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And… Time! Keyboards down. The KAZ x Keychron Tournament is officially over!
Thank you to everyone who took part, fought their way up the leaderboards, and pushed their runs as far as possible. After checking the final scores, it is time to announce the six winners of a custom KAZ x Keychron mini keyboard.
🥇 1st Place: SpeedyBoi — 6,268,430
🥈 2nd Place: higahashi — 5,356,841
🥉 3rd Place: RobenzZ — 4,672,671
🥇 1st Place: probz — 322,032
🥈 2nd Place: yui — 187,351
🥉 3rd Place: Zylth — 121,450
Please note that the names listed above are the winners’ Steam usernames.
If you see your username here, please join the official KAZ Discord and send us a message (tag @denidee) so we can confirm your identity and privately collect the address and other information needed to ship your keyboard.
Join the Discord:
Congratulations to all six winners, and thank you again to everyone who joined the tournament. We hope you had fun competing, and we hope the winners enjoy their new keyboards!
Hi everyone! We've had a lot of people asking about the custom Keychron x KAZ F6 Ultra SE, and we're happy to say that the official product page is now live!
Whether you're competing to win one in our tournament or you're planning to grab one when it launches, you can now get a closer look at everything it has to offer.
Product page:
The page includes:
A closer look at the KAZ-inspired design
Product specifications and features
Images of the keyboard
Information about the exclusive in-game Keychron theme
Estimated availability (August 2026)
Don't forget: our Keychron Tournament is still running! The top three players in both Survival Mode and No Stress Mode will each win a custom Keychron x KAZ keyboard. Check the official announcement for more details:
Good luck, and we'll see you on the leaderboards!
Hello everyone! The KAZ x Keychron Tournament is still underway, and there are only a few days left to secure your place on the leaderboards!
Compete for the highest scores in:
Survival Mode
No Stress Mode
The top three players from each leaderboard will win a custom KAZ x Keychron mini keyboard, featuring KAZ-inspired lighting and sprites.
Please note that each player can only win one prize, so if the same person places in both modes, the prize will pass to the next eligible player on the second leaderboard. More information can be found below in the original tournament steam announcement, so make sure to check it out for the details!
The tournament ends on July 27 at 18:00 CEST, so there is still time to refine your build, improve your score, and climb the rankings.
You can also redeem the code keychron in-game to unlock the exclusive Keychron theme!
Good luck with your final runs!
Hi everyone!
KAZ 1.0.1 is here with a few fixes and balance adjustments following the first days of launch!
Removed item names from the pause menu.
Removed the cross icon from the main screen.
Fixed an exploit involving Sea You Later in No Stress Mode.
Mars Shield has been nerfed by reducing its probability of appearing.
To keep the competition fair, high scores achieved using the Sea You Later exploit will be removed from the leaderboards.
Thank you to everyone playing, reporting issues, and sharing feedback. I'm already listening closely and will continue improving and evolving KAZ with future updates.
Make sure to join our Discord if you want to report any issues or share feedback directly with me:
Good luck with your runs!
— Kalinarm
Hello everyone! The KAZ × Keychron collaboration has been announced… and now it’s time for the tournament.
To celebrate the launch of KAZ, we’re running a special KAZ × Keychron Launch Tournament, where the best players on the leaderboard will have a chance to win a custom KAZ Keychron mini keyboard.
This custom keyboard was made especially for the collaboration, featuring lights and KAZ sprite artwork. It’s compact, stylish, and a perfect fit for the fast, tactile chaos of KAZ.
And now you can win one!
The tournament will run during the KAZ launch discount period.
KAZ will be 15% off from July 13 to July 27, so it’s the perfect time to grab the game, jump in, and compete for a custom KAZ Keychron keyboard.
The rules are simple: play KAZ, climb the leaderboard, and aim for the top.
There will be two leaderboard categories:
The top 3 players will each win a custom KAZ Keychron keyboard.
The top 3 players will each win a custom KAZ Keychron keyboard.
That means there will be 6 winners total across both categories.
Each player can only win one prize.
If the same player places in the top 3 of both Survival Mode and No Stress Mode, they will only receive one keyboard prize. In that case, the next eligible player on the leaderboard will receive the remaining prize.
Start: July 13
End: July 27 at 18:00 CEST
That is:
Europe: 18:00 CEST
East Coast US: 12:00 PM EDT
West Coast US: 9:00 AM PDT
The winners will receive a custom KAZ Keychron mini keyboard.
Please note that prize delivery may be subject to location, availability, and shipping restrictions. Delivery will follow Keychron’s shipping policy, which you can read here:
We will contact the winners after the tournament ends to confirm delivery details.
Play KAZ during the tournament period and climb the leaderboard in either Survival Mode or No Stress Mode.
The highest scores at the end of the tournament will determine the winners.
Good luck, and we’ll see you on the leaderboards! PS: You can play KAZ with our official Keychron theme if you want to feel more festive ;)
KAZ is finally here! After months of updates, playtests, feedback, events, trailers, bug reports, balance changes (and a lot of keyboard abuse) the full version of KAZ is now available on Steam.
To celebrate the launch, KAZ is also 15% off for a limited time!
If you’re new around here: welcome! KAZ is a minimalist roguelike about moving fast, making quick decisions, chasing higher scores, (and trying not to destroy your keyboard in the process). Runs are short, the music and visuals react to what you do, and every item choice can change the run completely.
The full version of KAZ includes:
More than 110 items (and weapons) to discover and combine
Over 20 unique, hand-drawn themes each with their own power-ups (Including contributions from the community!)
Over 145 quests to complete
More than 35 maluses that can completely change your run
Multiple game modes, including Survival, No Stress, and Dance-pad Mode
Daily, weekly, monthly, and all-time leaderboard challenges
Twitch integration, letting viewers vote on your run
A reactive soundtrack and visual system that changes with the gameplay
Game localisations added in: English, French, German, Brazilian, Portuguese, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Japanse, Korean
The full release also includes a few special collaborations!
There are also custom in-game themes made in collaboration with MisterMV and Olexa! These creators were kind enough to feature KAZ on their channels, so we wanted to celebrate that by creating their very own KAZ themes inside the game.
We’re also very happy to have crossover themes based on Sol Cesto, Rhythm Doctor and Linkito!
We’re also excited to announce our collaboration with Keychron! The collaboration includes a custom Keychron theme in KAZ, as well as a tournament where you’ll have the chance to win a custom KAZ Keychron keyboard. Check out the official tournament announcement for more details!
Sol Cesto, Save me Mr. Tako, Rhythm Doctor, Linkito, and Keychron themes are available in game, and can be unlocked with KAZ coins as you progress. To redeem the Mistermv and Olexa themes, use the codes “mistermv” and “Olexa”.
Go to Options > General > Redeem and enter the code to try it out!
KAZ has changed a lot since the first public versions. The game has been rebalanced, expanded, polished, redesigned, and pushed much further than I originally imagined.
A huge thank you to everyone who played the demo, joined the playtests, reported bugs, gave feedback, competed on the leaderboards, shared clips, or simply wishlisted the game. Your support helped shape the final release in a very real way.
This is a very simple game, but it has also been very complex to design. The goal was always to strip the roguelike formula down to something immediate, sharp, and replayable while still keeping enough depth to make each run feel different.
Now it is finally out.
Thank you for being here. Go break your keyboard. ;)
Play KAZ now on Steam and get 15% off during the launch discount.
— Kalinarm
Hello everyone! We’re excited to officially announce the KAZ × Keychron collaboration!
To celebrate the upcoming launch of KAZ, we’ve teamed up with Keychron for something special: a custom KAZ Keychron mini keyboard, an in-game Keychron theme, and a launch tournament where players will have the chance to win one (the details of which will be announced soon, so stay tuned!)
As part of the collaboration, Keychron has created a custom KAZ mini keyboard, designed with KAZ sprite artwork and lighting that fits the fast, tactile chaos of the game.
It’s compact, stylish, and made for the kind of keyboard abuse KAZ tends to inspire.
The custom KAZ Special Edition Keychron F6 is a compact, customizable keypad designed with KAZ artwork and Keychron’s clean hardware style.
It supports Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless, and wired connection, making it easy to fit into different setups. It is also compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux, and can be customized through the Keychron Launcher Web App.
The collaboration also includes a custom Keychron theme in-game, inspired by Keychron’s slick design and clean keyboard aesthetic.
You can unlock it with the redeem code: keychron
Go to Options > General > Redeem and enter the code to try it out!
You’ll soon have a chance to win one of the custom KAZ Keychron keyboards!
We’ll be running a special KAZ × Keychron Launch Tournament during the launch discount period, where the highest-scoring players on the leaderboard will be able to win the keyboard.
Full tournament details, including dates, rules, prize information, and shipping policy, will be shared in a separate announcement soon!
KAZ launches on July 13, and the game will be available with a 15% launch discount for a limited time.
We’re very happy to be collaborating with Keychron as part of the launch, and we can’t wait for you to try the theme, see the keyboard, and compete once the tournament begins!
Wishlist KAZ now and get ready for launch:
Hey everyone!
KAZ launches on July 13, which means we're now officially in the final stretch.
June was about final polish, release preparation, last checks, and making sure everything is in place for launch day. After months of playtests, demo updates, balancing passes, new modes, new items, new themes, and community feedback, it feels surreal to say this:
KAZ is almost here!
June was also a big month for getting the demo in front of more players through Steam Next Fest!
Seeing people discover KAZ, try the demo, chase scores, and start figuring out the game’s rhythm has been very exciting. The demo has now reached thousands of players, and watching that momentum build right before launch has made this final stretch feel even more real.
I also want to give a huge thank you to Rogan and MisterMV for featuring KAZ during Steam Next Fest. It means a lot to see the game being shared with new players, especially this close to launch.
If you played the demo during Next Fest or before, thank you. You have been part of the road to release.
With launch coming up, here is a quick reminder of what will be waiting for you in the full version of KAZ:
5 game modes
110+ items
145+ quests
35+ maluses
25+ themes
Weekly and monthly challenges after launch
Leaderboards to climb
A lot of chaos, combos, and questionable decisions ;)
The full game is built to give you plenty of ways to experiment, optimize, and push for higher scores. Whether you want the pressure of Survival, a more relaxed run in No Stress mode, or just want to discover every strange interaction the game throws at you, there will be a lot to dig into.
Most of June was also spent preparing everything around the release: final assets, announcements, trailers, Steam page updates, and all the behind-the-scenes work that happens before a game finally goes live.
Another huge moment this month was the release date announcement trailer being featured by IGN. You can watch it here:
Watch the KAZ Official Release Date Trailer on IGN
There are a few exciting things planned around launch, and I cannot wait to share more soon!
We are less than two weeks away from launch now.
Thank you to everyone who has played the demo, joined a playtest, wishlisted the game, followed the updates, joined the Discord, or simply cheered from the sidelines.
KAZ started as a small, strange, intense arcade roguelike, and it has grown into something I am incredibly excited to finally share with you.
See you on July 13!
— Kalinarm
Hey everyone!
I've got two pieces of exciting news to share.
Firstly, KAZ will be part of Steam Next Fest! I'm super happy to have the game featured alongside so many amazing projects, and I can't wait for everyone to get their hands on the latest demo.
And secondly…
You can check out the release announcement trailer here!
Over the last few months, KAZ has changed a lot thanks to all the feedback, bug reports, suggestions, and support from everyone who's played the demo. It's been amazing seeing people discover the game, push crazy builds, and chase high scores.
If you've been following the game so far, thank you. Your support has meant the world to me.
And if you're discovering KAZ for the first time during Next Fest, welcome! I hope you'll have fun embracing the chaos.
— Kalinarm PS: If you'd like to stay up to date and join the countdown to launch, feel free to hop into the Discord!
Hello everyone! May was a busy month!
The second part of the demo update is finally out, bringing one of the biggest gameplay additions I've worked on so far: weapons. KAZ was also featured in a few events throughout the month, and I spent a lot of time polishing, balancing, and improving the overall experience.
The biggest addition this month is the new weapon system.
At the start of each run, you can now choose from six different weapons. Each weapon stays with you for the entire run and comes with its own visuals and gameplay advantages.
This is actually the first feature that fundamentally changes how a run begins. Before, every run started from the same place and evolved based on the items you found. Now, your first decision happens before the run even starts. Depending on your weapon choice, you'll naturally lean towards different builds, strategies, and playstyles.
I wanted to add more variety and replayability while keeping the game simple to pick up and play. Weapons are now available across all game modes!
Outside of weapons, I focused a lot on progression, balance, and overall polish.
Reworked score requirements for round progression
Improved item rarity and distribution
Increased map growth speed and added much larger levels
Added item selection to the first round in certain modes
Added a new cell dig counter
Added new UI effects and visual feedback
Improved various menus and interface elements
Improved enemy behaviour
Reworked item rarity selection
Tweaked progression scaling and item balance
Adjusted several abilities, bonuses, and cooldowns
Fixed a large number of bugs and gameplay edge cases
As always, there were also dozens of smaller fixes and tweaks that don't make for particularly exciting patch notes, but help make the game feel smoother and more consistent overall!
This month KAZ was featured in a few different events.
I had the chance to showcase the game in person at Indie Game Lyon, which was a lot of fun. I even brought a dance mat and let people play KAZ with it. Watching people try to play the game using their feet instead of a keyboard was definitely one of the highlights of the month.
KAZ was also featured in the Six One Indie Showcase and the Psychedelic Festival on Steam. It's always exciting to see the game appear alongside so many other great indie titles!
Thank you to everyone who played the demo, shared feedback, reported bugs, or stopped by one of the events this month!
If you'd like to follow development, join future playtests, or stay up to date with everything KAZ:
And if you'd like to join the community, share feedback, or just hang out, feel free to join the Discord:
See you next month. :)
— Kalinarm
Hey everyone,
Thank you so much for all the amazing feedback on the last update! It’s been incredible seeing so many of you play the demo and share your thoughts, it really means a lot.
But I didn’t stop there! I’ve just pushed another update for KAZ, and I’m super excited about this one:
You can now choose a weapon at the start of your run, and carry it with you throughout the whole run. Each weapon comes with its own buffs and effects, adding both visual flair and new gameplay depth.
We’ve also introduced Giant Grids: After rounds 15 and 20, maps scale up significantly.
This adds a new layer of intensity and strategy as runs go on, pushing your navigation and decision-making much further.
This update also brings a mix of gameplay improvements, progression tweaks, and fixes to make the experience smoother overall.
Reworked score requirements for round progression
Improved item rarity and distribution
Faster map progression with much larger levels
Weapons are now available across all game modes
Item pick added to the first round in some modes
New in-game UI: cell dig count
Make sure to jump in, try it out, and let me know what you think!
And if you want to stay updated or share feedback directly, feel free to join us on Discord:
Thanks again for playing!
— Kalinarm
Hello everyone!
April was a really important month for KAZ- I released a major update to the demo, and the new trailer was featured on IGN as an exclusive first reveal, among other things!
A lot of this update came directly from the playtests and your feedback. I wanted to make the game more approachable, while also adding more depth for people who want it.
No Stress Mode
I added a new mode where the time limit is replaced with a move limit. You can take as long as you want, but every move matters. It turns the game into something more slow and tactical compared to the usual fast-paced runs.
Theme-Based Powerups
Themes used to be purely visual, but I’ve reworked them so each one now has its own powerups. This means your choice of theme actually affects your build and how you play.
UI Changes
I updated the UI to make it cleaner and easier to read overall. The goal here was just to make everything feel smoother and less distracting.
The demo now has more content and feels more complete overall. If you’ve already tried it, there’s quite a bit new to see. I'm so happy to hear all the positive feedback from those of you who have tried it!
The new demo update trailer was featured on IGN as an exclusive first look!
https://www.ign.com/videos/kaz-official-demo-trailer
Lots of development updates this time around! Here’s a clear overview of the main changes:
New Modes & Ways to Play
Added No Stress Mode (move-based gameplay instead of time-based)
Added a new game mode: Dance (to be played with a DDR mat!)
Gameplay & Progression Changes
Reworked items, themes, and how things unlock
Reworked quests
Added new items like Crystal and Templar Shield
Adjusted balance (especially around shields and stacking effects)
Made some features available earlier by default
Visuals & Game Feel
Added new effects (like loop and wormhole)
Fixed visual issues with certain abilities
UI & Quality of Life
Updated menus and overall UI
Improved how leaderboards are displayed and refreshed
Fixed layout issues in panels and menus
Bug Fixes & Stability
Fixed a large number of bugs
Resolved edge cases and small gameplay issues
This update is very much shaped by the feedback from the last playtests, so thank you for taking the time to play, share thoughts, and point things out — it genuinely helps shape the direction of the game. I’m continuing to build on that, so if you have any feedback or ideas, I’d really like to hear them.
If you want to stay up to date with everything, you can follow along here:
https://linktr.ee/yourlinkhere
And if you’d like to be more involved (playtests, discussions, sharing feedback directly), feel free to join the Discord:
Hey everyone!
I’ve been working on something big for KAZ, and I’m really excited to finally share it.
This new demo update is a major step forward and gives a much clearer picture of what the full game is shaping up to be. Check out the new Demo Trailer to get a feel of the changes:
KAZ now has a completely refreshed UI and overall presentation.
Everything should feel cleaner, more readable, and more satisfying to play.
This is the headliner of the update.
Stress Free Mode is a new way to experience KAZ with a more relaxed pace, while still keeping the core mechanics and decision-making intact. Whether you want to learn the game, experiment with builds, or just play without pressure, this mode is here for you.
This update also expands the game in a lot of ways:
9 themes to explore
Including the 3 winning themes from the community challenge
40 items to discover and experiment with
New spells
Reworked item balance (themes now have their own special abilities)
There’s a lot more room now to try different builds and playstyles.
If you’ve played before, this is a great time to jump back in and see how much has changed.
If you’re new, this is the best version of the demo so far.
You can play it directly on steam:
This update is an important milestone for KAZ and one of the last big pushes before release.
I’ll be sharing more soon, but for now I’m really looking forward to hearing what you think about this version!
Thanks again for all the support so far. It really means a lot and continues to shape the game every step of the way.
Follow along for updates, content, and everything KAZ:
Join the community on Discord:
Hey everyone,
March has been a big month for KAZ, so let's take a moment to look back at everything that happened and share what’s coming next!
The 2nd KAZ playtest has now officially ended.
I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who took the time to play, send feedback, report bugs, and push their scores. It genuinely helped a lot and made a real difference in shaping the game.
🏆 Leaderboard Winners
1st place: chel_ka
2nd place: pouloulou125
3rd place: HikazushiTV
You’ll be contacted regarding your rewards! Make sure you’re in our discord server so I can find you:
During the playtest, I pushed several updates based on your feedback. Here are some of the key improvements:
Fixed "move failed" not consuming time in No Stress Mode
Improved spell cooldown behavior in No Stress Mode
Better balancing for No Stress Mode levels
Fixed statistics display on the score card
Fixed time bar issue before the first round
Fixed localization issues when switching languages
Game now remembers your last selected mode
Buffed Explosive Shield trigger chance
Thanks again for all the reports and suggestions. They really helped prioritize what needed attention the most!
KAZ was featured in a few different places this month:
Clemmy’s BIG Indie Games
Mundo Gamer
Game Pavilion Japan
Gones Games at Foire de Lyon
It’s been great seeing the game reach new players through these events.
I also launched dedicated social media accounts for KAZ.
These are focused purely on the game. I’ll be sharing updates, clips, and behind-the-scenes content there, and building more of a community around KAZ itself.
If you’ve been following me personally, nothing changes there, but these new pages are where everything KAZ-specific will live.
I also ran a theme challenge this month and honestly, the creativity was amazing. A lot of the entries really captured the story and tension of the chase in a way I didn’t expect.
🏆 Winners
1st – Zephirr
2nd – The Guardian
3rd – EmFredZ
⭐ Community Choice – RndmGuy
🎖 Honourable Mention – Symphonia
Huge thanks to everyone who participated!
I’m currently working on a big demo update coming in April.
There’s a new UI, improvements to No Stress Mode, and more overall polish coming to the experience. I’ll be sharing more details very soon.
Thanks again for being part of this month. Whether you played a few runs, competed on the leaderboard, or broke the game- it really means a lot!
More soon.
— Kalinarm
Fixed "move failed" not consuming time in No Stress Mode
Fixed and improved spell cooldown behavior in No Stress Mode
Improved No Stress Mode level balancing
Fixed statistics display on the score card
Fixed time bar not being full before countdown on the first round
Fixed localization issues in the options tab when switching language
The game now remembers your last selected game mode for your next run
Increased Explosive Shield trigger chance
1st place: 100$
2nd place: 30$
3rd place: 20$
Clemmy’s BIG Indie Games
Mundo Gamer
Game Pavilion Japan
Gones Games Lyon
Hello everyone! The second official KAZ Playtest has officially begun!
This new build includes major improvements and additions based on feedback from the first playtest. From new content to gameplay refinements, there’s a lot to explore, and I’m excited to see what players discover. Please make sure to join the discord server, as I’ve made dedicated channels for Playtest bug reports and feedback!
This is also where I’ll be contacting the leaderboard winners once the Playtest is over. :)
New spells
Updated UI
40 items (10 brand new)
3 new themes
March 20 – April 2, 2026
Compete for top spots on the leaderboard:
🥇 $100 🥈 $30 🥉 $20
Top players will also receive an exclusive Discord role.
You can join the playtest via the game’s steam page:
The playtest will appear in your Steam library. If you already participated in the previous playtest, the new playtest app will automatically be in your library.
Only Survival Mode runs count toward the leaderboard
Unlimited attempts allowed
No cheating or third-party tools
Top runs may require video verification
I’m also excited to partner with STAN, bringing more players into the Playtest and expanding the KAZ community. Get ready for more competition this time around!
Good luck, and I look forward to seeing your runs!
New spells
Updated UI
40 items (10 new items)
New Themes
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!
You can attempt the leaderboard as many times as you want during the playtest period.
No cheating or third-party keyboard software.
Only runs on 'Survival Mode' will be counted towards the competition.
If you place high on the leaderboard, you may be asked to provide video proof of your run.
Streaming or recording gameplay is highly encouraged!
February was a big month for KAZ, with our first community competition going live and the game appearing in several international showcases.
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.
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.
Artists can submit their theme ideas, and the best submissions will be implemented directly into KAZ, complete with creator credits and cash prizes.
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.
Submit your theme here:
KAZ appeared in several showcases this month:
Best Indie Games Spring Showcase 2026 (#BIGSpringShowcase)
Typing Fest
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.
Typing Fest was another highlight this month, and we’re grateful to have had the opportunity to showcase the game there as well.
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.
This month focused heavily on polish and improvements based on feedback from the first playtest.
Full UI rework to improve clarity, usability, and overall visual design.
Bug fixes addressing issues reported during the previous playtest.
Balance adjustments to items and quests based directly on player feedback.
New malus added to introduce additional challenge and variety during runs.
New quest added to expand progression goals.
Sound design improvements, along with new OST tracks added to the game.
Additional general bug fixes and stability improvements across the build.
Next up is the March playtest.
This upcoming playtest will give players another chance to try the game ahead of release and experience more of what KAZ has to offer.
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.
This new test build will include:
New spells
Updated UI
Item balancing and gameplay tweaks
Multiple playable themes
As with the previous playtest, I'll also be running a competitive leaderboard with cash prizes:
🥇 1st place: $100
🥈 2nd place: $30
🥉 3rd place: $20
If you’d like to participate, keep an eye on upcoming announcements and make sure to join our Discord for updates:
If you’d like to stay updated, make sure to join our Discord and keep an eye on announcements.
More updates soon!
Hey Everyone!
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.
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.
You can find more information and submit your entry here:
Looking forward to seeing your creativity!
-Kalinarm
Hello everyone!
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!
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
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!
You can take a look at the existing KAZ themes for inspiration!
The Prizes ($600 Total Pool) We will select 4 themes as winners:
🥇 1st prize: $250
🥈 2nd prize: $150
🥉 3rd prize: $100
👥 Community choice: $100 (The one who gets the most likes on our X post! More info below)
Winners also get: Official in-game credit, public recognition, canon inclusion in KAZ updates, and an exclusive Discord role.
How to Enter
Official Entry: Submit your concept through this https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OQyYOP8XmZLla9oQLMFceJ2M0KsxlNGESW3lAjJ-H-s/preview?edit_requested=true.
More information can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QbAVRyRQVvkkAfmVjMcrTMHOQS8TxwsNJd_niFiCbg4/edit?usp=sharing
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.
The Rules
Unlimited Entries: Submit as many ideas as you like during the submission period: Feb 13-28 11:59 pm PST, 2026
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.
Appropriateness: Keep it PG-13 and appropriate for the KAZ community.
Since everything in the game is hand-drawn, generative AI is not allowed in this contest.
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.
– Kalinarm
Hello everyone!
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!
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.
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:
🥇 RndmGuy - 45,658 ($100 Steam Card)
🥈 Pouloulou - 44,049 ($30 Steam Card)
🥉 Rodzilla - 23,585 ($20 Steam Card)
You’ve really helped us improve the game. We’ve already started acting on your feedback, specifically regarding:
Leaderboard Integrity: Patching some exploits we discovered to keep the skill ceiling high.
Bug fixes and considering all of the game design suggestions that were made.
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!
A lot of this update focused on tightening systems, improving clarity, and making the overall experience smoother and more consistent.
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.
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.
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!
New Content: Lots of new items to unlock, experiment with, and break the game. New visual themes, including artist-driven aesthetics.
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.
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.
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!
0.5.1
Fixed max round reached statistics with theme (found a bug affecting quests and statistics).
0.5.0
Split demo, playtest, and full game.
Fixed item descriptions.
Updated sound design and FX for multiple items.
Quality of life improvements & fixed rank panel.
Added quests and tweaked existing ones.
Fixed notification marker showing when there was nothing to unlock.
Fixed a selection bug when collecting multiple quest rewards.
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!
Thank you for playing, breaking, and pushing KAZ. More speed and more chaos, soon!
– Kalinarm
PS: The demo is now a real demo, with some limitations compared to the full version. Thanks for your understanding!
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!
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:
Top leaderboard competitors will receive:
1st place: $100 Steam gift card + exclusive Discord role
2nd place: $30 Steam gift card + exclusive Discord role
3rd place: $20 Steam gift card + exclusive Discord role
Prize Distribution: Winners must be on Discord. We will contact them there to award prizes.
To join the playtest:
Redeem your playtest key on Steam and the KAZ Playtest app will appear in your library.
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.
A few quick reminders while you play:
Unlimited attempts from now until Feb 9 at 11:59 pm PST
No cheating- only use your own fingers!
Record your runs if you can, and share them in Discord so everyone can celebrate your skills!
If you are one of the top 3 players on the leaderboard, make sure you are on Discord for prize distribution coordination
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!
Hello everyone!
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!
First prize- 100 USD Steam gift card + full game copy + exclusive Discord role
Second prize- 30 USD Steam gift card + full game copy + exclusive Discord role
Third prize- 20 USD Steam gift card + full game copy + exclusive Discord role
January 13 to Jan 29, 2026 11:59pm PST
January 30, 4:00am PST- February 9, 2026 11:59pm PST
February 10, 2026
Sign up for the KAZ: Linkito playtest trials via the KAZ’s Steam page
Check your email on your registered Steam account for updates about playtest access
You can also check your Steam library; the KAZ playtest app will appear once you are accepted.
Choose the survivor game mode to compete in the playtest leaderboards
You can have as many attempts as possible between January 30, 4:00am PST to February 9, 2026, 11:59 pm PST.
Do not cheat! No use of 3rd party software on your keyboard. Use your own fingers.
Join the Kalinarm KAZ Playtest Discord to post your runs
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
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
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.
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!
What’s in store on the playtest:
The playtest will have the following features for you to try, test out, and score at the top of the leaderboards
26 item bonuses
7 malus (curses)
3 active spells
4 themes (Linkito included)
20 quests
3 game modes
Good luck, and very curious to see who has the fastest fingers in the community!
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.
Announcing the game
Showcasing at Gamescom
Winning ‘Pitch Your Game’
Releasing the demo
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!
A few big things happened on the development side too.
I added 20 skins to the game! Including IP collaborations- Save me Mr. Taco, Bloodblast and more!
I added 100 items, and I'm constantly adding more.
I incorporated 6 different game modes, each with a different gameplay style
Survival mode
Daily, weekly, monthly, and all time leaderboards
Legends of the week: (starting items and builds that change every week.)
Challenge of the month: hardcore mode with challenges that change every month. Some examples of the challenges:
Too many traps
Too many items
Rhythm based
High speed
…And many more!
UI improvements:
“This game is played on your keyboard” notification in the beginning to guide new players.
New stats included at the end of each round (now including APM)
Tons of smaller bug fixes that came up between versions.
Developing the quest system
Improving item display in collectibles
Reworking menu UI and VFX
Adding interactive music
Implemented new and exciting VFX:
I’ve worked on every item’s specific VFX, some of the notable ones are:
‘Sadevistan’ effect (inspired by Cyperpunk the anime!)
‘Radioactive’ effect.
‘Berserker’ effect.
‘Star’ animations.
Many of these, and more, will be in the upcoming public demo release! Overall, KAZ got a significant amount of refinement.
I’m still going full speed ahead with the development, and I have many goals for the next year. Some of them are:
Finishing the quest system
Replacing the placeholder SFX and music.
Adding better UI animation
Better visibility for item effects
Starter effect so each skin has its own special ability.
Adding more items and skins.
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.
Thank you for supporting me and the game in its first public year. 2025 was big- 2026 will be even bigger.
– Kalinarm
Hey speed freaks ⚡
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.
Go break your fingers 👉 Play the Demo
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. ❤️
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.
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.
Ready to smash through illusions and claim your daily crown? Boot it up, break your fingers, and don’t blink.
Changelog v0.3:
- big change : adding new game modes
- new : magic hat, mirage
- tweak trap spawn rate
- add illusion mechanism
- fix audio bug when too much sound
- fix a bug with laser that spawn out of grid
- replace sprite for wolf, star and traps
- lower a bit epileptic vfx on some theme
- fix a bug with malus animation
- fix stun fx sometimes not on character
- fix a bug with spartian shield
Hey guys! Good news, I'm going to Gamescom!
You’ll be able to play and rage on KAZ, and we’ll be part of the Indie Arena Booth.
If you happen to be around, feel free to drop by and say hi to the developer. You might even snag some awesome goodies if you perform well in the game!
Oh, and one last thing… KAZ is releasing its reveal trailer along with a brand-new update (v0.2) that adds a ton of content! We can’t wait to hear your feedback.
Join us on Discord for more news:
And remember : a small wishlist helps a lot and cost nothing, if you like the project ;)
Hey speedsters!
This week, we’ve got some spicy new updates that are about to turn your runs upside-down. The biggest? We’ve dropped a whole new batch of items into the game. That’s right—your builds are about to get wilder, crazier, and a lot more unpredictable. Whether you’re chasing the perfect synergy or just trying to break your old high score, there’s never been a better time to experiment (and brag about it).
But wait, there’s more—let’s talk about CURSES.
We heard you. The old “get a penalty every 3 rounds” system? Gone. Say hello to the Curse Meter.
How does it work? Every match, your Curse Meter creeps up, just a little.
Some enemies—especially those nasty traps—will spike your curse way faster if you’re not careful.
Fill the meter, and… let’s just say you’ll regret it.
Now, instead of waiting for a random malus every few rounds, you can see the pressure building up, match after match. It’s tense. It’s stressful. It’s exactly what Kaz needed.
We wanted curses to feel like a real threat, not just a surprise slap every once in a while. The new system rewards careful play, and it makes those clutch dodges and big risk moves even more satisfying.
And with all the new items? Trust us, the combos (and disasters) are going to get wild.
That’s all for now! Jump in, try to break the game, and let us know what you think on Discord or tag us on socials. Your feedback helps us keep Kaz immediate, intense, and just the right amount of evil.
And remember: If you lose, it’s definitely because of the Curse Meter. We all know it. 😉
Stay fast, stay cursed!
— Kalinarm
About
This page aggregates Steam news feeds, patch notes, and developer announcements for KAZ, sourced from official Steam community posts.
Major updates, balance changes, and seasonal events often correlate with player-count spikes — cross-reference announcements here with the live charts on the main KAZ statistics page.
Articles link back to Steam for full changelogs. SteamScope refreshes news entries as new posts are published to the game's Steam hub.