Kaz News

[p][/p][p]The KAZ Playtest is live! From now until February 9, Jump in, test your reflexes, and climb the leaderboard for a chance to win some amazing prizes: Steam gift cards and exclusive Discord roles for the top three players![/p][p]Join the Steam discussion thread to chat about your runs, share epic moments, or drop suggestions, and join us on discord for even more discussions: [/p][p]https://discord.gg/Q5gmjnfBRS[/p][p][/p][p]Top leaderboard competitors will receive:[/p]

• [p]1st place: $100 Steam gift card + exclusive Discord role[/p]
• [p]2nd place: $30 Steam gift card + exclusive Discord role[/p]
• [p]3rd place: $20 Steam gift card + exclusive Discord role[/p]
• [p]Prize Distribution: Winners must be on Discord. We will contact them there to award prizes.[/p]

[p]To join the playtest:[/p]

• [p]Redeem your playtest key on Steam and the KAZ Playtest app will appear in your library.[/p]
• [p]Community members who haven’t gotten a key yet can sign up via the Steam page: once approved, the app will show up in your library.[/p]

[p]A few quick reminders while you play:[/p]

• [p]Unlimited attempts from now until Feb 9 at 11:59 pm PST[/p]
• [p]No cheating- only use your own fingers![/p]
• [p]Record your runs if you can, and share them in Discord so everyone can celebrate your skills![/p]
• [p]If you are one of the top 3 players on the leaderboard, make sure you are on Discord for prize distribution coordination[/p]

[p]Thank you so much for being a part of this playtest and helping me improve the game! We can’t wait to see what you do! Dash, react, and may the fastest fingers win -  see you in the chaos![/p]

[p]Hello everyone! [/p][p][/p][p]Starting 2026 with a bang, I am introducing the Linkito playtest trials! A playtest event where I test your twitchy fingers and climb the leaderboards to compete for a prize pool of $150 USD. The top 3 players who score the most points can go home with awesome Steam gift cards!  [/p][p]First prize- 100 USD Steam gift card + full game copy + exclusive Discord role[/p][p]Second prize- 30 USD Steam gift card + full game copy + exclusive Discord role[/p][p]Third prize- 20 USD Steam gift card + full game copy + exclusive Discord role
[/p][h2]Sign up for playtesting[/h2][p]January 13 to Jan 29, 2026 11:59pm PST[/p][p][/p][h2]Playtest period[/h2][p]January 30, 4:00am PST- February 9, 2026 11:59pm PST [/p][p][/p][h2]Winner announcement[/h2][p]February 10, 2026[/p][p][/p]

• [p]Sign up for the KAZ: Linkito playtest trials via the KAZ’s Steam page[/p]
• [p]Check your email on your registered Steam account for updates about playtest access[/p]
• [p]You can also check your Steam library; the KAZ playtest app will appear once you are accepted. [/p]
• [p]Choose the survivor game mode to compete in the playtest leaderboards[/p]

• [p]You can have as many attempts as possible between January 30, 4:00am PST to February 9, 2026, 11:59 pm PST. [/p]
• [p]Do not cheat! No use of 3rd party software on your keyboard. Use your own fingers. [/p]
• [p]Join the Kalinarm KAZ Playtest Discord to post your runs [/p]
• [p]Record your gameplay ideally with a camera to show that your run is legit and share it on our Discord: https://discord.com/channels/1001874583567216721/1460194210488778999 or Social Media (X,YouTube,TikTok) and tag @kalinarm [/p]

• [p]You can help us by finding bugs that may have slipped past my watchful eye. You can share it via the Steam discussions thread or the Discord playtest bug report thread[/p]

[p][/p][p]The past games I’ve created are the perfect source of additional theme inspirations for KAZ. The playtest will show never-before-seen themes from the games I loved creating. [/p][p][/p][p]I had a lot of fun making Linkito as it expanded my capabilities as a game developer that most of you appreciated. It was a great feeling! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]What’s in store on the playtest:
[/p][p]The playtest will have the following features for you to try, test out, and score at the top of the leaderboards[/p]

• [p]26 item bonuses[/p]
• [p]7 malus (curses)[/p]
• [p]3 active spells [/p]
• [p]4 themes (Linkito included) [/p]
• [p]20 quests[/p]
• [p]3 game modes [/p]

[p][/p][p]Good luck, and very curious to see who has the fastest fingers in the community![/p]

[p][/p][p]2025 was a big year for me and KAZ, so I wanted to sit down and share a proper recap of everything that’s happened, what I’ve been building, and where things are heading next.[/p]

• [p]Announcing the game[/p]
• [p]Showcasing at Gamescom [/p]
• [p]Winning ‘Pitch Your Game’[/p]
• [p]Releasing the demo[/p]

[p]I’ve loved  the community aspect, and hopefully we can continue to shape the game together! Here’s some of you trying KAZ out at Gamescom![/p][p][/p][p]A few big things happened on the development side too.[/p]

• [p]I added 20 skins to the game! Including IP collaborations- Save me Mr. Taco, Bloodblast and more![/p]
• [p]I added 100 items, and I'm constantly adding more. [/p]
• [p]I incorporated 6 different game modes, each with a different gameplay style[/p]
  • [p]Survival mode[/p]
  • [p]Daily, weekly, monthly, and all time leaderboards [/p]
  • [p]Legends of the week: (starting items and builds that change every week.) [/p]
  • [p]Challenge of the month: hardcore mode with challenges that change every month. Some examples of the challenges:[/p]
    • [p]Too many traps[/p]
    • [p]Too many items[/p]
    • [p]Rhythm based[/p]
    • [p]High speed[/p]

[p]…And many more![/p]

• [p]UI improvements:[/p]
  • [p]“This game is played on your keyboard” notification in the beginning to guide new players. [/p]
  • [p]New stats included at the end of each round (now including APM)[/p]
  • [p]Tons of smaller bug fixes that came up between versions. [/p]
  • [p]Developing the quest system[/p]
  • [p]Improving item display in collectibles[/p]
  • [p]Reworking menu UI and VFX[/p]
  • [p]Adding interactive music[/p]
• [p]Implemented new and exciting VFX:[/p]
  • [p]I’ve worked on every item’s specific VFX, some of the notable ones are:[/p]
    • [p]‘Sadevistan’ effect (inspired by Cyperpunk the anime!) [/p]
    • [p]‘Radioactive’ effect. [/p]
    • [p]‘Berserker’ effect. [/p]
    • [p]‘Star’ animations.[/p]

[p]Many of these, and more, will be in the upcoming public demo release! Overall, KAZ got a significant amount of refinement.[/p][p][/p][p]I’m still going full speed ahead with the development, and I have many goals for the next year.  Some of them are:[/p]

• [p]Finishing the quest system[/p]
• [p]Replacing the placeholder SFX and music.[/p]
• [p]Adding better UI animation[/p]
• [p]Better visibility for item effects[/p]
• [p]Starter effect so each skin has its own special ability.[/p]
• [p]Adding more items and skins.[/p]

[p]I have a lot planned, and I’m excited to share more as everything continues to take shape. There will be a new public demo, and a proper release announcement when things are ready.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you for supporting me and the game in its first public year.
2025 was big- 2026 will be even bigger.[/p][p]– Kalinarm[/p]

[p]Hey speed freaks ⚡[/p][p]You’ve been smashing leaderboards, breaking keyboards, and sending us insane feedback — so here’s your reward. This update pushes KAZ closer to the chaos we’ve always wanted: faster, louder, smoother. We’re cranking up the intensity, one beat at a time.

🎵 Work in progress on interactive music — every capture will soon hit like a beat drop.
🧩 Tons of new items: Double Dragon, Greedy Hands, Mole, and more...
🐛 A whole swarm of bug fixes — smoother, meaner, faster.[/p][p]Go break your fingers 👉 Play the Demo [/p][p][/p][p]Thanks for all the runs, clips, and wild ideas you’ve shared. You’re literally shaping how KAZ evolves — every feedback drop helps us tune the madness. Keep playing, keep breaking limits, and keep being fast as hell. ❤️[/p]

[p]Version 0.3 is here, and it’s not playing nice. We’ve added two brutal new ways to flex your skill: Daily Run and the Challenge of the Month. Step in, no excuses—just you, the clock, and the leaderboard.[/p][p]Also in the mix: a sneaky Magic Hat, a slippery Mirage, and a brand-new Illusion mechanism to mess with your reflexes. Traps got tweaked, sprites got a facelift, and some bugs (and eardrums) finally got fixed.[/p][p]Ready to smash through illusions and claim your daily crown? Boot it up, break your fingers, and don’t blink.[/p][p]👉 Play the Demo Now[/p][p][/p][p]Changelog v0.3:[/p][p]
- big change : adding new game modes[/p][p]- new : magic hat, mirage [/p][p]- tweak trap spawn rate [/p][p]- add illusion mechanism [/p][p]- fix audio bug when too much sound [/p][p]- fix a bug with laser that spawn out of grid [/p][p]- replace sprite for wolf, star and traps [/p][p]- lower a bit epileptic vfx on some theme [/p][p]- fix a bug with malus animation [/p][p]- fix stun fx sometimes not on character [/p][p]- fix a bug with spartian shield[/p][p][/p][p][/p]