Community18 Aug 2026Meet Cai Li, the Panda Iron Brawler!Hey Zodiac Challengers! Some of you have seen him eating dumplings in Turtle Village since our very first playtest in 2024. He has never left his seat. But one question remains: what makes this ‘lazy’ Panda formidable enough to enter the Zodiac Trials? Today, we’re finally introducing Cai Li (tsai-lee), the unstoppable Iron Brawler! He tanks. He punches. He flops. He rolls. More on that last on…
Hey Zodiac Challengers! If you haven’t checked in for a while, there’s quite a bit to catch up on! For those of you who are new, 13Z is inspired by the legend of the 12 Chinese Zodiacs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. You’ve already met some of them in the demo, but today, we want to talk a little more about the first six Zodiac Guardians you’l…
Hey Zodiac Challengers! The gates to the 13Z limited-time demo are closing for now. Whether you chilled in the village, got smacked by the Goat Zodiac (or Goldcroak!), cooked up ridiculous builds, reported bugs, left a review, or simply wishlisted the game — we saw you, and we’re really grateful. Thank you! Wishlisted 13Z already? Click 「Follow」 to make sure you receive future updates too! 😁 (…
Hey Zodiac Challengers ! You’ve now met the last six Zodiac Guardians (yes, we’re counting our way back to one!): 12. Pig, 11. Dog, 10. Rooster, 9. Monkey, 8. Goat, and 7. Horse. Now we’d love to hear from you. ✨ Which Zodiac Guardian is your favorite so far? ✨ And whose voice caught your attention the most? Cast your vote on Discord , or share your pick in the comments below. Tell us who stoo…
Hey Zodiac Challengers! We’re thrilled to share that 13Z: The Zodiac Trials will be appearing in several June showcases during Summer Game Fest season, including Women Led Games , Southeast Asian Games Showcase , and The MIX Summer Game Showcase . Catch some new and exclusive dev deep dives and trailers on their respective Youtube channels: · Mix Summer Showcase (June 1st @ 12PM ET): · Women Le…
April was another busy month in the dev basement! We’ve been focusing on refining our long-standing icons while introducing some multi-armed chaos to the trials. Here is a look at what we've been polishing lately. Highlight 1: Spider Miniboss Phrase 2 This eight-legged nightmare is finally graduating from a trailer cameo to a full-blown multi-armed Asura. In his second phase, he drops the web-s…
Hey Zodiac Challengers, Before we dive into this month’s dev highlights… We’re targeting Q4 2026 for 13Z: The Zodiac Trials's launch on Steam. We’re getting closer to the finish line… but that also means the dev kitchen is more chaotic and hotter than ever! 🔥 Demo Closure 👋 We’re also taking the demo down today as we focus our efforts on making the game. It might pop back up now and then for…
Hey Zodiac Challengers , there’s something we’ve been quietly holding close… and today, we finally get to share it. 13Z: The Zodiac Trials was one of finalists for the IGF x WINGS Award… and we WON 🙏 This is a deeply special moment for our team. Not just because it’s the first award we’ve ever received together, but because of what it represents. WINGS recognizes the people and stories that he…
Hey Zodiac Challengers! We’ve been heads down in the kitchen this month, and we wanted to share a quick wrap-up of a few of the progress snippets we’ve been posting over on our free Patreon blog. Highlight 1: Lucky & Unlucky Spots Lucky spots grant a massive crit boost, while Unlucky spots make you more vulnerable—and occasionally drop a giant sword from the heavens to punish anyone standing in…
Hey Zodiac Challengers ! We’ve got a brand new demo update to share… and with it, we’re also going to close out this chapter of the Trials soon. This update is part celebration, part milestone, and part farewell to the current demo before things start shifting in much bigger ways. Year of the Horse Arrives In celebration of the Year of the Horse, you’ll finally get to meet none other than the H…
Welcome to our first Dev Diary Roundup! Over the past few weeks, we’ve been posting sneak peeks, dev notes, and the occasional WIP chaos on our Patreon blog. Here are some highlights from January 2026 : Things are getting a bit slithery in the dev den. We shared a super early look at the Snake Guardian's combat mechanics. Expect some WIP jank and bad acting. You’ve been warned. Raven is all abo…
Hey Zodiac Challengers ! As we wrap up another year of development, we wanted to share a peek at the absolute chaos behind the scenes. While you’ve been proving your worth to the Zodiac Guardians, we’ve been busy battling some very creative ghosts in our code. Turns out, keeping Lyra on the ground is sometimes harder than becoming a 13th Zodiac. Here are the 10 Worst (But Also Best?) Bugs of 20…
Dev team vs all the bug reports >:D Hey Zodiac Challengers, we’ve got another round of bug fixes and QoL updates for you. Keep those reports, feedback and suggestions coming! ;) * All items with ⭐ were inspired by the Community. BUG FIXES ⭐ Invert mouse Axis setting now functions properly ⭐ Flying blades can now damage properly throughout a lengthy trial Sylith's daggers can now deal damage pro…
Hey, Zodiac Challengers! First patch notes for our Co-op Demo, fresh out of the oven. This update smooths out Twitch integration, fixes a few quirky skills, and tightens overall balance and stability. We’re also experimenting with a new shader to boost character readability, so give it a spin and tell us how it feels in the comments on or on Discord . Hotfix 0.7.0.935 - Nov 26 2025 MAIN HIGHLIG…
Hey Zodiac Challengers! Co-op Mode is officially live on the demo , and it’s exactly as chaotic as we promised! If you prefer running solo, don’t worry. This update comes with some treats for you too. ;) Stay tuned! Our official co-op demo trailer drops on Nov 22 at 4 PM PST. Why is it dropping later that the update, you ask? Because we're revealing it first on the OTK Games Expo happening @ 12…
13Z Demo Hotfix [0.7.1.906] - Oct 28 2025 General and QoL Updates Improved chest cost UI display that show discounts ⭐ Adjusted Qi cost for various techniques and upgrades Consumables now play VFX & SFX Bug Fixes Camera lock now no longer lingers on targets that are already dead Fire Special can function properly on Flying Swords now First Light critical damage calculation logic is fixed Omni s…
Hey Zodiac Challengers! Big news today — we’re officially announcing that 13Z’s Co-op Mode will land on the demo build this November 21, 2025. It’s the feature many of you have been waiting for, and we can’t wait for you to experience the Trials together. But before that, we’ve rolled out a new update to the current demo (details below!) , packed with new gameplay content (like 80+ new seals an…
Hey Zodiac Challengers! We need your help to pick Lyra’s next outfit. We’re exploring three different options , and while some of you might cheekily say “all of them, please,” we’ve got to focus on one or we can’t move on to the next character. ✨ Tell us which one you’d like to see Lyra wear. We are still exploring the colors so please focus on the design for now ~ 🙂 Cast your votes on Discord…
Hey Zodiac Challengers! It’s been one month since our official demo dropped and we’ve got a lot to unpack. We’ve been blown away by your encouragement and kind words. Many of you told us you noticed the improvements since the last playtest, and a lot of players were surprised (and maybe a little shocked) by just how much content we packed into this free demo. Some even asked if we’re giving awa…
We’re excited to announce that 13Z: The Zodiac Trials has been nominated for the DevGAMM Awards 2025. This international event celebrates indie games and studios from all over the world, and we’re honored to be part of it. If you believe in our vision for 13Z and want to help more people discover our game, please support us by casting your vote. 👉 HOW TO VOTE: 1. Register at and verify your em…
13Z Demo Hotfix \ While we’re working on some bigger updates in the background, we’re also chipping away at optimizations and other small QoL fixes. · Tutorial's graphical performance has been further optimized. · Mouse look sensitivity now can be adjusted on a much wider range. · Reduced controller vibration when Perfect Dodge is executed. · Some causes of FPS drop in the Goat fight in tutoria…
13Z Demo Hotfix \ A quick list! · Player will not take damage during cut scenes anymore. · Pressing RB on controller in settings page will not mistakenly trigger demo review link jump. · A few hidden treasure locations have been corrected. · Fixed and polished the colliders on the Goat Boss arena exit doors. · Monkey Zodiac's challenges will now play as intended instead of blocking progress for…
Hi Zodiac Challengers! Thanks to your sharp eyes, we’ve been able to tackle more performance & memory optimizations, polish combat flow, and add a few community-inspired touches. This update focuses on smoother play, key balance changes, and important bug fixes . Have you noticed smoother performance and fewer memory issues since the patch? We’d love to hear your experience. :) VERSION 0.7.0.87…
Hey Zodiac Challengers, If you’re late to the news... yes, the DEMO is live ! It’s packed with improvements from Playtests 1 and 2, plus a sneak peek of Act 2 in the form of a brand-new biome: the vast desert. It’s only been a week since the demo launched, and you’ve already kept us busy with your sharp eyes and quick reflexes. From bug reports to balance notes (and even a few wild combos we di…
Hey Zodiac Challengers – surprise! The official demo for 13Z: The Zodiac Trials has just dropped! As always, a huge thank you to our amazing community. In our last two playtests, you’ve squashed bugs, tossed us wild ideas, and cheered us on through every step of the Trials. 13Z wouldn’t be half as fun without you in the fight. This demo packs in the full Act 1 with upgraded combat and expanded…
Hey Zodiac Challengers, Playtest 2 is BACK but only until 30th June, and now via request access only. With a few Steam events happening this month and new folks discovering 13Z for the first time, we figured… why not open the gates one more time? How to Get In To join the playtest, click “Request Access” on the Steam page. We’ll be letting in a limited number of playtesters in waves depending o…
Hey Zodiac Challengers! We’ve been meaning to put this post together a little sooner, but honestly... you gave us a lot to chew on. We received thousands of comments and feedback after Playtest 2 across Discord and our socials. So we took our time—reading, re-reading, digesting, and discussing as a team. Now that the dust has settled a little, we’re back with a quick roundup of everything you h…
Hey Zodiac Challengers! Playtest 2 is now officially closed and and we just wanted to say, thank you. Seriously. Whether you were here from Day 1 or joined in the final weekend, your time, feedback, and energy meant the world to us. We’ve seen this little community grow so much, and we’re already cooking up a surprise to celebrate that journey. We’ll save the rest of the mushy stuff for our nex…
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Announcements are the developer’s own posts to the game’s Steam news feed: updates and their patch notes, in-game events, releases and sales. The important ones are marked on the players chart.