February was a big month for KAZ, with our first community competition going live and the game appearing in several international showcases.
Community Theme Showcase
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:
Showcases & Events
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.
Development Highlights
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.
What’s Next: March Playtest
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!