Straitened Times -v0.57.0- -hrelease- May 2026
Write-Up: Straitened Times - v0.57.0 - HRelease
Known Issues & Community Feedback
As with any major release, v0.57.0 -HRelease- is not without bugs.
- The "Silent Hardpoint" Bug: Occasionally, a Hardpoint designated for water will simply stop producing, showing "???" as the output. Workaround: Save and reload. The devs are patching this in v0.57.1.
- Nomad Extortion Glitch: Some players report that Nomad Flotillas demand 500 units of meat for a single battery. The developers confirmed this is not a glitch; it is an intentional "Famine Tax."
- Steam Deck Performance: The new UI is functional but small. Recommended to play on an external monitor.
The community on Reddit has coined a phrase for this update: "Straitened Times v0.57.0 is the patch where the game finally hates you as much as the lore says it should." The reviews are "Very Positive" (82%), with critics praising the Hardpoint system for eliminating "spaghetti bases" but criticizing the PD meter as "punishing for the sake of punishment." Straitened Times -v0.57.0- -HRelease-
3. The "Vigilance" Patch
The most controversial addition in -v0.57.0- is the Vigilance Meter. If your district falls below 10% morale, the residents form a "Council of Tenants." The HRelease makes this council hostile. Instead of just lowering productivity, the council can evict you—the Quartermaster—triggering an instant game over. You are no longer a dictator; you are a servant who can be fired. Write-Up: Straitened Times - v0
Verdict: Should you update?
If you are still on v0.56.4 (the "Bread and Circuses" patch), stay there. That version is forgiving. It allows you to win. The community on Reddit has coined a phrase
Straitened Times -v0.57.0- -HRelease- is for the masochists. It is for players who think Darkest Dungeon is too cheerful. The HRelease removes the "Victory" screen entirely. The game simply fades to black on Day 365 with a single line of text: "You were forgotten."
That said, the emergent storytelling is unparalleled. Watching your final citizen trade their grandmother’s wedding ring for a single potato battery during a Level 3 Lockdown is the kind of misery you cannot buy in AAA gaming.