Windows playtest: campfire, Devil Elk and asset library (Assets34)

Winter Hunt - Assets34 Windows diagnostic playtest

A Windows test build with the updated campfire and existing devil-elk encounter artwork, backed by asset-library import validation and focused Solo/Zombie diagnostic checks. This is a diagnostic playtest, not a Steam or finished-game release.

To try it:

1. Extract the entire ZIP into a new folder, then double-click WinterHunt.exe. Keep WinterHunt_Data, the runtime folders, DLLs, Notices and WinterHunt.launch.json together. No command line or developer tools are required for ordinary play.
2. Choose Normal or Zombie, then Start New. Hunter is the current playable class. Load/Resume retains the saved mode. Earlier saves are not migrated; use this build's isolated profile.
3. F2 opens Friends. Tab or F3 opens the camp board. Friends must use this exact ZIP. Start/load a camp, open F2, then use HOST MY CAMP and the local-network camp list or JOIN ADDRESS. See the bundled START-HERE.txt for LAN/Internet prerequisites and controls. These are source-derived instructions; separate-PC/Internet play is not yet verified.

Verified for this exact package: 63 scoped native tests, package integrity and all 261 freshly extracted files, Solo smoke, and the complete headless same-PC, two-process Zombie baseline without purchases. Both Zombie roles exited naturally with code 0. Its 42 saved evidence files cover 12 real kills / 24 bow shots, paid round save/intermission, round-two camp grace/contact, grenade debit/refill and same-wave entry/readback. These are diagnostic fixtures, not human playthroughs or natural crowd-performance measurements.

Still open: no-argument startup and interactive menus; persistence across a process restart; human playtesting; controller/Steam Deck; separate-PC/Internet multiplayer; six-role/Horde and full cooperative-purchase acceptance; sustained 30 FPS; full visual readability. Some boss warnings and camp views remain obscured. Historical Visual05/Horde/purchase failures remain recorded separately. The published Visual05 archive will be preserved.

Build: WinterHunt-Private-CoopHorde23-Assets34-20261016-2251
Protocol: winter-hunt-party-61 / save schema: 24
ZIP: WinterHunt-Private-CoopHorde23-Assets34-20261016-2251.zip
Size: 163,351,250 bytes
SHA256: BEB553565CD8DE3C6CEECA81F5EF3478429203DDD308833A106352CFBD0B0EAF

Share only the supplied compiled runtime ZIP and public instructions. Keep the bundled Notices. No rights to redistribute raw licensed assets or source libraries are granted; private evidence, logs and saves are not release assets. Keep normal security prompts and do not bypass certificate warnings or disable security settings.

Please report the build ID, mode, steps, observed result and hardware. For friend tests, also report whether the machines used the same or different networks.

The frozen archive retains its original Private filename and build label. It is now supplied as a public diagnostic playtest without changing its bytes. The earlier Visual05 download remains available separately.

Build completion: 2026-10-16 22:50:16 UTC. The immutable BUILD-INFO records source base e2df9bc87ff14da7625a82b7b4a0f2f70eda48d6 plus effective source manifest 198DC2817C39C87ECC182B16D86E439C90870E60279F6119C8F54C67DC55F49D. Payload fingerprint: A98CD9D613E87BDDB722E428A5190241323E7B353140914F323E3F6E71DB3E84.

Download this release's ZIP directly over HTTPS. The winter-hunt.com certificate issue is separately unresolved; do not bypass certificate warnings. This release does not claim completion of custom-domain HTTPS delivery.

Winter Hunt Windows TEST BUILD - visual05 (334BFEFE)

Winter Hunt Windows TEST BUILD — core9-visual05 / 334BFEFE

This is the newest completed Windows test candidate, publicly shared at the owner's request. It is a work in progress, not release-ready. Previous downloads remain available.

Download and launch

1. Download WinterHunt-Win-Diagnostic-20261012-051434-aee0f8e-wt334BFEFE.zip below.
2. In File Explorer choose Extract All. Keep the whole extracted folder, including WinterHunt_Data, WinterHunt.launch.json, MonoBleedingEdge, D3D12, Notices and all DLLs together.
3. Double-click WinterHunt.exe. No CMD launcher, arguments or manual setup is required. Retain legitimate Windows security prompts; this delivery does not require changing security settings.
4. Start New in Normal or Zombie mode, or use Load Saved Game / Resume for this build's saves. The included defaults use a build-specific isolated profile, preserving older builds' saves. All co-op participants need this exact build (winter-hunt-party-58 / save schema 22).

The bundled START-HERE private-candidate wording predates the owner's authorization to share this test ZIP publicly. It does not impose a GitHub sign-in requirement. The original, already-tested archive is preserved byte-for-byte.

What changed
The current candidate includes Normal/Zombie menus and profiles, updated in-game finale fireball/cloud and a 24-tree reaction selection per biome, revised UFO hull/reactor detail and original monster materials. These are test features, not proof that every requested feature or gameplay gate is complete.

Evidence and limits

• Four managed assemblies and all 1,864 required native cases passed. Packaged EngineFinale, one rendered host plus five headless local Flight peers, and the recorded encounter capture gates passed with natural exits.
• The retained Zombie Horde and full ZombieCoopPurchase gates FAILED on rounds06-fix2 and remain unresolved; visual05 did not rerun or close them. Finite restart/wipe, purchase completion and combat diagnosis remain open.
• Production ordinary AI is bounded to 512, with fallback 128 and no proxies. Natural thousands and six rendered PCs are unaccepted. Frame measurements are specific to the recorded i7-14700K / RTX5070 workload, not hardware guarantees.
• Human gameplay, visual quality and listening, real Explorer/menu acceptance, separate-network Internet, Steam invites/voice/leaderboards/classes, physical controller/Steam Deck and full-candidate acceptance remain open. Some staged monster bodies were obscured by vegetation.
• This is a development build. Diagnostic code remains behind explicit diagnostic arguments; no private source, test logs, saves or recovery archives are included. Licensed content is included only within the compiled game; retain Notices and do not redistribute source asset libraries.

Exact identity
Built: 2026-10-12 05:14:34 UTC
Build: WinterHunt-Win-Diagnostic-20261012-051434-aee0f8e-wt334BFEFE
Source: aee0f8e66af2c8571a06032143c2de09c1e2bc65 + working tree 334BFEFE141DF39FBC912FA4AAC83E7D96D13C7EE63165E2FF40861ECB3DB0E9
Baked inputs: 103364CF5F7B4271140259DEB2495A7E1FAF699B8224438C57C9F1494A43288A
Payload: 26FFDE50539E88C5A7683FDFED3B2F4D4414D1E6EBF694FCAC2BFB9ADF005FC2
ZIP: 162,129,007 bytes
SHA-256: 6B81E6D98AD0FDAFCCEEF0FC1CE2D90C5759B8B0852495A2B9599B0D1017BE52

Automated package evidence and public artifact verification are distinct from human or complete-game acceptance.

Additional exact-public-ZIP verification (2026-10-12): anonymous fetch returned HTTP 200 and matched the source SHA/size; all 262 freshly extracted files matched; a hidden headless Solo smoke exited 0 naturally. Two fresh headless Zombie peers initialized Zombie mode and recorded 12 issued enemies, real pursuit, 18 contact damage per peer and 12 distinct guest bow kills. The later physical-route/party-exit assertions FAILED, and both processes naturally exited 1. This is bounded Zombie-presence proof, not a passing complete co-op/Horde/purchase gate. Interactive opening-menu mode selection remains unverified in the immutable public package; the supported diagnostic initializes Zombie directly.

Released for public testing: October 11, 2026, 10:40 p.m. Phoenix (MST / UTC-7) (2026-10-12T05:40:39Z UTC). Built October 11, 2026, 10:14 p.m. Phoenix (MST / UTC-7); build time and publication time are separate.

Winter Hunt Windows playtest 1d79ef7

Windows playtest 1d79ef7, built October 9, 2026 at 5:52 p.m. Phoenix time (October 10, 00:52 UTC). This is a sanitized repack of the tested baseline, not the newer source candidate.

1. Download and Extract All from the single ZIP.
2. Double-click WinterHunt.exe. Keep the Data folder and runtime files together. Everyone in a LAN camp should use this version.

Included: solo and up to six-player LAN camps; deer/elk/antelope hunting, trophy cargo and shared upgrades; Forest/Snow/Fire scenery and four discoverable camps; bow/knife/rifles/RPG/alien raygun; collection vehicle; horseshoes, marshmallows, camp band and stake-free blackjack; full The Camels - Jam Session recording and retained caller audio; Bear/Bigfoot/skeleton/UFO encounters, gunship progression and the historical finale.

Known limits: this older build contains about five-second AI-generated biome clips inside its ending. It does not contain the newer entirely in-scene finale, Santa/Frost Harpoon/flamethrower work, randomized layouts, zombie campaign or completed-level replay. Fire continues into Fire. Internet Steam invites, voice setup, physical Steam Deck, human listening and subjective visual acceptance remain unverified. A development diagnostic metadata literal remains behind explicit diagnostic arguments; no credential, editable private source or raw paid asset was found in the vetted archive.

Original baseline automated checks: 151 selected EditMode tests, 58 selected PlayMode tests, 11 local packaged-game diagnostic runs and staged visual review. Public repack removes developer symbols and private build receipts, includes attribution notices and preserves retained runtime bytes.

ZIP size: 158,846,801 bytes. SHA-256: 8dd4c9a6dae9c3587e6e36a2570b07113d6a828b1158a1396a3984eb0873e65e.

Fresh sanitized-package headless smoke passed October 10, 2026: natural exit code 0, no runtime errors and all 248 payload files/ZIP unchanged. Anonymous full public download returned HTTP 200 and matched the exact byte count and SHA-256. This is not a new visual or listening acceptance test.