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Press release:
PARIS, FRANCE – July 13 – Publisher HAKURO and indie developer Kalinarm are overjoyed to finally unleash their adrenaline-pumping minimalist roguelike KAZ onto Steam. With trancelike visuals, a thumping interactive soundtrack, and grid-based gameplay designed around pure satisfaction, KAZ is easy to pick up, hard to master, and impossible to put down.

KAZ challenges players to find their zen flow state, where chaining combos, balancing buffs and maluses, and selecting the right items and spells becomes second nature. Test your twitchy digits in runs where quick reactions grant success and thinking means failure, or take your time with limited moves in the tactical No Stress mode.

In the full release, players get access to more than 145 quests to master across 5 modes, with over 110 items to experiment with. Fill your curse gauge, and you’ll also need to choose from one of over 35 maluses, which could unlock a hidden power or spell a premature end to your run. The content doesn’t stop at full release, though – weekly and monthly challenges will unlock post-launch to pull you back in and send you climbing the leaderboards once more.

Choose from more than 25 themes to find the right vibe, not just aesthetically, but for the power-ups they offer, too. All of the themes have been created by either KAZ community members or established artists, each unlocking unique playstyles and new ways to master the loop.

As your key-clacking skills grow and KAZ’s addictive gameplay starts to open up, the pulsing soundtrack will start to evolve along with you. As your score reaches increasingly ridiculous heights, the music will become more intense, until you’re conducting a score attack symphony. Just make sure to limber up your fingers beforehand.

Key Features of KAZ:

Raw Arcade Experience: KAZ uses grid-based fever dream visuals that prioritize satisfying feedback. Match your theme to your vibe and unlock game-changing bonuses.

Only Three Fingers Required: The minimalism extends to gameplay, with a deceptively simple setup that opens the gateway to nearly endless run permutations. Hammer keys like a deranged stenographer in timed runs, or sit back and carefully plot your next move in No Stress mode.

Infinite Fun: An endless endgame with hundreds of customizations for you to craft your own meta combinations and achieve longer runs.

Handcrafted themes: 25+ game-changing themes created in collaboration with real artists, creators, brands, and other games like Rhythm Doctor and Linkito.

KAZ is out now on Steam for the price of USD $6.99 / EUR €6,99 / GBP £6.29, with a limited time launch discount of 15%.

The game will launch with full English audio and text, as well as text localization in French, Italian, German, Polish, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, and Simplified Chinese.

For more information on KAZ, check out the game on Steam, follow on Instagram, TikTok, or X (Twitter), and check out the game’s YouTube channel.

About Kalinarm

Kalinarm is a solo game developer currently working on minimalist arcade roguelike KAZ. He also developed Linkito, a puzzle-based logic game all about the connections.

About HAKURO

HAKURO is a games publisher focused on championing projects with clear creative vision, meaningful insights, and impactful storytelling. Acting as a strategic partner to developers, HAKURO works to connect distinctive games with the audiences they’re built for, supporting long-term growth while preserving each project’s authenticity. HAKURO is part of the PixCapital group, an early-stage investment firm dedicated exclusively to the games industry.