- Lakehopper 0.4.1: Bugfixes - 30 August 2026
Hello Pilots! Just a little bugfix update today! I've been on a summer break for most of August, and am getting back into the swing of things with some exciting updates planned for the future! Everything's pretty self-explanatory, so I'll just go straight into the changelog.ChangelogBugfixesAdded Glacier float hatches and power plant hatch cover to the Manypeaks parts shack.Added rudder pedal visual to the Glacier.Made the attach point for the hand truck on the Glacier struts easier to interact with.Fixed a spelling error that's been lurking for more than a year and a half. "Detatch" is now properly spelled "detach."Happy Skies!
- Lakehopper 0.4: The Glacier is now available on the main branch! - 28 July 2026
Hello pilots!I'm happy to announce that the Glacier is now available on the game's main branch! Thank you to everyone who gave it a try on the beta branch and reported bugs and feature requests! Much of this devlog will be familiar to those who have been keeping up with the beta updates, but I'll repeat all that info here for everyone else!The GlacierThis plane is based on a classic real-world bush plane on floats, much beloved for many, many years. It flies like an absolute dream, even better than I expected. The Glacier is intended to serve as an amazing beginner plane and capable bush seaplane. It's a great plane for players new to flight sims in general, and also for experienced flight simmers learning the nuances of operating a seaplane, or who don't often fly multi-engine planes.To give it a try, you can start a new game and choose to start with the Glacier from the main menu. Bot…
- Lakehopper 0.3.10 beta: Binder updates, paint fix, & bugfixes! - 22 July 2026
Hello pilots!Some more updates to refine the Glacier experience!ChangelogMajor ChangesBinder updates to include Glacier specific info!Each subsystem now has an additional page showing the Glacier specific configuration.There are now separate checklists for the Lakehopper and the Glacier. Eventually these sections will be expanded to have more relevant plane info.ImprovementsExpanded the "Getting Started" section in the binder. It's probably still not very helpful, but I added a few seaplane specific points to the text.BugfixesThe cowling and float hatches will now properly match custom plane colors on the Glacier.Fixed a few typos in the Lakehopper checklistRemoved references to default keyboard keybinds in the binder.Secured the Magnoprop core on the Lakehopper Quick StartFixed some issues related to the debug fly optionFixed an issue where the player was able to move and open tools wh…
- Lakehopper 0.3.9 beta update: Glacier quick start, colors, & plane swap - 15 July 2026
Hello pilots!Here's what's new in this beta update! A full changelog is at the bottom of this post.Glacier Quick StartYou're now able to select the Quick Start option for the Glacier plane, providing the option for a faster build at the start of the game. I've also updated the UI on the main menu to make picking how you start clearer and it also adds the ability for me to expand on it in the future! Glacier ColorsYou can now recolor the Glacier like you can with the Lakehopper. It's the same UI and works in the same way. I still consider this a placeholder, and more advanced livery customization will be added at some point.As you may notice, the float hatches and engine cowl don't match properly. I know about this issue and will fix it soon, but it ended up being a more involved fix than I'd hoped and got pushed back.Plane SwappingFor the first time, you'll have access to more than one…
- Lakehopper 0.3.8 beta: Glacier Bugfixes - 3 July 2026
Hello Pilots!Another quick update on the beta branch with some bugfixes.ChangelogBugfixesFixed an issue where the Rear Magnoprop mount could attach to cargo racks.Fixed an issue where the Glacier's water rudder would often stop working after landing.Added a missing hand truck to the Glacier start.Adjusted the cargo rack attach position in the Glacier to make it easier to see and access all bays.I'm still not happy with this layout and need a better solution, but this makes better use of what's in the game right now.Happy skies!
- 0.3.7 Beta Hotfix: Game Saving bugfix - 2 July 2026
Quick hotfix to fix a critical bug. Oops! Thanks to everyone who jumped on the beta and found this bug and others that will be fixed in the coming week.ChangelogBugfixesFixed a critical bug that was preventing players from saving their game in the new Glacier start. You can now actually save the game with your fancy new plane!Fixed a cosmetic bug where the new Magnoprop core locking rings were unsecured on the plane on the main menu.
- 0.3.6 beta: Introducing the Glacier! - 2 July 2026
Hello, Pilots!It's time for Lakehopper's first major content update! I'm incredibly excited to introduce everyone to Lakehopper's second plane, the Glacier!This single-engine floatplane is a blast to fly. It's available for everyone to try now on the beta branch. As of now it requires starting a new game to try it out, though I'll be adding the ability to obtain this plane in existing saves soon, before the main branch release. More information about the Glacier is below, and I already know it'll be a great addition to the fleet. It joins the original multi-engine flying boat already in the game, which will now be known as the eponymous Lakehopper! (I'll use the abbreviation LH1 in places where that can be confusing.)Introducing the GlacierThis plane is based on a classic real-world bushplane on floats, much beloved for many, many years. It flies like an absolute dream, even better than…
- Lakehopper 0.3.5 Update: A Bunch O' Bugfixes - 2 June 2026
Hello pilots!Got a bunch of bugfixes here, mostly related to the technical refactor done in 0.3.3 and 0.3.4. There's nothing too spectacular that requires extra explanation, so let's go straight to the changelog!ChangelogBugfixesFixed an issue related to incorrectly configured attachments on a certain preset group of parts.The preset fully assembled tank parts in Manypeaks were incorrectly configured and would fail to properly attach to each other. This was causing issues with colliders, which was then causing issues with loading from a save file and returning to Manypeaks. Turns out the game doesn't like dealing with colliders hundreds of kilometers long...If you were having issues flying to Manypeaks multiple times, or save files in Manypeaks failing to load, this is likely why. This fix should allow for those save files to work properly, but if you're still having issues, let me know…
- 0.3.4 Update - 20 May 2026
Hi pilots!I'm pushing the latest beta update to the main branch, bringing the game's version up to 0.3.4. The main focus of this update is technical changes under the hood to prepare for future updates. These major technical changes aren't visible at all as a player, so best case scenario, you won't see any changes in game.I've also added a Turn Coordinator instrument and slightly rearranged the instrument panel to accommodate it. Another small addition is a particle effect when unbolted parts break off during assembly, making it clear that this is an intentional game mechanic, not a bug!The full changelog is below. More specifics and full explanations can be found in the previous beta changelogs here:ChangelogMajor ChangesSubassemblyManager refactor: complete refactor of core part code.Added Turn Coordinator to instrument panel.ImprovementsAdded a particle effect for when parts disconn…
- 0.3.4 Beta update - 18 May 2026
Some bugfixes and a particle effect to make it clear that parts disconnecting during the build process is intentional, not a bug. This update is on the beta branch. Switch to the beta branch in Steam to try out these updates before I push them to the default branch later this week.ChangelogImprovementsAdded a particle effect for when parts disconnect during building, if they've not been bolted down and too many parts are attached to the assembly. Yellow sparks will fly where connections are broken. This is intended to make it clearer that this is intentional, and not a bug.BugfixesFixed a bug where if the game failed to update a subassembly's collider, it would get stuck trying to retry that update, causing massive lag.Fixed a bug where parts were placed in the wrong part of the hierarchy when the player attaches them in a specific way.Happy skies!
- 0.3.3 Update on Beta Branch - 16 May 2026
Hello pilots!A little bit of an odd update today. It's on the beta branch for the next few days until I'm sure there's no terrible bugs. I say it's an odd update, because it took a good deal of effort, but if everything's gone well, everything should look exactly the same to you as a player. Remember to swap to the beta branch to give this a try!Core class code refactor.As part of an effort to prepare for future updates, as mentioned on the roadmap, I refactored the core code related to how parts attach to each other, interact with the player, and manage being part of a hierarchy in a subsystem. It underwent a massive reorganization to break a single bloated class that ended up responsible for far too many things, into a nice, clean, organized structure with good separation of responsibility. It's a very technical change, and completely under the hood. Like I said, if all has gone well,…
- 0.3.2.3 Input Device Bugfixes - 23 April 2026
This update has some small bugfixes.BugfixesFixed an issue where many bindings were not being recognized in game until the game was reloaded. This was causing all sorts of problems. If your peripherals weren't working well for you, or bindings were working in the menu but not in the game since the big update, this is probably why.Improved behavior of using both axis input and keyboard on the same plane input.Fixed an issue where Magnoprop Cores weren't updating which motor they were associated with and were being animated by the wrong motor state.
- 0.3.2.2 Input Update & Wear Changes - 21 April 2026
Good day, pilots, this is your dev speaking.Today I've got the main branch release of the input system update. Thanks for everyone who jumped on the beta branch to help test and make sure that this major change went as smooth as possible. For such a sprawling change, things went fairly smoothly. This post has the headlines for anyone who wasn't following the beta branch updates, and a detailed changelog for this specific 0.3.2.2 update. Input System UpdateThe entire game has been changed to a different input system with much better support for flight sim peripherals. If you had issues with your flight sim hardware before, those issues should be resolved and your device should now work with Lakehopper! (Please let me know if you're still having issues in this discussion topic here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/4209010/discussions/0/807974496347683301/)This update will require you to re…
- 0.3.2.1 Hotfix (beta branch) - 16 April 2026
Quick hotfix to fix some bugs in the beta branch version.BugfixesRe-added the scroll wheel input for increasing and decreasing knobs, switches, and rope length. You will need to push the "Restore Defaults" button in your control settings to get this to take effect if you've made changes to your bindings. This will be properly rebindable in the future.Fixed an issue where alt-tabbing out of the game would lock the player into the "rotate held object" mode until alt is pressed again with the game in focus.Fixed an issue where opening the binder multiple times would fail to show the mouse cursor.Fixed an issue where pausing and unpausing with the binder open would hide and lock the mouse cursor until the binder is closed and reopened.
- Lakehopper 0.3.2: Improved HOTAS & other input device support (beta branch) - 15 April 2026
Hi everybody! Important stuff first!This update is currently only on the beta branch. You can swap to the beta branch by going into the game properties (under the right click menu on PC), going to "Game Versions & Betas" and selecting the "beta" option. Eventually this will merge with the default version in a few days, but the change is so big I want to verify it's not going to cause major problems first. You can verify you have the right version by checking that the main menu shows 0.3.2 in the upper left hand corner.I have changed the default keys for the wrench, rope, and flashlight. On keyboard, the wrench is now on F, the flashlight is on G, and the rope is on R. The intent of this is to put more frequently used tools in more convenient spots.This update took slightly longer than I wanted to get out the door, but it's a big change to a very core system. I've completely changed the…
- Lakehopper General Roadmap - 5 April 2026
Hi everyone! It's been a very exciting launch week! It's very wonderful to see people having fun with the game, hearing how you also see the potential the game has, and it's very validating seeing how many people have wanted a game like this for a long time. I'm gonna do my very best to do it justice.Since many people are curious, I wanted to share a sort of roadmap for the game. Listed below is what I'm going to tackle first, and the likely order I'll tackle bigger future features. The biggest disclaimer of all time: All of this is subject to change, and has no specific dates, not even goals or estimates. I'd hate to over promise and under deliver, or be constantly pushing back release dates. Features may change priority, and the order here is for the core of each feature, not the fully fleshed out, content filled completion of that feature. Everything is inter-connected, and some majo…
- Update 0.3.1 Changelog - 31 March 2026
Let me start by thanking each and every one of you who have purchased Lakehopper. My expectations have been greatly exceeded, and I feel very lucky and thankful. I'm so happy that so many of you are having fun with the game! Thank you for your feedback, questions, and bug reports. Keep 'em coming!Today’s update is all about fixing some of the low-hanging fruit. There are more fixes and early improvements on the way. The biggest change has to do with how parts wear over time and how that affects plane performance. I knew I needed to do this change, but it didn’t quite make the cut for release. I’ve got a couple other small improvements, and some bugfixes that fix issues regarding rebinds, UI, and refueling.Major ChangesPart Wear and Tear ChangesThe part condition system has had a overall rebalance. That system has been active and working, taking into account how hard parts are being run,…
- Lakehopper looks like a wonderful casual seaplane flight simulator - 31 March 2026
Fancy a new type of simulator? How about flying your own seaplane? Lakehopper has launched into Early Access on Steam with Linux support. Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/03/lakehopper-looks-like-a-wonderful-casual-seaplane-flight-simulator/
- Lakehopper Now Available! - 30 March 2026
Lakehopper is available now! I’m very excited to welcome you to my seaplane flight sim, and invite you to explore its flooded world! This has been my solo game dev project for the last year and a half and I feel very lucky to be able to release it into Early Access today!To celebrate the launch of the game, Lakehopper is 20% off for the next week!Happy skies!-Photon Games
- Lakehopper Early Access Launch Devlog - 30 March 2026
Welcome everyone! It’s Early Access launch day! Work on Lakehopper first started in summer of 2023, and the game has been in full time development since November 2024. I’ve been looking forward to this for a while now! Lakehopper is a solo project and it’s been a joy to work on. I’m very excited for what I’ve got planned for the future.Thank you again to everyone who participated in the playtest! Lakehopper is a better game today than it was a month ago, thanks to your feedback and bug reports. If you reported a bug, and it hasn’t been fixed yet, know that all those bugs are still on my list and will be addressed.I’ve made a few changes and fixed some bugs since the last playtest version, including a fun surprise that will allow for some customization! The full changelog for this version is below. During the next period of development I will be focusing on fixing more bugs, including so…
