0.7 release

blog/2025-06-04-swarm-0.7-release.md

@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+---
+title: "Swarm 0.7 release, and Swarm at ZuriHac!"
+author: "Brent Yorgey"
+---
+
+The [Swarm](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/) [development team][contributors] is
+pleased to announce the latest alpha release of the game.
+
+[contributors]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm?tab=readme-ov-file#contributors
+
+It's been quite a while since our last release, and the pace of
+development has been slower this year---but development continues nonetheless!
+
+Read on for a more in-depth discussion of some of the new features, or
+see the [CHANGELOG](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md) or even the [complete list of git
+commits](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/commits/main/?since=2024-07-14&until=2025-06-04).
+
+## What is it?
+
+As a reminder, Swarm is a 2D, open-world programming and resource
+gathering game with a strongly-typed, functional programming language
+and a unique upgrade system.
+
+## ZuriHac!
+
+Several of us will be at [ZuriHac](https://zfoh.ch/zurihac2025/) in person.  If
+you're at ZuriHac in person too, come say hi, try out the game, and maybe
+hack on some [low-hanging fruit][low-hanging]!
+
+If you won't be at ZuriHac in person but still want to try hacking on
+Swarm, come join our [Discord server](https://discord.gg/kp8MuSgkPw) or [The Swarm Hive on Gather.town](https://app.gather.town/app/SpqG1ic5pNKM7YqS/The%20Swarm%20Hive)!
+
+## New challenge scenarios
+
+There are a number of new challenge scenarios included in this
+release, with example screenshots shown below.
+
+![](/gallery/flowers.png)
+
+![](/gallery/dna.png)
+
+![](/gallery/exterminator.png)
+
+## Tutorial improvements
+
+There have been a bunch of improvements to the in-game tutorial: from
+small things like making sure choosing `Tutorial` from the menu
+automatically takes you to the first *unsolved* tutorial level, to big
+things like level redesigns and prose rewrites.
+
+## Language improvements
+
+The Swarm language itself hasn't changed too much in this release. `return`
+has been renamed to `pure`
+([#2285](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/2285)), and we have
+retired `fst` and `snd` in favor of a pair elimination form called `match`
+([#2407](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/2407)).  As usual,
+you can automatically convert 0.6 code to 0.7 with `swarm format --v0.6`.
+
+There are also a few new commands:
+
+- The `print` and `erase` commands allow printing values on `paper` ([#2245](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/2245)).
+- There is also a new `read` command, which can parse values from
+  their textual representations ([#2224](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/2224)).
+
+## Other enhancements
+
+There were a ton of other small improvements, like fixing several
+space leaks, adding some achievements, adding a few hints to classic
+mode, adding a feature to render contiguous walls, and a number of
+small UI tweaks.
+
+## Give it a try!
+
+To install, check out the [installation instructions][install]: you
+can download a [binary release][release] (Linux only, for now), or
+[install from Hackage][hackage]. Give it a try and send us your
+feedback, either [via a GitHub issue][issue] or [Discord][discord]!
+
+[install]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm#installing
+[release]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/releases
+[hackage]: https://hackage.haskell.org/package/swarm
+[issue]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues/new/choose
+
+## Future plans & getting involved
+
+We're still hard at work on the game. Fun upcoming things include:
+
+- More fully fleshed-out [tournament server](https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/pull/1798)
+- [Saving and loading games][saving]
+- New world features like aliens and [cities][cities]
+- New language features like [arrays][arrays], [inter-robot communication][robot-comm], and [a
+  proper `import` construct][import]
+
+[cities]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues/1944
+[saving]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues/50
+[arrays]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues/98
+[robot-comm]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues/94
+[import]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues/495
+
+Of course, there are also [tons of small things that need fixing and
+polishing][low-hanging] too! If you're interested in getting
+involved, check out our [contribution guide][contrib], come [join us
+on Discord][discord], or take a look at the list of
+[issues marked "low-hanging fruit"][low-hanging].
+
+[contrib]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md
+[low-hanging]: https://github.com/swarm-game/swarm/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22C-Low+Hanging+Fruit%22
+[discord]: https://discord.gg/kp8MuSgkPw

gallery/dna.png.metadata

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+caption: DNA copying scenario

gallery/exterminator.png.metadata

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+caption: Exterminator scenario

gallery/flowers.png.metadata

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+caption: Flower count scenario

installing.md

@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ able to install with
 
     cabal install swarm
 
-Currently Swarm builds with GHC 9.2 through 9.8.
+Currently Swarm builds with GHC 9.6 through 9.12.
 
 If you don't already have the `cabal` tool, first [install
 `ghcup`](https://www.haskell.org/ghcup/), then run `ghcup install