13Z News

Hey Zodiac Challengers!

Welcome to Devlog #02 for 13Z. If you recall, in our last post, we shared what 13Z stands for - the 13th Zodiac. We talked about the inspirations behind the game.

We also introduced the 13Z's premise: incumbent eastern Zodiac guardians searching for a new animal to join their ranks.

Today, we're thrilled to introduce the first animal challenger vying for the coveted 13th zodiac spot: Lyra the Fox. Join us as we delve into Lyra's backstory, explore her design evolution, and showcase her incredible abilities.

[h2]Watch our full devlog:[/h2]

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Hailing from a prestigious clan of swordswomen, Lyra has always been a free spirit. Rather than conforming to her family's expectations of becoming an ordinary martial artist, she's chosen to forge her own path by entering the Zodiac Trials.



Lyra's rebellious nature and distinct traits inspired our initial sketches, leading to various designs that aimed to capture her essence. We grappled with questions like: Should we give her her big ears, bushy tail, or both?


Early on, we conducted polls on social media to gather your opinions. Using this feedback, we refined Lyra's look through multiple iterations, balancing her character traits with our fantasy art style.

To enhance player customization, we've created different color themes for Lyra, allowing you to personalize her outfit and truly make her your own.



[h2]Lyra's Combat Prowess & Abilities[/h2]

In battle, Lyra is a formidable opponent. Her primary attacks unleash a flurry of rapid slashes and a wide tail swing, perfect for cutting through waves of enemies with agility and precision.



Her secondary attack, a powerful upward slash, sends foes airborne, turning aerial combat into an art form. The combo ends with a swift and devastating spiral slash, delivering a forceful, twirling finale.



When the heat of battle intensifies, unleash Lyra's special ability: a dazzling barrage of phantom blade attacks that will leave hordes of opponents reeling.



True to her vulpine nature, Lyra can transform into a fox, allowing her to evade enemy attacks in the blink of an eye or scale high places in the maps. Advanced players can even use this transformation offensively, diving into enemies to deal damage.



As you progress, you'll unlock more abilities and builds, allowing you to tailor Lyra's growth to your preferred playstyle, ensuring each run feels fresh and exciting.

[h2]Exciting News: Upcoming Global Playtest![/h2]

We're thrilled to announce that we will be hosting a global playtest soon, and Lyra the Fox will be a playable character! You'll also face off against one of the twelve Zodiac guardians in an epic boss fight, giving you a taste of 13Z's fluid combat system and stunning visual style.

To be among the first to know when the playtest drops, join our Discord community. Stay connected through our social channels below for all the latest updates.

We can't wait to hear your thoughts on Lyra and 13Z. Your feedback is invaluable as we continue to refine and perfect the game.

Twitter | Discord | Tiktok

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2348250/13Z/

Don’t forget to add 13Z to your wishlist, spread the word to your friends, and help us bring this game to life!

Thank you for joining us on this journey. Stay tuned for more updates, and keep those swords sharp, Challengers!

Hey Zodiac Challengers!

Welcome to our first devlog for 13Z where we take you behind the scenes to explore the quirky origins, inspirations and some future plans for our game.

[h2]It All Started With.. Cats[/h2]
Believe it or not, we originally wanted to create a cat-themed action game because we've got a few cat lovers and pawrents in the team!

During one of our brainstorming sessions, a fascinating tidbit came up: the cat was famously left out of the Eastern Zodiac circle due to mythic rivalries and celestial twists of fate.


For those unfamiliar with the Eastern Zodiac, it comprises twelve animals—Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig—each governing a year in a 12-year cycle. These animals significantly influence the personalities and destinies of individuals born in their respective years. Unlike the Western Zodiac, which is based on monthly divisions and celestial constellations, the Eastern Zodiac assigns a year-long period to each sign, integrating both cosmic and earthly elements.


Intrigued by the legend, we thought: what if there was a 13th Zodiac? And what if it was a cat? What if this was a game about the incumbent Zodiac guardians looking for a new animal to join their ranks?


This idea quickly grew legs - or rather, paws. As we deliberated, our Chief Happiness Officer, a lovable cavapoodle, looked up at us with big, soulful eyes. In that moment of cuteness overload, we thought, "Why stop at cats? Why not include other animals too?" One thing led to another, and our Zodiac game expanded to encompass a whole array of animal spirits.

But you might ask - why is our first character not a cat but a fox? Well, that's a tail… we mean tale… for another time. ;)

[h2]Our Vision for 13Z[/h2]

13Z is a bold blend of oriental mythology and whimsical fantasy that places our studio's love for fast-paced, stylish and fluid action at its core.



Beyond grounded combat, we're also focusing on choreographing moves that make use of the level verticality and aerial combos. Yes, we're huge fans of DMC.



Our character designs and concepts are another area that we're thrilled about. Each Challenger has unique skills, with some able to transform into their spirit animal forms as part of their combat abilities.



We believe a great game is best enjoyed with friends, so co-op will be a key feature of 13Z. Players can find synergistic builds with their teams to tackle challenges together.



Though not shown in our early gameplay video, we're also working on a village that players can upgrade to enhance their abilities in future runs, while interacting with NPCs and fulfilling some side quests. We’ll share more details about this once the mechanics are finalized, but it's an area we're very excited about.


Finally, as with any great roguelike experience, variety and choices matter. We're working on synergistic upgrade systems within and outside of the Trials to design satisfying progression paths for different characters and builds.

Permanent upgrades can also be unlocked using persistent currencies earned from the Trials. From new skills and characters to Village upgrades and run modifiers, these persistent improvements will enhance your strategies and keep each attempt fresh and exciting.



That's right, Challengers! We're currently crafting a demo of 13Z as we'd love for the community to have a meaningful part to play in building a game that we would all want to play together. Expect to see it in a few months—we can't wait to share our progress and hear your thoughts.

If you'd like to be one of the first to know or to be part of our closed demo, please join us on Discord.

Stay connected and share your feedback through our social channels.

Twitter | Discord | Tiktok

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2348250/13Z/

Don’t forget to add 13Z to your wishlist, tell your friends and help us bring 13Z to life!

Thank you for joining us on our journey!

Crafted with Love,
Mixed Realms

Hey Zodiac Challengers!


​
We're thrilled to announce that 13Z will be showcased in the first ever Steam Anthro Festival, happening from Jun 6 - 10! It's an opportunity for us to showcase our brave animal spirit challengers to a broader audience.

We’re still in the early stages, but there's a lot of exciting updates brewing! We can't wait to share more behind-the-scenes with you as we continue to build 13Z. Be sure to join us in Discord too, this is your chance to get an inside look at how 13Z comes to life!

ICYMI - we also released a poll to select our Key Art style in our last post. Cast your votes if you haven't yet ;)



As usual, we always want to hear from you! If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out to us through our social channels below. We love engaging with our community.

Twitter | Discord | Tiktok

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2348250/13Z/

And last but not least, if you haven't already, please consider adding 13Z to your wishlist on Steam and share it with your friends :) It would really mean a lot to us.

Thank you for joining us on our journey!

Crafted with Love,
Mixed Realms

Hi Zodiac Challengers!

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support since our soft announcement last week. Sharing our early gameplay trailer on Twitter was just a small glimpse into what we’re crafting, and we never expected the traction we received from the community—thank you!


[h2]A Peek into 13Z[/h2]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
While the trailer only showcased snippets of our vision, rest assured there's a LOT more to come. For example, we’re currently working on the concepts for one of the first Zodiac Guardians (boss). 🤫 We’re also finalizing the designs of the environment and the Raven. Please stay tuned for more updates soon!


[h2]Frequently Asked Questions[/h2]
We’d also like to answer some of the most commonly asked questions we’ve received so far -

Will there be a demo?
Yes! We're working on a private demo to give you a taste of the action ahead of the full game. We’ll make the announcement once we’re ready to invite playtesters!

Is the gameplay for single-player or multiplayer?
The game will support both single-player and co-op modes, allowing up to four players to challenge the Zodiac Trials together.

How many Challengers will there be all in all?
We are planning to introduce up to 6 Challengers at full launch. Fox, Raven and Panda are confirmed at this point.

If the game is about the 12 Zodiacs, why weren't they in the video?
We are in the process of designing the 12 Zodiac bosses. Each will have a unique role, some aiding the players, while others ensure a formidable challenge.

Will this game be available on VR, too?
Nothing concrete yet but it’s something we are seriously considering.


We're still early in the development of 13Z, but what you've seen so far—early gameplay and our initial concepts—marks an exciting phase. This is when we get to open up about our work and really dive into building the game with your input, which has always been at the heart of how we like to do things as a studio.

[h2]Which Key Art Attracts You More? [/h2]

For starters, we’d love to hear your thoughts on our Key Art. While we plan to include more characters in the future, we’re curious to know what catches your attention more as a player—something plain and bright, or a design with a more detailed background? Your vote will help guide our design decisions. :)


Also, join us on Discord to get a more behind-the-scenes look at our progress. We'll be rolling out new polls soon as we continue to reveal more about the game. We're excited to shape 13Z together with you!

[h2]Connect with Us[/h2]

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out to us through our social channels below. We love engaging with our community.

Twitter | Discord | Tiktok

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2348250/13Z/

And last but not least, if you haven't already, please consider adding 13Z to your wishlist on Steam and share it with your friends :) It would really mean a lot to us.

Thank you for joining us on our journey!

Crafted with Love,
Mixed Realms