Roadside Research — patch notes and updates
Stored observation / content update:
Dated developer announcements recorded from Steam. Open the source for the complete update.
| Update | Date | Excerpt / source |
|---|---|---|
| Hotfix 11 - Box to Box Transfer and more | 2026-05-22 | Alien HQ thanks you for your stellar feedback on the latest update! Your kind words and detailed anomaly reports helped us identify and fix a number of issues. Here is a list of all the fixes:Box-Box transfer is back babyyyyyyy Boxes fall under the floor less often. This is not a perfect solution but it should make it better. We are working on a proper fix. Added an icon on the Data Analyzer to make it clear the DNA sample needs to be attached for the symbol puzzle. Fixed several placement issues in the storage room Tool reset icon is now disabled correctly Made it possible to go under the stairs once the last storage update is unlocked. Fixe |
| Hotfix 10 - Client VS Pump | 2026-05-19 | Hey Goopers, We fixed an issue where the client was unable to attach the pump to the car Happy Goopin'! |
| More Alien, More Sim Update is LIVE now! | 2026-05-19 | Welcome to next level gas station chaos! Alien HQ has upgraded its invasion protocols with everything being slightly more alien, slightly more sim-heavy, and significantly more fun! With over 730K copies sold so far, this mission has been a great success already! And it would not be possible without all of you fantastic undercover operators! Thanks to your support, Roadside Research is being played, streamed and used worldwide by friends and families to come together and have a good laugh gooping on the floor. Here are the biggest upgrades: Open your receptors as a new transmission of highly requested upgrades has entered your systems: a stor |
| More Alien, More Sim Update Coming May 19! | 2026-05-12 | Attention, researchers in disguise! What started as a perfectly ordinary undercover mission involving Boneless Bananas and “totally normal human behavior” is about to escalate beyond parameters with next week’s update: expect bizarre new alien technology, more sim elements, and enough fresh chaos to make local authorities deeply uncomfortable. See for yourself in the brand-new Roadside Research trailer!The next update will go live on May 19th!Thanks to your many feedback transmissions, stellar new features are about to increase the fun level to the max! Here are the biggest upgrades: The Alien Room will be your extraterrestrial sanctuary on p |
| Easter content update is HERE! | 2026-04-03 | Happy Wester... Easter, fellow undercover operators! Based on recently decrypted signals, we understand that humans enjoy being exposed to colorful ovum units (“Easter eggs”) and cranial appendages resembling bipedal mammals (“bunny ears”) during this time of the year. However, we still wonder why these items are used to celebrate cardinal directions...Either way, the mothership has deployed a fresh batch of festive seasonal decorations for you to better blend in. Caution: excessive exposure to this Earth custom may result in… actually liking it? The Easter update is live now and includes the following: 10 Easter-themed decoration items 6 new |
| Hotfix 9 | 2026-03-25 | Hello Goopers! We know that the previous bug sweep left out a few stragglers. Thanks to your reports, we’ve found the root causes of many and wiped them out. The eradication efforts of this hotfix include the following: Fixed an issue where the shop would be unusable with a controller due to two different actions being assigned to the same button Fixed invisible agents Decreased memory load of the game Fixed an issue where it was impossible to remove some placeables because the game thought a customer is still using them Fixed various desync issues Please continue let us know if you are encountering issues still! This week we will work furthe |
| Hotfix 8 - Can't interact with screen | 2026-03-23 | Hello Goopers! Your feedback was received, your player logs cherished and your patience deeply appreciated by command. Here are the bugs that got zapped: - Fixed an issue where the client has everything highlighted in green and can't interact with the screen - Fixing this issue likely resolved a bunch of other weird bugs as well. - Fixed an issue where cleaning robot would go on a strike and would stop cleaning. - Fixed an issue where items would get stuck on the self scan. Please continue let us know if you are encountering issues still! This week we will work further to stabilize the game so your reports are very handy! As we will start wor |
| Hotfix 7 - Fix for items stuck in hand | 2026-03-20 | Hello goopers, - Fixed an issue where it was impossible to drop tools after interacting with the alien screen Sorry for the troubles! |
| Hotfix 6 - Automation Tweaks & Other Fixes | 2026-03-20 | Unacceptable levels of weirdness in the latest version of the game have been identified and neutralized. Thanks to everyone for staying patient and helping us troubleshoot this! The following has been corrected with the hotfix: Fixed an issue where the cleaning robot would spawn on the roof Fixed an issue where players would not be able to interact with the alien screen Automation tweaks including the following: Reduced overfilling when auto pump is on. Pumping speed has slightly decreased to compensate. The cleaning robot breaks less often Self-checkout requires assistance less often Fixed an issue where agents would get stuck Fixed an issue |
| Hotfix 5 - Stuck NPCs | 2026-03-19 | Hello Goopers! Small hotfix to make sure NPCs don't get stuck at their cars! Hope you enjoy! |
| Automation Update Is Out NOW! | 2026-03-19 | Your intergalactic espionage mission is kicking into overdrive... And as every lifeform knows, efficiency is key! Let’s buckle up for automation! This means less chores, higher sales, and more time to run extremely invasive human research. Watching so many of you play Roadside Research has been an absolute blast (especially with over 400,000 copies sold in just the first month of Early Access)! Thanks to your support, we’ve already been able to improve the game so much in such a short time and seeing it featured in this month's Steam Top Releases truly feels out of this world. What’s new: Summary of the automation update As promised, the upda |
| Hotfix 4 – Backend Optimizations | 2026-03-16 | Greetings goopers, In preparation for the March 19th update, we have deployed a small backend hotfix that's necessary for a smooth transition. List of changes: Optimized networking and backend improvements. As always, we continue to monitor feedback and will make improvements where needed. Thanks for playing! |
| Automation Update Coming March 19th! | 2026-03-12 | Greetings, average Terran business owners! Your feedback on how to make Roadside Research more fun was devoured like late-night gas station pizza, resulting in a new update that is being locked and loaded to turn your pit stop into an interstellar limelight of automation! The new patch will launch on March 19th. Here are the highlights: Automation tools including a self-scan register, self-service gas pumps, and a cleaning robot (let machines and humans do the dirty work). Look at this preview of the Automatic Surface Scrubber: New products (sell cryogenically preserved foods like frozen pizza and ice cream). Shop expansion (increase the shop |
| Patch 2 - Hotfix for crashes | 2026-02-27 | Hello Goopers, We added some extra telemetry in yesterdays patch to track down crashes easier. We think we fixed 2 of them! - Crash when interacting with the open store sign- Crash when loading in the scene with empty boxes Let us know if you re still encountering problems! |
| Roadside Research Mini Content Update + HUGE News for Automation! | 2026-02-26 | Hello everyone!Hope you've been well since the last time we spoke. We are coming in hot with new stuff implemented, we have re-shifted priorities to bring you heavily requested content ahead of schedule and to even bring 1.0 features into Early Access. This also means that certain automation features that were initially planned for the Automation Update will be coming sooner.As always, we are reading every review and forum post, it's incredibly important to us to hear what you have to say about Roadside Research's development. If you have an urgent question, hop into the Discord where we can answer you faster. Otherwise the Steam Forums are a |
| Patch #1 - Roadside Research | 2026-02-19 | Greeting my fellow goopers I hope this announcement finds you well (I promise not to call you that again)Welcome to this new patch announcement. This will be broken down into multiple sectionsWhat we have fixed Common Requests we are aware ofWhat is coming nextWe have recently pushed two hotfixes last week, an update on what we are working on Monday. And today we have a first patch now that things are bit... calmer. Thank you for your patience!So without further delay, here are the patch notes for today's build update.1. What we have fixedPatch Notes - Thursday, February 19thFix for not being able to grab anything after interacting with the d |
| Updates: What is next for Roadside Research? (And 150,000 players, wow!) | 2026-02-16 | May this message find your goop plentiful and your store full of humans.Hey everyone! What a weekend it has been. I am happy to report that over 150,000 people have played Roadside Research right here on Steam, and the reviews have been delightful to read. So thank you, from the bottom of our hearts for being part of this Early Access while we continue developing the game.1. What we have done so farWe just recently updated the game with two hotfixes before the weekend. Hotfix 1: Single Player AdjustmentsHotfix 2: Customer Satisfaction and Suspicion We have heard from a lot of people that hotfix 1 was enough for single players and duos. The ma |
| Post-Launch Fix 2 - Customer Satisfaction & Suspicion Level Adjustments | 2026-02-13 | Hello everyone,We have seen that players are being troubled with low customer satisfaction scores, and that the game might feel too punishing even though the store is clean, the prices are correct, not gooping too much, etc. We have also seen some players discussing that suspicion might not be clear, how does it work, how do you reduce it. So we are addressing a bit of that as well.We have decided to do the following: Dirty marks and trash will have less negative impact on customer satisfaction Bigger boost to positive customer satisfaction at checkout at the register and gas pumps Reduce suspicion viewing distance and penalties from customer |
| Post-Launch Fix 1 - Single Player Changes (Less cleaning, customer balancing) | 2026-02-12 | Hello everyone, We have noticed some complaints from solo players that there is a bit too much to do in the current version of the game. So we have just rolled out a new patch.List of changes:Decreased the amount of dirt spawned by 50%Reduced amount of customers for single players by 33%Increased the number of items purchased in single player by 33% per customerIncreased the amount of trash dropped by NPCs in single player by 33% per customerReduced global amount of items purchased by 25%This also scales up to 2, 3, and 4 players. Even though there are less customers, you should end up with the same amount of money as before the update. As al |
| Roadside Research is out now! | 2026-02-12 | ....////// IMPORTANT TRANSMISSION /////....Roadside Research is out, meaning you can play this very moment! The Early Access launch is here, we've spent the couple past months listening to feedback from the demo and playtest, polishing the experience to make sure you have a good time conducting research on humans managing the gas station.A quick overview of features in Roadside Research Early AccessDedicated Single Player mode Multiplayer modeNew NPC and Government Agent behaviors New Alien mini games A lot more alien tech to use and do research with (no spoilers)Tons of human items to stock your store and sellCheck the most recent FAQ post f |