update · November 5, 2023

Back to the Dawn Update Previews Difficulty Mode and Fixes Soft Locks

Back to the Dawn details an upcoming Intern Reporter difficulty mode and rolls out a batch of prison economy adjustments and soft lock fixes.

Back to the Dawn developers outlined a new difficulty option slated for a future update alongside a fresh round of economy adjustments and bug fixes for Boulderton Prison.

Upcoming Difficulty Selection

A future update will introduce an Intern Reporter difficulty mode. This setting lets players experience Thomas' story with fewer challenges and setbacks from repeated failures.

Prison Economy and Item Changes

The patch lowers the cost of yogurt in vending machines and makes body recovery items easier to acquire. Painkillers drop to item level 1 and can be purchased from acquainted inmates. Rapport gains with the priest are increased, soap gains an extra use, and the Lifeopedia skill receives functionality improvements. Writing down puzzle solutions in the General Building no longer requires a chessboard item.

Bug Fixes and Soft Lock Resolutions

A soft lock tied to navigating task prompts and opening the task panel under specific conditions has been resolved. The update fixes duplicate item issues with lumber and Playpup, mismatched puzzle points between prison cells and the General Building, and a missing completion trigger in the Movie Mission quest. Additionally, an inventory bug involving the Digital Watch during the Another Key quest and a corner-trap issue caused by a skunk inmate on the seventh night have been fixed.

Why this patch matters

This update smooths out survival mechanics and eliminates progression blockers while setting the stage for a difficulty mode.