If you are stuck staring at the shop menu on Kioku Island, you are not alone. The Kioku Last Summer Stim softlock fix is incredibly simple: do not try to click the on-screen exit button. Instead, press Esc on your keyboard or the B button on your controller. This forces the UI to close and instantly returns control to Asti.
When Lugn Games and Assemble Entertainment released Kioku: Last Summer in May 2026, it delivered a beautifully nostalgic, Scandinavian-meets-Japanese island adventure. The game trades high-stakes action for quiet moments: catching crabs, exploring hidden paths, and collecting Marubi cards. But when a cozy game steals an hour of your progress, it stops being cozy.
Because the game relies heavily on a day-and-night cycle with specific autosave intervals, getting trapped in a menu can mean losing a full in-game day of foraging and relationship-building. The shop interface at Stim’s store is the primary culprit, frequently trapping players in an infinite loop that freezes the cursor and halts all progression.
This guide breaks down exactly why this UI glitch happens, how to consistently execute the workaround, and what other island bugs you should watch out for during Asti’s summer vacation.
Understanding the Bug: Why You Need a Kioku Last Summer Stim Softlock Fix
To understand why you are stuck, you have to look at how Kioku: Last Summer handles its menus. The game is built on a layered interface system. When you walk up to a vendor, the 3D environment is supposed to pause, shifting your input controls exclusively to the 2D shop interface.
The anatomy of this glitch is a classic layering error. When Asti initiates dialogue with Stim, the shop inventory UI layer renders on top of the screen. However, the game engine occasionally fails to pass input focus to this new layer. As a result, the mouse cursor becomes trapped behind the active window. The on-screen exit button remains unclickable because the game doesn't register your pointer as being "inside" the menu. While the background environment continues to run—leaving Stim in an infinite idle animation loop—the player is entirely locked out of normal interactions.
Interestingly, the developers were aware of this issue before the official launch. In the First Day Demo patch notes released in mid-May 2026, Lugn Games explicitly stated: "Stim and his shop should no longer lead to a softlock." Despite this, the collision geometry around Stim's counter in the 1.0 release still occasionally triggers the desync, forcing players to rely on a manual override to escape.
Step-by-Step Kioku Last Summer Stim Softlock Fix for PC and Consoles
If you find yourself staring blankly at Stim's inventory with a dead cursor, do not panic and do not force-quit the game through your operating system. Executing the emergency input override flow is your only way out.
Whether you are playing on PC or a controller, the solution bypasses the trapped cursor entirely. For PC players, you must press the Escape key (Esc) to force the UI to close. For console or gamepad users, press the B button. This hard-coded command forces the shop window to terminate, immediately ensuring Asti regains control so you can continue exploring Kioku Island without losing your daily progress.
Here is the exact sequence to safely break the freeze:
- Recognize the freeze: You will notice Stim's idle animation playing, but your mouse clicks or D-pad inputs will not highlight any items in the shop.
- Stop clicking: Repeatedly clicking the on-screen "Exit" prompt can sometimes queue up inputs that crash the game entirely. Take your hand off the mouse.
- Input the hard-override: Press Esc on your keyboard, or the B button (Circle on PlayStation controllers) on your gamepad.
- Verify control: The UI should vanish instantly. Move Asti away from the counter to ensure the collision box has reset.
Preventing the Glitch: Safe Trading at Stim's Shop
While the workaround is reliable, avoiding the glitch altogether is the better strategy. The softlock is most frequently triggered when players "spam" the interact button as they run up to the shop counter. Because Asti is still in her walking animation when the UI attempts to load, the game's state machine gets confused.
To trade safely, approach the counter and come to a complete stop. Wait for Asti's idle animation to begin (usually taking about one full second), and then press the interact button.
| Interaction Method | Result | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|
| Clicking the shopkeeper rapidly while running | Cursor desyncs from UI layer | High |
| Opening menu during a dialogue transition | Background animation loop fails to pause | High |
| Waiting 1-2 seconds before interacting | UI layer renders with proper input focus | Low |
| Using Esc/B to exit the shop | Hard-closes the window safely | Zero |
Taking it slow not only prevents the bug but fits perfectly into the unhurried, relaxed pacing that Kioku: Last Summer is trying to cultivate anyway.
Beyond the Kioku Last Summer Stim Softlock Fix: Other Common Glitches
Stim’s shop is the most notorious trap, but it isn't the only technical rough edge on the island. The transition from Early Access/Demo to the 1.0 launch left a few other quirks in the code that can disrupt your cozy getaway.
Based on community bug reports, UI Glitches account for 65% of the game's issues, while Collision errors make up the remaining 35%. You might encounter unintended NPC spawns at Ert's Café, where character models overlap in the seating booths. Exploration has its risks too; players frequently report Asti's legs getting stuck in the rocks on the path leading to the Lighthouse or Murt's Island.
Another major progression halt is the Marubi minigame freeze. When interacting with the kids near the waterfall to play the marble minigame, the dialogue can occasionally lock up, preventing you from starting the match or walking away. Furthermore, the game's crabbing mechanic—a unique take on traditional fishing—sometimes traps the player in a reeling animation loop if a catch is triggered at the exact moment the day transitions to evening.
For all of these issues, keeping multiple manual saves is your best defense until Assemble Entertainment pushes a comprehensive stability patch.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Will Lugn Games release a permanent patch for the Stim shop bug? Prior to the May 28, 2026 launch, the developers pushed a demo patch claiming the shop softlock was resolved. However, edge cases remain in version 1.0. A future hotfix is expected to fully address the UI layer desync.
Does the Stim softlock corrupt my Kioku: Last Summer save file? No. The bug only freezes the active session. If you force-close the game via your OS, you will only lose progress back to your last autosave. If you use the Esc/B button fix, you won't lose any progress at all.
Why can't I click the exit button in the shop menu? The game engine loses track of the mouse pointer's Z-axis depth, placing it "behind" the shop window. The button is visually there, but your clicks are hitting the background environment instead of the interface.
Do other vendors on Kioku Island cause this freeze? Stim is the primary offender due to the specific collision geometry of his shop counter, though players should exercise caution when trading Marubi cards with NPCs near the waterfall, as similar UI layer issues have been reported there.
Sources
- Steam Community Discussions: Kioku: Last Summer Bug Reports and Player Megathreads (May 2026).
- Lugn Games Official Patch Notes: First Day Demo Changelog and Version 1.0 Release updates.
- Reddit: r/CozyGamers technical support threads.