The test build
For years, Evolution shipped in two tracks: a release build everyone played, and a test build where the next round of changes was trialled in public.
What the test build was for
The mod's own test log described it as the place where changes were tried and where those changes "will not always make it to public build, or may be modified after further testing". Players who wanted to try new mechanics early installed it deliberately, keeping it in its own folder alongside the release build.
That is also where several changes that later reached everyone first appeared: the 1.08 and 1.09 test-build work was folded into the 1.10 release, which is why those two versions have no release log of their own.
Retirement
The test build was retired in October 2026, and the mod team's statement is specific: the test build has been removed, and changes going forward will be pushed directly to the main build for future patches.
In practice that means:
- There is no longer a separate test download to opt into.
- Your local
data_win32layout no longer needs adata_evo_testfolder to hold a second build. - New mechanics arrive in the release build rather than a preview.
What to do if you were on it
- Open the launcher and press UPDATER to pull the current release build.
- Press Validate so the file set matches the release rather than the test build.
- If you had a
data_evo_testfolder, it is now unused — keep it as a backup or remove it.
Players who documented the working setup for a Steam Deck in the test-build era report that the release build now behaves the same way, since the difference between the tracks is gone.
Related pages
- Version history — where the test-build changes ended up.
- Update 1.10 — the release that absorbed 1.08 and 1.09.
- Road to Connections — the other side project the team has retired.
