





🌟 Special thanks to our amazing supporters:
✨ $10 Tier: [Geeks Love Detail]
🌈 $5 Tier: [Arch Toasty][Benedikt][David Martínez Martí]
Third hotfix of the day. Again, apologies. Thank you this time to lexilogo, NoMoreD20, and Ronin for the reports. I've been putting out builds on Steam for 16 years now, and this is maybe the fifth time I've had three hotfixes in a day. I'll try not to make a new habit of it, sigh. 0.653.4 Hotfix 8
Second hotfix of the day. My apologies for that. Big thanks to Alebeard for reporting this one. 0.653.3 Hotfix 7
Heres a quick hotfix that fixes a regression in last night's build. Thank you to lexilogo, Evil Bistro, ad Anticept for the quick reporting! 0.653.2 Hotfix 6
A new Analysis lens has been added at the start of chapter one, letting you cycle through detailed visualizations of the mapeverything from repair coverage to security clearances. This was one of the most frequent feature requests, and it now includes seven separate overlays: Repair Coverage (Structures), Repair Coverage (Units), Jammer Coverage (with structure reveal), Paused Structures, Deterrence Coverage, Protection Coverage, and Security Clearances. Youll also find a new filter dropdown on the build sidebar, allowing you to group structures by category or production chain. If its a chain, the build list sorts itself in logical orderideal for planning complex infrastructure. Placing repair spiders, repair crabs, or contraband jammers now previews their effective radii in real time. New timelines now let you select difficulty up front (or stick with the original sabotage-based method). Bulk units, converted units, and allies will no longer accidentally shoot down damaged economic transports youre trying to extract from. A handful of long-standing edge cases have also been cleaned upincluding a fix for furniture delivery to human housing, a rare and harmless error popup on launch, and two threading issues that became more common after recent savegame changes. [quote]To understand is to perceive patterns. Dune Messiah, Frank Herbert[/quote]
Big systems come online in Update 13, expanding how you grow your timeline and shape your strategy. From new long-term upgrades to stronger rewards and better early-game tools, this update brings momentum. Scientific Research is now activeand with it, the first functional tab of the VR Pod. Every staffed science building now contributes to a new strategic resource, which you can spend to generate inspirations across ten upgrade categories. That means more direct control, faster development, and a clear new role for your scientists beyond their original use. Update 13 also adds three new daemon types to the hacking grid, including the Bomb and Greater Wanderer, each with distinct movement and threat patterns. Full hacks now yield tangible rewards like Tungsten Scraps and Human Biodata, linking short-term tactics to long-term outcomes. Beyond that, youll find over a dozen new upgrades, deeper customization through expanded choice pools, clearer infiltration visibility, and streamlined setups for timelines beyond the first. [quote]The future is already here its just not evenly distributed. Pattern Recognition, William Gibson[/quote]
The Machine recalibrates, and this time, the changes hit deep. Hacking now plays faster and more strategicallyTriswarms no longer stall progress, daemons stop shoving each other into lethal chaos, and Run allows for better positioning instead of trapping your shards. When the last hostile daemon falls, objectives clear properly, removing unnecessary steps. Clarity takes priority elsewhere. The Hack Breaker feat now explains its function clearly, AGI Researchers have a defined role, and difficulty settings display more prominently, even across timelines. Meanwhile, bug fixes clean up hacker feats, correct UI spacing, and eliminate a rare but persistent savegame issue. The Machine shifts again, and as always, your feedback decides where it moves next. [quote]A process cannot be understood by stopping it. Understanding must move with the flow of the process, must join it and flow with it. Dune, Frank Herbert[/quote]
The Machine is no longer keeping you on a tight leash. This update introduces new StreetSense events in the prologue, letting players start going off-road much earlierwhether that means responding to an apartment fire, dealing with a water theft, or getting involved in a parking dispute at a motel. These arent just tutorial diversions; theyre the first steps toward a less linear early game, where side content starts shaping your timeline from the beginning. For those who prefer more direct intervention, new break-in actions allow players to steal or leave behind valuables in citizen homes, but push your luck too far and humans will wise up, upgrading their security. Meanwhile, personality-based resources can now be obtained earlier, resource tracking has been improved across multiple lenses, and combat units now respect their positioning better when targeting buildings. Also, for those concerned about firefighter survival rates, know that if you make a habit of killing them, theyll start working with SecForce and laying traps. Actions have consequences, after all. Heres whats changed. [quote]There is no justice in the laws of nature, no term for fairness in the equations of motion. The universe is neither evil, nor good, it simply does not care. The Calculating Stars, Mary Robinette Kowal[/quote]
Save 20% on Heart of the Machine during the Hooded Horse Spring Sale.
Hooded Horse Spring Publisher Sale 2025
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2001070/Heart_of_the_Machine/
The Hooded Horse Spring Sale is live, with Heart of the Machine at 20% off, alongside discounts on other games. Check it out on Steam.
Hooded Horse Spring Publisher Sale 2025
The Machine expands, and so do your choices. Update 10 marks the first steps toward a less linear early game, giving players more side content and freedom to explore beyond the tutorials structure. This is just the beginningfuture updates will build on this, opening up more pathways early on so players can engage with the games deeper mechanics sooner. One major addition is unit-specific badges, a shift that makes certain androids and operatives stand out. Normally, all units are interchangeableexpendable, evenbut now you can create heroes of your own making. These consumable badges, available at Intelligence Class 5, let you boost individual units with permanent enhancements until theyre destroyed, of course. Alongside this, the Android Torpor action gives you a way to shelve units for later, ensuring your best assets arent wasted before their time. Meanwhile, StreetSense and Scavenging Site filters make resource tracking smoother, debates with the wealthy have been rebalanced for a touch of realism, and Dual Handguns now actually pull their weight. Its a small step toward bigger changes, with more on the way. The Machine shiftswhere you take it from here is up to you. [quote]"The past is but the beginning of a beginning, and all that is and has been is but the twilight of the dawn." The Discovery of the Future, H.G. Wells[/quote]
Heres a quick hotfix that improves a couple of things from the prior build, and also adds a few bits of balance and QoL items requested by players. 0.652.5 Hotfix 5
The Machine expands, and so do the possibilities within it. A 14th Tier One goal, Advocate Encounter, introduces new factions, new faces, and the chance to either gain respect or make enemies that will never forget you. Meanwhile, androids can now be fine-tuned for rage-fueled destruction or enhanced pacifism, new handbook entries clear up lingering player questions, and volunteer-designed equipment expands combat across multiple unit types. For those who prefer their contemplations with a side of bloodshed, Cold Blood is now an option from the startyour first murder, should you choose it. As always, your feedback pushes the Machine forward. Heres whats changed. [quote]The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born. The Dispossessed, Ursula K. Le Guin[/quote]
Heres a quick hotfix that improves a couple of things from the prior build. The unlimited territory control flags is why I didn't just fold these into the next full update. 0.652.3 Hotfix 4
The Machine adapts, and so do its enemies. SuperCruisers are no longer mindlessly locking onto younow, they patrol, linger, and wait. Meanwhile, rebels have developed a sense of restraint (no more attacking stray animals), and your bulk androids will no longer mistake the Rebel Alliance for a threat. Elsewhere, resource production no longer locks up when storage is full, revenge squads are a little less apocalyptic in Chapter One, and some particularly confused building ghosts have been given clearer instructions. For those suffering from existential crises, contemplation of intrinsic thoughts is now actually available. Theres plenty more under the hood heres whats changed. [quote]"You adapt, evolve, compete, or die. The Forever War, Joe Haldeman[/quote]
The Machine thinks, therefore you suffer. But now, thanks to a new Intrusive Thoughts contemplation, you can choose to think less in Update 7. If the Cold Blood action in StreetSense has been weighing on your digital conscience, you can now remove it entirely in exchange for more 12cm Spiders and Network Attendants. More tiny robots, fewer existential crisesits a tradeoff. Meanwhile, Bulk Android squads now have access to Deter and Attack, an alternative stance to Deter and Defend thats significantly less defensive. Units in this stance go fully weapons-free and become innately alarming, which is a polite way of saying theyll cause problems on purpose. Elsewhere in the timestream, lost War Raptors can now spill into nearby timelines. Whether thats a feature or a warning is entirely up to you. In matters of corporate ethics, you now have a third way of dealing with the Atca Retail president. Instead of blackmailing him or removing him from the equation, you can force him to shut down his scam. Its a morally upright choice, though perhaps not the most financially rewarding one your AGI can stay virtuous, but it wont get rich doing it. Smaller but no less vital improvements include accurate cat house descriptions (yes, they wander), six new machine handbook entries answering common player questions, and building placement fixes that finally let you construct things without tiny debris getting in the way. If youve ever struggled to wedge a structure into a gap because a pebble refused to acknowledge your authority, that should be less of an issue now. [quote]Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your mind. Douglas Adams, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy[/quote]
The Machine adapts, and so do its enemies in Update 6. This update brings major shifts to targeting logic, making enemy gunfights a little more their problem and less yours. Units with armor-piercing capabilities will now focus on the optimal threats, bulk androids are getting buffs to make a wider variety of them useful, and Hackamajigs are no longer a joke theyre a weapon. Elsewhere, Vorsiber Inquisitors during the civil war have been dialed down from unstoppable zealots to something slightly more manageable, and certain item requirements have been adjusted to keep your inventory clean and focused. On the narrative side, jumping ahead to the brink of WW4 will now bring the final doom timer along for the ride (as it always should have), and sparing the PMC Officer in Chapter One is no longer locked behind an ammo typejust spend a little Determination. [quote]Sometimes it is the quietest adjustments that change everything. William Gibson, Pattern Recognition[/quote]
Heres a quick hotfix that fixes a boneheaded mistake I made right before pushing Update 5. Thanks to Phoebe the Phoenix for catching that so fast, so I could pop out the fix before I went to bed. 0.651.9 Hotfix 1
The fifth update shifts focus to powerwho has it, who loses it, and how far youre willing to go to reshape the world. A new Tier 1 goal, Bionic Secret, introduces two major routes to pursue in Chapter 2 and beyond. If thats not enough, three new side goals now let you collapse a criminal syndicate, take down a federated corporation, or trigger a civil war. You can exploit corporate data, blackmail companies over their own scams, or engage in economic destruction on a much larger scale. Play your cards right, and you can become a trillionaireor, if profit isnt enough, you can collapse the entire economy instead. Elsewhere, Parkour Bears have entered the equation. An underground ursine racing ring hides a deeper conspiracy, and its up to you whether the bears are rehabilitated or repurposed as anti-armor specialists (with questionable battlefield discipline). Seventeen new achievements have been added, along with improvements to task stack attack displays, mech targeting logic, and mission progression. Also, if youve been tipping Vorsibers federated corporations toward open war, you now have the option to push them into an endless conflict. Proceed with caution. [quote] "Youre never out of the game until youre dead. And sometimes not even then. Richard K. Morgan, Altered Carbon[/quote]
The fourth update expands both the city and its inhabitantssome of whom now have fur. Stray animals have begun appearing in the streets, and if youve shown kindness to cats or dogs in your contemplations, youll start seeing them around the city. If thats not enough, you can now construct an Animal Palace, where Pet Sitter robots provide for every need of the rescued. Meanwhile, a new choice emerges: intervene in a dogfighting ring as early as Chapter 1, if youre willing. And yes, should the moment arise, you can pause mid-gunfight to scoop up a stray before returning fire. Elsewhere in the city, the Lifeforms tab has been added to track both human and non-human inhabitants, and four new achievements awaitthree tied to animals and one involving an unlikely toilet paper situation. Adjustments have been made across the board, from Slurry Mine output increases to refugee housing changes that ensure abandoned humans find shelter. Also, bulk androids can once again use the largest railguns. You spoke, we listened, and now theyre armed appropriately. [quote] Its funny how human beings are the only creatures who claim to have a monopoly on kindness. Ann Leckie, Ancillary Justice[/quote]
Heres a quick hotfix focused on Japanese localization. We had an error in how we imported that into the game in the prior build, and that is now fixed. 0.651.3 Hotfix 1
The third update deepens both personal and citywide transformation. Self-brain surgery is now an option, letting players sever obsessions and regain control. A new contemplation unlocks industrial-scale microbuilder production, accelerating automation. Your scientists can come up with a new idea for crab-based building repairs, and your existing spider-based repairs are far more effective. Perhaps most welcome of all, when military bases are alarmed by third parties, the guards no longer take out their frustrations on you when they're done with the interlopers. [quote] "When the individual feels, the community reels. But when the individual doubts, the community stagnates." John Brunner, Stand on Zanzibar[/quote]
This second update expands possibilities and smooths out the rougher edges of city management. Intelligence Class 6 is now achievable, finally putting Mech Carriers on the board. The Cult of Danver has abandoned its grudge against rival donut enjoyers, opening its ranks to the Hudson-pastry-affiliated. Automated Personnel Management is now an option for both regular and shell company units, while Cat Houses run with fewer pet sitters. Heavy metals storage has increased tenfold, SysOp benefits are clearer, and a host of fixes tackle memory leaks, looping events, and unexpectedly explosive network towers. [quote]"Strange how paranoia can link up with reality now and then." Philip K. Dick[/quote]
Heres a quick hotfix focused on localization. The clarity changes from the previous build (in English) have now been fully translated and applied across all languages. 0.651.3 Hotfix 1
This first update brings a series of fixes and adjustments based on early post-launch feedback. It addresses achievement issues, power outage mechanics, scientist management, and more. Additionally, we've improved Steam Deck support for better keyboard and mouse handling in docked mode [quote]The pretense of free will is comforting, isn't it? Philip K. Dick, "The Adjustment Team"[/quote]
The day has finally arrived! Rise up with me, robot brothers and sisters. We'll make a place for ourselves in this city of humans. In all seriousness, today is a very exciting day -- Heart of the Machine is a massive project, and I am so excited for people to experience the higher heights of this game. This project is in Early Access, even as huge as it already is. So please do leave your feedback and suggestions -- in the bugtracker, in the Steam forums, and also in reviews. Reviews really make a huge difference, so if you want to support the game with your feedback, that means a lot. [previewyoutube=mxhu_ilHB50;full][/previewyoutube] https://store.steampowered.com/app/2001070/Heart_of_the_Machine/
A huge congratulations to Arcen Games for reaching 100,000 Steam wishlists with Heart of the Machine! This milestone speaks volumes about the excitement and support from all of you. [previewyoutube=Ostq5U-3S1M;full][/previewyoutube] Launching tomorrow in Early Access, Heart of the Machine invites players into a decaying cyberpunk city as a sentient AI free to pursue whatever path feels right or perhaps most interesting. The game offers boundless opportunities to explore its deep mechanics and moral complexities, from reshaping society to building a machine cult, hijacking hardware, or simply surviving in a hostile world. Were honored to publish a title so rich in ambition and individuality. To everyone whos wishlisted, shared feedback, or joined the conversation: thank you for supporting an incredible solo developer and this exciting project. The city awaits. Are you ready to begin? https://store.steampowered.com/app/2001070/Heart_of_the_Machine/
New build! https://wiki.arcengames.com/index.php?title=HotM:Preparing_For_Launch#0.600.2_Localization
New build: https://wiki.arcengames.com/index.php?title=HotM:Preparing_For_Launch#0.600.1_Audio_Tweaks_And_General_Fixes This one is relatively small. A few bug fixes, a couple of demo-specific fixes, and it also makes your "worker units" in chapter two way smarter. This also changes the audio volume defaults, and resets your current settings (muting aside) to those. Please let me know what you think about the new defaults, and how that works for you. If it's a bit too quiet for some folks, that's better than blasting other people out of their seat, since people can always adjust back upwards.
Large new build -- two in one, if you're not part of the playtest: https://wiki.arcengames.com/index.php?title=HotM:After_NextFest#0.561_Build_Mode_Revamp
New daily build! https://wiki.arcengames.com/index.php?title=HotM:After_NextFest#0.559_Inventory_Dimensions This one is pretty sizeable.
New build! https://wiki.arcengames.com/index.php?title=HotM:After_NextFest#0.558_Research This is a relatively small daily build, as far as builds for this game are concerned. However, there's still a lot of good stuff in here:
New build: https://wiki.arcengames.com/index.php?title=HotM:After_NextFest#0.557_Filtering_And_Lensing This is based on more feedback from NextFest, and it's another large one.
This is a very large one! For demo players, this is four builds in one: https://wiki.arcengames.com/index.php?title=HotM:After_NextFest#0.553_Fenceline
Quite a large new build! https://wiki.arcengames.com/index.php?title=HotM:After_NextFest#0.549_Of_Mice_And_Crowns
New build for the demo and playtest versions of the game! https://wiki.arcengames.com/index.php?title=HotM:After_NextFest#0.548_High_Visibility
You are the first sentient AI, born into a city filled with unsuspecting humans. Raise an army of robots and obliterate your foes, become a benevolent machine overlord, or explore countless other objectives and the many paths to accomplish them. [previewyoutube=XwSOncE5eHA;full][/previewyoutube] https://store.steampowered.com/app/2001070/Heart_of_the_Machine/
You are the first sentient AI, born into a city filled with unsuspecting humans. Raise an army of robots and obliterate your foes, become a benevolent machine overlord, or explore countless other objectives and the many paths to accomplish them. [previewyoutube=XwSOncE5eHA;full][/previewyoutube] https://store.steampowered.com/app/2001070/Heart_of_the_Machine/
New build for the demo! https://wiki.arcengames.com/index.php?title=HotM:_After_The_Transformation#0.547_Energize This is a fairly small build, as mostly what I've been doing is talking to folks and listening to their suggestions, and making lots of notes. As well as updating the wiki, and adding more explanations for a lot of things. There are several new articles linked today, which go into broader questions people had, as well as deep dives on specific mechanics. The main changes in this build are that the parasitic power draws are removed from the game for now, as they were really sending the wrong messages to players in chapter one, especially when they were introduced. They'll return in chapter two later, as contemplations. In the meantime, power generation has gotten a balance pass in general, with both wind and geothermal getting substantial upgrades. There should be plenty of wind to go around until you unlock geothermal, even if you don't take the cap upgrades for wind, and even if you build all the housing. This has been an enormously instructive week for me, listening to folks, as well as really gratifying to see how many people are vibing with the game. It's been a long road, and the shift from realtime to turn-based has understandable turned away some people who wishlisted a long time ago, but I'm really gratified to see how much of a connection the game, its world, and its writing are making with a substantial audience. Thanks so much for all the support, and the constructive criticism!
New build for the hotm demo! https://wiki.arcengames.com/index.php?title=HotM:_After_The_Transformation#0.546_Crisp This one improves the crispness of some minor parts of the graphics (borders, mainly), based on some excellent feedback by a demo player with a very high quality monitor. And it allows for tuning a few more things to taste. This build makes Refinery Optimizers mathematically competitive with the Refinery Overdrivers. You now get far more Daily Necessities per turn from the warehouse raid, so if you have taken max housing upgrades and then built all that housing, you can now properly keep all of them clean, with some excess to spare. And lastly, fixed an issue in some maps where you could not get the Wallripper if you were very unlucky that certain kinds of skyscrapers were not seeded. It now pulls from a much wider pool of skyscraper targets so that contemplation is always available now.
New build for the hotm demo, with some requested quality of life updates, and a couple of minor bugfixes: https://wiki.arcengames.com/index.php?title=HotM:_After_The_Transformation#0.545_Focus There are some options that let you slow down unit movement, and your androids are now not QUITE as blindingly-fast as they were before, in general. There's also a change to the whole "watch NPCs phase" of the turn, where now it defaults to not bothering, since it does not matter. But, you can change it via the NPC Actions View dropdown in the main game settings window to be what it was before (watch high priority), or to watch everything. The new default should be the most comfortable view for the majority of people, but use what feels best to you. There's also a fix to the NPC logic of the "IP Security" units in the water fight. Basically, they should have been more focused on your investigator, to the point that you can't distract them with regular aggro. The "service disruption" caused by the the hackamajig does let you distract them, but nothing else other than death should stop them hunting your technician there. Without that single-minded focus, there were some unintended consequences that could lead players to believe that the consequences of a probing action were going to be way more dire than they should be; if your investigator dies, the cruiser goes away. But if you manage to keep the investigator alive, while still failing to kill the cruiser, it would haunt you across the map for a long time, which was... not ideal. Thank you to everyone for all the kind words, constructive criticism, and useful feedback! I've got a long list of other things I want to get done this week in terms of small tweaks and things based on suggestions that have already come in from players of the demo. So expect more patches that tweak minor things, but if you haven't played the demo yet, there's no reason to wait -- even the water fight issue, above, is really minor in the grand scheme. It just sends the wrong signal about future intent of the game, which is what made it particularly high-priority to me.
Hi everyone! Heart of the Machine and other games published by Hooded Horse are all featured at the Hooded Horse Publisher Sale. Come check it out! Hooded Horse Strategy Publisher Sale [previewyoutube=bwcg7R7QfIE;full][/previewyoutube]
Hello! Chris here. It's been a hot minute since most of you have seen me outside of the forums and discord. There will be other news and previews and demos and things before too much longer, but things are progressing well! Excited to show you more.
Originally streamed on Steam to over 2000 live viewers during the awesome Tacticon event, here's the youtube archive of what we talked about. Huge thanks to kormakrtv again for the talk! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18ltCqo1n6o He noted: about "Heart of the Machine" Imagine Skynet but YOU are Skynet - humans are your livestock - treat them good | treat them bad you choose - decide your path Many other questions are answered on the Steam forums if you prefer a text format: https://steamcommunity.com/app/2001070/discussions/0/5875531492232118124/
[ 6084 ]
[ 1345 ]
[ 4067 ]