Troubleshooting desk · EA 0.1.8 · reviewed August 29, 2026
Known Issues and Save-Safe Fixes
A fix is useful only when it matches the symptom and preserves evidence. This page separates open issues from bugs already closed by 0.1.8, then walks from the least destructive check to a clean reproduction you can report.
Current issue picture after patch 0.1.8
The official 0.1.8 notes did not announce a new named blocker. They did state that the team is still seeking reliable reproduction steps for ongoing reports. The 0.1.7 notes separately warned that mods can stop working during Early Access and that NPC Paras may walk through walls after conversations. Treat those as active investigation areas, not proof that every unusual save is corrupted.
Still worth monitoring
- NPC wall-walking after a conversation: annoying pathing behavior, usually not save corruption.
- Workshop items after a patch: content can disappear, stall import, or conflict until its author updates it.
- Unreproducible crashes or stutters: record the lot, time, active Paras, and mod state before guessing.
Closed in 0.1.8 or recent hotfixes
- TV and radio interactions work again; children use appropriate couch animations.
- Paramaker time no longer advances until a Para dies during creation.
- 0.1.7b fixed a softlock when a Para holding a baby used Go Home or Edit Appearance.
- 0.1.7c fixed a stuck Para after cancelling stairs during a crib action.
Symptom-first recovery flow
Before changing anything, duplicate the affected save from Load Game and write down the build number shown in Settings → About. Work only on the copy. A successful fix on the copy is evidence; an irreversible experiment on the only save is a new problem.
1. The game does not start or stalls during import
Quit fully, disable every Workshop item, and start to the main menu with zero mods. Do not load the main household yet. If the menu opens, add updated items back in small groups. If it still fails clean, verify game files through Steam and record whether the failure occurs before or after the studio logo.
2. One save will not load
Confirm another household or a new test save opens. If only one slot fails, preserve it, try an autosave or named duplicate, and use the official save-repair instructions before deleting anything. If every save fails, return to the clean-mod and file-verification steps because the problem is wider than one household.
3. A Para is stuck or ignores an action
Cancel the queue once, pause, and inspect route blockers such as stairs, doors, chairs, a crib, or a held baby. Save a copy before using UNSTUCK. A wall-walking NPC after conversation is different from your selected Para being unable to reach food or bed; report the exact interaction that led to the state.
4. The camera stutters or controls feel wrong
Test an empty lot, disconnect controllers and remappers, then toggle only Camera Mode. Smooth behavior on an empty lot points to performance or lot complexity; a binding failure everywhere belongs in the Controls guide, not save recovery.
Clean mod isolation without destroying your setup
“Disable all mods” is a diagnostic state, not a demand to abandon custom content. The goal is to prove whether the base game reproduces the symptom. Keep a list or screenshots of subscribed items, load only a duplicate save while content is absent, and never overwrite a decorated household whose objects may be missing.
- Sort Workshop items by Last Updated and identify anything older than the current build.
- Disable everything and reach the main menu. If startup is the symptom, this alone is the first result.
- Open a disposable test save, not the main story. Repeat the exact action that failed.
- Restore small groups by type—Paramaker, Build, then household content—retesting after each group.
- When the problem returns, split that group until one item or interaction remains. Record it; do not merely call the entire game broken.
Save recovery rules: preserve options before experimenting
Patch 0.1.5 improved save resilience, autosaves, Steam Cloud support, and lot recovery, but those features do not replace named manual duplicates. Before a major patch, a complex build, or a risky cheat chain, keep one story copy you do not touch, one current play copy, and one disposable test copy. Export important Paras and lots to the library. If Steam Cloud offers a conflict choice, compare timestamps and file context rather than automatically selecting the newest-looking button.
Do not delete a non-loading save to make the menu cleaner. Keep it until you have tried an autosave, a duplicate, the official repair path, and a clean game launch. A preserved broken file can still help support reproduce the problem.
Turn a complaint into a reproducible bug report
A useful report states what happened immediately before the failure and what changed when you removed variables. “My save is broken” cannot be reproduced; “on 0.1.8, a selected adult holding a baby becomes stuck after cancelling stairs while placing the baby in a crib, with Workshop disabled” gives the team a test.
| Include | What to record |
|---|---|
| Build and platform | 0.1.8, Windows or macOS, storefront |
| Save and mod state | new/test/legacy save; Workshop on or clean |
| Exact steps | short numbered sequence from load to failure |
| Expected and actual | what should occur versus what appeared |
| Evidence | screenshot, video, logs, and affected save when requested |
Review and source policy
Current and fixed issue facts were checked against official 0.1.7, 0.1.7b, 0.1.7c, and 0.1.8 notes through August 29, 2026. Community reports identify symptoms worth testing but are not labeled official until the studio acknowledges them. Send corrections with the build, platform, clean-mod result, and page URL.