diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 324fd7a..79eccd6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -43,13 +43,13 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
 
-      - name: Ensure release runs from main
+      - name: Ensure release runs from development
         shell: bash
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
 
-          if [[ "${GITHUB_REF}" != "refs/heads/main" ]]; then
-            echo "Run this workflow from main." >&2
+          if [[ "${GITHUB_REF}" != "refs/heads/development" ]]; then
+            echo "Run this workflow from development." >&2
             exit 1
           fi
 
@@ -86,20 +86,16 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
-          printf '%s\n' "${next_version}" > VERSION
-
           echo "current=${current_version}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo "next=${next_version}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo "branch=${release_branch}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
       - name: Inspect release refs
-        id: refs
         shell: bash
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
 
           version="${{ steps.version.outputs.next }}"
-          branch="${{ steps.version.outputs.branch }}"
 
           if git ls-remote --exit-code --tags origin "refs/tags/${version}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
             echo "Tag ${version} already exists." >&2
@@ -111,11 +107,21 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
-          if git ls-remote --exit-code --heads origin "${branch}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            echo "branch_exists=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-          else
-            echo "branch_exists=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-          fi
+      - name: Create release branch
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+
+          branch="${{ steps.version.outputs.branch }}"
+
+          # Always (re)create from development so the release includes all
+          # new changes — even on a rerun where the branch already exists.
+          git fetch origin development
+          git switch -c "${branch}" origin/development
+
+          # Merge main to incorporate any commits not on development
+          # (e.g. previous release chore commits)
+          git merge origin/main --no-edit
 
       - name: Validate build
         shell: bash
@@ -138,7 +144,9 @@ jobs:
           fi
           today="$(date -u +%Y-%m-%d)"
 
-          # Collect conventional commits since the previous tag
+          # Collect conventional commits since the previous tag.
+          # --first-parent follows only the mainline (one entry per merged PR,
+          # no duplicates from feature branch commits).
           features=""
           fixes=""
           while IFS= read -r line; do
@@ -154,7 +162,7 @@ jobs:
               rest="${msg#fix(}"
               fixes="${fixes}- ${rest#*): }"$'\n'
             fi
-          done < <(git log "${prev_tag}..HEAD" --oneline --no-merges 2>/dev/null || git log --oneline --no-merges)
+          done < <(git log "${prev_tag}..HEAD" --oneline --first-parent 2>/dev/null || git log --oneline --first-parent)
 
           # Build the new changelog section
           new_section="## [${version}] - ${today}"$'\n'
@@ -174,34 +182,18 @@ jobs:
           } > "${tmp}"
           mv "${tmp}" CHANGELOG.md
 
-      - name: Create or reuse release branch
+      - name: Commit and push release changes
         shell: bash
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
 
           version="${{ steps.version.outputs.next }}"
           branch="${{ steps.version.outputs.branch }}"
-          branch_exists="${{ steps.refs.outputs.branch_exists }}"
-
-          if [[ "${branch_exists}" == "true" ]]; then
-            git restore --source=HEAD --staged --worktree VERSION CHANGELOG.md
-            git fetch origin "${branch}"
-            git switch -C "${branch}" "origin/${branch}"
-
-            branch_version="$(tr -d '[:space:]' < VERSION)"
-            if [[ "${branch_version}" != "${version}" ]]; then
-              echo "Existing ${branch} has VERSION ${branch_version}, expected ${version}." >&2
-              exit 1
-            fi
-
-            exit 0
-          fi
 
-          git switch -c "${branch}"
           printf '%s\n' "${version}" > VERSION
           git add VERSION CHANGELOG.md
           git commit -m "chore(release): ${version}" -m "- bump VERSION to ${version}" -m "- update CHANGELOG.md"
-          git push --set-upstream origin "${branch}"
+          git push --force-with-lease --set-upstream origin "${branch}"
 
       - name: Open or reuse release pull request
         id: pr
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 81c384d..f1f6e38 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,24 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+
+## [0.1.2] - 2026-05-21
+
+### Features
+
+- add two darker brightness steps to rain palette (#71)
+- group options sheet into sections (#69)
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+- restrict release workflow dispatch to development branch (#83)
+- always regenerate changelog on release reruns (#82)
+- allow release workflow dispatch from development branch (#81)
+- source release changelog from development branch (#80)
+- derive current version from latest git tag in release workflow (#74)
+- auto-merge back-merge PR and sync VERSION after release (#73)
+- apply typing speed to all intro scenes (#70)
+
 ## [0.1.1] - 2026-05-20
 
 ### Features
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 17e51c3..d917d3e 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.1.1
+0.1.2