- Demo coming soon - Wishlist to Get notified! - 30 September 2026
Hi everyone!This is going to be a super quick announcement about our upcoming demo. We've been hard at work implementing all the ideas and feedback you've given us throughout the playtest and our demo build (which will have some new creatures to play with) is almost done. While we are putting the finishing touches on the demo we've decided to close the playtest. At the moment our plan is to launch the demo early November after the rush of demo activity from the Steam Next Fest dies down.The best way to get notified is to wishlist the game by hitting the button below.ThanksSean
- More creature details, More performance, and bug fixes - 1 September 2026
Hi everyone!This next update is coming earlier than I expected, but one of our players noticed a potential game breaking bug which I've now fixed and wanted to get out there. It means two big new changes have also come with this, more information about creatures and multithreading!Creature Inspector: creatures now explain themselvesThe old creature panel showed you four percentages and one state word. Every number on it was about the creature; none of it was a reason a creature was doing something. The two questions we kept seeing players asked were "why is that chicken running away from the food?" and "what is stopping my creatures breeding?" which were both unanswerable. They're also not the same shape of question, so they now get different answers.A reason line. Under the state word, a plain sentence saying why: "Running from a Wolf", "Walking to a berry bush", "Cannot see any food,…
- Playtest 5 Open for Everyone! - 20 August 2026
Hi everyone!We have opened up the playtest again and are changing the way we run it. Instead of a fixed weekend test we are just going to keep the playtest open. As a small team we find it hard to get the word out about our games and having a playable version of the game on Steam (even if it is a beta) really helps. The plan is still to hold back updates until there is some significant change, so please keep sending us feedback using the normal channels (in-game survey, email, discord, steam forums).This is the biggest update the game has ever had… Since the last playtest build the park has grown actual terrain there are now two named maps (one available in the demo) with a star-based progression between them and the deepest pass on creature behaviour we've ever done. Creatures now sleep, flocks behave like herds of individual animals instead of one blob, fights actually end, and dragon…
- Playtest 4 Open for Everyone! - 21 July 2026
Good news!Captain Contraption's Safari Park Playtest 4 is live and available to download and play until 29th July. We decided to do a few more playtests before we push forward with the demo.The changes in this build are quite big. The goop economy has been rebuilt from the ground up, you can now sell buildings, dead creatures are no longer wasted, and runs get longer the better you play. There's also a serious performance pass ... big parks should be a lot smoother.Thank you to everyone who filled in the surveys. Almost everything below came directly out of your reports. We will be running the same survey again for this playtest so please provide feedback if you have time.Headline ChangesRecycler Robots Dead creatures are no longer a dead loss. Every Population Control building now ships with a Recycler robot that collects corpses and converts them into goop, and you can buy more. Bigge…
- Playtest 3 is a wrap! - 29 June 2026
Hi everyone,Playtest number 3 is a wrap! Thank-you so much to everyone who took part. This was the biggest of the three and we've already had some really useful feedback. If you played but didn’t get around to filling in the feedback form, you can still do so here:https://forms.gle/5uR1usZekb2Q3UTK9(It’s the same form that was accessible in-game.)The next step for us is to look at all the feedback and analytics and use those to give things a bit of a polish ready for the demo release. Along with tweaks based on your feedback I've been convinced that putting some actual safari park animals in our safari park might be a good idea for marketing... ...guerrilla marketing. Best wishesSean
- Open Playtest THIS WEEKEND ONLY - 26 June 2026
Hi everyone,The playtest for Captain Contraption's Safari Park is now open for everyone.You can go to the store page and add the playtest to your library and check it out. The build is essentially what we will be releasing as the demo after we look through all your feedback. There are two sets of species to unlock, some buildings and a few passive upgrades.The playtest will end on Monday 6PM UK time so be sure to jump in now.If you do check it out, and you have time, please fill out this survey so we can make the game the best it can be. Survey Link: https://forms.gle/eyj1iqJEBrjrHYaz8Thanks and enjoy!Sean
- How to get early access to the next playtest! - 20 June 2026
Hello fellow gamers!Thanks to everyone who gave feedback during the last closed playtest for Captain Contraption’s Safari Park.I’ve been hard at work implementing a bunch of changes based on your feedback (all listed below) and we’re ready to run the third, and likely final, playtest!Things are going to run a little differently this time and we will be running a closed playtest followed by an open one. Those who have activated a Steam key for the playtest will get early access on Wednesday 24th June, then we will open up the playtest signup on Steam for everyone on Friday 26th June. The playtest will then close for everyone on Monday 29th June.If you want to get into the playtest early and haven’t already activated a Steam key sign up to our mailing list here https://www.pillbug.zone/Before you read the patch notes, if you haven’t already wishlisted the game please do so. It helps the a…
- Playtest #2 - 22nd to 25th May (Sign ups close 21st May) - 29 April 2026
We're running a second closed beta weekend for Captain Contraption's Safari Park, and we'd love to have some new faces in there.If you haven't played before the idea is that you build a safari park with a fully simulated ecosystem. Clone bizarre species, design paths to guide guests through the attractions, and try to keep everything under control. What's changed since the first betaThe build has had a significant overhaul based on feedback from the first test:A new path-building mode — you now lay out looped routes for visitors to follow rather than placing waypoints. It sounds small but it makes the game feel quite different.A reworked tutorial that does more than just explain the controls.Much better UI clarity so you can actually see what's going on in your park.How to get a keySign ups close on 21st May — that's when we lock the list and send keys out. If you want in, grab a spot n…
- Progress towards our next closed Beta Weekend - 10 April 2026
Quick update on where things are at with Captain Contraption’s Safari Park.We’ve been working towards the next playtest build and… it’s turned into a much bigger change than we expected.A lot of that comes directly from the feedback from the first test. Thank you again to everyone who played and sent thoughts it genuinely shaped what we’ve been doing.The biggest change recently is how visitors move around the park.We’ve replaced the waypoint system with a proper path building mode, where you build loops for visitors to follow. It’s a much more natural way to lay things out and it actually makes the game feel quite different. You’re not just placing points anymore, you’re designing routes. Here is a sneak video preview! Don't worry... visitors can still get eaten.On top of that I’ve been putting a lot of time into the tutorial and general UI.A pretty clear theme from feedback was that th…
- Closed Beta Update — What We're Changing Before the Next Test - 16 March 2026
Hello everyone,First of all, thank you to everyone who played the first closed beta of Captain Contraption’s Safari Park. And an extra thank you to everyone who took the time to send feedback.We received around 40 detailed comments and survey responses, and they’ve been incredibly helpful.Over the past week we’ve been going through everything and turning it into a development plan for the next beta. A few themes came through very clearly:Players want the core systems to be easier to understandThe GOOP economy needs clearer feedbackThe early game needs to move a bit fasterSo those are the areas we’re focusing on for the next build.Main Changes Coming to the Next BetaClearer Systems & TutorialWe’re reworking the early experience so the game teaches how the ecosystem works, not just which buttons to press.Changes include:Breaking onboarding into smaller contextual stepsMaking the objective…
- Beta Weekend Complete ... Thank You! 🦁 - 2 March 2026
We’ve officially wrapped up the first weekend beta for Captain Contraption’s Safari Park.A huge thank you to everyone who jumped in. The response — and the quality of feedback — has genuinely been amazing.We’ve seen ecosystems spiral into chaos, carefully balanced food chains collapse in seconds, and some extremely creative park design decisions. Exactly what a beta is for.What Happens Next?Dave and I are now going through everything you’ve sent and putting together a clear plan of action for changes and improvements.Once that’s done, we’ll run another beta weekend.If you missed this one — don’t worry, there will be another chance join our mailing list using the link below to make sure you are the first to find out when we run the next test.If you have friends who’d enjoy stress-testing a fragile ecosystem (or causing controlled ecological disasters), feel free to send them our way:http…
- What you’ll be playing in the Safari Park beta - 19 February 2026
The closed beta for Captain Contraption’s Safari Park will be running from Friday 27th February to Monday 2nd March.To take part, you’ll need to sign up in advance — this is the only way to receive a free beta key.👉 Sign up for beta access here:https://www.pillbug.zone/In the beta, you’ll have access to two very different sets of species, each designed to create a distinct kind of chaos.The first is Farm Animals. This side of the game has no carnivores at all — but don’t let that fool you. You’ll be dealing with rapidly growing populations, limited resources, and creatures (looking at you, rabbits) that breed… enthusiastically. It’s all about prevention, planning, and staying one step ahead before things spiral.The second is Fantasy. Here’s where things get a lot more volatile. This set includes knights, orcs, dragons, and other creatures that don’t always get along. Carnivores, rival…
- Why you signing up for the beta helps us - 5 February 2026
The closed beta for Captain Contraption’s Safari Park will be running from Friday 27th February to Monday 2nd March.To take part, you’ll need to sign up in advance — this is the only way to receive a free beta key.👉 Sign up for beta access here:https://www.pillbug.zone/Because the idea of a roguelike tycoon is still a bit unusual, this beta is going to be super important in helping us figure out what’s working and what isn’t. Your playtime (even short, casual sessions) will directly shape how the game develops.The build you’ll be playing is what we call a vertical slice. That means it’s a smaller, focused version of the full game that includes the core systems and ideas, rather than lots of unfinished content. You’ll be able to run a park, unlock creatures and buildings, and experience the main game loop — just on a tighter scale.One of the key things we’re hoping to get feedback on is…
- Safari Park Beta Dates Announced - 31 January 2026
The closed beta for Captain Contraption’s Safari Park will be running from Friday 27th February to Monday 2nd March.To take part, you’ll need to sign up in advance — this is the only way to receive a free beta key.👉 Sign up for beta access here:https://www.pillbug.zone/⚠️ Important: sign-ups close on Wednesday 26th February. Steam keys will be emailed out when the beta begins and will only work for the duration of the test.If you’d like to help shape the game and share feedback, we’d love to have you involved.
- All Our Games Are on Sale 🎉 - 27 January 2026
If you’ve been meaning to check out any of our games, they’re all on sale right now.Thanks so much for the support — it really helps us keep making weird little games.
- Captain Contraption’s Safari Park FAQs - 7 January 2026
Welcome to the FAQ: all the important answers, safely contained.Is there a demo?There will be! Before that, we want to run playtests so we can gather lots of feedback and properly polish the game.Switch when?Probably never. Our entire focus is on PC.We’re a team of two, and I’m the only programmer. Splitting time across multiple platforms wouldn’t be fair on you or the game. Depending on how well the PC version does, we might consider other platforms in the future, the last Steam game we ported to Switch was BAFTA nominated, after all, but no promises.Who composed the music?We’re extremely lucky to be working with Jordan Rees again, who has composed the music for all of our projects.The music currently in the game and trailers is from our other games, while Jordan works on a completely new soundtrack for Captain Contraption’s Safari Park.What were your inspirations?Mini Metro, Jurassic…
- How to stay up to date with Captain Contraption’s Safari Park! - 7 January 2026
Howdy, future safari tycoons!This post is for anyone who wants to follow along as we develop the game, peek behind the scenes at our progress, and maybe even join the extremely exclusive beta. Below are a few places you can follow us where we’ll be sharing updates, clips, and general park-related chaos. We spared no expense…TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pillbugintYouTube: On TikTok and YouTube, I’ll be posting short videos showing off mechanics in the game; lots of little previews of what we’re building. I’ll also share news about our other games, including when they’re on sale and what they’re all about. Mailing List: https://subscribepage.io/hZKgliThis is how you secure a spot in our closed beta. I’ll also be sending out updates roughly once a month, each one diving into a different part of the game; maybe progression mechanics one month, then how the ecosystem simulation works the…
