GearHead Caramel

Devlog

• v0.977: Terrain Destruction and Random Artifacts
  May 04, 2025 by GearHead

  7

  It's time for another release. Terrain destruction has been added- when the fighting gets too intense, the scenery might start getting wrecked. The resulting fires will burn any mecha passing through... Continue reading

  
• GearHead Caramel v0.976: Pirate's Point
  April 10, 2025 by GearHead

  6

  It's been a while but the next release is here! Thank you for your patience. The biggest change this time around is the fact that the Raid on Pirate's Point scenario is finally complete. The districts... Continue reading

  
• v0.975: The Action Master Release
  November 29, 2024 by GearHead

  6

  It's new GHC release day! Probably the most exciting change this time around is the addition of bonus actions- I've had a lot of players ask when they'll be able to use more than two actions per turn... Continue reading

  
• GearHead Caramel v0.974: The Road of No Return
  November 14, 2024 by GearHead

  5

  I have just released GearHead Caramel v0.974. There's a new quest in DeadZone Drifter- the Road of No Return. Whole convoys have been disappearing along the highway. There have been no distress calls,... Continue reading

  
• v0.973: A Whole Lotta Fixes
  November 06, 2024 by GearHead

  4

  I've just released GearHead Caramel v0.973. This fixes two major bugs: one in the cyberware interface, and a crash when the game started on Windows. Oops. Thanks to everyone who provided bug reports... Continue reading

  
• v0.973: Shopper's Paradise... and Halloween Sale
  November 03, 2024 by GearHead

  6

  It's time for a new GearHead Caramel update! This time, the shopping interface has been completely overhauled. You can switch to different lancemates and access your inventory without leaving the shop... Continue reading

  
• v0.970: Balance, Bugfixes, and Furniture
  September 03, 2024 by GearHead

  6

  I have updated GearHead Caramel with some balance improvements, bug fixes, and scenery for many of the indoor locations that were previously just empty rooms. In combat, NPCs now weigh their options d... Continue reading

  
• v0.961: Closer Every Day
  March 25, 2024 by GearHead

  5

  This release of GearHead Caramel fixes some bugs and adds two new mission types to Raid on Pirate's Point... I probably should have added cases where the new missions come up in DeadZone Drifter too,... Continue reading

  
• v0.960: You Would Not Believe The Work
  February 11, 2024 by GearHead

  4

  Finally, a new release of GearHead Caramel! You would not believe how much work went into this release. I mean literally, you won't believe it, because most of the changes should be mostly invisible... Continue reading

  
• Lore Based Quest System: Adventures in Procedural Narration
  January 13, 2024 by GearHead

  5

  I have completed the refactored procedural quest system for GearHead Caramel. Some of you might remember that this is the big thing I've been working on for most of 2023. Poor health, especially the s... Continue reading

  
• v0.957: More Bug Fixes
  September 26, 2023 by GearHead

  3

  This version fixes sound effects for the Linux and Mac builds, which I didn't even realize were broken, and which is especially embarrassing considering that I use Linux myself. Also: the map will not... Continue reading

  
• v0.956: A Minor but Important Update
  September 18, 2023 by GearHead

  4

  Another minor release this week to correct some bugs that were discovered last week. Also: two new eyecatch cards by the amazing cartoonist Radou, and some sound + portrait improvements from Anton Ris... Continue reading

  
• v0.955: Just One More Thing
  September 13, 2023 by GearHead

  4

  v0.955 is a quick bugfix release. Some old save files were broken because of a “deactivate_on_win” bug; that should now be fixed... Continue reading
• v0.954: More Dangerous Dungeons and Better Display
  September 12, 2023 by GearHead

  4

  I've just uploaded GearHead Caramel v0.954. This version makes dungeons slightly more dangerous- personal scale damage has been increased, and certain monsters are more likely to hit your characters... Continue reading

  
• v0.953: Emergency Bugfix
  September 05, 2023 by GearHead

  4

  I've just uploaded v0.953, which fixes a bug I didn't notice in v0.952. Ha ha ha. Well, at least I found it quickly... Continue reading
• v0.952: Hacker's Delight
  September 05, 2023 by GearHead

  5

  I've just uploaded a new update for GearHead Caramel. The biggest change this time around is the help system- while using the combat/skills interface, pressing F1 will now bring up a helpful panel exp... Continue reading

  
• v0.941: The Unexpected yet Inevitable Bugfix
  August 25, 2023 by GearHead

  7

  And of course, the first release in 8 months would have bugs that didn't show up when I was testing. I wonder if the Stardew Valley guy ever has days like these? Anyhow, two major bugs have been fixed... Continue reading

  
• Praise Atan! GearHead Caramel is Back!
  August 23, 2023 by GearHead

  4

  #release

  I'm back! After many months of illness, I have returned with a new release of GearHead Caramel. Bear Bastard's Mecha Camp, Winter Mocha, and DeadZone Drifter have all been updated with new content and... Continue reading

  
• v0.946: Your GameDev is Experiencing Technical Difficulties
  December 15, 2022 by GearHead

  7

  #release

  This update has been delayed by the fact that I've been seriously ill for the past month- first severe Covid 19, then an opportunistic lung infection, followed by my lungs just being stupid jerks beca... Continue reading

  
• v0.945: One More Time (Fixing Bugs)
  November 22, 2022 by GearHead

  5

  I have made four new releases of GearHead Caramel over the past three days as bug reports fast and furious... actually, no. They've been arriving fast and surprisingly politely. Anyhow, I just wanted... Continue reading

  
• v0.942: Better, Faster, Stronger, Less Crashy
  November 20, 2022 by GearHead

  2

  This is another mostly-bugfix release. A very kind player submitted a whole lot of bug reports at once, and I've been working through them in order of severity. I think I've fixed all the crashing and... Continue reading

  
• v0.941: "Like tears in the rain... time to eject."
  November 10, 2022 by GearHead

  2

  #release

  Happy Techno Thursday! Version 0.941 of GearHead Caramel has just been released. The big change this time around is that enemy pilots will once again eject when their mecha becomes too damaged... or i... Continue reading

  
• v0.932: The Sound of Mecha
  October 19, 2022 by GearHead

  2

  o b I"m going to be honest with you- I'm one of those weirdos who plays games with the sound turned off. But, I've gotten a lot of requests to add sound effects to GearHead Caramel, so here you go. Di... Continue reading

  
• GHC v0.931: Raid on Pirate's Point
  October 13, 2022 by GearHead

  2

  Version 0.931 adds a brand new adventure to GearHead Caramel: Raid on Pirate's Point. The Solar Navy has decided to remove the Aegis Consulate from Pirate's Point... and if they can get rid of the pir... Continue reading

  
• v0.930: Character Display Improvements + Bugfixes
  September 21, 2022 by GearHead

  5

  Version 0.930 doesn't have a lot of visible upgrades, but let me tell you, underneath the hood a whole lot of work has been done. (Slaps the hood of the game) this game can hold so many giant robots y... Continue reading

  
• v0.928: More Character Development!
  September 07, 2022 by GearHead

  3

  This version's release looks pretty minor... on the outside. There's a new intro scenario for DeadZone Drifter and some new enemy character development plots. On the inside, there are some bugfixes, m... Continue reading

  
• v0.927: Random Plots and Internationalization Starts
  August 29, 2022 by GearHead

  3

  #release

  Happy Mecha Monday! Today's update adds two big features: random plots and the beginnings of internationalization support. Random plots are events which are not directly connected to the core story of... Continue reading

  
• v0.925: Deadly Dungeon Developments
  August 22, 2022 by GearHead

  3

  #release

  Happy Mecha Monday! This release adds some new stuff for dungeons. Every dungeon level now comes with at least one special feature- an encounter or room that is a little bit out of the ordinary. Some... Continue reading

  
• v0.924: Pets! Navigation improvements! New mecha!
  August 15, 2022 by GearHead

  2

  #release

  The big change this time around is the addition of pets. Characters with a Wildcraft skill of 5 or greater can now call an animal companion. Each character can only have one companion active at a time... Continue reading

  
• v0.921: Can Redefine Cursor Keys to WASD, No Problem
  August 09, 2022 by GearHead

  2

  #release

  This is a quick bugfix/quality of life update for people who play using the keyboard. You can now edit the config.cfg file to use wasd for moving the map cursor. Also, there's a config option to disab... Continue reading

  
• v0.920: Bear Bastard's Mecha Camp
  August 08, 2022 by GearHead

  2

  #release

  v0.920 of GearHead Caramel has just been uploaded. This release adds a new tutorial- Bear Bastard's Mecha Camp. Learn everything you need to know about the game (mostly) from one of Earth's most notor... Continue reading

  
• GHC v0.910: The Power of Flight!
  July 31, 2022 by GearHead

  3

  #release

  Another major release of GearHead Caramel just one week after the previous major release? Inconceivable! And yet, undeniable! There are two major changes this time around. First, you can now build fly... Continue reading

  
• v0.905: More Bugfixes, More Descriptions
  July 24, 2022 by GearHead

  2

  #release

  A new version of GearHead Caramel has been released! Every day this week I have woken up, checked the email for bug reports, and uploaded a new version. Makes me feel like a real game developer. This... Continue reading

  
• v0.903: Big Changes, Big Bugfixes
  July 22, 2022 by GearHead

  5

  #release

  It's a big new release for GearHead Caramel! Version 0.903 brings a lot of big changes- and even more bugfixes. Plus, the itch.io version of GearHead Caramel now comes with a game manual packed with a... Continue reading

  
• v0.830: The Mystery Mecha
  June 21, 2022 by GearHead

  4

  #release

  I've just uploaded a new release of GearHead Caramel. A lot of work has been done under the hood, but the two main things that players will care about are the addition of random puzzle challenges and... Continue reading

  
• v0.821: Bugfix and Better Keyboard Controls
  March 31, 2022 by GearHead

  2

  #bugfix, #release

  Turns out that the Loverboy Facial Hair image file wasn't included in the previous release. I apologize to anyone who downloaded the game in the past 18 days and had it crash on them. Anyhow, the bug... Continue reading

  
• GearHead Caramel v0.820: New Challenges Await
  March 13, 2022 by GearHead

  4

  #release

  I have just uploaded a new version of GearHead Caramel. The big change this time around is the addition of Challenges- a new procedural narrative system that is a further refinement of the Mechanical... Continue reading

  
• New Challenge System in GearHead Caramel
  January 14, 2022 by GearHead

  4

  #procedural narrative

  I made a video this morning to show off the new procedural narrative system I'm developing for GearHead Caramel. The Challenge system is a further refinement of the Mechanical Tarot , which was based... Continue reading

  
• GearHead Caramel Year in Review
  December 30, 2021 by GearHead

  2

  #year in review

  A BuruBuru stuck in the snow. It’s nearly the end of 2021, so I’d like to tell you about everything that has happened with GearHead, my other projects, and me personally in the past 12 months... Continue reading

  
• GearHead Caramel v0.810: Black Market Blues
  November 30, 2021 by GearHead

  3

  GHCaramel v0.810 has just been released. A lot of the work this time around was under the hood- things have been refactored and updated to make future development (especially of the scenario generator... Continue reading

  
• GearHead Caramel v0.800: Random Encounters
  September 30, 2021 by GearHead

  2

  #release

  I've just released a new version of GearHead Caramel. The big change this time around is random world map encounters-instead of fighting the same old foes on each stretch of road, there are now a bunc... Continue reading

  
• GearHead Caramel Narrative Trailer
  June 26, 2021 by GearHead

  3

  #trailer, #video

  I have just finished making this narrative trailer for GearHead Caramel. It briefly explains the backstory of the GearHead Universe in 1970s giant robot cartoon style. All the backgrounds are hand pai... Continue reading

  
• GearHead Caramel v0.700: Scenario Editor
  June 13, 2021 by GearHead

  3

  #release

  It's been a while since I've made a release, but that's mostly because the change this time around is pretty big. I've added a GUI scenario creator to the game! You can use this to create your own Gea... Continue reading

  
• GearHead Caramel Cinematic Trailer
  April 13, 2021 by GearHead

  2

  #video

  GearHead Caramel now has a cinematic trailer by the incomparable Matt Sandbrook... Continue reading

  
• GearHead Caramel v0.620: Content + Hotkeys
  April 09, 2021 by GearHead

  3

  #release

  I am pleased to announce a new release of GearHead Caramel. There are a lot of changes this time around- as you'd expect from the length of time it took me to release this version. Every town in DeadZ... Continue reading

  
• Create Your Own Adventure: Scenes and NPCs
  January 23, 2021 by GearHead

  2

  #Modding, #Python

  In part one of the tutorial , we created an empty city scene and stuck an exit in it. In this part we will add a building, a shopkeeper, and a shop. You can download the expanded script file from Drop... Continue reading
• GearHead now has a Discord
  January 22, 2021 by GearHead

  1

  #Discord

  GearHead Caramel now has a Discord! You can join at https://discord.gg/SsxGQKr57C ... Continue reading

  
• Create Your Own Adventure, Part One
  January 14, 2021 by GearHead

  2

  #modding, #tutorial

  One of the great new features of GearHead Caramel is the ability to add your own content that will automatically be loaded and used by the game. If you check your ghcaramel user folder (which should b... Continue reading

  
• GearHead Caramel v0.612 Released
  January 13, 2021 by GearHead

  2

  #release

  Version 0.612 of GearHead Caramel has just been released. There was a problem with importing characters from GH1 in the previous version; this has been fixed. Also, I've added the Century mecha from G... Continue reading

  
• GearHead Caramel now on itch.io!
  January 08, 2021 by GearHead

  4

  #mecha, #release, #gearhead, #caramel

  I'm pleased to announce that GearHead Caramel is now available on itch. GHC is a tactics style roguelike mecha RPG; it's the third game in the GearHead series, but has been designed as a good stepping... Continue reading