The latest update for Idol Manager is now live! If you joined the beta program by backing the game or buying the game on itch.io, to manually update you can head over to the game's itch.io page to download the latest version. 

If you are a Kickstarter backer and did not receive an email when beta keys were distributed on March 30, please message us directly so that we can make sure that you get your beta key.

If you run into any bugs, or have suggestions or feature requests for things you'd like to see us add to the game, please drop by the beta community forum to let us know!

Here's what's new in Idol Manager Beta #6:

Features

Mentor me, senpai!

You can now ask an idol to mentor her kohai. If she agrees, the kohai gets a bonus to the training speed of one of her stats. The bigger the difference between senpai and kohai's stats, the bigger the bonus. This also improves their relationship.

Graduations

Each idol has a date for when they're planning to leave the group. This date can be pushed later or earlier based on a number of factors, and can periodically change based on her current circumstances. You can ask an idol when she's planning to graduate while socializing.

You can also fire idols. You can choose between booting them immediately, or allowing them the more graceful option of an accelerated graduation.

When idol leaves, you can try to recruit her as a staffer or ask her to help find and recruit a successor (with the same stats and look).

The "idols" section now features a tab for graduated idols (in addition to the default tab, which shows active idols). Here, you can get a glimpse of how idols' lives have turned out after graduating.

Relationships

By talking with idols, you can hear the latest gossip about the relationship status of other idols in the group (who's dating someone outside the group, and which idols might be finding romance inside the group), and who's getting bullied by whom.

Idols can now form cliques, which form based on which idols like each other, and when they joined the group.  Each clique has a leader who influences the relationships between clique members and those outside the clique. Clique leaders can be replaced if they lose their influence in the group, which can lead to the formation of new rivalries.

Idols will sometimes get into public arguments depending on various factors, including how well they are getting along with each other. If an argument becomes public, it's up to you to mediate.

The relationships system is still a work in progress, and in future updates we will be making tweaks to the clique system, including new ways for you to see where feuds are forming. If you'd like to share your feedback about the current relationship system or things you'd like to see in future updates, be sure to drop by the beta community forum and let us know what you think!

New idol portraits

You might notice some new faces (and hair styles and outfits) the next time you hold an idol audition:

Improvements

Idol salaries

Low salary satisfaction used to ruin your relationship with an idol very rapidly. The system has been reworked to be more forgiving, and the game will also show a notification if you're losing relationship points with an idol because of her low salary.

Misc improvements

• Policies: you can now limit auto-training to stop at 80 stamina points
• The "tasks" widget now has a scrollbar
• Added buttons for "Loans" and "Contracts" to the bottom bar
• The game will now display a warning tooltip if you forgot to create a name when starting a new show
• Lowered chances of getting an injury

Bug fixes

• Fixed: Couldn't drag & drop idols into some rooms after drag & dropping an idol into a doctor's office or a dressing room
• Fixed: Busy dressing room not blacking out when drag & dropping an idol
• Fixed: Wishes to host a show with a co-host not fulfilling
• Fixed: Wishes to center a number of songs at a concert not fulfilling
• Fixed: Bug that sometimes tanked mental stamina and restored physical stamina when both should be decreased by a little instead
• Fixed: "Give concert in every country" not triggering the "Promotion" upgrade

Thank you to everyone who has supported Idol Manager so far! We look forward to hearing your feedback on the latest update in the beta community forum.