The special Year of the Dragon mode is now available with 25% discount!
Adventurers,
Thank you all for your continued support and companionship. The Spring Festival, as the Chinese New Year's Day, is a special moment for us.
Therefore, we bring you a special version of the Chinese Lunar Year of the Dragon in advance with a special 25% discount – our lowest!
In the new year, we will continue to work hard to develop, add more content and new gameplay to the game, and bring a better "KAKU: Ancient Seal" to everyone! To welcome this special moment, the floating island has been decorated with lights. The Ancient Guardian and Geiser all join the battle. In addition to Spring Festival couplets and lanterns, there are many other Spring Festival decorations waiting for everyone to discover.
🎫New side quest
The divine dragon brought fireworks and blessings, but a thief stole the dragon's dragon ball. The dragon ball is one of the most beloved treasures of the divine dragon. It can emit a dazzling light, dispelling darkness.
Only creatures with a blood connection could approach and steal the dragon ball without being detected. Find this thief, retrieve the dragon ball, and claim the rewards from the divine dragon!
🐲Flame Dragon Battle Horn
As a special edition mask making a dazzling debut in the Year of the Dragon version. Its colors and patterns are formed by absorbing the power of fireworks. Wearing the mask still hear the earth-shaking roar of the dragon. It may not boast powerful attribute bonuses, but you might appreciate its unique effects. When wearing the Flame Dragon Battle Horns, consider firing a few more pellets to experience its distinctive capabilities.
🧨Spring Festival fireworks
After retrieving the dragon ball, the divine dragon will bring Spring Festival fireworks for everyone. When the fireworks display ends, you can interact with the firecracker next to the Ancient Guardian statue to trigger it again.
If you enjoy our game or have any other feedback and suggestions, just drop us a line on Steam.
NOW!~The Closed beta test applications are opened!
Every adventurer who participates in the beta test has a chance to win rewards: steam Gift Cards.Thank You List, official Game Keys, and more!
This closed beta test will last for a whole period of time, and we hope that after optimizing and bug-fixing, we'll be able to make a smooth transition to the official version. That's why your comments and suggestions are so important to us.We urgently need your help to work with us on the game's final sprint!
You can check our game updates channel in Discord to find the latest development content.
KAKU: Ancient Seal Closed beta test applications are opened!
Dear adventurers,
We'd like to thank you for your continued support and for being part of the progress of KAKU: Ancient Seal! This closed beta test will last a full month, and we hope that after optimizing and bug-fixing, we'll be able to make a smooth transition to the official version. That's why your comments and suggestions are so important to us.
Every adventurer who participates in the beta test has a chance to win rewardsːsteamhappyː: Steam Gift Cards, Thank You List, Official Game Keys, and more! We urgently need your help to work with us on the game's final sprint!
【Test period】
Scheduled for late February to mid-April 2024.
Please pay attention to the test group notification announcement.
【Test notes】
The current version is still in development and in testing phase, some of the content is still being optimized, it does not represent the final quality of the game, please note that the final online version of the content prevails ;
In the test version may appear all kinds of BUG/incompatibility/part of the plot and interpretation missing/incomplete music and sound effects and other problems, if you have any questions, you can join our discord and send them in the discord test channel back, thank you for your understanding ;
Please do not share your account for the test, this test prohibits any account exchange or sharing, if this is discovered, we will cancel your participation in the test ;
Live streaming is prohibited for this test version.
【Participation methods】
Request qualification for closed beta testing
Registered players will be invited to complete feedback forms and questionnaires after taking part in the test.
【Test registration period and notification method】
Test registration period: from now until February 18, 23:59.
Notification method: we will contact you via the contact details you provided in the form, via e-mail, please make sure you can receive emails when you fill in the form.
At the beginning of the new year, we bring you some exciting news. We are preparing to start testing the content of the new tutorial chapter so that everyone can experience part of the new chapter of the game.
Many elements mentioned in this devlog will be available for exploration in the upcoming tutorial chapter tests. In the new year, we will be exploring new possibilities within the game world, introducing more gameplay innovations for everyone.
The development content of this issue’s spoilers (actual gameplay):
Equipment adaptation
Current display of the ruins world
New piggy abilities
Diverse ultimate abilities
Land exploration gameplay and side quests
New Ponpon camp display
1: Image of Kaku
When the new Kaku could be initially controlled in the game, we began to adjust the existing equipment and design new equipment. We have made adaptability adjustments to the old equipment structure, and currently all adjustments have been essentially completed. After the adjustments to the old equipment are completed, we will speed up the production of new equipment so that they can be available to everyone earlier.
Equipment adjustment display.
2: The world of ruins
The previous release of concept art and models should have piqued everyone's interest, and we don't want to keep you waiting for the final product for too long. In the past two months, we have completed the specific design of the ruins world, and it is now nearing completion (excluding special effects details and optimization). If you want to upgrade your attributes such as health and stamina, or get some equipment, you might as well visit the ruins world more often. When exploring on land, don’t forget to collect ruins keys.
Overall display of the ruins world.
(Upper image: Before lifting the seal, Lower image: After lifting the seal）
The shell of the Wind Plate is like a huge closed, colossal set of wings, with surrounding stones delicately swirling like feathers, exuding the agile essence of the wind. The void is filled with mysterious purple clouds, which are atomized by the power of the wind element, and are often accompanied by thunder and lightning. Only by following the path of the wind can adventurers travel through it and dance with the wind.
Display of Wind Plate.
The Earth Plate is like the top of the sky ridge, mysterious and majestic. It seems to be the link between heaven and earth, like a tower of Babel. The entrance to the ruins is dotted on the stone tower like stars, and the texture of each stone is intertwined by Saga's divine power, ensuring that this summit of the celestial ridge stands eternal.
Display of Earth Plate.
The Fire Plate is as gorgeous as a bonfire pattern and is made of lava. The black and red appearance exudes a fiery aura, with the red appearing to have the flowing currents of magma. White steam often rises from it. The void is filled with embers of fire, resonating with the red pulse. Only courage and wisdom are the way to survive in the fiery realm.
Display of Fire Plate.
The Water Plate resembles the rolling waves of the sea, with each curve exuding beauty. Basalt-like stone pillars were constructed in the void, and water flows like a silver-white gleam, weaving through the pillars to create a natural water curtain that then disappears into the abyss of the void. The flowing water is at times melodious and at times surging, requiring adventurers to possess the talents of agility and adaptability in this challenging environment.
Display of Water Plate.
3.Brand new Piggy
The adorable big-eared Piggy is making a return with entirely new abilities, though the names for these abilities are still undecided. Now Piggy’s first ability, for now, let’s call it “Space Teleportation”. Piggy's horn can create an inexplicable connection with the ruins world and open the door to the ruins world. We hope this will make it more convenient for everyone to reach the ruins world when you have desires to explore ruins, upgrade attributes and learn new abilities.
Display of “Space Teleportation”.
Piggy's second ability is "Super Jump". Its big ears are finally no longer just a decoration. When faced with difficult-to-cross terrain, it will help you jump over them with ease.
Display of “Space Jump”.
The third ability is "Aquatic Stroll". For a long time, everyone has been troubled by the immediate death when Kaku is exposed to water. So what if Piggy can help Kaku achieve water walking? Now Piggy can let Kaku leisurely stroll on the water through his own magic bubbles. "Aquatic Stroll" seems to be a handy tool for cheesing as well.
Display of "Aquatic Stroll".
4.Diverse ultimate abilities
Now that the ability tree has been completely reborn, the original ultimate abilities seem quite mediocre. We aim to provide more playability to the ultimate abilities, as the previous focus solely on dealing damage became somewhat monotonous.
Considering the characteristics of the three ability types, we've added sustained burning fire damage to the ultimate ability of melee weapons, significantly expanding its damage radius. This should better meet the expectations of players who prefer pure damage output.
Display of main-hand weapon ultimate ability.
After the ultimate ability of the off-hand weapon concludes, there will be a beneficial buff aura. Given the clumsiness of off-hand weapon attacks, leading to Kaku taking more damage, this enhancement is warranted.
Display of off-hand weapon ultimate ability.
As for the ultimate ability of ranged weapon, it now can use the power of ice. Considering that ranged attackers typically want to maintain distance from enemies, ranged attacks can now slow nearby enemies.
Display of ranged weapon ultimate ability.
5. Land exploration gameplay
New interactive objects bring more possibilities to the land exploration gameplay. We’ve added new side quests in many locations across the Elemental Land, which will increase the fun of exploring the land, as well as play time. More details will be waiting for you to experience in the game after we improve them.
Display of side quest .
Display of side quest .
Display of side quest .
6.Ponpon’s Camp
The harsh winter has been with us for quite some time, and we have all grown accustomed to stepping out bundled up in thick clothing. The kind production team has also thought about Ponpon; how would they withstand the cold in this weather? Therefore, the responsibility of building new houses for Ponpon fell on our shoulders.
The designers would never make the camp tents are as clumsy as the Ponpons, and now adventurers can spot their weather-shielding homes from afar.
Ponpon’s camp display.
If you enjoy our game or have any other feedback and suggestions, just drop us a line on Steam.
PS: The content testing for the new tutorial chapter is currently in preparation~
You can check our game updates channel in Discord to find the latest development content.
This update fixes the issue in the [Winter Adventure] version where new player could accept winter quest missions before the tutorial mission was completed.
You can check our game updates channel in Discord to find the latest development content.
December Devlog
Adventurers,
The biting wind has already howled, and the carnival on the floating island has continued for several days.
While everyone is reveling, the December devlog is here as scheduled, and we hope the content will not disappoint you.
Development content that can be revealed this time (actual gameplay):
Kaku character movement feedback iteration
Current display of the ruins world
New ruins entrance and key
New battle ruins
Main hand and off-hand ability branches
Slingshot system
New tutorial chapter scenes
Land exploration gameplay
Optimization of the atmosphere of the water element Land
1: Image of Kaku
For the current Kaku, the running action of running on all fours like a savage is no longer applicable, and the previous character movement is considered by some players to be 'simple and crude' and lacks transition. We made a ‘starting’ animation for the new Kaku, and now his movements will be more vivid. At the same time, the emergency stop braking action has been redone to make it perform more reasonably.
As an adventure exploration game with a huge map, the map exploration experience is undoubtedly very important. We believe that the optimized movement feedback will be refreshing for everyone.
The standby state display of the new Kaku.
Comparison of running movements between old and new Kaku.
(Above picture: New Kaku ; Below picture: Old Kaku)
2: World of Underground Ruins
Saga opened up a small world in the chaos, made some small mechanisms and trials in it, and hid part of his power and treasures in it. In order to prevent the divine power in the small world from dissipating, Saga set up a barrier so that the small world could swallow all light and be invisible to ordinary people. It was shaped like a sphere. Only the power of the ether can awaken the little world from its slumber and set it in motion.
Saga used the power of the four elements when creating the world of ruins. The four elemental ruin plates serve as supporting points surrounding the center, and each plate is designed according to the characteristics of the element. Models and atmosphere are still a work in progress.
Display of the middle stage of the ruins world.
We have remade the entrances to small ruins, added a new kind of key to open them, and made new interactions and performances. Now, keys are required to open all ruins, and the number of keys required corresponds to the difficulty star level.
Display of the ruins keys.
Interactive display of ruins keys.
Interactive display of small ruins.
3: Ruins gameplay
In order to enrich the gameplay of the ruins, we have given pellets more functions. Thunder pellets can paralyze some mechanisms, poison pellets can dissolve non-interactive mechanisms, and fire pellets can burn vines.
We are happy to tell you that in order to give you more possibilities when exploring, Piggy will have new abilities such as helping Kaku walk on water and super jump. We will give you a more detailed introduction after the function is completed.
The birth of battle ruins is because many players hope to pass the level through force. This is also our deepening of the ruins gameplay. In advanced battle ruins, random buffs will be generated on the road to rewards. The differences between the battle ruins of each element are waiting for you to discover on your own.
Display of fire element battle ruins.
Display of earth element battle ruins.
4: Brand new ability tree
Whether players choose pure melee combat, rely more on pure long-range combat, or prefer to rely on operations and timing to win, the new ability branch can satisfy you all. It greatly expands the possible ways of fighting. The strengthening of branches does not require the consumption of Ability Sacred Stones, and the points can be reset for free. We combine the characteristics and abilities of some bosses. After defeating the boss, players will unlock more powerful branches.
The combat characteristics of using main-hand weapons are still fast and multi-stage, and the strengthening direction is more towards pure output. Because some players feel that the operation of ability release is too cumbersome and want the battle to be smoother, we have designed strengthening directions such as [Infinite Dimension Slash] and [Infinite Severance](names to be determined), abilities with multiple operations will have higher damage.
Comparison of the two strengthening directions of [Infinite Severance].
(Above picture: Infinite Severance; Below picture: Sword Energy of Severance)
Comparison of the two strengthening directions of [Infinite Dimension Slash].
Arm shield combat has two directions, precision guard and perfect dodge, which rely more on operation and timing, and the acclaimed spiral strike. We optimized the feedback when using precision guard and increased the benefits. And a perfect dodge will enter bullet time, or release Dimension Slash immediately. As for the spiral strike, we have also simplified the operation and provided a branch to make it rotate more violently.
Comparison of the two strengthening directions of precision guard.
We have given the genre of long-range combat more mobility and variety, and made the movements of long-range combat look less rigid. You no longer have to worry about being surrounded by monsters when using your slingshot! Faced with swarming enemies, pellets rain is also a good choice. But in order to avoid the battle being too repetitive and simple, we didn’t give it too many branches that increase damage.
Actual display of retreating continuous fire.
Actual display of jumping and rapid fire.
Players who like long-range combat will now need to think more when using elemental pellets. We have strengthened the styles and characteristics of the three elemental pellets, and their growth paths are completely different.
Thunder Pellets focuses more on paralyzing and controlling the enemy. As the level increases, Thunder Pellets' armor penetration will also become higher; Poison Pellets have continuous proportional damage, which is more suitable for elite monsters and boss battles; and Fire Pellets' continuous explosions and high damage have more wide range of uses. It is more important to use 3 types of pellets flexibly and switch between different pellets according to the timing during battle.
Thunder Pellets.
Poison Pellets.
Fire Pellets.
Pellets and new interactive objects.
6: Remake of tutorial chapter scenes
We built the tutorial chapter scene based on the concept art. Although the actual scenes cannot be said to be exactly the same, they are almost similar.
Actual scene of four element land landmarks.
Actual scene of the atmosphere art in the tutorial chapter.
Actual gameplay in the tutorial chapter.
7: Land exploration gameplay
We hope that these weird interactive objects can bring new experiences to everyone’s exploration.
Exploding flowers. It can break through thick stone doors and reveal the hidden space behind them. Its range-type damage is a weapon when facing a group of monsters. And its renewable characteristics can also save pellets.
Claw of Baruch. It pollutes water sources, blocks roads, and is number one on adventurers' hate lists. Only elemental pellets can destroy it.
Honeycomb. Once it is attacked, the swarm will carry out sweeping attacks indiscriminately.
Poisonous mushrooms. When its inner bladder ruptures, poisonous mist will spread out, and even wild animals are afraid of its toxicity. However, all things interact with each other, and it is said that there is a strange flower that can dissolve the poisonous mist.
Grimace tree. Some people say they are alive, and you can always hear whispers in the trees at night. This needs to be verified, but it is an indisputable fact that they swallowed a lot of treasures.
8: Atmosphere iteration
While producing new content, we are also constantly iterating on the original scenes and atmosphere. This time, a reporter went deep into the rainforest and took the scenery in the water element land [Misty Swamps] at the risk of getting lost.
Modification of the water element atmosphere.
Actual gameplay of water element atmosphere modification.
If you enjoy our game or have any other feedback and suggestions, just drop us a line on Steam.
PS: Scoop from Ponpon - Dragon Year Special Edition is in the works...
You can check our game updates channel in Discord to find the latest development content.
This update mainly optimizes the [Winter Adventure] version and fixes some known bugs. The following are recent updates:
Game experience adjustments:
1.Replaced the material for interactive item in [Winter Adventure] side quest.
Bug fixes:
1.Fixed some terrain bugs.
2.Fixed some known bugs.
———— We will continue to pay attention to the messages of each platform, and continue to optimize and update based on your feedback, thank you for your support!
The Winter Adventure mode is now available! Enjoy a historic 25% discount!
Dear adventurers,
Greetings! With Christmas just around the corner, we are excited to unveil the Winter Adventure mode with a special 25% discount – our lowest ever! Don't hesitate, adventurers; it's time to embark on your journey.
✨Divine gear added:
In order to fulfill the dreams of every adventurer and elevate the excitement of the carnival, we have unveiled four brand-new pieces of equipment, each of which can be considered a priceless treasure. Unfortunately, due to their exorbitant value, a portion of them has been pilfered by a mystery man.
💌Mysterious letter:
Whether you're a newcomer to the floating island or a seasoned warrior with a renowned reputation, everyone will receive a mysterious letter on the floating island. This letter will unveil the prelude to this Winter Carnival. Don’t forget to read it! Otherwise, the mystery man will be quite disappointed, that because the mystery man still left gifts under a certain Christmas tree on the floating island. Is it a weapon, a shield, or a Starlight Horn that eclipses all the stars?
🎭True and false treasure chests:
As you may know, there are many small islands on the floating island. The mystery man has hidden the treasure he found on one of these islands. Who will be the lucky one to find the treasure? A reminder: to protect the real chest, the mystery man has placed decoy chests to mislead others.
🥊Winter trial:
The mystery man made every effort to hide treasures, but one of them has been left in a ruin. With the emergence of the blizzard, this ruin has reappeared. By completing the winter ruin trial, you can get the treasure lost by the mystery man. Be cautious, as the monsters inside are formidable, be sure to handle them with care.
🔪Winter hunting:
The adorable Snow Beasts not only stole treasure chests but also took the mystery man's favorite Christmas hat. This is unbearable! Hurry and strive in the hunt to reclaim the treasure. Note that these furry beasts roam around the 'Lost Ruins' on the Howling Snowfield.
More exciting content is in the works, and we will release a new devlog in December.
If you enjoy our game or have any other feedback and suggestions, just drop us a line on Steam. And we'll tweak the game based on what you tell us.
You can check our game updates channel in Discord to find the latest development content.
Greetings! It's been a while, hasn't it? Since KAKU was released in early access, we have received a lot of feedback, including a lot of support and encouragement. Of course, there are also many criticisms and suggestions. After collecting questionnaires and feedback, our team went through intense discussions and finally determined the content of free updates during early access (you can see it at the bottom of the Steam store page).
Recently, we are going all out to develop new content, and everyone on our team has put in the greatest energy to promote it. However, this took far longer than we expected.
Happily, all content has made significant progress. It's time to show you some of the results.
Spoilers for free updates during Early Access:
Character image
The world of underground ruins
Combat system
Tutorial chapter
Land exploration
1: The image of Kaku
We hope Kaku is a brave, cute and a little naive child. Children's ignorance, fearlessness and curiosity about the unknown may be more suitable for exploration and adventure. Unfortunately, the current Kaku is not loved by most players, and his image makes it difficult for many players to feel connected. Based on the feedback we collected, Kaku's image was completely remade, except for retaining some features.
Kaku still retains his iconic hairstyle, but has an extra braid. We tried multiple hairstyles, including but not limited to Mohawks, Saiyan, and various non-mainstream styles. (Fortunately we ended up choosing a more mainstream hairstyle lol)
Kaku’s head-to-body ratio has been adjusted, and Kaku has grown up. Due to the adjustment of his head and body, Kaku can now make more handsome moves.
Kaku now has his own totem. In order to emphasize Kaku's status as the "Chosen One" and in conjunction with the redesign of the [Ancient Seal] transformation ability and the [Blank Stele] system, we designed a unique totem pattern for him.
Kaku’s facial features are more refined. We remade Kaku's facial features and greatly increased the number of bones, so he can now make more vivid expressions.
2: The image of Nomin
As the heroine in the game: Nomin, after Kaku’s image was remade, her age seems to be somewhat different from Kaku. In order to better match the look and feel of our 'heroine' Nomin and Kaku, Nomin's image has also been reworked. At this point, many players might wonder why we couldn't create a playable female character. At the beginning of the Kaku remake, we did carry out related designs simultaneously. However, due to various reasons, this plan was eventually shelved.
New image display of Nomin. (To be honest, the new Nomin looks like the older version of Nomin's sister.)
Display of new Kaku and Nomin.
3: The image of Geiser
As the character who has accompanied players for the longest time, the old man Geiser deserves a chance for a image update. The main reason is that some players mentioned that until the end of the game, Geiser seemed to have no shoes on and never looked at the player directly with his eyes exposed.
4: The concept of the underground ruins world
In order to satisfy everyone's desire for repeated challenges to the ruins and to make upgrades more convenient, while also providing more space for newly added land exploration gameplay, the world of ruins in the void is now available. It is divided into four sections: Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth, allowing direct exploration of all ruins within the ruins world.
Now the star altar only exists in the ruins world. If you want to strengthen yourself or challenge the ruins, you only need to teleport to the world of ruins.
The concept of four elements in the ruins world.
The atmosphere of the ruins world.
Entrance to ruins.
The key to the ruins.
Brand new star altar.
5: The gameplay iteration of ruins
We have added types of ruins, now there are battle ruins and puzzle ruins. The difficulty has also gradually increased. Now you can only challenge the two-star ruins by completing all the one-star ruins. Of course, rewards are still related to difficulty.
At the same time, we have added the status of mechanisms and interactions with pellets. Piggy’s abilities will also be displayed in a brand new way.
Interactive Mechanisms for Pellets.
New battle ruins.
6: Brand new abilities tree
Throughout our journey, our battles have always aimed for a diverse combination of ability styles and the exhilaration of Musou Games. However, the current version of the ability tree is still far from this goal. In the rework of the combat system, abilities such as Precision Guard that have poor effects and low usage rates will be deleted.
Without taking any time to mourn the death of them, because soaring toward the battlefield were various new abilities, enhanced branches, and advanced feel.
Brand new UI of ability tree.
Additional ability branch enhancements.
7: Ancient Seal
Kaku's transformation ability was a bit overkill, so we completely reworked it and combined it with Blank Stele. The UI and representation of the energy bar that records transformation energy have also been redone.
Blessing ability activated for the first time.
Moves interface UI corresponding to the Blank Stele.
8: Weapons and Equipment
The remake of Kaku's image has resulted in almost all old equipment being unusable or requiring adjustments. We have added some new facial equipment to Kaku, and also designed new main and off-hand weapons for each BOSS.
The set includes new facial equipment.
New main and off-hand weapons of bosses.
9: Slingshot system
The slingshot, often criticized for its limited effectiveness in combat, has undergone improvements through the adjustment of its abilities. We have removed abilities with low practicality.
The original special pellets are also separated from the slingshot abilities and have their own growth path. As the level up, the pellets will have more additional effects. Now the slingshot system is as effective as the melee system.
New slingshot abilities and branches.
Independent pellets system.
New pellets crafting station.
10: Process optimization and scene remake
The tutorial chapter of the game undoubtedly serves as players' first impression upon opening the game, marking the starting point for everyone's adventure in the ancient world. In order to eliminate the old chapter shortcomings, the creation of a brand-new tutorial chapter had been placed on our agenda. We are continuously optimizing the scenes in the tutorial chapter and adjust the atmosphere.
We have integrated the landmarks of the Four Elements Land into the tutorial chapter scenes. While striving to retain the distinctive features of these landmarks, we are also working to minimize the performance impact they may have.
Tutorial chapter concept art. Concept art is an essential part of improving the quality of the prologue and making the adventure more epic.
11: Land exploration gameplay
In the current version, our world map is already quite large. However, we are still dissatisfied with the richness of the gameplay in exploring the land. Therefore, incorporating some novel ideas from players, many strange and wonderful things have been born.
In addition, we plan to make some new campsites for Ponpons, adding a more vibrant sense of life. It should be noted that the interactive effects of all new interactive objects are being optimized.
Exploding flower. Exploding flower. Yes, this flower, glowing all over and resembling a dandelion, is indeed a bomb. Perhaps it could serve as a strategic weapon or be used to break heavy stone doors?
Claw of Baruch. This kind of claws, seemingly alive, are transformed from dark energy, polluting all parts of the land. Only the pure elemental power can break them.
Honeycomb. Destroying the comb will cause trouble for you and nearby monsters.
Poisonous mushrooms. From a distance, they simply look like glowing light bulbs.
Piggy lottery machine. In order to let adventurers make use of their collected junk, the Piggy-style lottery machine makes its debut.
Grimace tree. Only god knows what secrets lie behind the grinning ghost face.
Ponpon camp.
If you enjoy our game or have any other feedback and suggestions, just drop us a line on Steam. And we'll tweak the game based on what you tell us.
PS: Scoop from Ponpon - a special winter edition is in the works...
You can check our game updates channel in Discord to find the latest development content.
