The RETRORONTO Report #23
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Monday, October 5, 2026
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☁️
Cloudy 22C
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📃
Vers. 0.7
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📅 Monday, October 5, 2026 | ☁️ Cloudy 22C | 📃 Vers. 0.7 |
Wishlists:
📈 1,209
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Itch.io Views:
👁️ 6,585
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Discord:
🙌 82
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Instagram:
📷 271
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Wishlists: 📈 1,209 | Itch.io Views: 👁️ 6,585 | Discord: 🙌 82 | Instagram: 📷 271 |
This is The RETRORONTO Report, your go-to source for all the latest happenings and updates in the evolving city of Retroronto!
Retroronto Heads to VGLX
Retroronto is set to make another public appearance later this month, with the Toronto-based game expected to be showcased at VGLX in Mississauga on October 24–25. The appearance is being made possible through a partnership with Eh! Games Showcase, giving the game another opportunity to reach players across the Greater Toronto Area.
The partnership marks a return for Retroronto and Eh! Games Showcase, who previously worked together during Toronto Games Week. As part of Toronto Games, Amplified, Retroronto was among the games featured on the Malting Silos, bringing its pixel-art take on early-2000s Toronto to one of the city's more unusual public displays.
VGLX will also mark one of the first times Retroronto has been showcased primarily outside of central Toronto. Most of the game's previous public appearances have taken place downtown, making the Mississauga event an opportunity to see how players from elsewhere in the GTA respond to its distinctly Toronto setting. While the game remains firmly rooted in the city, reaching audiences beyond Toronto's core could open the door to more showcase opportunities throughout the region.
With development continuing through the fall, visitors will also get a chance to see some of the newer features added to Retroronto in recent updates, including expanded groceries, laundry, cooking, and other everyday activities. For a game so heavily inspired by a specific place, taking it to a different part of the GTA should provide an interesting test of just how far that local appeal travels.
VGLX will take place October 24–25 in Mississauga, with Retroronto appearing through Eh! Games Showcase. The event will be another chance for players to try the game in person, and potentially the first of more showcases outside of Toronto's downtown core.
- Eliza O’Brien, Staff Reporter
Home-Cooked Meals
With Blahbos now stocked with fresh groceries, Retroronto residents can finally put those ingredients to use. New cooking recipes allow players to combine food items into meals, provided their home has the right equipment. Counters, microwaves, and stoves are now functional in homes, while cookbooks found in the library offer recipes for players looking to expand their culinary skills.
- Patricia Greene, Reporter
Someone Here Stinks
Players can now become smelly from stepping in poop or vomit, digging through garbage, working out at a bench press, or occasionally waking up after a night's sleep. A quick wash with soap at a sink or shower will clear the stink, while deodorant offers a convenient shortcut for those times when there isn't a bathroom nearby. Take care of yourself, or else your charm score is reduced!
- Robert Sawyer, Editor
Monthly Roadmap Recap
Nothing new to report on the monthly roadmap, as loose-ends are currently being tied until the end of the year, and 2027’s roadmap is in the works.
Where citizens say what’s on their mind, and we print it anyway.
Leaves Already Win
By Cheryl M., 52
It was twenty degrees last week and now I'm scraping leaves off my windshield every morning. Make up your mind, Toronto. I haven't even put the air conditioner away yet and I'm already finding Halloween decorations in people's yards. At this rate, we'll be shovelling snow by Thanksgiving.
Something in the Attic
By Daniel R., 34
I heard something moving around in my attic last night. I'm sure it's probably a raccoon. Probably. Anyway, I have decided that whatever it is, it can have the attic. That's basically a second apartment, right? I'm not going up there in October. I've seen enough horror movies to know how this ends.
School is Too Much
By Sophie L., 16
Can someone explain why teachers think October is a good time to start giving us five assignments at once? We just got back! I haven't even remembered everyone's names yet. Also, if I hear one more person say “midterms are coming,” I'm going to start pretending I don't speak English.
Classifieds
HALLOWEEN COSTUME REPAIRS
Got a costume that needs a little fixing before Halloween? Offering basic sewing, patching, hemming, and alterations for costumes of all kinds. Can also help turn old clothes into something suitably spooky. Evening and weekend appointments available.
FIREWOOD DELIVERY
Fireplace or wood stove getting low? Offering local firewood delivery in small and medium loads. Hardwood available, already split and ready to burn. Reasonable rates for nearby homes. Please have a clear place ready for delivery.
GARAGE & BASEMENT CLEAROUTS
Need to make some room before winter? Offering help sorting, lifting, hauling, and disposing of unwanted household items from garages, basements, storage rooms, and sheds. No job too cluttered. Reasonable rates and flexible weekend availability.
TUTORING AVAILABLE
High school student offering tutoring in English, history, and basic math. Patient and reliable, with flexible after-school and weekend hours. Suitable for elementary and early high school students. References available upon request.
Obituaries
GEORGE HALPERN
(1947-200X)
George spent more than thirty years working as a transit mechanic, where he was known for fixing problems by sound alone. Outside of work, he enjoyed hockey, crossword puzzles, and long walks through the neighbourhood with his dog, Rusty. He was never much for travelling, preferring to explore Toronto one street at a time.
George is remembered by family and neighbours as practical, generous, and quietly funny. He leaves behind a well-used toolbox, several unfinished projects, and detailed instructions for things nobody remembers asking him to fix.
MARGARET “MARGIE” DONOVAN
(1961-200X)
Margaret worked for many years as a receptionist at a downtown dental office, where she was known for her cheerful manner and excellent memory. Outside of work, she enjoyed baking, thrift shopping, and hosting family dinners. She was particularly proud of her butter tarts and insisted the recipe was too good to write down.
Margaret is remembered by family and friends as warm, stubborn, and always ready with an opinion. She leaves behind many cherished memories, a collection of handwritten recipes, and several people who will probably never eat a butter tart without comparing it to hers.
Events
HALLOWEEN NIGHT MARKET
Local vendors, bakers, artists, and small businesses will gather for an evening market featuring seasonal food, handmade goods, decorations, and Halloween treats. Visitors are encouraged to come in costume, though costumes are not required. Live music, pumpkin decorating, and activities for children will be available throughout the evening. Bring cash, bring a bag, and try not to let the person dressed as a giant pumpkin convince you to buy something you don't need.
COMMUNITY PUMPKIN WALK
Residents are invited to bring their carved pumpkins to the local park for an evening display along the walking paths. Families can browse the decorated pumpkins, enjoy hot drinks, and vote for their favourites in several categories. The display will begin at sunset and continue into the evening. Please keep candles supervised, and remember that “scariest pumpkin” is not an excuse to bring an actual severed head.
COMMUNITY PUMPKIN WALK
Clean out your closet before winter and trade unwanted coats, sweaters, boots, and other cold-weather clothing with neighbours. Items should be clean and in good condition, with anything left over donated to a local charity. All sizes and ages are welcome, and no purchase is necessary to participate. One person's old winter jacket is another person's excuse to finally stop wearing the same hoodie every day.
Changelog
CHANGES/FIXES:
Eating Food now has a fill bar that gets filled overtime, consuming the item when done and cancelling it when the player moves
Players can now read magazines outside when they weren't allowed to before
Changed Store Shelf UI to look more like a modern price tag, with various styles for sales
Changed ATM UI to look less bland, and more like an electronic screen, money text turns red if bank account is empty
Changed Item/Inventory Text to show the item name that's highlighted, alongside button and action prompts, also updated for when containers are opened
Updated Item navigation with Dpad Functionality for when containers are opened
Changed Fridge UI removing door, and to show name of item selected
Adjusted Home interiors to have various cooking and bathing stations
Brought back and updated basement apartment to no longer include Roommate NPC
Reset and added Overworld NPC spawn locations with preferred type of NPC spawn, now numbering 80 spots
Upstairs bartender at Empirical now sells food
Adjusted prices for all store-bought items based on a weekly measure of time (and potential inflation overtime)
Players no longer get tired after 11pm, instead get tired when sleep meter is running low
Adjusted fade time between hotel lobby and room
Buses now stop for the player when highlighting
Updated keys/buttons in Main Menu to switch between keyboard and gamepad controls, also animates when input is detected
Throwing up when nauseous now reduces hunger considerably
Fixed a bug where the 'tails' of order bubbles in work minigames were offset and covering the icons at times
Fixed a bug where chairs in LcMacs would turn white when highlighting them
Fixed a bug where the Cart UI in stores was hidden underneath the HUD, now adjusts itself in top right corner above interior boundary
Fixed a bug where fridge sprites wouldn't open when highlighting (otherwise functionally worked)
Fixed a bug where hats wouldn't stay within sprite mask in interior environments
Fixed a bug where store checkout registers wouldn't play any sounds when buying items
Fixed a bug where the player would be rewarded pants for the 'Banksgiving' task that would break walking animations
Fixed a bug where the player would constantly be called by their Dad every morning for the renting task due weeks later. Dad now calls about paying rent on day its due
Fixed a bug where overworld NPCs would be active and collide-able when inside interiors
Fixed a bug where the player would consume a textbook when trying to check it out
Fixed a bug where the laundry task would only point to one laundromat when three exist in the city
ADDITIONS:
Added home counters that will process two food items into a new item
Added home microwaves that can only cook one item into a new item
Added home stoves that can cook up to three items together into a new item
Added lots of different recipes for meals to be used on home counters and cooking stations
Added a 'cook book' you can read at the Library with up to 10 different recipes
Added 'sales' for random items in stores, either at 25% or 50%, shown by a different sales tag when highlighting shelves
Added 'Food Stall' npcs that will spawn around the city selling either hotdogs, tacos, or ice cream
Added 'Stink' status effect, which halves player's charm stat, gained by stepping in poop/barf, going through trash bins (50% chance), working out at bench presses, and after sleeping (50% chance)
Added sinks and showers to home, hotel, and gym environments, which when used with a soap item will increase the player's charm and remove the 'Stink' status effect
Added a 'Bathe' task introducing Stink mechanic, and tasking player to buy and use soap or deodorant to remove status effect
Added some dialogue for buying food for the first time to better instruct how to eat
Added some dialogue for getting drunk for the first time to better introduce mechanic
Added a 'Contacts' screen on phone for calling the player's Dad should they miss, skip, or need to reset a task given by him
Players can now use toothpaste on sinks to gain a charm point
Added a new dialogue type for books
Removals:
Got feedback, questions, or concerns about the development of Retroronto? Join the discord server below!
EDITOR’S NOTES
Hey everyone,
It's spooky month, and nothing is more spooky to me than the existential threat of figuring out how this game is actually going to turn out if I ever manage to release it. With this latest update, I'm seriously considering pumping the brakes on any major additions to the demo and putting more of my time toward things that will actually belong in the full game. I usually stop making these kinds of updates around November so I can enjoy the December holidays, but knowing me, and knowing how much time I've sunk into this project, I'll probably still be working on Retroronto every day like I have been for nearly three years now.
One thing I did get to do this month was ask the community for feedback on the game's new Energy UI. I posted it in the Retroronto Discord as well as a few other game development communities, and got some genuinely helpful responses. I'd like to be able to do more of this kind of thing going forward, especially for UI where the whole point is making things understandable to the people actually using it. Thanks to everyone who took the time to look at it and give me their thoughts. I think splitting the old Energy meter into separate Sleep and Hunger meters makes Retroronto feel much more like a life sim, and hopefully makes more sense than the system I've been carrying around since I started this whole project.
I wish I had more to share this month, but aside from the upcoming VGLX showcase, not a whole lot has happened. There's no longer really a roadmap to work through, so I'm going to take this as an excuse to keep both the devblog and editorial a little shorter this month. It's a bit of a shame, though, because this update does quietly introduce one of the bigger features I've worked on. Cooking is now in the game, and a lot of the systems behind it were built with the intention of being useful beyond just cooking. If the laundry system is any indication, hopefully I can start putting some of that groundwork to use as I build out other jobs and minigames.
Anyway, Merry Spooksmas everyone, and I'll see you all in November. Hopefully with a little more to report.
Cheers,
Sean "Shramper" Browning
Disclaimer:
The names, classifieds, obituaries, and events featured in this publication are entirely fictional and not associated with any real people or entities. While the content is loosely inspired by the development of Retroronto, it is largely embellished for the sake of engagement and fun. The goal is to present the city and its progress as closely to a newspaper as possible. Please don’t take it all too seriously!