r/SoftwareInc Jun 08 '26

Official The overhauls will continue until morale improves

290 Upvotes

Steam Post

The background

If you've followed development closely, you might know that we've been working on a campaign mode to help ease in new players and introduce the game's mechanics at a reasonable pace. My hope was that this would tie the game together for the 1.0 release. This work has been slow going, as I'm not an author, so writing good dialog has been pretty difficult, even though most of the campaign is playable at this point. We've spent downtime polishing the game and adding a couple of small auxiliary mechanics, as seen in the recent trash update.

I've paid particular attention to the fact that some of you are disappointed none of the recent patches have touched the software development/management part of the game. I had written this part of the game off as complete, while the campaign was being developed. I decided to look over our list of "wishes" for this aspect of the game and made a tentative plan to improve it. My conclusion is that it would take at least 6 months and be completely game breaking.

Based on the fact that I wrote "I have a great opportunity to make this game as good as I possibly can" on the Steam store page 10 years ago, and this is our last chance to introduce game breaking changes (so I don't mess up the campaign mode and final 1.0 release), we've decided to move forward with it.

The plan

The overhaul will touch marketing, servers, product "identity", subsidiaries and some smaller game breaking stuff that I've always wanted to add, but I didn't want to break saves.

Everything is subject to change of course and will probably not live up to your expectations, but the rough plan is:

  • Completely overhaul pre-marketing and introduce a couple of new mechanics
  • Add an extra mechanic to post-marketing, but keep the overall post-marketing process pretty much the same
  • Integrate servers better with the core gameplay loop
  • Add some very high-level customization to subsidiaries
  • Add a couple of things to make software products feel more personal

As always, I will try to make sure the additions don't complicate the game too much. Most of the things we add can be completely ignored, without making the game tougher on easier difficulties.

The TL;DR

We're going on a financially dubious probably 6 month long hiatus to overhaul some core mechanics (marketing, servers and subsidiaries), because it seems like the right thing to do and I enjoy working on this game.

I will keep you updated as progress moves along and we have some actual stuff to show. The new server system is pretty close to done already and the pre-marketing overhaul is well underway.

Finally, I just wanted to give a quick happy 12th year anniversary to development of Software Inc!


r/SoftwareInc 3h ago

I have tons of hours in Software inc and inspired me among other games to make mine!

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

21 Upvotes

Hey guys!

This is CD Market, a music label simulation game.

Been working on it for years already, the Steam release is out now!. Check it out! https://store.steampowered.com/app/4622330/CD_Market__Music_Label_Sim/

Join discord:
https://discord.gg/ZvukVZePDt

Follow on X:
https://x.com/cdmarketgame

AI disclosure: Music and art made by humans! Translations were done with the help of AI due to the size of content, but I added a system for players to report wrong translations just in case!

Don't mean to spam but maybe you find it interesting! Thanks and have a great day


r/SoftwareInc 12h ago

Looking through the games' assembly while creating a code mod, I stumbled upon code for loading DLCs... probably deprecated, but what would an "official" DLC for this game even be?

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31 Upvotes

r/SoftwareInc 4d ago

Good C suit / Management Depth Improvement Mod?

19 Upvotes

Does anyone have some suggestions for a mod which adds a C-Suit and a deeper management to the teams and their organisational structure to the game? With real impacts to the hiring and culture of the company? Showing clearly the chains of responsibility?


r/SoftwareInc 4d ago

Just launched my first mod to the game

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70 Upvotes

Hi Guys!

Company Intelligence is a analytics code mod for Software Inc. It brings the active product portfolio into one focused window without changing the simulation.

It features:

  • Summary of last-month total income, license income, units sold, active users, and active product count.
  • Product name, category, business model, users, online/physical sales, gained users, product/license/total income, monthly trend, and refund rate.
  • Selection details with up to 12 available months of income and sales or subscription-user history.
  • Event-driven refresh after game readiness, month changes, product releases/removals, and manual requests, plus a lightweight hourly portfolio reconciliation for archive and ownership changes while the window is open.
  • English and Brazilian Portuguese strings loaded from packaged TyD files; every missing/unsupported translation falls back to English.

r/SoftwareInc 6d ago

[Mod] ModernInc+ is now available: a configurable ModernInc companion dashboard and QoL mod

33 Upvotes

ModernInc+ is now available

ModernInc+ is a configurable companion code mod for ModernInc.

It adds a native Development HUD dashboard with ecosystem browsing, tool-chain checks, team readiness, research tracking, and portfolio milestones. It also adds adjustable founder specialization points, ModernInc contract curation, future AI rival quality, and optional continuous shuffled OST playback with a 0.3 to 5.0 second crossfade.

The dashboard analysis is read-only. In multiplayer, contract boards remain local and future rival quality is host-controlled.

ModernInc is required and must be enabled.

Get ModernInc+ on the Steam Workshop


r/SoftwareInc 7d ago

Time Question

2 Upvotes

Probably the dumbest question on this thread, but I’m new to the game. I saw Charlie Pryor play it on YouTube recently and I have become addicted. The only thing that’s bothering me right now is the whole 24 hour time system. Unless I’m blind(high possibility) I can’t find a way to switch it to a 12 hour am/pm system like he has it in his videos. Am I missing something?


r/SoftwareInc 8d ago

How to make the game more difficult ?

25 Upvotes

One problem with the game is that it's only difficult at the start; once you have a lot of money, it feels too easy. The AI competition is weak, so you don't feel threatened by rival companies competing for your customers. That's why I prefer not to use any software data mods, even though they add some nice features.

I want to hear if any of you have been successful in creating a challenging game with fiercely competitive AI—either by increasing the number of AI companies, avoiding software data mods, or both, or any other method ?


r/SoftwareInc 8d ago

Shared Timer Mod for Multiplayer

6 Upvotes

Hey all, just got the game and played with some friends, but whatvwas really annoying was the seperate timer system, where everyone plays each day individually and then wait for whoever is „slowest“.

Is there a mod that has one universal timer so everyone is playing at the same speed and we dont have to keep waiting or feel rushed because the others are waiting?

The constant waiting also ended up leaving everyone very impatient and we ended up constantly on speed 3 which then ended up in me not having enough time to do anything just so the others dont have to wait on me, kinda ruining the fun…


r/SoftwareInc 10d ago

[Mod] ModernInc - UPDATE There is a lot to list

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162 Upvotes

Hello all! I have updated the mod a lot, adding in add-ons, lots of hardware choices, NOLOC fixes (my bad), and much more! View the original post here to see what was originally in the game, or just go ahead and go to Steam Workshop for the mod.

In a nutshell

  • 66 New software types with loads of add-on options
  • Deep integration with in-house versions of your software giving you an edge in the market
  • 39 Company archetypes to incorporate all the software so the AI is fully involved
  • New personalities
  • 84 Name generators so it is always fresh
  • 10+ New hardware variations with add-ons
  • 6 New contract types
  • Expanded base game software types and more!

I plan to research more into the engine to begin adding more unique additions. This is "final" version for now as I do not want to keep adding more and more software and etc. Enjoy!

EDIT: I have created a Nexusmods page for those who do not use workshop.

ModernInc Nexusmods


r/SoftwareInc 9d ago

4 founder setup help

7 Upvotes

Hey I'm I'm a beginner to this game and trying to set something up and would appreciate anyone that can nerd out and give me some tips to do the right kinds of things

I'm trying to start with 4 founders, lower the founder % share, and crank the starting income, loan, and founder stats to max. I've heard you don't get 3d until the 90s, but I want to start earlier for 10 potential years of gains focusing on system, hardware, and audio

I figure I need 1 lone max creative visionary focusing on operating systems or game for once we start making games after 3d comes out? Big brain to get 3 stars in all leader areas and still decent everywhere else because of the god settings

Guy 2, 3, and 4, all big brain, all max service, and max development besides 2d

What kinds of things can I do to start making use of this team's skills?


r/SoftwareInc 13d ago

The Industry close down for some reason

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60 Upvotes

I don't know why it happened


r/SoftwareInc 12d ago

Super Todd Bros. Is Here! 🍄 Todd Forward Becomes a Platforming Star #shorts

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0 Upvotes

What happens when Todd Forward gets his own retro platformer in Software Inc.?
Exactly: Super Todd Bros. 🍄🎮

A bit of 8-bit nostalgia, a bit of delusion of grandeur, and a whole lot of Pile of Fame chaos.
Watch the full Software Inc. Let’s Play for more!

#SoftwareInc #Shorts #LetsPlay #Gaming #BusinessSimulation #Tycoon #SuperToddBros #PileOfFame


r/SoftwareInc 12d ago

Three Gaming Legends Start a Software Company — What Could Possibly Go Wrong? 😅

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0 Upvotes

I continued my Software Inc. Let’s Play, and our totally serious game studio is slowly starting to take shape.

The setup:
Gabe Nuwell, Peter Molynux and Todd Forward start a small software company together. Naturally, money is tight, team morale is questionable, and every new release feels like a coin toss between genius and bankruptcy.

In episode 2, our first game gets released across as many platforms as possible — and right after that, the next masterpiece begins development: Super Todd Bros. 🍄🎮

I’m really enjoying Software Inc. again because it nails that mix of tycoon gameplay, business simulation, game development, platform releases, contract work and completely escalating management decisions.

For anyone here who plays Software Inc.:
What’s the classic mistake that completely ruins an otherwise successful company in your runs?

enjoy ;-)


r/SoftwareInc 14d ago

A Bunch of Questions (& a possible bug or two)

4 Upvotes

I asked this sub a few days ago about research which was very useful & after playing some more have another list of questions mostly related to navigating the UI and how to do things (some might be bugs or possible suggestions for UI improvements).

I appreciate any help or advice anyone has!

Here’s the questions I’ve been jotting down as I play:

  1. Is there anyway to permanently change a character’s name? When I tried to change a character’s name, the old one got put in parentheses on the view info screen & the original/old name was maintained everywhere else in game.

  2. Is there a place that says what activities are limited in each “limit room usage” (i.e can workers still use a vending machine in a room labeled reception). Also should the “limit room use” get a check mark when activated? I keep forgetting if I’ve set a room to just leaders for example & can’t seem to find a way to quickly tell.

  3. On the manage roles screen for each team, if I uncheck a box, does this mean the character will never, say, do art even if that would mean they have no other work or does it mean they do the checked off items and then do other work if it’s the only thing their team is working on? (I’m wondering mostly how to use this screen besides denoting the team leader which is all I’ve been using it for).

  4. Should I be getting the exact same trait combinations every time I search for employees with a compatibility / trait checked off in search? For example, I’d say perhaps (or at least almost) every single genius/fast learner pairing that I’ve encountered has the Slow Eater trait across multiple games.

  5. On the right of the screen with the tasks list, is there a way to group (and therefore minimize/use the smaller UI) for just some tasks? I’d like to reduce marketing & support tasks but not contracts or software development tasks for example.

  6. For support tasks, is there a way to automate having them fix bugs so I don’t have to keep setting my & finishing the tasks? (I haven’t really used a lot of automation yet so while I can figure out automating WHOLE projects, is there a way to do just the post-release support).

  7. When do you decide to cancel support (and marketing) for a project post-release? The pop up window suggested waiting until all the bugs were clear but even without any new bugs for several months, I’ll still lose followers when canceling support. Is there a way to know for sure when all the bugs are removed? Do you just always lose a few followers?

  8. Is there a way to make doing the annual taxes a task on the right bar? Right now the only way I’ve figured out that my taxes might be done early is to watch the icon showing how many workers aren’t doing any tasks at the moment. (& I want to make sure to stop using crunch as soon as the taxes are done)

  9. When building, you can press the heater/cooler to auto-add heat/cooling to most rooms but not all. Is there any way to get this to just automatically heat/cool every room in a bldg? (I’ve run into issues where it won’t add it to the server room, for example & then I’ll get an alert come summer telling me my servers are overheating).

  10. And finally & least importantly, is there any way to change your company icon mid game?

I know this is a giant wall of questions so thanks for reading & answering any part of it!


r/SoftwareInc 15d ago

A Mod to improve Logo generation and color selection handling

9 Upvotes

Exactly as stated in title. The base game ones certainly.. leave something to be desired. The sharp neon pink, green's and yellows are a bit ambitious and does get grating to look at for every single individual rival company.


r/SoftwareInc 17d ago

[Mod] ModernInc - Tons of new software, personalities, and company name types

110 Upvotes

ModernInc - A Modern Software Inc Overhaul

Hey everyone! This is my first mod for Software Inc.

What Does It Add?

Expanded Skill Tree

The Operating System now learns 10 new game-wide specializations:

  • Security
  • Database
  • AI
  • Cloud
  • Cryptography
  • Concurrency
  • Privacy
  • Scripting
  • Real-time
  • Compression

Standalone software types also introduce their own fields, including:

  • Rendering
  • Analytics
  • Streaming
  • Blockchain
  • Geospatial
  • Commerce
  • Collaboration

38 New Software Types

Including:

  • Web browsers, search engines, email and messaging apps
  • Databases, IDEs, developer tools and CAD software
  • Photo/video editors, DAWs and game engines
  • Social networks, streaming services, podcasts and cloud storage
  • Crypto platforms, fintech apps, AI platforms, LLM agents and VR
  • Video conferencing, work chat, note-taking, project management and BI dashboards
  • Password managers, VPNs, ad networks and website builders
  • Maps, e-commerce, ride-sharing, food delivery, dating apps and an app marketplace
  • Smart home platforms, wearable fitness apps and language-learning apps

New Hardware Categories

  • Drawing Tablets for 2D Editors
  • Music Workstations for Audio Tools
  • Graphic Workstations for 3D Editors

New Subscription Models

A wide range of monetization options, including collecting and selling customer data as a fintech.

New AI Rivals

  • 28 company archetypes, ranging from big-tech giants and search-ad empires to crypto startups, fintechs, indie game studios and privacy-first competitors
  • 18 founder and employee personalities, each with their own quirks and relationships
  • 60 name generators so every product, device and studio feels authentic

Workshop Link: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3755077128

Feedback and suggestions are welcome. I hope you enjoy it!


r/SoftwareInc 16d ago

Gabe Nuwell, Peter Molynux and Todd Forward are starting a new software company — what could possibly go wrong? ;-)

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6 Upvotes

Their first game is already in development. The budget is questionable. The ambitions are not.

Can this trio build the next big hit in Software Inc. — or are we witnessing the beginning of a spectacular management-sim disaster? ;-)

German commentary, English subtitles.


r/SoftwareInc 16d ago

Software Inc. – Three founders, zero reputation and one first game – our Software Inc. run begins [German]

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1 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

we’ve started a German-language Let’s Play of Software Inc. with thre reliable business plan.

The first episode is all about surviving the early days: taking contract work to keep the lights on, trying not to burn through the starting budget too quickly, and developing our very first game: Populous.

The goal is to see whether our company becomes a software empire - or an expensive lesson in bad hiring decisions and terrible timing. Let's see what comes around with Todd, Gabe and Peter.

I’d genuinely love some advice from experienced players:

  • What is the one early-game mistake new players should avoid?
  • Would you focus on contracts first, or rush a first product?
  • What was your first genuinely successful product in Software Inc.?

The video has German commentary with English subtitles. If you like - share some love ;-)


r/SoftwareInc 17d ago

How do you actually make money from frameworks in Software Inc?

33 Upvotes

I keep building frameworks to speed up my own projects, but I'm wondering if there's a way to actually turn them into a money-maker instead of just an internal tool.

  • Can you sell/license frameworks to other companies?
  • Is it worth dedicating a team to building frameworks specifically for profit?
  • Are there certain framework types that pay off better than others?

Would love to hear how more experienced players are using frameworks beyond just "build once, reuse internally." Any tips or strategies appreciated!


r/SoftwareInc 18d ago

Questions from a new player

12 Upvotes

I’m a fairly new player with a few questions mostly related to how quickly you scale up in size & research & haven’t had a lot of luck finding answers by searching. (***tldr Mostly I’m looking for a sense of how quickly you scale up in the 1980s & when to start worrying about research).

I’ve been enjoying the game, thanks for any advice/help people have (& apologies for the wall of questions).

1) How early do you typically start caring about something like research? Is it 1985 when new techs appear?

2) Relatedly, I feel like research requires a lot of manpower. Do you create research teams for each type of tech? How early do you aim to do this?

3) How quickly do you expand beyond focusing on one product at a time? I assumed initially that that would be a big early milestone but I’ve instead encountered just how many support processes there are (esp with research). Is it better to focus on making one product at a time for a while & use your resources to scale up all these additional teams before you make a second production team?

4) How many employees do you typically aim to have & who do you focus on hiring early on? I’ve been starting with a co-founder for an additional super human (I’m still playing on lower difficulties) & then have been filling my early teams with low wage, young employees thinking it’s advantageous to have employees to train up who’ll be around for a long time.

But I’m wondering if it’s actually better to start with older employees with better skills & then replace them with younger employees after I’ve already grown since things like research require level 3 skills.

Thanks again for any advice you have!!


r/SoftwareInc 19d ago

Game not selling

6 Upvotes

I'm really baffled here.

Playing on impossible mode. My first game got me $1.5 million in the bank with like 2 star reviews.

2nd game I bought another company's IP, iterated to level 4, produced a game with good reviews (9.0 in outsourced, 4/4/2 stars for the release, 4/5 stars for users), had a video press release, press build, ~120 followers (more than the first game), more fans than the first game (18k vs only 100), more money spent on marketing with more skilled marketers...

AND ITS NOT SELLING AT ALLLLLL!!!!

This is my 4th attempt to save this save. Tried making a new game in the same genre, tried a new game in a different genre, tried a different genre with another company's IP. Nothing is working.

help.


r/SoftwareInc 19d ago

Your Wishlist

15 Upvotes

I’m quite new to Software Inc., and I’m curious what people wish for this game. I’d like more items, personally. I’ve surprisingly found myself enjoying the construction aspect of the game a lot!

What about you?


r/SoftwareInc 19d ago

Employee Entertainment

17 Upvotes

Hello to all especially to our beloved developer!

I was hoping that the employee can get more things to do like an entertainment (arcade machine, pool table) or a gym that can be created in the office?

Like the lounge room is already there, why not have an entertainment corner for the employee to chill and relax.

Maybe, just maybe, it can reduce the stress bar and replenish energy tremendously! Think about it!

Thank you, have a nice day Mr Kenneth Otto Larsen.

P.S : Thank you for the IT computer update, really love those!


r/SoftwareInc 24d ago

I've just published a six-story office building!

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113 Upvotes

I posted about my building earlier, and I’m happy to make some of you happy — I’VE RELEASED IT ON STEAM!

Try It - Blueprint on Steam

FAQ:

Q: Will there be furniture?

A: No. The building is unfinished on the inside, so FOR NOW I’m giving you the chance to fill it in yourselves by completely removing the rooms and furniture inside. Let your imagination run wild!

Q: What mods are required?

A: I’ve reworked the building to support gameplay without mods. However, I recommend using the solar panel mod that doesn’t have a panel cover underneath them. (Construction Accessories)

Q: Are the buildings from the screenshot included?

A: The park, parking lot, and industrial building are NOT included in the office blueprint.

Blueprint Description:

This is a six-story building design inspired by the Ubisoft office.

The floors consist only of large rooms, with no individual rooms, furniture, or doors (except for restrooms).

The blueprint is intended to be freely customized by the USER. The large and medium-sized rooms can be divided into smaller offices for any purpose.

The building is NOT designed to accommodate industrial conveyor belts. Utility rooms and rooftops are intended for technical equipment (boilers, air conditioners, etc.).

From the first to the fifth floor, the rooms are as follows:

(excluding the hallways)

Large room: 433 m²

Large room: 458 m²

Medium room: 160 m²

Bathroom (x3): 8 m²

Bathroom (x3): 11 m²

Utility room outside the first floor: 12 m²

Sixth floor:

Roof: 1,042 m²

Conference room: 144 m²

Utility rooms: 17 m² and 26 m²

Corridor: 44 m²

Basement:

Server room: 63 m²

Corridor: 44 m²