diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index e69de29..ec0ed91 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+name: release
+on:
+  release:
+    branches:
+      - $default-branch
+    types:
+      - published
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      release_tag:
+        required: true
+        description: the tag to release for
+        default: ""
+jobs:
+  compile_linux-x86_64:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    env:
+      OUT: mcaselector-lite-linux-x86_64-${{github.event.release.tag_name || github.event.inputs.release_tag}}.zip
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4 # clone the repo
+      - name: install clang
+        run: |
+          sudo apt update
+          sudo apt install clang
+      # compile the binary
+      - run: make compile ARCH=linux-x86_64
+      - run: -rv zip ${{env.OUT}} bin/linux-x86_64/rel/*
+      # upload to the release
+      - name: upload release
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
+        if: ${{!env.ACT}}
+        with:
+          files: ${{env.OUT}}
+      # upload to the artefact directory if running locally with act
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        if: ${{env.ACT}}
+        with:
+          path: ${{env.OUT}}
+  compile_win-x86_64:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    env:
+      OUT: mcaselector-lite-win-x86_64-${{github.event.release.tag_name || github.event.inputs.release_tag}}.zip
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4 # clone the repo
+      - name: install clang
+        run: |
+          sudo apt update
+          sudo apt install clang
+      # compile the binary
+      - run: make compile ARCH=win-x86_64
+      - run: -rv zip ${{env.OUT}} bin/win-x86_64/rel/*
+      # upload to the release
+      - name: upload release
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
+        if: ${{!env.ACT}}
+        with:
+          files: ${{env.OUT}}
+      # upload to the artefact directory if running locally with act
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        if: ${{env.ACT}}
+        with:
+          path: ${{env.OUT}}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate.yaml b/.github/workflows/validate.yaml
index e69de29..5e7abd0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validate.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+name: release
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - dev
+      - $default-branch
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - dev
+      - $default-branch
+jobs:
+  tmp:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - run: echo Hello, World