WHAT IS CARAMULT? CARAMULT 

is a hypnotic, theatrical Match-3 Roguelike deckbuilder. Combine gems on an 8x8 stage, upgrade your score multiplier, collect eccentric theatrical masks, stamp mystical seals, and conquer increasingly demanding score targets across 8 stages of intense puzzle-roguelike gameplay.


A LOVE LETTER TO BALATRO 

It goes without saying: Balatro is the massive inspiration behind this game. Balatro is a game that I deeply adore, and CARAMULT was born out of a passionate desire to bring that addictive, dopamine-pumping synergy-building loop to the classic Match-3 puzzle formula. If you love building insane multiplicative combos and discovering game-breaking relic synergies, this game is made for you.

CURRENT STATE & BALANCING (ALPHA 0.1.0) 

Please note: As an early Alpha release (Alpha 0.1.0), the game is currently unbalanced! Some mask synergies may feel overpowered while others might need tuning. I am actively working on refining the balance, pacing, and mechanics. Your feedback, bug reports, and balance suggestions are absolutely crucial to the future of CARAMULT. I will be releasing frequent updates shaped directly by your community feedback.

FUTURE PLANS & STEAM RELEASE 

My ultimate goal for CARAMULT is to polish every single aspect of the experience—expanding content, adding more bosses, masks, and secret archetypes—and eventually launch the complete game on Steam.

SUPPORT & SUPPORTER REWARDS 

If you enjoy the project and choose to support development through a donation on itch.io, your name will be proudly featured in a dedicated In-Game Supporter / Special Thanks Hall of Fame in upcoming updates!

KEY FEATURES & GAMEPLAY

  • Theatrical Masks (Jokers): Equip up to 5 unique masks that trigger game-altering passive bonuses, chips, and multiplicative Fever.
  • Pattern Posters (Planets): Level up individual match patterns permanently (Trios, Lines, Corners, Crosses, 2x2 Blocks, Sweeps, and Cascades) to elevate your base scoring.
  • Tactical Action Deck: Build and draw a secondary hand of consumable action cards to manipulate tiles, force alignments, and trigger chain reactions.
  • Favors & Transmutations (Tarot): Transform gems into Crystal (x2 Mult), Steel (+20 Chips / +1 Mult), Gilded Steel, Diamond, or Lucky Gems, and engrave Gold, Red, Purple, and Blue Seals.
  • The Fool Mechanic: Replicate your last-used favor or pattern poster with "The Fool" (El Bufon) for exponential momentum.
  • Theatrical Judges (Boss Blinds): Face devious stage judges with restrictive rules and special conditions.
  • Dynamic Visuals & Juice: Satisfying hitstop feedback, particle bursts, screen shake, CRT curvature shader toggle, floating score numbers, and retro sound design.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

  • Engine: Built with LÖVE (LÖVE2D) and Lua.
  • Web Version: WebAssembly / HTML5 compiled via love.js (playable directly in modern desktop browsers).
  • Windows Version: Standalone 64-bit executable (no installation or external runtimes required).
  • Native Virtual Resolution: 1920x1080 with crisp pixel scaling and full mouse / keyboard control.

SUPPORTED LANGUAGES (9 LANGUAGES IN ALPHA)

  • English
  • Spanish (Espanol)
  • Portuguese (Portugues)
  • French (Francais)
  • German (Deutsch)
  • Italian (Italiano)
  • Russian (Russkiy)
  • Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)
  • Turkish (Turkce) (Additional non-Latin scripts including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Bengali, Arabic, and Vietnamese will return in future font package updates).

HOW TO PLAY

  1. Swap adjacent gems on the 8x8 board to form matches of 3 or more.
  2. Reach the required Chip Target within your allotted Passes.
  3. Visit the Shop between rounds to buy Masks, Action Cards, Favors, Pattern Posters, and Surprise Booster Packs.
  4. Manage your bag composition, synergy builds, and defeat the Boss Judge at the end of each Ante!

CONTROLS

  • Left Click: Select, Swap Gems, Buy Items, Play Action Cards.
  • Right Click: Inspect tooltips, Deselect, Cancel actions.
  • Escape: Settings / Accessibility Menu (CRT Shader, Screen Shake, Volume, Quiet Room Mode, Fullscreen).

Feedback and comments are warmly welcome below. Thank you so much for playing and supporting CARAMULT!

Published 1 day ago
StatusIn development
PlatformsHTML5, Windows
Rating
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
(4 total ratings)
AuthorYiyeh
GenreStrategy
Tags2D, balatro, Casual, deckbuilding, Indie, match-3, Roguelike, Roguelite, Singleplayer
ContentNo generative AI was used

Download

Download NowName your own price

Click download now to get access to the following files:

Caramult_Windows_Alpha_0.1.1.zip 37 MB

Development log

Comments

Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.

wow.. hey,  i see potential in this project, its very enjoyable 

tnx u! 😊

why are the rounds like two moves? am i missing something?

(1 edit)

Hey there! Great question!

CARAMULT is a turn-based Match-3 Roguelike deckbuilder inspired by Balatro—it’s not a fast-paced or mindless arcade match-3 game (like Candy Crush or Bejeweled).

Here is how the core loop and mechanics work:

1. Limited Moves, Maximum Strategy (The "Passes")

  • In each round (called a Stand / Blind), you are given a limited number of moves (usually 4 to 5 passes, depending on your deck and vouchers; some Boss Judges like The Clock cap it at 4).
  • The goal isn't just to match gems randomly—you need to reach the Target Score before running out of moves, exactly like beating Blinds in Balatro.

2. Scoring Formula: Chips × Mult

  • Every match awards Chips (base value from the pattern type, poster levels, and gem materials) and Multiplier / Mult (from combos, Red Seals, and your equipped Masks).
  • Final Score = Chips × Mult. Making a simple 3-match with high Mult or triggering multi-wave cascades can yield thousands or millions of points in a single move.

3. Roguelike Deckbuilding (Masks, Cards & Upgrades)

  • Your Bag is your Deck: You can customize your gem bag over the run by adding or removing colors, forging materials like Glass (x2 Mult) or Steel (+50 Chips), and applying Seals.
  • Masks (Jokers): You can equip passive Masks from the Shop that create crazy synergies (e.g., bonus mult for color streaks, breaking crystals, or detonating lasers).
  • Posters (Planets): Level up patterns (Trios, Rows, Crosses, 5-in-a-row) in the shop to permanently scale their base Chips and Mult.
  • Action Cards (Tarots/Spectrals): Consumable cards you can play to manipulate the board, paint gems, or transmute materials.

4. Fever Mode & Remaining Moves

  • If you beat the score target early with moves to spare, you enter Fever Mode, where each additional move pushes your score higher to unlock bonus cash rewards and items before visiting the Shop!

I saw your game and it looks really impressive. Btw are you currently looking for an artist, animator, or developer? I’d be glad to help out if you need someone in those areas.