if you pay your fines. This level handles minor offenses—pay up, and you avoid custody.

- Status: Still Code Green
- Behavior: No lethal force is used, but they strongly encourage you to surrender.
- Action: If caught or if you surrender, you'll be taken into police custody, likely with a sentence.

- Status: Code Yellow
- Behavior: Police drones use non-lethal, dissuasive tactics.
- Action: Getting caught here means you'll be placed in custody with a probable sentence.

- Status: Code Red
- Behavior: They’re now authorized to use light lethal weapons.
- Action: Their goal is to end the chase quickly.

- Status: Code Black
- Behavior: Heavy lethal weapons are in play to end the chase at all costs.
- Action: The police will do whatever it takes to end the chase.

At any level, you always have a choice: surrender to reduce your sentence and bail, or try your luck evading the police.

Even if you lose the cops, their cars will continue searching for you briefly. If they catch you again, the chase restarts—but if you manage to stay hidden for a while, you'll eventually be considered evaded.


If you surrender or get caught, you'll be taken into police custody and placed in a cell. There, you'll need to pay your fines and potentially serve some jail time depending on your crimes.

Getting caught results in the maximum fines and jail time, while surrendering at any wanted level will lead to lesser fines and fewer jail days.

Plus, while you're in custody, your friends (multiplayer) can join your game, visit you, and take care of your crops and cattle— isn’t that what friends and family are for? 😀



First off, congratulations—you’ve got skills! 😀

Your fines are wiped out, and you keep all your loot ;)


This update introduces the police station interior, where you can visit friends in custody—or serve your own time! Let's take a look:


This update introduces a hacking tool that lets you manipulate various elements in The Ranchers' world.

Ever wanted to hijack an NPC's vehicle for a joyride? (We know you've got your reasons 😀)


Your hacking success depends on the security system you’re targeting. You’ll have a set number of attempts—fail too many times, and alarms (and the police) might be triggered!

As you progress, you can upgrade your hacking tool through the skill tree (coming soon) to hack faster and tackle tougher systems.




QuickFix garages are scattered throughout The Ranchers’ open world. They can repair your damaged vehicle anytime—even in the middle of a police chase.


Normally, Auto Hue lets you change your vehicle’s paint job. In trickier situations, they can even help you by changing your vehicle’s plate numbers, removing it from the police wanted registry.


This update introduces stolen vehicles to The Ranchers' world. If you drive a stolen vehicle, the police chase will be triggered when you're caught—unless you visit an Auto Hue Garage to change the vehicle plates.

A stolen vehicle can display:

1. Red stolen Icon: Plates haven't been changed. The police will pursue you every time they're alerted.

2.Black stolen Icon: Plates have been changed at Auto Hue garage, allowing you to keep the vehicle without triggering a chase.


Keep in mind, stolen vehicles can still be sold—but they fetch lower prices than those acquired legitimately.

This update also introduces two radio stations you can listen to while driving:


A favorite among ranchers, playing mostly country music and tunes that capture the essence of ranch life.




A more cosmopolitan station featuring a mix of hip-hop, pop, rock, and reggaeton.


With this update, we've definitely delivered that “GTA spirit” I mentioned before in previous updates, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. Implementing the new police mechanic was a real challenge—finding the balance between action and keeping The Ranchers a chill, relaxing farming sim wasn't easy.

At the heart of it all, The Ranchers remains a game that offers immense freedom and a stress-free experience. It might be a bit different from what you're used to (isn't that why you try new games?), but I promise — you’re going to love it!

Now that this update is in the books, our next focus shifts back to the farming and ranching side of things. We're excited to finalize the suburb area and bring you the hunting mechanic!

If you're interested in helping shape the future of The Ranchers, feel free to join our The Ranchers Discord[ranchers.game]. And if you want to see more gameplay from this update, check out the live stream I recently hosted:

Thanks so much for sticking with me, and stay tuned for more updates! ❤️❤️❤️

Ethan

https://psteamproxy.yuanyoumao.com/app/1501310/The_Ranchers/

Hello Ranchers!

Today is a big day!!! You can’t imagine how happy and thrilled I'm writing these lines!

The Ranchers' big overhaul is complete! And I couldn't be more proud and happy with the final result! ✨✨✨

It was by far the most reckless decision I've made in the last three years, and oh boy, was it tough—really tough!

After the Kickstarter campaign and the overwhelming support The Ranchers received from the community, I was completely humbled and grateful. I was just a gamer, building my dream game in my own little corner... I never imagined The Ranchers would become this popular, not even in my wildest dreams. Seeing gamers from all over the world sharing and supporting this vision gave me even more strength! It made me feel like I could do better—so much better—and deliver something even greater for our community!

It was never about building another farming sim game, I wanted The Ranchers to be something familiar, bigger and totally different.

Working night and day for the last 14 months with only The Ranchers' vision and loads of doubts wasn’t easy at all. Honestly, without the amazing support from our community and all the kind messages of encouragement and faith, I couldn't have made it to where I am today.

So I want to thank each and every one of you, reading these lines. I want to tell you that The Ranchers would never be where it is today without you being here with us in this amazing journey. Thank you for being here, thank you for being patient and supportive. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! ❤️❤️❤️

It was truly magical to watch our dream game come to life day by day, evolving into what feels like an entirely new game. I genuinely believe this overhaul has taken The Ranchers to a whole new level, and it was absolutely worth it.

Without any further ado, let’s dive into it:


This new update brought the biggest zone in The Ranchers open world, the city center.

The city center is designed as the bustling heart of Sunvale's city, characterized by a vibrant mix of modern and traditional architecture that reflects The Ranchers unique art style.

You can explore a variety of urban environments, from busy commercial streets lined with shops to serene parks and public spaces.

Let’s take you for a ride:

The city center features a lot of iconics buildings, that you can explore, Let’s start with the first ones:



The city hall is where you can find Victor, the mayor and Meriam the city architect. It’s also a great place to meet other characters, make deals with the city, buy new lands and sophisticated building blueprints for your ranch.

Let take a look:


Leafy Market is Sunvale City's top grocery chain, offering fresh produce, seeds, and farming supplies. Known for supporting local agriculture, it's the go-to spot for both daily essentials and farming needs, ensuring quality for all customers. There are many of them scattered around the city center.



Versatile Motors is Sunvale City's leading utility vehicle supplier, offering a wide range of vans, pickups, and three-wheeled vehicles. Trusted by farmers and ranchers alike, it’s the top choice for reliable, hardworking vehicles that get the job done.



While the various shops and interiors are great places to meet The Ranchers' characters, I thought, why not create buildings where you can not only meet NPCs but also gather with players from around the world? Imagine being able to enter these places as seamlessly as any other building in the game, and use them to have fun and forge new friendships! And that, fellow ranchers, is what we now call the Ranchers Community Shared Places.

Features within Community Shared Places include:

- Text and voice communication through built-in chat and voice comms, allowing players to converse.
- The ability to exchange resources and tools with other players.
- Restrictions on equipping tools and weapons, as well as prohibitions on harming or stealing from others.

And, our first community Shared Places is The Sunset Casino!

Community shared places will first be available in EU and US during the preview and will be extended to other countries in the Early Access phase.

Let’s give you a sneak peek:


The pedestrians were essential to make the city center and the entire open world feel alive.

Even though implementing them came with its own technical challenges, I’ve always had a major issue with random NPCs in open-world games. They often feel soulless, and their dialogue tends to be dull unless they’re tied to a quest. They remind me of their “technical purpose” – merely filling space to make the player feel less alone.

While it's difficult to break away from that technical role, we took great care in crafting each pedestrian's personality. Every single one has a unique character and backstory that you'll be able to uncover as you explore.

- Each pedestrian follows a unique daily schedule that changes each day: whether they're enjoying Sunvale's parks, the beach, running errands, shopping, or even visiting interiors like the city center and the casino…

- Unique dialogues that change based on the time of day, season, their location, or the activity they're engaged in.

- They can offer you valuable advice and hints about what's happening in Sunvale City and its surroundings.

- You can even ask them about their families, jobs, beliefs, and life priorities!

- And of course, they are fully aware of everything happening around them, including other cars and traffic lights.



This update also features a new traffic system breathing more life to the open world.

Vehicles now obey traffic lights and pedestrian crossings, can overtake one another, and will navigate around obstacles like accidents or roadblocks to find their way.



This update introduces 35 new vehicles ranging from three-wheeler, classic cars, muscle cars, sport cars, trucks and pickups.

This update also introduces completely new driving mechanics:

- Each car, scooter, truck, and more now has its own physics system that takes into account properties like engine type, weight, and engine power, making each vehicle feel more realistic and unique to drive.

- All vehicles now feature a visual damage system, allowing you to see the physical effects of accidents or weapons, as well as the overall condition of the vehicle. This damage is generated in real-time based on your actions and also impacts the vehicle's performance. For instance, you could break your headlights or end up with flat tires, affecting how well the vehicle drives.

- Each vehicle now features a trunk (that you can open and close 😀), allowing you to store your belongings.

- Some vehicles also allow you to transport your farm animals.

- The trunk capacity and the number or type of farm animals you can transport vary with each vehicle, making each one uniquely suited to different tasks.

- And of course, all vehicles are drivable, including those in the traffic system—without consequences (for now 😉).

Let’s take a look:


You can now take on the role of a TAXI-Co driver in Sunvale City!

Taxi-Co is the leading taxi company in Sunvale City. You can work as a Taxi-Co driver, earn big money, and meet interesting people along the way.

But before driving starlets home, you have to first earn your stripes.

Taxi-Co has 3 subsidiaries:

That’s where everyone starts, from the bottom. You have plenty of time, small rides, small money.

Now you drive CEOs and some wanna be: they are a bit in a hurry, they expect smooth driving and pay you a bit more. Taxi-Co Business is available starting from 3 driver stars.

That’s where the real money is. You drive only Ranchers Country stars in limousines. They expect 5 stars driving talents and fast rides if you want to see their hefty tips.Taxi-Co VIP is available starting from 4 driver stars.

After each ride, the passenger will rate your driving and may tip you (or not), based on how fast and smooth the journey was.


Harvest hills is a homage to pastoral life, featuring sprawling farmlands, small forests, rolling hills, all designed to immerse players in the tranquility and beauty of rural living.

It's located in the countryside just outside Sunvale City, where your Ranch is also situated.

Let’s go for a ride!


This update introduces new polished main characters to The Ranchers world. All of them play a significant role in the game and have their own backstories and daily occupations.


The 52-year-old mayor of Sunvale City, Victor is a strong leader dedicated to sustainable growth and community well-being. Known for his empathy and decisiveness, he balances modern development with environmental conservation.


Meriam is the architect in Sunvale, she is innovative, dedicated, and empathetic. She blends modern design with traditional charm, aiming to enhance Sunvale's urban landscape while preserving its cultural heritage.


A 45-year-old rancher in Harvest Hills, Malcolm is a hardworking, single father focused on running a successful cattle and sheep ranch. He is dedicated to his daughter Alicia and dreams of a prosperous future for their family.


Alicia is a ranching influencer, she balances her responsibilities on the ranch with her online presence. Passionate about sustainable farming, she aims to modernize her family's operations while preserving their legacy. Alicia is one of the romanceable characters.


A 45-year-old poultry farmer in Harvest Hills, Angela is vibrant, strong-willed, and deeply connected to her community. She’s dedicated to expanding her farm sustainably and mentoring young farmers. She is Malcolm's twin.


Gigi is an agricultural engineer, she is passionate about sustainable farming. She is known for her innovative solutions and close bond with her brother Scott. Gigi dreams of starting a family while contributing to Harvest Hills' agricultural community. Gigi is one of the romanceable characters.


Scott is a civil engineer and rancher, Scott is dedicated to both modernizing Harvest Hills and preserving his family's ranching legacy. Protective and caring, he seeks to balance his professional life with finding a life partner. Scott is one of the romanceable characters.


Dr. Susan is the veterinarian of Harvest Hills. She is compassionate and highly skilled. She runs a successful clinic and has instilled strong values of empathy and care in her adoptive son, Malik.


As an intern veterinarian, Malik follows in his mother's footsteps with a deep love for animals. He is gentle, observant, and dedicated to providing excellent care at his mother’s clinic. Malik is one of the romanceable characters.


THE famous lawyer of Sunvale, Chris is cunning, greedy, and operates in the gray areas of the law. Driven by wealth and power, he uses his vast network of connections to manipulate situations to his advantage.




Now you can heal your sick animals at Dr.Susan’s veterinary clinic.

We did decorate the clinic walls from real pets pictures shared by our community on Discord[www.ranchers.game].

Let’s take a look at it


The main characters in The Ranchers can now send you text messages or call you on your phone.

Each character has a unique voice and may reach out to ask for help, offer tips, or simply check in with you.

And here is how it looks in-game:


First of all, congratulations for making it this far in this dev-update! Hopefully you enjoyed reading it and discovering all the new features and additions in the game.

If you are one of our kickstarter backers, you will be able to play the new version of The Ranchers (called The Ranchers “Preview”) starting from …. 🎉🎉TODAY! 🎉🎉

You can play The Ranchers “Preview”, on Windows, Linux/SteamDeck, and MacOs.

It's been a while since the last dev update, a lot of things did evolved in The Ranchers and I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts on everything I showcased today. Feel free to drop a comment here or on The Ranchers discord[www.ranchers.game].

It may also be a great idea to host a live stream with all of you to talk about The Ranchers future and answer any questions you may have? Let me know ;)

Thank you so much for your time and unwavering support! Stay tuned for more updates. ❤️❤️❤️

Cheers,
Ethan

https://psteamproxy.yuanyoumao.com/app/1501310/The_Ranchers/

Hello Ranchers, 👩‍🌾👨‍🌾

Hope you all are safe and doing great.

Since our last big update, I was hesitating about what the next move for The Ranchers' development will be. There were two paths: whether we should prioritize the mines exploration with the Monsters/combat system or the open-world production.

It was a hard question to answer as each choice brought its pros and cons.

For me, I want The Ranchers to be something that stands out from the other farming sim games, not another Stardew Valley clone with a bunch of upgraded mechanics or a “better” art style.

I want The Ranchers to be something big, and most of all, something different!

Like many of you, I grew up with games like Harvest Moon, The Sims, and GTA, and I played the hell out of games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing.

My vision for The Ranchers since the beginning was: what if all those games had a child? 😀

A new game that combines all the mechanics and fun I love about those classics? What will that game be? How can it honor the legacy of those classics while being different and take the farming sim genre to the next level?

Reconnecting with this initial vision made that prioritization choice a lot more lucid.

Since we’ve made great advancement on the farming and the Sims side of it, now it’s time to tackle how much of the GTA spirit should be put in The Ranchers. Moving forward with the Open World production it will be then.

Sooo, now it’s time for my favorite joke: We decided to cancel The Ranchers and start working directly on The Ranchers 2 😀 (I’m probably the only one who still finds this statement fun :D)

Joke aside, we took the opportunity of rethinking what the heart of The Ranchers is, to revamp and upgrade everything we weren't happy about in the current build, starting with the game visuals!

There is a lot to talk about here but to make it simple and quick: The whole game art style was rebuilt from scratch for a more unique and modern look with a stronger visual identity.

Here is a quick sneak previews:

Now that the foundation of the new visuals is here, I will be sharing more details through new gameplay videos and screenshots with you all in the upcoming weeks ;)

Last summer, I had the opportunity to work with two of the greatest sound designers in our industry. I did learn A LOT about sound, music, and how they can be a great vehicle for creating unique experiences and emotions in gameplay.

How little details can make a huge difference in terms of making what's happening on the screen more believable, more alive.

One of the more famous quotes I was hearing from all those very talented people is “The visuals are half the picture, the sound is the other one” (something like that :D )

Therefore, all the audio systems in The Ranchers were also rebuilt from scratch 😀

There is also a lot to talk about here too, but basically everything, literally every sound was remade and remastered from scratch.

To summarize it in a few bullet points:

• New ambiance sounds that make each day feel different. The ambiance sounds also change depending on the player zone and time of the day (crickets, frogs, Owl... by night; different bird species sound per day...)
  
• New Weather and Weather sweetener sounds: you can, for example, hear the wind sound changing (sweeteners) if you are near a metallic building or a wooden one. You can also hear different sound sweeteners if it’s raining and you are near trees with wet leaves…
  
• New vehicle engine sound: engine power and power type (gasoline, diesel, electric engine) does now have their unique distinctive sound. You can tell about a vehicle's characteristics just by listening to its engine sound.
  
• Livestock sound: all the animals' sound has also been revamped from scratch for every breed at every growth stage for better audio fidelity. Now you can also know what is “the state” of your animal (happy, sad, sick, angry…) just by listening to its audio.
  
• A more rich player footsteps sound that changes depending on the surface type.
  
• Every player interaction now has audio feedback...
  
• 60 new music tracks (Yes! 6 and 0 😛 ); Including 12 exclusive music tracks per Season to avoid any sort of repetition. The music is controlled by our new music algorithm (called MozArt - why not? 😀 ) that shuffles between music playing and silence in a very specific manner to avoid ear fatigue. It seems that music is all about the notes that we - don’t - play!
  
• The whole game audio is now compatible with Stereo and Surround format: 5.1; 7.1 and 7.1.4 (Dolby Atmos)

Unleashing the team's creativity without any limit (no performance budget) was for me the best way to move forward and see how far we can take it further.

It’s totally irresponsible and foolish, but in the end who cares? We are making this game for fun! 😀

Oh boy! And I did pay the expensive price for it. Optimizing the new art style with all the details and the huge FOV/Zoom level was a nightmare! 😀

Now that all of it is behind us, I do look at it as one of my greatest journeys in programming! I had the chance to deeply explore the abyss of Unity game engine and learn how to get the most of every piece of it.

Today, I'm very pleased to share with you that The Ranchers, runs very smoothly on the Steam Deck (Linux), Rog Alley (Windows), and all the middle ranges PC handled in the market.

Now we also benchmark the performance of every new piece we do add on those devices before moving forward, making them our minimum target hardware.

Also, The Ranchers has now a native integration of AMD FSR2 AND Nvidia DLSS leading to more performance gain and wider hardware coverage. With those techs The Ranchers can also run on old/slow hardware and still be greatly playable without compromising any bit of its visual quality!

I’m also thrilled to announce that The Ranchers is also coming to MacOS (Intel and Apple silicon) day one!

More explicitly, if you are one of our Alpha backers, you will be able to enjoy The Ranchers on your Mac starting from the next build update.

As you know by now, we are currently building the Open World of The Ranchers. Without spoiling anything, the world map is composed of 5 different main zones:

1. The “agricultural zone” is where your ranch is situated among other ranchers.
   
2. The city center
   
3. The industrial zone
   
4. Forests/Swamp zone
   
5. and the desert.

The “agricultural zone” production is done, and by the time I’m writing this book, we are heavily producing the city center. Other zones should follow a lot quicker now that all the foundations and tools are here.

It was a true headache knowing at which stage we could release a new build update for our Alpha backers. But because now the main game loop is heavily relying on the “agricultural zone” and the city center, releasing a working build can only be possible once the production of the city center is completed. At least when the first pass is completed.

I know that many of our Alpha backers were expecting all of this to be available right now, but it’s simply impossible given the new scope of the game/map and all the major changes we did introduce in the latest months. It still needs more work, and trust me it’s totally worth it!

Don’t be sad, don’t hurt me on discord or social media (please! :🙏😊 ), The Ranchers is a work of love and it’s your enthusiasm and support that get us out of the bed each day! ❤️‍🔥

The Ranchers will be released in early access in 2024 as expected. It’s truly gonna be great! And that’s what matters the most. It was never about the When but always about the What!

2024 it will be, and we are thrilled to be there! 🔥❤️‍🔥🔥

At the end, I sincerely want to thank you again for all the love and support we did receive from you all and count on us to bring to your keyboards and controllers the ultimate farming sim game! ♥️

As always I will keep you updated and I can't wait to share more with you in the upcoming weeks.

Cheers,

Ethan

https://psteamproxy.yuanyoumao.com/app/1501310/The_Ranchers/

We want to celebrate this new step by showing you the very first update in this phase.

Let's take a closer look at the big changes in the new update:

The entire game UI has been rebuilt from scratch, with careful attention to detail.

There is A LOT to list here, but i will keep it simple => Experiencing it firsthand is a must! (see the video at the end)

I have invested a significant amount of time learning about effective game UI design, ensuring that it enriches the gameplay without being intrusive.

Today, I'm incredibly proud of the final results, as it has truly taken the game to a new level. ⏫⏫⏫

💖I hope you love it too! 💖

The HUD now features a convenient hotbar for your inventory, complete with keyboard shortcuts. This includes equipping/unequipping items, pressing [M] for the map, [T] for the phone, and using [Enter] to display the multiplayer chat.

All game items, tools, equipment, and vehicle icons have been redesigned to meet our new quality standards and align with the updated game UI. We revamped over 1200 icons! 🤯

All game UI elements are now fully compatible with the joystick, ensuring a seamless gaming experience.

Tools, equipment, and anything that players can hold now display all possible interactions with corresponding key bindings or joystick buttons. These interaction helpers are now grouped by equipment, making it easier to understand when you have items equipped in both hands simultaneously (such as a torch and an axe...).

You can now perform bulk crafting in the Craft App and at workbenches. Additionally, all shops support bulk buying, and players can sell items in bulk to shop managers.

You can now move the camera using the middle button of your mouse. Adjustments for camera movement speed, zoom, and auto-zoom reset have been added to the settings app, allowing for more precise customization.

Introducing a new app called "Zesty Metrix" that provides real-time tracking of your ranch's energy efficiency.

We have introduced a comprehensive character customization system with an infinite number of combinations and possibilities.
All clothing and accessories are now interchangeable between body types, and they seamlessly blend with each other without any mesh overlap.

We have implemented new HUD indicators to show your online/offline status and whether your ranch is open for friends to join. You can easily toggle your ranch's exposure to friends in the game settings.

The hammer interaction system has been overhauled, making it easier and clearer to manipulate objects. Additionally, when the hammer is equipped, you can now interact with other elements in the game.

Interacting with vehicles has been significantly simplified, allowing for easier animal transportation, manual refueling from any position around the vehicle, and more.

The loading time when entering or exiting a building interior (such as the Barn or Coop) has been significantly reduced by 80%!
Now you can seamlessly transition between the outdoor and indoor environments, enhancing your gameplay flow.

In multiplayer mode, an autosave system will automatically trigger after each "important" action to prevent hacks, cheating, and item duplication.
Save file integrity and authenticity are now verified server-side before any multiplayer session.
The online integrity verification of save files does not impact offline mode. You can still enjoy The Ranchers at 100% when you are on the go or offline.



Since the update was entirely inspired by the valuable feedback we received from our amazing community and our next priority is to personally respond to each feedback posted in Feedback channels: https://open.codecks.io/ranchers/decks/18-community-feedback

On a broader note, I want to keep the details of the next big update as a surprise! 😄

That's all I can reveal for now, but expect more information in the upcoming weeks.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, and stay tuned for more exciting news! ❤️

Best,

Ethan