GearBlocks

GearBlocks is a solo-developed mechanical sandbox game currently in Steam Early Access, where it has been since its November 9, 2023 launch. The developer (SmashHammer Games) has maintained a consistent and productive update cadence throughout the Early Access period. Major content milestones include: combustion engines (August 10, 2024); new parts including ratchets and angle limiters (November 23, 2024); the first stage of a full logic system — switches, sensors, controls, and logic modules (September 29, 2025); expanded logic parts, new sensors (inertial, GPS), and a 64-bit build (December 8, 2025); and a feature patch adding explosives, mines, damage recovery, new gizmo parts, and more on August 20, 2026. The September 2025 post outlined a three-stage logic plan: Stage 1 (physical parts and links) was shipped in that update, Stage 2 (a node graph micro-controller) and Stage 3 (a Lua programmable computer module) were described as future possibilities pending demand. Subsequent updates have added Lua scripting capabilities, partially addressing the Stage 3 vision. The developer continues to hint at further ideas within update posts themselves — the August 2026 update lists potential additional explosive types and invites player feedback. The most recent developer communication was on August 20, 2026 — just one week before today's assessment date — delivering a substantial feature patch. There is no indication that development is concluding; the developer has not announced a 1.0 release date or declared any content complete.