Butterscotch Shenanigans published “Solutions for launch error affecting non-English users” on July 31, 2026 in the official Steam News Hub. The notice addresses a launch problem rather than announcing a named base-game version or general patch. Confirm that your message and environment match the advisory before using its system-level workaround.
The developer’s stated route is Windows Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security > App & browser control > Smart App Control settings > Off. Smart App Control is a Windows security feature, so turning it off has consequences beyond How Many Dudes?. Read the current Microsoft FAQ and the cautions below first.
Confirm that this is the affected launch error
Check that Steam is launching the base game AppID 3934270. This specific Smart App Control route applies to Windows 11: both Microsoft’s current FAQ and the July 31 developer workaround concern the Windows 11 feature. A Windows 10 user, or a Windows 11 user whose Windows Security does not offer Smart App Control, should not apply this path merely because the game fails to launch; stay with the reversible checks below and official support. Record the Windows display language, region, edition, and build, then copy the exact error text or take a screenshot that includes the title and named file or publisher.
Do not apply this advisory merely because the game closes or performs poorly. A post-launch crash, a Steam Deck compatibility issue, a missing dependency message, and a Smart App Control block are different cases. The July 31 title specifically describes a launch error affecting non-English users.
Before changing security settings, restart Steam and Windows, install pending trusted updates through their official clients, and use Steam’s installed-file verification. Try one clean launch with optional overlays closed. These reversible checks can rule out an incomplete installation without weakening a system protection.
If the error text still matches the official notice, open the current Steam News Hub and confirm the advice has not been superseded. A more recent developer update or signed build should take priority over this dated workaround.
Understand what Smart App Control does
Microsoft describes Smart App Control as protection that blocks malicious or untrusted applications and potentially unwanted software. It uses code-signing and Microsoft’s cloud-powered security signals when deciding whether an application is trusted. It is a system-wide security control, not a one-game permission.
Microsoft’s FAQ says there is no per-app bypass for Smart App Control. That is why the official game workaround points to switching the feature off rather than allowing only How Many Dudes?. The scope is broader than the immediate launch problem.
Current Microsoft documentation should decide whether and how the feature can be re-enabled on your Windows build. The FAQ now describes re-enabling on Windows systems with the applicable recent updates, while older guidance and older installations may behave differently. Inspect the exact option shown on your own device before assuming the change is immediately reversible.
If the computer is managed by an employer, school, guardian, or IT policy, do not change the setting without their authorization. If you rely on Smart App Control or do not accept the wider risk, stop and report the issue to the developer instead of disabling it.
Apply the official workaround only after accepting the tradeoff
If you decide to follow the July 31 developer notice, open Settings, select Privacy & security, open Windows Security, choose App & browser control, and open Smart App Control settings. Review the current status and Microsoft’s description on that screen.
Change Smart App Control to Off only if the displayed path and behavior match the official guidance and you understand the device-wide effect. Do not pair the change with broad antivirus exclusions, disabled firewall rules, or downloaded replacement DLLs. Those additions are not part of the cited game notice and compound the risk.
Restart or relaunch only as instructed by Windows, then try the game once. Record whether the same exact message disappears, changes, or remains. A changed message is new evidence; it is not proof that every launch issue shares one cause.
After testing, consult the current Microsoft FAQ and your Settings screen about restoring Smart App Control. If your installation offers a supported re-enable path, use the documented Windows control. If it does not, do not improvise registry changes; contact Microsoft or the developer and decide whether the workaround’s ongoing security cost is acceptable.
If the workaround does not solve the launch
Return other optional variables to their prior state. Keep the exact error, Windows build and language, Steam verification result, and Smart App Control status. Note whether the application ever created a window and how long the process remained visible.
Check the official Steam News Hub for a newer support notice. Do not attach Demo version labels such as old release-candidate numbers to the full-release base game; the audit scope and Store do not publish a current semantic version for AppID 3934270.
Submit a report through the official Butterscotch Shenanigans support route. Include the base AppID, timestamp, reproduction sequence, and a screenshot. If Windows identifies a file, provide its name and installed-game location but do not upload arbitrary executables to a public forum.
Do not repeatedly download community builds or unsigned replacements. The original conflict involves trust and signing, so replacing official files with unknown binaries makes both the security posture and the diagnosis worse.
If the game launches but then crashes
The July 31 advisory has done its job only if it removes the matching launch block. A later crash should be handled as a separate reproduction. Record the menu, mode, round, roster, and last action; verify files; and test a new run without modifying the known-good save.
Change one display or overlay variable at a time. If the crash occurs on the same action after a clean launch, report that action. If it occurs only with an overlay or capture tool, restore the tool and confirm the difference once before filing.
Do not delete save data to test a launch crash. The Store lists Steam Cloud, and a local deletion can interact with synchronization. Ask official support for the current diagnostic and backup path if the report needs logs or save evidence.
What to include in the support report
Use a compact opening: “How Many Dudes? base game, Steam AppID 3934270, Windows [edition/build], display language [language].” Paste the exact error, state whether Steam verification passed, and list the reversible steps already tested.
Add the Smart App Control state before and after the official workaround and whether the message changed. If you chose not to disable the feature, say so; that is useful product-signing feedback, not a failed troubleshooting attempt.
Keep secrets out of the report. Redact Windows account names from paths, Steam login details, email addresses, access tokens, and unrelated desktop content. Send diagnostic archives only to the official support destination and inspect their contents first.