13Z News

[p][/p][p]Hey Zodiac Challengers, there’s something we’ve been quietly holding close… and today, we finally get to share it.[/p][p][/p][h3]13Z: The Zodiac Trials was one of finalists for the IGF x WINGS Award… and we WON 🙏[/h3][p][/p][p]This is a deeply special moment for our team. Not just because it’s the first award we’ve ever received together, but because of what it represents. WINGS recognizes the people and stories that help make this industry bigger, kinder, and more welcoming. To be part of that, even in a small way, means more to us than we can put into words.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Watch the full show here: [/h3][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]We know many of you have only just discovered the Trials, so to celebrate, we’ll be extending the current demo until April 1, 2026.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]
Behind the scenes, a lot has changed since this demo build. The version we’re making now has moved on in a bunch of ways, so what you’re playing here is a snapshot of an earlier chapter. Still, we hope this demo gives you a real glimpse of the heart we’re putting into 13Z, and makes you want to stick around for what comes next. [/p][p]
Discord / Patreon/ X (Twitter) / Tiktok / Youtube / Reddit
[/p][p]Crafted with love, Mixed Realms[/p]

[p]Hey Zodiac Challengers! We’ve been heads down in the kitchen this month, and we wanted to share a quick wrap-up of a few of the progress snippets we’ve been posting over on our free Patreon blog. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Highlight 1: Lucky & Unlucky Spots[/h3][p][/p][p]Lucky spots grant a massive crit boost, while Unlucky spots make you more vulnerable—and occasionally drop a giant sword from the heavens to punish anyone standing in the wrong place.[/p][p][/p][h3]Highlight 2: Fire Seal VFX Evolution[/h3][p][/p][p]The Fire Seal is getting a visual overhaul to better reflect its power level as you stack Ignite effects.[/p][p][/p][h3]Highlight 3: The Snake Follower[/h3][p][/p][p]Meet the Snake Guardian’s little helpers from Act 2. These scaly sentries fire projectiles that explode into toxic clouds, and they can even cling to the environment to create tricky vertical hazards.[/p][p][/p][h3]Highlight 4: Water Seal & Walking[/h3][p][/p][p]Investing in this seal lets you fire frost projectiles continuously on the move, essentially allowing you to "aura farm" while turning your enemies into ice sculptures.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]This month has been all about experimenting with momentum and ensuring the battlefield feels alive and dangerous. We're looking forward to hearing which of these WIP features you're most excited to get your hands on.

If you enjoy deeper behind-the-scenes content, we share the full dev journal and more sneak peeks on our free Patreon where we post twice a week. See you over there![/p]

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Discord / Patreon/ X (Twitter) / Tiktok / Youtube / Reddit [/p][p][/p][p]Crafted with love,[/p][p]Mixed Realms[/p][p][/p]

[p]Hey Zodiac Challengers! We’ve got a brand new demo update to share… and with it, we’re also going to close out this chapter of the Trials soon.[/p][p]This update is part celebration, part milestone, and part farewell to the current demo before things start shifting in much bigger ways.[/p][p]
[/p][h2]Year of the Horse Arrives[/h2][p]In celebration of the Year of the Horse, you’ll finally get to meet none other than the Horse Zodiac herself.[/p][p]Normally, she’s busy with a very important job… driving the sun and guiding the passage of time for all realms. Casual. No big deal. [/p][p][/p][p]But for this special occasion, she’s taking a short break to wander Turtle Village, take in the sights, and watch the fireworks display. But whether there are fireworks at all depends entirely on you. 🙂
[/p][h2]Fireworks, Red Packets, and an Exclusive Skin[/h2][p]If you want to celebrate with her, Fuxi the Village Intern has prepared a festive activity just for Challengers.[/p][p]During your runs, you can now collect Red Packets. When you return to the village, give them to the Horse Zodiac to help build Firework Stations.

[/p][p]Build all 12 stations and you’ll unlock:[/p]

• [p]A full panoramic fireworks display across Turtle Village[/p]
• [p]An exclusive event skin you can carry into the full game. Yep. This one follows you home.[/p]

[p]This is a small celebration, and a send off for this version of the Trials.
[/p][p][/p][h2]An Important Milestone[/h2][p]We’ll be closing the current demo at the end of this month so we can fully focus on production for the next phase of 13Z. [/p][p]🌻\[UPDATE Feb 28]: We’re keeping the demo live through March to celebrate 13Z: The Zodiac Trials being nominated for the IGF x WINGS Awards. Winners will be revealed during the GDC Festival of Gaming on March 11, 2026 (6:30pm PT).[/p][p][/p][p]So when you see 13Z again, whether through future playtests, exclusive previews, or the full release, a lot will have changed. New systems. New content. New chaos. Possibly new ways to die.[/p][p][/p][h2]What’s Next?[/h2][p]If you’d like to stay close as the next version of the Trials starts taking shape, come hang out with us.[/p][p]Join our Discord for future playtest announcements and dev updates. Follow our free Patreon blog for sneak peeks and work-in-progress content.[/p][p]We’ll be sharing more as things evolve, especially as the next chapter begins to form.[/p][p][/p][p]Enjoy the fireworks.
Greet the Horse Zodiac with the respect she deserves.
Make the Snake Zodiac just slightly jealous, hehe.
Grab the skin.[/p][p][/p][p]Discord / Patreon/ X (Twitter) / Tiktok / Youtube / Reddit [/p][p][/p][p]Crafted with love, Mixed Realms
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[p][/p][p][/p][h3]Welcome to our first Dev Diary Roundup![/h3][p]Over the past few weeks, we’ve been posting sneak peeks, dev notes, and the occasional WIP chaos on our Patreon blog. Here are some highlights from January 2026:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Things are getting a bit slithery in the dev den. We shared a super early look at the Snake Guardian's combat mechanics. Expect some WIP jank and bad acting. You’ve been warned.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Raven is all about using his environment to his advantage. So we wondered… What if he could drag a pesky enemy right off the edge of a cliff? Should this be legal, though?[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We have more sneak peeks for Act 2’s desert biome. In the BTS screenshots, we showcased the scale we’re aiming for which deviates from Act 1's smaller levels.[/p][p][/p][p]We’re also experimenting with some bullet hell-like mechanics. But I guess you can call this Bubble Hell instead. 🤔[/p][p][/p][p]If you enjoyed this roundup and would love to know about all the updates and see all the videos and screenshots, we post the complete dev journal on our free Patreon twice a week. Come hang out and follow the journey with us![/p][p][/p][p]Discord / Patreon/ X (Twitter) / Tiktok / Youtube / Reddit
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Crafted with love, Mixed Realms[/p]

[p][/p][p]Hey Zodiac Challengers![/p][p]As we wrap up another year of development, we wanted to share a peek at the absolute chaos behind the scenes. While you’ve been proving your worth to the Zodiac Guardians, we’ve been busy battling some very creative ghosts in our code. Turns out, keeping Lyra on the ground is sometimes harder than becoming a 13th Zodiac.[/p][p][/p][h3]Here are the 10 Worst (But Also Best?) Bugs of 2025[/h3][p][/p][p]Time for a Stretch?[/p][p]Game development is equal parts planning and accidental comedy, and one of our favorite moments was Sylith the Raven deciding to transcend his physical form in the most unsettling way possible.[/p][p][/p][p]Dancing Sporebashers[/p][p]At one point, the Spore Bashers decided combat was optional and broke into what can only be described as a synchronized dance routine.[/p][p][/p][p]
It’s raining Jade![/p][p]Remember this from our #sneak-peeks on Discord? For a short, dangerous moment, the Jade Tree was perhaps a little too generous.[/p][p][/p][p]Spinning Lyra… Again![/p][p]Lyra, meanwhile, occasionally decided that walking was overrated and opted for a high-speed spinning hover instead.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Hole new world?[/p][p]Yep, there’s a whole new world under the village and the Trial Grounds, and Cybercraft from Discord has a knack for finding all those ‘portals’ and giving our collider artist night sweats.[/p][p][/p][p]I see YOU.[/p][p]There’s definitely more than meets the eyeballs when shaders aren’t working the way they should.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Another hidden ‘portal’?[/p][p]Did you run into a bug where Sylith suddenly dives straight into the ground and ends up somewhere else? This issue is notoriously hard to reproduce, so a huge thank you to players like Gloomi who report them with videos![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Never miss leg day.[/p][p]This is what happens when you keep missing leg day at the gym. Does anybody remember Johnny Bravo?[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Missing Rewards[/p][p]KalaniBoi from Discord reported a new scam by the Rooster Zodiac… apparently, he bought a Mountain Seal that contained absolutely nothing.[/p][p][/p][p]Chicken Run Bug[/p][p]The Pig Zodiac companions turned into black silhouettes that ‘ate’ their masters. This is one of the reasons why we had to temporarily remove Companions from the demo (of course, apart from improving their mechanics!).[/p][p][/p][p]—[/p][h3]Which one is your favorite bug?[/h3][p]We’ve got plenty more funny bugs like this, all part of the journey! Huge thanks to everyone who reported bugs, shared clips, and laughed along with us instead of running away screaming. Seriously, 13Z wouldn’t be what it is without this community poking at every edge case we somehow missed.[/p][p][/p][h3]Want more updates and sneak-peeks?[/h3][p]If you’re the kind of Challenger who enjoys seeing things before they’re polished and doesn’t mind the dev pings, we’ve started sharing bi-weekly behind-the-scenes updates on our Patreon. [/p][p]Access is free, but it’s very much for hardcore players who like being part of the process while things are still messy (you have been warned~). [/p][h3]https://www.patreon.com/cw/13Z[/h3][p]
[/p][p]Nevertheless, more updates are coming, more systems are evolving, and yes, probably a few new bugs will sneak in too.[/p][p][/p][p]That’s it for 2025.
See you in 2026, Challengers. 🐎[/p][p][/p][p]You can find us on: [/p][p]Discord / X (Twitter) / Tiktok / Youtube / Reddit [/p][p][/p][p]Crafted with love,
Mixed Realms[/p]