Changelog
All notable changes to Side Hustle are documented here. This project adheres to
Semantic Versioning.
[1.6.0] - 2026-07-09
Native bigger lobbies - Side Hustle now raises the co-op player cap on its own.
Added
- Bigger co-op lobbies, built in. Side Hustle now seats far more than the vanilla 4 players by itself
(default up to 32), and the host player-count slider opens up to match. No separate lobby mod required.
Changed
- Larger lobbies no longer rely on the external BiggerLobbies mod. If you still run BiggerLobbies, the two
cooperate and the higher cap wins.
[1.5.3] - 2026-07-08
A multiplayer-focused update - public lobbies work with anyone, plus host controls, friend invites and smoother
mod-set switching.
Added
- Play with anyone, not just friends. Schedule I normally kicks a joining player who isn't on the host's Steam
friends list a few seconds after they connect - so public sessions were effectively friends-only. While you host a
Side Hustle gamemode that kick is lifted, so friends and non-friends alike can join your public (or
password-protected) lobbies. Normal co-op outside Side Hustle is unaffected.
- Kick players. The host can remove a player from the session from the gamemode's UI (a reusable framework
control, so any gamemode can offer it).
- Clients can invite friends too. The Steam friend-invite (+) button in the pause-menu lobby panel now shows for
everyone in the lobby, not just the host, and works past four seats (with BiggerLobbies).
- A heads-up before a "Required mods only" host restarts the game. Instead of restarting instantly, a short
countdown appears (Restart now / Cancel) and restarts on its own when the timer runs out - so the restart is never
a surprise.
- Gamemodes can default to "Required mods only". A gamemode can ask the Host form to pre-select the isolated
"required mods only" set (the host can still switch it), so a mode that wants everyone on an identical set gets it
by default.
Fixed
- "Required mods only" re-hosting is now solid. Hosting a gamemode with only its required mods, returning to the
menu, then hosting again now works reliably: each launch builds a fresh isolated profile (a locked leftover can
never block it), the gamemode list comes back on its own, and a quick re-host no longer times out.
Changed
- Better connection routing for public lobbies. Public P2P connections now allow all connection routes and warm
up Steam's relay, so a join picks the best available path instead of falling back to relay-only.
[1.5.0] - 2026-07-03
Added
- Gamemode presets. Gamemodes can now ship named presets (like "Classic Hunt") that show up as a picker at
the top of the host setup form. Pick one and it fills in all the settings for you - you can still tweak anything
afterwards. The form auto-selects whichever preset best fits your lobby size, a preset can suggest a player
count, and one whose headline mechanic isn't finished yet is flagged EXPERIMENTAL so you know what you're getting.
- Name your lobby. The host form has a lobby name field now, and that name (plus the mode you picked) shows on
the server-browser cards, so joiners can tell sessions apart at a glance.
- Session-hygiene flags for gamemode authors. A gamemode can opt into a handful of world-cleanup switches
instead of reinventing them: skip the new-game intro and character creator, stop vanilla quests from
auto-starting (with an allow-list for your own guide quest), block saving for the session so a throwaway world
never overwrites a real save, keep NPCs from reacting to gunfire, and turn off vanilla player death when the
gamemode runs its own elimination. All opt-in, all off by default.
- A heads-up when versions don't match. When you join a session, Side Hustle compares your build of the
gamemode against the host's and warns you - in the log and right on the browser card - if they differ. It's the
classic "we're all on different versions" bug, now easy to spot. It only warns; it never stops you joining.
Changed
- Host form polish. Settings can be grouped under section headers, there's a new compact dropdown for
one-of-many choices, and the settings list scrolls with a smooth mouse-wheel glide.
[1.4.0] - 2026-06-26
Added
- Host configuration screen. Hosting a multiplayer gamemode now opens a native-style setup form: pick the
exact player count (up to the lobby cap), a public or private (friends-only) lobby with an optional password,
and any settings the gamemode itself exposes - sliders, toggles, choices and text fields - all handed to the
gamemode at launch.
- Restyled server browser. The Join screen lists open lobbies as cards (host, player count, gamemode, and a
lock for password-protected lobbies); a locked lobby asks for the password before joining.
Changed
- The mod policy is now a per-session choice on the host form. When you host a gamemode that declares which
other mods it works with, the setup form offers "Current installed mods" (the default - keep your full set) or
"Required mods only" (run just the gamemode's mods in an isolated profile, after a confirmation listing the
changes). Nothing in your real Mods folder is ever renamed, moved or deleted (junctions/hardlinks, no admin
needed), so your mod manager stays in sync. Joining a session never changes your mods - that is the host's choice.
[1.3.0] - 2026-06-26
Changed
- Conflict-free mod sets are now fully non-destructive. When a gamemode declares which other mods it works
with, Side Hustle launches it in a temporary, isolated profile that loads only those mods - your installed mods
are never disabled, renamed, moved or deleted, so your mod manager stays in sync and a normal launch always
loads everything. Leaving the gamemode restarts back to your full set. The confirmation still lists exactly what
changes before anything happens, and a "Restore my mods" entry returns you to your full set at any time.
[1.2.0] - 2026-06-25
Added
- Conflict-free mod sets. A gamemode can declare which other mods it works with (a mod policy). When you
launch it, Side Hustle shows exactly which mods it will pause and enable, then - on your confirmation -
launches the gamemode in its own mod set. When you leave the gamemode your normal mods are restored. A
"Restore my mods" entry is there if you ever need to put everything back yourself.
[1.1.0] - 2026-06-25
Added
- Multiplayer launch. Multiplayer and hybrid gamemodes now show a Singleplayer / Host / Join
choice in the menu. Hosting opens a public lobby (with a player-count picker); bigger lobbies are
supported with BiggerLobbies.
- Public server browser. Browse and join open sessions for a gamemode, filtered so each gamemode
only lists its own lobbies.
- World gamemodes. Gamemodes that need the actual game world get a throwaway session booted for
them, outside your five save slots - your real saves are never created or touched.
- Richer launch context. Gamemodes receive the host/client role, lobby id, player count, host name
and the host's settings when they launch.
- Play-mode badge (Singleplayer / Multiplayer / SP + MP) on each gamemode in the list, optional
per-gamemode icons, and a recently-played ordering so your last gamemodes appear first.
[1.0.1] - 2026-06-24
Fixed
- The "Side Hustle" menu entry could be added more than once (showing duplicate entries) when the
main menu re-initialised during loading. Injection is now idempotent, so exactly one entry appears.
[1.0.0] - 2026-06-24
Initial release.
Added
- A "Side Hustle" entry on the main menu that lists every installed gamemode mod (name,
description, author) and launches the selected one without loading a savegame.
- Public, load-order-independent registration API (
SideHustle.API.Register with
GamemodeDescriptor / LaunchContext) for mods to appear as gamemodes.
- Singleplayer launch flow with a clean return to the menu (
LaunchContext.ReturnToHub).
- Multiplayer host/join and a server browser are shown but disabled, ready for a later update.
Enabled setting (MelonPreferences) to hide the menu entry without uninstalling.
