Hi everyone, Happy New Year 2026 😄

Thank you so much for continuing to play Food Processing Simulator in Early Access. The enthusiasm from all of you has been amazing, from players who are optimizing every corner of their factories to creators and players who shared detailed feedback and videos.

This main update focuses on three main things:

• Making packing and box management more flexible

• Giving you more control over employee behavior

• Improving how Cold Storage and Loading Operators handle your products

We are still actively tuning behaviors and performance based on how you play. Some systems will need more iterations, but we want you to feel the improvements step by step as we ship each update.

Here is what is included in this update.

We have expanded and refined the Box Packer system to support different output sizes more flexibly.

• New Box Packer Machine types are now available: Medium and Large. You can buy them separately as upgrade to machine before and can be bought when you reach certain Tier.

• Each Box Packer Machine can be set to produce smaller box sizes than its own type:

  • Box Packer Machine (Medium) can output Medium or Small boxes.

  • Box Packer Machine (Large) can output Large, Medium, or Small boxes.

• Box sizes follow these standards:

  • Small: 6 pcs per box

  • Medium: 24 pcs per box

  • Large: 48 pcs per box

You can change the output box size at any time through Machine Settings by interacting with the machine and pressing F (default keyboard). This lets you reuse the same machine in different setups as your factory grows.

Note:

• Before moving or repack the machine, make sure the entire processing line has fully finished and nothing is running. Otherwise, items may spill out, or fall off the conveyor or machine.

To match the new Box Packer options, we have also updated the Box Commodity Generator:

• You can now purchase Small, Medium, and Large Box Commodity Generators:

  • Small: 6 pcs per box

  • Medium: 24 pcs per box

  • Large: 48 pcs per box

• Box Commodity Generators can now be moved and placed where you need them, so they are no longer locked near the initial supply area.

This should make it easier to design layouts where box generation happens closer to your actual production lines. Each Box Generator can be bought after reaching certain Tier.

Several machines have received quality of life improvements to give you better control and clearer feedback.

• Splitter Machine Output ControlYou can now configure the Splitter Machine to use only one output or both outputs. This helps you shape more complex pipelines and gives you the option to fully disable one branch if needed. Only checked outputs are used. If none, all items go to failed line.

  

  

• Employee Settings InformationEach machine’s Employee Settings menu now includes clearer descriptions of what machine can do or settings will affect. This should make it easier to understand which variable affect which parts of your setup.

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• Tower Lights on MachinesAll machines now feature a Tower Light to show their current state at a glance:

  • Only Green: machine is running normally

  • Only Red: machine is stopped

  • Blinking Orange: machine is in a special or problematic state. If Green also on means the problem is not making the machine stops, but if red also on that means the problem make the machine stopped.

    This helps you monitor your factory from a distance by just reading the light codes.

  

• Starter Machine Item CounterWe added an item counter to the Starter Machine. You can now see how many items have been supplied and have not yet exited the machine, which makes tracking flow easier.

  

• Expanded Interaction Area for Packaging and Labelling MachinesYou can now open Employee Settings by interacting with the body of the machine, not only the input area.

  • The original interaction at the input area still works.

  • New players can find the settings more easily, while experienced players keep their existing habits.

  

Employee management has been expanded so you can fine tune who does what, and in which order.

• You can view and adjust priority assignments from the Employee Menu, using the gear icon.

• For each employee, you can:

  • Reorder their task priorities

  • Disable certain tasks completely
    This applies to both Production Assistants and Loading Operators.

With this system, you can control behavior from two sides:

• From the machine (through machine settings)

• From the employee (through their task priorities)

Production Assistant roles are now clearly split into three categories:

• MaintenanceKeeps machines maintained so they do not stop unexpectedly.

• Label & Packaging Supplier
  Supplies labels and packaging to Labelling and Packaging machines, as long as the machine side is configured correctly.

• Commodity Supplier
  Supplies commodities to Starter Machines, again depending on the machine’s configuration.

Loading Operator roles are split into two categories:

• Delivery Project

  • Delivers products according to the active project, including arranging boxes on pallets when project targets exceed 36 units.

  • Uses the forklift to move pallets when needed.

  • If forklift employee usage is disabled in the forklift settings, Loading Operators will not use it for deliveries.

• Cold Storage Handler

  • Delivers boxes from machines to Cold Storage.

  • Cleans up and organizes loose boxes outside Cold Storage or around the area, as long as a suitable rack is available.

This should give you much more control over how tasks are shared and prioritized across your staff.

We have done a deeper pass on how Loading Operators behave, especially when working with pallets and deliveries.

Delivery Project behavior:

• Pallet Delivery Area

  There is now a specific pallet delivery area that defines which pallets will be automatically filled by Loading Operators.

  • Only pallets inside this area are handled for automatic delivery.

  • Pallets outside this area are ignored by Loading Operators and are free to be used for any custom setup the player wants.

  • As an extra note, product boxes left outside Cold Storage will be collected by a Loading Operator with Cold Storage Handler assignment and returned to Cold Storage so their grade does not drop when the day changes.

  

• Better Pallet Calculation for Forklift Deliveries

  Loading Operators now calculate how many items are on pallets in the pallet delivery area and on the pallet currently held by the forklift.

  • They will not over prepare extra boxes when dealing with large deliveries (more than 36 boxes on a single pallet).

  • Only pallets inside the delivery area and the active forklift pallet are counted toward the project target.

• Improved Pallet Priority

  When selecting which pallet to take next, Loading Operators now prioritize the pallet whose box count is closest to the remaining project target.

• Continuing Pallets Already on the Forklift

  If a pallet is already on a forklift, the Loading Operator that takes over will continue delivery with that pallet as long as it matches the current project target.

• Handling Full Destinations

  If a Loading Operator is already carrying a box and the destination is full, they no longer need to drop it on the ground. The box will be returned directly to a rack instead.

• Handling Pallet Inside Cold Storage

  Update behavior for Loading Operator that will not take box from the pallet inside cold storage area to move it into rack.

This delivery behavior is still not perfect, and we will continue improving it. However, with the new settings and areas, we aim to give you more control so you can align behavior with your own playstyle.

Note:

• For the current process for choosing Box Size for delivery the employee will choose the oldest box available. We are working to update this behavior so Loading Operator will choose the most efficient box to delivery.

Cold Storage Handler behavior:

• Box Size Settings per RackCold Storage Racks now have additional settings in Employee Settings where you can define which Box Size (S / M / L) is desired for that rack. Loading Operators will follow this preference when placing boxes in Cold Storage.

  

• Tidying Cold StorageLoading Operators will now help organize product boxes in Cold Storage that are not yet on a rack, as long as there is a suitable rack available.

  • Stacks around the monitor or on the floor can be cleaned up this way.

  • Boxes that are already on a rack will not be moved to other racks.

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The Box Carrier has been made more efficient to use in daily operations:

• You can now pick up boxes directly from the ground while still holding the Box Carrier by pressing F (default keyboard).

• You can take and place boxes into Cold Storage Racks using the Box Carrier without putting it down first.

This reduces unnecessary steps and makes Box Carrier a more powerful tool for manual logistics.

1. Cold Storage Fallback Box Area

   Added a new Box Area in Cold Storage as a final fallback drop off spot for Loading Operators when no valid rack is available.

   • This area is located under the monitor.

   • Racks can no longer be placed on this exact spot to ensure the fallback area always remains usable.

   

2. Skip Item Movement Animation

   You can now skip item movement animations.

   • A prompt to skip will appear after a few seconds, so you can fast forward if you do not want to watch the full animation.

   

3. Faster Trash Disposal for Box Contents

   Removed the animation of items going into the trash one by one when discarding commodities from a box into a Trash Bin. The process is now faster and less repetitive.

   

4. Maximum FOV Increased to 120

   Increased the maximum Field of View from 90 to 120 for players using ultrawide monitors or who simply prefer a wider view.

5. Improved Manual Pallet Delivery with Forklift

   Refined the detection when the player delivers pallets manually with the forklift, making it easier to align and complete deliveries correctly.

6. Level Up and Unlock Tutorials

   When you level up and unlock new features, a short information or tutorial will now appear. A Tutorial menu is also available on the tablet so you can re read these explanations later.

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7. Employee Status Info Update

   Completed several missing employee state indicators so that more work situations now show the correct status text above the employee’s head.

1. Box Carrier Stuck

   Fixed an issue where the Box Carrier could get stuck in certain areas and could not be clicked to pick it up.

2. Filter Machine Blocking Conveyor Bridge

   Fixed an issue where the Filter Machine could be placed in a way that blocked the Conveyor Bridge.

3. Cold Storage Rack Marker

   Fixed the yellow rack area marker not appearing on the first 5 racks in Cold Storage.

4. Player Run SFX on Forklift

   Fixed a bug where the player’s running sound effect could still be heard while riding the forklift.

5. Box Carrier Repack Visual Glitch

   Fixed a visual issue where the Box Carrier would briefly disappear when being repacked.

6. Production Assistant Holding Stuck Box

   Fixed a condition where a Production Assistant could end up with a box stuck in their hand.

7. Loading Operator Taking Boxes from Player Pallet

   Fixed a behavior where a Loading Operator could take a box from a pallet that the player was currently moving.

8. Box Stacking on Same Rack Slot

   Fixed an issue where both the player and employees could place boxes on the exact same rack position, causing multiple boxes to stack in a single slot.

We know there are still many ideas and requests from the community that are not part of this update yet. That does not mean they are ignored, but some of them require more design, testing, or technical work before they are ready.

Thank you again for helping us shape Food Processing Simulator through your feedback and playtime. If you notice new issues with the updated Box Packer system, employee priorities, Loading Operator behavior or any other aspect, please let us know through the in game report tools or on the Steam Discussions.

We will keep improving the game step by step, and we hope these changes make your factories feel more controllable, more readable, and more satisfying to manage. 🥗🚚

https://steamproxy.net/steamstore/app/3928990/Food_Processing_Simulator/

Hi everyone, 😄

Thank you so much for the incredible support you’ve been giving Food Processing Simulator during Early Access. We really feel the enthusiasm from everyone who has bought the game, shared feedback, and taken the time to write detailed reports or suggestions.

This weekly update continues our iterative approach: we’re focusing on improving day-to-day factory operations, giving you more control over logistics and storage, and responding directly to the pain points many of you have raised. Some of the larger requests (like deeper economy balancing and bigger late-game expansions) are still in development, but we want to keep shipping meaningful improvements every week.

Here are the key changes in this new version.

A new Equipment purchase category has been added to support your factory layout, with several new items:

• Trash BinYou can now buy additional Trash Bins and decide exactly how many you need in different areas of the factory. This should make it easier to keep workspaces clean without relying on a single bin.

• Box Carrier A new piece of equipment that helps you carry more boxes at once especially for indoors, available in two sizes:

  • Up to 4 boxes

  • Up to 8 boxes
    Box Carrier can be used for Commodity Boxes, Label Boxes, Packaging Boxes, Machine Boxes, and Equipment Boxes, making it much easier to move bulk supplies and machines around your factory.

• Cold Storage Rack
  New racks specifically for the Cold Storage Room, available in three sizes, from up to 16 boxes up to 48 boxes (depending on the model you choose). These help you neatly organize cold products and make better use of your limited cold storage space.

Each piece of equipment unlocks at different Tiers, so as your progression increases, more tools become available to support larger and more complex factories.

Cold Storage Racks now support a Focus Product configuration:

• Each rack can be assigned to focus on a specific product menu type.

• Employees will try to place boxes in racks according to the product type shown on that rack’s display, rather than placing items randomly.

This helps keep Cold Storage organized and makes it easier to visually track where certain products are stored.

Note:

• For players with existing saves, employees will not automatically re-organize any boxes that are already messy in racks or around the monitors.

• By default, all racks start configured as “Any Product Menu”, so you will need to set Focus Product manually if you want stricter organization.

Many players mentioned that the initial factory area felt too cramped, making it difficult to build a comfortable production pipeline early on.

So in this update:

• The starting factory area has been extended to roughly 50% longer.

• The starting position, supply area, and commodity box pickup area have been shifted to match the new layout.

Note:

• For players with existing saves, we do not move your placed machines. Only the starting area and related factory surroundings are adjusted, so your existing production lines remain intact.

• Before moving the machine, make sure the entire processing line has fully finished and nothing is running. Otherwise, items may spill out, or fall off the conveyor.

We’ve also started expanding Cold Storage to better support growing factories:

• A new expansion area for Cold Storage can now be unlocked after reaching a certain Tier.

• By interacting with the additional door in the Cold Storage area, you can enlarge the room and place more Cold Storage Racks.

This is Phase 1 of Cold Storage expansion. We understand that even more space will be needed at higher progression levels, and larger expansions are already in our backlog for future development. Thank you for your patience as we roll this out gradually.

We are introducing 3 new employees:

• 2 Production Assistants

• 1 Loading Operator

We’re adding them gradually because having too many employees at once still raises some technical and performance concerns that we want to improve first. This step-by-step approach helps us monitor performance while still giving you more support options in your factory.

We’ve added a new stat for the Production Assistant role: Supplying Speed.

• This stat affects how quickly Production Assistants supply commodities, labels, and packaging to machines.

• It only appears on and affects Production Assistants, making their role feel more impactful as you upgrade or manage them.

Based on your reports, we’ve refined the Loading Operator behavior to better match expectations around pallets and truck loading:

• Improved pallet filling checksLoading Operators now check pallet fill status more carefully to avoid overfilling or continuing to stack boxes unnecessarily.

• Better handling of extra boxes during truck deliveries
  When delivering to a truck, any excess boxes that don’t fit the current delivery conditions are now placed next to the truck instead of being lost in the process.
  These extra boxes will then be returned to Cold Storage by employees.

• Mixed grades on the same pallet (with constraints)
  Pallets can now hold boxes of the same product menu but with mixed grades, as long as the minimum grade requirement of the active project is still met.

Other behavior issues, such as forklifts crossing into places they shouldn’t or interacting strangely with pallets, are still being worked on and will be addressed in future updates.

1. Employee Not Supplying Starter Machine

   Fixed an issue where employees sometimes did not automatically supply Starter Machines after they were set up under certain conditions.

   

2. Loading Operator Not Filling Newest Truck Correctly

   Fixed a logic issue where the Loading Operator would not load the newest truck when items for the earlier truck were not yet available. Now, employees prioritize earlier trucks first, but if the required products are not available, they will switch priority to the next truck.

3. Tablet Exit Fix

   Fixed an issue where the tablet could not be closed from anywhere after accessing the Employee Menu while renaming or upgrading an employee.

4. Forklift Access Signage

   Added clear indicators at doorways to show that forklifts cannot enter indoor rooms. Forklifts and pallets are designed for use in outdoor or loading areas.

   

5. Forklift Employee Settings

   Forklifts now have an Employee Settings menu. You can choose:

   • Which employee is allowed to operate the forklift, or

   • Disable employee use entirely so only the player can drive it.
     Interact with the forklift using F (default on keyboard) to open this menu.

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6. Forklift Taking More Than One Pallet

   Fixed a bug where forklifts could sometimes pick up more than one pallet at once.

7. Forklift Falling Out of the World

   Fixed an issue where the forklift could fall below the world. If this happens, it will now automatically return to its parking position when you load the game. In this update we choose to make the forklift back to its starting position after load game process.

8. Forklift Speed Increase

   Forklift movement speed has been increased, so forklift-based tasks feel faster and more efficient.

9. Bigger Doors to the Loading Zone

   Doors leading to the loading zone are now wider double doors, making it easier to move pallets and boxes through these areas.

   

10. Machine Usage Descriptions for Splitter and Filter Machines

    Splitter and Filter Machines now show clearer descriptions of what they do inside the Machine Settings menu.

    

11. Box Carrier & Pallet Direct Delivery

    Box Carriers and pallets carried by the player can now be used to deliver directly to the truck, including system that will reject boxes that do not match the truck’s active project requirements.

    

12. Performance Improvements Around Box-Dense Areas

    Improved performance when moving or looking towards areas with many boxes, such as Cold Storage and Supply Area, especially when they are heavily stocked.

13. Double Force End Day

    Fixed a bug where players could trigger Force End Day twice.

14. Hover Information Disappearing Too Quickly

    Fixed an issue where tooltip information when hovering over objects could disappear too fast.

15. Overtuned Project EXP Rewards

    Fixed certain projects that granted too much EXP compared to others.

16. Translation Fixes

    Corrected translations in several areas, including:

    • Machine settings menus

    • Machine screen displays

    • Truck information

17. Floating Box Visuals in Trucks

    Fixed an issue where boxes could appear to float inside the truck instead of resting correctly.

    

18. Machine Jamming After Loading a Game

    Fixed a condition where some machines could become jammed or stop processing correctly after loading a save. If your save is already affected, please remove the jammed goods manually using a Commodity Box, then process them again.

19. Cold Storage Wall Collision

    Fixed a wall in the Cold Storage area that could be passed through.

You can also check our Pinned Thread in the Discussion for more info regarding hot fix or minor update in the midweek: List of Latest Fixes and Updates Before Devlog

Some of your most requested features and changes are still under active development, including:

• Recurring / operational costs to better balance income over time

• More than two concurrent projects

• Manage/control number of productions

• Employee pause / control options

• Larger Box Packer machines

• Additional forklift-related bug fixes (such as moving through walls), and more

• More Tier, product menus & project type to explore

We’ve noted many other suggestions beyond this list as well. Not seeing something listed here does not mean it is ignored as it might be in a different queue or require more design and testing time. Likewise, anything mentioned here is not guaranteed to be completed immediately, but it is on our radar and being explored step by step.

We’ll continue to improve Food Processing Simulator in an iterative and incremental way, guided by how you actually play the game and your feedback.

Thank you again for all your feedback, patience, and support during Early Access. If you encounter issues or have ideas to make the production flow smoother, please keep using the in-game report tools or Steam Discussions to let us know.

See you in the next update! 🥗🚚

https://steamproxy.net/steamstore/app/3928990/Food_Processing_Simulator/