Progress Update 8/01/2026

Hello and welcome to your weekly Thrive Progress Update! The game is still progressing quickly, and we have a major new feature added this week.

That new feature is the new reproduction option: Sexual Reproduction. As you would expect, unlike the previous reproduction types, you need another member of your species to progress. Specifically, once fully grown, you do not directly unlock the editor/reproduction button. Instead, this button will “launch” gamete cells (designed by yourself). One of these needs to collide with a gamete from another member of your species to send you to the editor. When you first select Sexual Reproduction, you will have an isogamous system: all gamete cells look the same. But you can then upgrade this to anisogamy: two separate gamete cell types. You can for example make one small and fast moving cell, and another large one with a lot of storage. Gamete cells themselves will help you out by looking for and then moving toward their fitting partners in a limited range.

There was also some bugfixing, including one for a bug that sounds like it comes from another era: the amount of force slimejets apply to your cell was apparently dependent on your framerate, with them being more effective at 30 fps than at 60. They now work consistently at a level slightly stronger than the previous situation at 60 fps.

Meanwhile, over on the Development Forums there was a flurry of discussion in preparation for work on the Macroscopic Stage, expected to start next year. In particular, there were threads on the potential usage of the Cell editor in the Macroscopic Stage, how to decide whether starting Macroscopic species can move or not, and how to handle organ systems like the nervous system.

Look below for some additional details and we'll see you next week for another Progress Update!

Programming

• New Devbuild available to our Patreon Supporters:
  • Added sexual reproduction mode to the multicellular stage
  • Implemented anisogamy as an upgrade to sexual reproduction
  • Added a hotkey (default M) for the “enter editor”/launch gamete button, as well as a button prompt to show it exists.
  • Implemented a cheat to slow or speed up time
  • Fixed slime jet movement speed being framerate dependent. And slightly altered the intended thrust amount.
  • Fixed physics collision ignoring stopping working if an entity tried to ignore multiple other objects
  • Configured some new code check warnings and fixed some older code for them
  • Updated code checking tools
  • Updated AngleSharp from 1.5.2 to 1.6.0
  • Updated translations

Graphics

• New icon representing launching a gamete, replacing the “DNA helix open editor” button if you have sexual reproduction.

Gameplay

• Added Sexual Reproduction:
  • Requires a gamete cell you fire to collide with a gamete from another individual as an extra step to enter the editor.
  • You can choose which cell type to use for your gametes. Initially only one type, but you can upgrade to have two different gamete types.
  • The player can decide which gamete type they want to produce.
  • Right now, there are no specific benefits to justify the extra effort required, but this is planned for the future.
• Added a hotkey (default M) for the “enter editor”/launch gamete button.
• Game design discussions:
  • A discussion on whether the Macroscopic editor should use the Cell editor or not.
  • Questions on how to decide whether your Macroscopic species can move or not, particularly regarding your species at the end of the Multicellular Stage.
  • A proposal on Organ Systems in the Macroscopic Stage/Editor.

Sound

• Nothing substantial.

Theory

• Nothing substantial.

Outreach

• Nothing substantial.

Other

• Nothing substantial.