What's new in Gambit Guard
Published beta history, newest first. Older versions stay listed so each build has a durable record.
0.1.226 - Beta release - September 15, 2026
Portrait play keeps its context help clear of the board while the release pipeline tightens Android and cross-platform checks.
Release changes
Player
Portrait context help
On portrait screens, context help now stays below the board so it does not cover the play area.
Technical
Release diagnostics stay opt-in
Release builds keep diagnostic output disabled unless a diagnostic run explicitly requests it.
Technical
Authenticated Android release checks
Android rotation checks now record the activity state, while release automation resolves one authenticated nightly and avoids the retired SDK package.
Technical
Verified cross-platform packages
The published Android, Windows, Linux, macOS, and web packages trace to the v0.1.226 source and manifest; physical-device review remains separate.
Download the 0.1.226 release
Play this verified browser build online or download a native package.
0.1.124 - Nightly prerelease - August 24, 2026
Browser text now matches the native game’s intended size and placement.
Release changes
Player
Consistent text sizing
The Web build no longer renders Nunito labels substantially larger than the native game.
Player
Aligned menus and tutorials
Titles, button labels, and tutorial copy now keep their intended bounds, baselines, and centering in the browser.
Technical
Native font-height contract
Stasis nightly 236 calibrates each loaded Canvas font from its ascent and descent metrics, then refreshes cached text before the first Web frame. Automated package verification passed; physical iPhone Safari review remains outstanding.
Download the 0.1.124 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.123 - Nightly prerelease - August 24, 2026
This nightly focuses on web compatibility and release-site maintenance.
Release changes
Player
No gameplay changes
This build contains internal maintenance without changing rules, balance, missions, or playable content.
Technical
Optional web audio handling
The website now guards access to an optional audio control, avoiding reliance on that control always being available.
Technical
Release publishing updates
Website content and its build script were updated to support the latest published release information.
Download the 0.1.123 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.122 - Nightly prerelease - August 24, 2026
Campaign battles now unfold at a steadier pace, with a smoother Safari web experience.
Release changes
Player
More time between campaign waves
Later campaign waves now begin 45 seconds apart, giving each encounter more room to develop.
Player
Narration plays in order
Campaign voice cues wait for the current line to finish instead of overlapping on the web.
Player
Safari play and viewport fixes
The web version now handles Safari’s visible screen area and the route into play correctly.
Technical
Web audio compatibility floor
Web packaging rejects Stasis runtimes older than nightly 221, which lack the required asynchronous voice lifecycle.
Technical
Safari shell packaging
The web build now patches the play shell to support Safari viewport and navigation behavior.
Download the 0.1.122 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.119 - Nightly prerelease - August 23, 2026
This nightly refreshes the bundled Stasis development snapshot and its supporting materials.
Release changes
Player
No gameplay changes
This build contains internal maintenance without changing rules, balance, missions, or playable content.
Technical
Stasis snapshot updated
The bundled engine snapshot and standard-library definitions for assets, audio, graphics, memory, storage, clipboard, and testing were synchronized.
Technical
Developer guidance expanded
The vendored Stasis materials now include additional documentation, practical game-pattern examples, geometry and collision guidance, and matching tests.
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Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.117 - Nightly prerelease - August 22, 2026
This nightly republishes the previous game state with no player-visible differences.
Release changes
Player
No gameplay changes
This build contains internal maintenance without changing rules, balance, missions, or playable content.
Technical
Identical comparison
The comparison with version 0.1.116 contains no commits or changed files.
Download the 0.1.117 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.116 - Nightly prerelease - August 21, 2026
This nightly republishes the previous build with no player-visible updates.
Release changes
Player
No gameplay changes
This build contains internal maintenance without changing rules, balance, missions, or playable content.
Technical
Identical release comparison
The comparison with version 0.1.115 contains no commits or changed files.
Download the 0.1.116 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.115 - Nightly prerelease - August 20, 2026
This nightly focuses on lifecycle-related code maintenance.
Release changes
Player
No gameplay changes
This build contains internal maintenance without changing rules, balance, missions, or playable content.
Technical
Lifecycle declarations
The main game source now explicitly declares lifecycle effects.
Download the 0.1.115 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.112 - Nightly prerelease - August 18, 2026
This nightly expands Gambit Guard across screen orientations while sharpening its campaign and first-time experience.
Release changes
Player
Landscape support
Gameplay, menus, briefings, the Royal Advisor, Forge screens, and other interfaces now adapt for landscape displays, with Android input corrected after orientation changes.
Player
Campaign pressure and combat balance
Campaign waves arrive sooner, enemy pressure around the King is more spatial, and command damage and enemy populations have been rebalanced.
Player
Clearer guidance and feedback
New players receive a first-play introduction, tutorial pages include looping board demonstrations, and movement previews remain available while Commands recharge.
Player
Smarter battles and celebrations
Creeps navigate congestion and apply specialist pressure more effectively, while victories now include extended royal celebration sequences.
Technical
Asynchronous asset loading
Assets now load without blocking the application, with responsive loading and failure screens for portrait and landscape layouts.
Technical
Cross-platform web compatibility
The landscape Forge keyboard renderer was adjusted for compatibility with the supported Stasis runtime and verified across web, Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android builds.
Download the 0.1.112 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.85 - Nightly prerelease - August 14, 2026
This nightly refreshes how Gambit Guard’s web release information is presented.
Release changes
Player
Updated release pages
The hosted website now uses an adapted layout for release content.
Technical
Web build compatibility
The web build process was adjusted to support the hosted release layout and its updated site content.
Download the 0.1.85 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.86 - Nightly prerelease - August 14, 2026
Browser play opens without internal performance diagnostics and now renders the complete release interface.
Release changes
Player
Clean, complete browser play
The release site no longer shows the internal frame, tick, render-time, or budget HUD, and the complete emblem and PLAY button are visible.
Player
Gameplay unchanged
Rules, balance, missions, and playable content are unchanged from the previous release.
Technical
Release-only HUD policy
Stasis release web packages omit diagnostic HUD markup and styling, while development packages retain the diagnostics.
Technical
Complete SVG rendering
Stasis preserves the full-image canvas path for ordinary SVG sprites while retaining cropped rendering for sprite-sheet cells.
Technical
Automated verification
Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and optimized web artifacts passed automated release checks; no physical-device playtest was performed.
Download the 0.1.86 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.82 - Nightly prerelease - August 14, 2026
Castling joins the command system, giving the King a new coordinated move with either corner Rook.
Release changes
Player
Castle in one command
Move the King two squares toward an eligible Rook to reposition both pieces together on either the kingside or queenside.
Player
Standard command costs apply
A successful castle spends one Command and puts both the King and Rook on their normal cooldowns.
Player
King effects stay active
The King still applies its usual movement damage, healing, and guard effect, while the paired Rook adds no second attack.
Technical
Castling rules and execution
The game now validates orthodox starting positions, unmoved and ready pieces, clear intervening squares, and the Rook’s landing space before applying the atomic two-piece move.
Technical
Automated coverage
Gameplay tests and portrait QA scenarios were added for castling previews, committed moves, and both board sides.
Download the 0.1.82 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.80 - Nightly prerelease - August 13, 2026
Browser play now ships with the assets, presentation, and audio startup needed for a more complete web experience.
Release changes
Player
Browser audio startup
Game audio can now unlock during browser play without depending on release-specific interface elements.
Player
Refined web presentation
The browser play shell has received visible polish around the game experience.
Technical
Web asset packaging
The release-site publishing pipeline now includes the game assets required by the browser build.
Technical
Site build updates
Website content and build tooling were updated to support the revised browser-play release.
Download the 0.1.80 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.78 - Nightly prerelease - August 13, 2026
This update introduces browser distribution and changes when game assets are loaded.
Release changes
Player
Play in your browser
The Gambit Guard website can now provide a browser-playable build.
Technical
Screen-scoped assets
Game assets are now managed according to the active screen, including related audio presentation changes.
Technical
Web release pipeline
New build and publishing tooling produces browser builds and integrates them into the release website.
Technical
Reproducible media tooling
Windows release automation now restores a pinned FFmpeg package.
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Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.74 - Nightly prerelease - August 13, 2026
Gameplay presentation now uses precomputed drawing data while preserving existing player interactions and visuals.
Release changes
Player
No gameplay changes
This build contains internal maintenance without changing rules, balance, missions, or playable content.
Technical
Streamlined rendering pipeline
Piece draw lists and text fields are prepared before command emission, reducing work performed during gameplay rendering.
Technical
Read-only presentation snapshots
Gameplay rendering now consumes observational presentation data instead of modifying game state while drawing.
Technical
Expanded profiling support
QA scenarios gained function profiling, Android emulator profiling tools, and build support for profiling runs using Stasis nightly 196.
Download the 0.1.74 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.66 - Nightly prerelease - August 12, 2026
Create custom battles and hear the Royal Advisor respond as campaign assaults unfold.
Release changes
Player
Scenario Forge beta
Build and test custom scenarios with tools for formations, waves, rules, and templates.
Player
Campaign wave narration
Royal Advisor voice lines now appear at selected moments across all 21 campaign missions.
Player
Clearer wave timing
Updated spawn warnings and countdown presentation make upcoming waves easier to track.
Player
Desktop Forge input
Scenario Forge supports physical keyboard entry on desktop, alongside an alphanumeric on-screen keyboard.
Technical
Lean Android voice audio
Android packages now encode mono audio at 48 kbps while retaining the higher-bitrate masters for desktop releases.
Technical
Fixed logical rendering
Drawing and input now use fixed logical coordinates directly for consistent surface handling.
Technical
Expanded board capacity
Piece storage now supports one chess piece on every board square, with related limits derived from their underlying arrays.
Download the 0.1.66 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.57 - Nightly prerelease - August 11, 2026
A new guided progression mode expands Gambit Guard beyond standalone assaults.
Release changes
Player
21-mission Campaign
Fight through a full set of campaign missions with dedicated objectives, progression, victory, and defeat screens.
Player
Royal Advisor narration
Campaign missions now include voiced briefings and guidance that can continue during play.
Player
Safer level exits
After making a player action, leaving a level now asks for confirmation to prevent an accidental exit.
Player
Illustrated field guide
The website now includes visual guides to the chess pieces and enemy types.
Technical
Data-driven encounters
Campaign and custom runs now use structured run definitions for their encounter setup and rules.
Technical
Desktop presentation
The desktop game now opens maximized, with rendering paths updated for rectangles, coordinates, and frequently used simulation helpers.
Technical
Release automation
The website release workflow now updates published content from release data and preserves version-specific change cards.
Download the 0.1.57 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.45 - Nightly prerelease - August 9, 2026
Audio controls, complete field guides, and more faithful chess-versus-siege interactions make this the most informative and controllable build yet.
Release changes
Player
Music, effects, and settings
Gambit Guard now has music and combat sound effects, with separate settings controls so either channel can be adjusted or silenced during play.
Player
A field guide in the game and online
The in-game guide explains every chess piece and enemy across focused pages, while the website adds illustrated Piece and Enemy Field Guides for quick reference.
Player
Legal moves stay in your hands
Creeps adapt when a legal chess move changes their route, and destination choices remain available above enemies instead of being hidden by moving sprites.
Player
Pawn captures match what you see
A Pawn can capture a creep that is visibly leaving its diagonal target square, while a straight advance remains blocked until that visible occupancy clears.
Technical
Mobile audio packaging
Desktop packages retain the canonical 128 kbps MP3 masters, while Android alone receives audited 64 kbps staged copies to reduce mobile package size.
Technical
Cross-platform release verification
Windows and Linux release tooling now finds audio inspection utilities consistently. All four native packages passed automated build, checksum, provenance, and audio-format verification; physical-device review remains outstanding.
Download the 0.1.45 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.26 - Nightly prerelease - August 7, 2026
Persistently signed Android packages made the beta safer to update and easier to identify across releases.
Release changes
Player
Stable Android signing
Android beta builds now share one persistent signing identity, allowing future updates to install over the same app instead of appearing as unrelated packages.
Player
Clear package identity
The public Android build reports the permanent Gambit Guard application ID and release version consistently.
Technical
Persistent signing audit
The release pipeline verifies the persistent certificate fingerprint and accepts Android build-tools 36 signer output before publication.
Download the 0.1.26 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.25 - Nightly prerelease - August 7, 2026
A clearer front door, more readable interface text, and complete changed-nightly packages made the beta easier to enter and evaluate.
Release changes
Player
Main menu and modes
Gambit Guard now opens with Tutorial, Play, and a smaller Exit action. Play leads to Core plus visibly locked Power Up and Scenario modes.
Player
Clear navigation
Core opens the nine-tier selector, each front-end screen has an explicit way back, and menu-launched tutorials return to the menu when complete.
Player
More readable screens
Opening, briefing, tutorial, tier-selection, Gambit, victory, and defeat text uses larger type, stronger alignment, and more consistent spacing.
Technical
Reproducible native packages
Windows, Linux, Apple Silicon macOS, and Android packages are compiled from one commit with checksums and an immutable provenance manifest; physical-device review remains outstanding.
Download the 0.1.25 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
0.1.0 - First friends-and-family beta - August 6, 2026
The first public beta established the complete nine-tier, nine-wave assault and the full standard chess army.
Release changes
Player
Nine complete assaults
Each challenge tier runs all nine timed waves, with progression unlocking exactly one new tier at a time.
Player
A complete chess army
Every run starts with all 16 standard pieces in the familiar closed two-rank formation.
Player
An approachable first tier
Tier 1 reduces enemy count, movement speed, and strike damage to create room for learning Commands, cooldowns, and dynamic routing.
Technical
Audited release packages
Versioned release-mode packages for Android, Windows, Linux, and Apple Silicon macOS passed source, architecture, asset, checksum, and provenance audits.
Download the 0.1.0 release
Public copies of all four verified native packages are preserved with this release entry.
Earlier development milestones
Before versioned betas, Gambit Guard established timed nine-wave standalone assaults, restored the painted 2D character set, and completed the Chess TD to Gambit Guard identity change.
The repository CHANGELOG.md keeps the complete historical notes and theory gained from those milestones.