Kaz News

[p]Hello everyone! [/p][p]
The second official KAZ Playtest is coming soon, and signups are now open. [/p][p]After the first playtest wrapped up, I spent a lot of time going through your feedback, fixing bugs, and reworking parts of the game that needed improvement. This new build is the result of that work, and I’m really excited to finally put it back in players’ hands![/p][p]If you missed the first playtest, this is a great chance to jump in early, try out the new content, and help shape the game before release![/p][p][/p][p]For this Playtest, I am excited to partner with STAN, a gaming community platform focused on connecting developers with players across India. STAN will help introduce KAZ to more Indian gamers during the playtest. STAN is a social platform where gamers can connect, join communities, participate in events, and discover new games together. Their growing community will be joining the chaos of the KAZ playtest alongside the rest of you. Excited to work with the STAN team and welcome more players into the world of KAZ during this playtest![/p][p][/p][h3]Playtest Timeline[/h3][p]Playtest applications[/p][p]March 10 – March 19, 2026[/p][p]Playtest period[/p][p]March 20 – April 2, 2026[/p][p]Winner announcement[/p][p]April 3, 2026[/p][p][/p][h3]Prize Pool[/h3][p]🥇 1st place — $100[/p][p]🥈 2nd place — $30[/p][p]🥉 3rd place — $20[/p][p]Top players will also receive an exclusive Discord role.[/p][p][/p][h3]What’s New in This Playtest[/h3][p]This build includes several additions and improvements I’ve been working on since the last test:[/p]

• [p]New spells[/p]
• [p]Updated UI[/p]
• [p]40 items (10 new items)[/p]
• [p]New Themes[/p][p]There’s a lot of new stuff to explore and I’m really curious to see what builds, strategies, and ridiculous runs people come up with![/p]

[h3]How to Join[/h3][p]You can request access to the playtest directly through the KAZ Steam page:[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]If you’re accepted, the KAZ Playtest app will appear in your Steam library once the build goes live.[/p][h3]Join the Community[/h3][p]Make sure to join my Discord to stay up to date with announcements, share your runs, and connect with other players during the playtest. This is also where we'll contact the leaderboard winners![/p][p]https://discord.gg/Q5gmjnfBRS[/p][p][/p][h3]Playtest Rules[/h3]

• [p]You can attempt the leaderboard as many times as you want during the playtest period.[/p]
• [p]No cheating or third-party keyboard software.[/p]
• [p]Only runs on 'Survival Mode' will be counted towards the competition.[/p]
• [p]If you place high on the leaderboard, you may be asked to provide video proof of your run.[/p]
• [p]Streaming or recording gameplay is highly encouraged![/p]

[p]The first playtest was incredibly fun to watch, and I can’t wait to see what strategies, builds, and ridiculous runs players come up with this time![/p][p]Good luck everyone! I’m really looking forward to seeing who ends up on top of the leaderboard this time around. ;)[/p][p]– Kalinarm[/p]

[p]February was a big month for KAZ, with our first community competition going live and the game appearing in several international showcases.[/p][p][/p][h3]Community Theme Showcase[/h3][p]Our Community Theme Showcase launched in mid-February. The idea behind this event is to bridge arcade gameplay and visual art by collaborating directly with creators.[/p][p]My vision for KAZ has always been to turn the game into something like a playable, living art gallery. That’s why I opened the door for artists to submit their own theme concepts that could become part of the game itself.[/p][p]Artists can submit their theme ideas, and the best submissions will be implemented directly into KAZ, complete with creator credits and cash prizes.[/p][p]The response so far has been incredible! Because some creators mentioned the timeline felt a bit tight, I’ve decided to extend the submission deadline to March 10, 2026. There’s still time to participate if you’ve been working on an idea.[/p][p]Submit your theme here:[/p][p][/p][p]https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjJuLu3zn0GQQxXDICL-hnPId3s_Jo7IA2rttc3340cgTzyQ/viewform?usp=dialog[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Showcases & Events[/h3][p]KAZ appeared in several showcases this month:[/p]

• [p]Best Indie Games Spring Showcase 2026 (#BIGSpringShowcase)[/p]
• [p]Typing Fest[/p]

[p]The Best Indie Games Spring Showcase 2026 is currently live, and I'm very happy to be part of it. It’s always exciting seeing KAZ alongside so many great indie projects.[/p][p]Typing Fest was another highlight this month, and we’re grateful to have had the opportunity to showcase the game there as well.[/p][p]KAZ has also been accepted into the Mundo Gamer Showcase, Game Pavilion Japan, and the Six One Indie Showcase. I’m really looking forward to sharing the game with everyone during these upcoming events.[/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]Development Highlights[/h3][p]This month focused heavily on polish and improvements based on feedback from the first playtest.[/p]

• [p]Full UI rework to improve clarity, usability, and overall visual design.[/p]
• [p]Bug fixes addressing issues reported during the previous playtest.[/p]
• [p]Balance adjustments to items and quests based directly on player feedback.[/p]
• [p]New malus added to introduce additional challenge and variety during runs.[/p]
• [p]New quest added to expand progression goals.[/p]
• [p]Sound design improvements, along with new OST tracks added to the game.[/p]
• [p]Additional general bug fixes and stability improvements across the build.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]What’s Next: March Playtest[/h3][p]Next up is the March playtest.[/p][p]This upcoming playtest will give players another chance to try the game ahead of release and experience more of what KAZ has to offer.[/p][p]Applications for the closed playtest will open March 10 and run until March 19. The playtest itself will take place March 20 – April 2, with winners announced shortly after.[/p][p]This new test build will include:[/p]

• [p]New spells[/p]
• [p]Updated UI[/p]
• [p]Item balancing and gameplay tweaks[/p]
• [p]Multiple playable themes[/p]

[p]As with the previous playtest, I'll also be running a competitive leaderboard with cash prizes:[/p][p]🥇 1st place: $100[/p][p]🥈 2nd place: $30[/p][p]🥉 3rd place: $20[/p][p]If you’d like to participate, keep an eye on upcoming announcements and make sure to join our Discord for updates: [/p][p]https://discord.gg/Q5gmjnfBRS[/p][p][/p][p]If you’d like to stay updated, make sure to join our Discord and keep an eye on announcements.[/p][p]More updates soon![/p]

[p]Hey Everyone! [/p][p][/p][p]It’s been greatl seeing all of your theme submissions for KAZ so far and we want to see more! We’re extending the submission period by two additional weekends.[/p][p]The new deadline is March 10, 2026, at 11:59 PM PST. We hope this gives you plenty of time to finalize your amazing creations.[/p][p]You can find more information and submit your entry here:[/p][p]https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjJuLu3zn0GQQxXDICL-hnPId3s_Jo7IA2rttc3340cgTzyQ/viewform?usp=dialog[/p][p][/p][p]Looking forward to seeing your creativity! [/p][p]-Kalinarm[/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p]Hello everyone![/p][p]With the new update now in your hands, I want to take the next step in building the world of KAZ- and I want to do it with you. I’ve always been inspired by our players' creativity, and one of my main goals with KAZ was to make it a hub of creativity for artists! So, I’m officially launching the Community Theme Showcase! [/p][p]This is your chance to get your ideas directly into the game. We are looking for gameplay concepts and visual themes that push the limits of style! Whether you're an artist or a high-score grinder with a killer idea for a new hazard, we want to see what you've got. Submission period: Feb 13-28 11:59 pm PST, 2026[/p][p]We want to invite you to share your unique vision and bring new worlds to KAZ. Our goal is to grow the game through collaboration and celebrating the creativity of our community! [/p][p]You can take a look at the existing KAZ themes for inspiration![/p][p]The Prizes ($600 Total Pool) We will select 4 themes as winners:[/p]

• [p]🥇 1st prize: $250[/p]
• [p]🥈 2nd prize: $150[/p]
• [p]🥉 3rd prize: $100[/p]
• [p]👥 Community choice: $100 (The one who gets the most likes on our X post! More info below)[/p]

[p]Winners also get: Official in-game credit, public recognition, canon inclusion in KAZ updates, and an exclusive Discord role.[/p][p]How to Enter[/p]

1. [p]Official Entry: Submit your concept through this https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OQyYOP8XmZLla9oQLMFceJ2M0KsxlNGESW3lAjJ-H-s/preview?edit_requested=true. [/p]
2. [p]More information can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QbAVRyRQVvkkAfmVjMcrTMHOQS8TxwsNJd_niFiCbg4/edit?usp=sharing[/p]
3. [p]Community Award: Post your creation in the comments to https://x.com/KalinarmDev/status/2022356614083141829? and tag your friends! The comment with the most likes wins the $100 Community Choice award.[/p]

[p]The Rules[/p]

• [p]Unlimited Entries: Submit as many ideas as you like during the submission period: Feb 13-28 11:59 pm PST, 2026[/p]
• [p]Permissions: By entering, you give us (Kimeria/Hakuro) permission to use, alter, or adjust your design for implementation. Kimeria Studio and the publisher retain a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to modify and commercialize the work.[/p]
• [p]Appropriateness: Keep it PG-13 and appropriate for the KAZ community.[/p]

[p]Since everything in the game is hand-drawn, generative AI is not allowed in this contest.[/p][p]I can’t wait to see what you come up with! If you have any questions, feel free to ping me on our discord server. [/p][p]– Kalinarm [/p][p]
[/p]

[p]Hello everyone![/p][p][/p][p]The 0.5.0 update is now available, and this one is a big step forward for KAZ. This version pushes the game closer to its final vision, with major additions, polish, and a lot of love poured into the details. We also just finished our very first KAZ Playtest, which has gone incredibly well![/p][p][/p][h2]Playtest #1: Recap & Winners![/h2][p]Our first official playtest has come to an end, and the results exceeded all our expectations. We want to say a massive thank you to the 504 players who signed up to help us stress-test the game. The community showed up in a big way. We saw incredible engagement across the board, with tons of interactive live streams.[/p][h3][/h3][h3]The Champions[/h3][p]The competition was intense. To ensure a fair result, we took extra time to manually verify the leaderboards and filter out exploits. Here are our Playtest winners:[/p]

• [p]🥇 RndmGuy - 45,658 ($100 Steam Card)[/p]
• [p]🥈 Pouloulou - 44,049 ($30 Steam Card)[/p]
• [p]🥉 Rodzilla - 23,585 ($20 Steam Card)[/p]

[h3]Next Steps[/h3][p]You’ve really helped us improve the game. We’ve already started acting on your feedback, specifically regarding:[/p]

• [p]Leaderboard Integrity: Patching some exploits we discovered to keep the skill ceiling high.[/p]
• [p]Bug fixes and considering all of the game design suggestions that were made.[/p]

[p]This was just the first step. If you missed out this time, make sure to join our Discord to be updated about the next one! And of course, Wishlist the game here on Steam- we have plenty more planned for the next build![/p][p][/p][h2]Development Highlights[/h2][p]A lot of this update focused on tightening systems, improving clarity, and making the overall experience smoother and more consistent.[/p][h3] Sound Design and Music[/h3]

• [p]Sound Design Complete: The full sound design pass is now done. Every movement, hit, combo, and failure has been carefully tuned to enhance speed, impact, and flow. KAZ should now sound just as intense as it feels to play.[/p]
• [p]More Music Added: There are now 6 immersive and interactive tracks in the game. Each one reacts to gameplay and helps shape the energy of a run.[/p]

[h3]Twitch Integration[/h3][p]KAZ now supports Twitch integration. Viewers can interact with the game, influence runs, and turn streams into pure chaos. Some wonderful Twitch streamers gave this a go during the Playtest, and I’m happy to say it’s working well![/p][p][/p][h3]New Content and Quests[/h3]

• [p]New Content: Lots of new items to unlock, experiment with, and break the game. New visual themes, including artist-driven aesthetics.[/p]
• [p]Quest System Added: A brand-new quest system has been added, giving players short- and long-term goals to chase while playing. More structure and more progression.[/p]

[h3] Leaderboards Reset[/h3][p]With all these changes, leaderboards have been fully reset to ensure a fair competitive restart. Legendary players from previous versions are being preserved in the game’s history.[/p][p][/p][h2]Linkito Collaboration[/h2][p][/p][p]During the playtest, we’ve also had a collaboration with Linkito. There is a Linkito skin in the game right now, and it was the featured theme for the playtest with its own music. Super happy with how this one turned out. Keep your eyes peeled for more collaborations in the works![/p][p][/p][h2]Patch Notes[/h2][p]0.5.1[/p]

• [p]Fixed max round reached statistics with theme (found a bug affecting quests and statistics).[/p]

[p]0.5.0[/p]

• [p]Split demo, playtest, and full game.[/p]
• [p]Fixed item descriptions.[/p]
• [p]Updated sound design and FX for multiple items.[/p]
• [p]Quality of life improvements & fixed rank panel.[/p]
• [p]Added quests and tweaked existing ones.[/p]
• [p]Fixed notification marker showing when there was nothing to unlock.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a selection bug when collecting multiple quest rewards.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]What’s coming next[/h2][p]The coming month will include a UGC competition playtest, so keep your eyes peeled for that one. Make sure to join our discord to stay up-to-date with all announcements and events![/p][p]Thank you for playing, breaking, and pushing KAZ. More speed and more chaos, soon![/p][p]– Kalinarm[/p][p]PS: The demo is now a real demo, with some limitations compared to the full version. Thanks for your understanding![/p][p]
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