Jake Kazdal's Avatar

Jake Kazdal

@jkooza.bsky.social

Long-time game developer and CEO/Creative-Director/Art Director @17_BIT. Living in a Ghibli film in deep Kyoto. I love photographing remaining nooks and crannies of old Japan. Creator and director of AWAYSIS. Spends a lot of time underwater.

1,396 Followers  |  455 Following  |  301 Posts  |  Joined: 03.07.2023  |  2.2643

Latest posts by jkooza.bsky.social on Bluesky

And the best custom-physics engine DUNGEON BRAWLER YOU EVER PLAYED is in there! #AWAYSIS

10.12.2025 13:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Not So Random, #RandomGameSaturday

Today is the 24th anniversary of Rez, so hereโ€™s a bunch of versions of Rez.

22.11.2025 18:59 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 107    ๐Ÿ” 14    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 9    ๐Ÿ“Œ 3

Ready for this one!!!

10.12.2025 00:02 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

In need of new games to anticipate? @dayofthedevs.org has you covered! Watch this trailer, and then get ready to add some sweet, sweet indies to wishlist โœ…

The Day of the Devs @thegameawards.com Digital Showcase is TOMORROW (12/10) at 10am PT! ๐Ÿšจ

09.12.2025 23:53 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 46    ๐Ÿ” 9    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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INDIE!!!! GAMES!!!!

Join us THIS WEEK on December 10th at 10 AM PT for DAY OF THE DEVS: @thegameawards.com DIGITAL SHOWCASE!

Six world premieres, three release date announcements, and a WHOLE LOTTA great games ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Learn more: dayofthedevs.org

08.12.2025 20:29 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 159    ๐Ÿ” 53    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 15

Very excited to have the first demo for #AWAYSIS live for PC and Xbox Series S|X. We were selected as part of the ID@Xbox Indie Selects Demo Fest.

If you want to see what I have been working on for the past year, get at it.

www.xbox.com/en-US/games/...

09.12.2025 02:29 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

This demo is through Xbox, but hopefully there will possibly be a PS5 demo at a later date closer to ship?

09.12.2025 02:34 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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โš”๏ธGrab your swords and your pals, because the first demo of #AWAYSIS is now live for PC and Xbox Series S|X.

www.xbox.com/en-US/games/...

#indiedev #gaming

09.12.2025 02:27 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 29    ๐Ÿ” 10    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2
Get AWAYSIS Demo | Xbox Awaysis is the ultimate dungeon brawler. A revolutionary, physics-fueled throwdown that has you jumping, sliding, and colliding your way around dynamic shifting arenas. Fight with style, improvise on ...

You can play the Awaysis demo RIGHT NOW! [PC/XBOX S|X] The team would love to hear what people think about it, please give it a look!
www.xbox.com/en-US/games/...

09.12.2025 01:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Get AWAYSIS Demo | Xbox Awaysis is the ultimate dungeon brawler. A revolutionary, physics-fueled throwdown that has you jumping, sliding, and colliding your way around dynamic shifting arenas. Fight with style, improvise on ...

HEYO!!!

Our long-in-development new game AWAYSIS has our first official demo available in the wild! Its a custom physics-based 1-4 player game about little animals running around a beautiful sky castle beating the crap out of goblins and zombies with a huge sword!

www.xbox.com/en-US/games/...

09.12.2025 01:57 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 28    ๐Ÿ” 10    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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Fun with light and shadow in Kobe

08.12.2025 00:38 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 13    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Kobe is so cool. So completely different in tone and character from its neighbors Osaka and Kyoto. My first home in Japan years ago and I still love it.

08.12.2025 00:37 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 15    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Finally broke down and bought Arc Raiders to play with my son and DAMN we had a good time tonight, INTENSE!! I feel like we havenโ€™t even scratched the surface yet eitherโ€ฆ

06.12.2025 15:33 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 10    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Day of the Devs: The Game Awards Digital Showcase Co-Stream Application Thanks for your interest in co-streaming the Day of the Devs: The Game Awards Digital Showcase Show Date: Wednesday, Dec. 10 Show Time: 10AM PT / 1PM ET If you're interested in becoming an official c...

Wanna co-stream Day of the Devs: The Game Awards Digital Showcase? Of course you do! It's gonna rule!

Apply to be a VERY OFFICIAL co-streamer here: bit.ly/DOTD-TGA-Co-...

25.11.2025 19:18 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 18    ๐Ÿ” 9    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
Preview
Sable creative director forms new studio Eteo London-based developer's debut game to be funded by indie games fund Innersloth

Shedworks co-founder Gregorios Kythreotis has founded a new studio called Eteo

www.gamesindustry.biz/sable-creati...

05.12.2025 10:47 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 17    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Greg continues to be an inspiration. Amazing friend.

06.12.2025 00:42 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 12    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Model: GALAK-S Fighter (Mech Mode)
Debut: Galak-Z: The Dimensional
Year: 2015
Designers: @jkooza.bsky.social and the artists @17-bit.bsky.social

28.11.2025 16:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 21    ๐Ÿ” 8    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Still one of the top animated intros ever!

25.11.2025 11:55 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 9    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Hello indies! It's almost Thanksgaming 2025!

If you have an unknown indie project in dev or just released, please could you email me at jwalker@kotaku.com with the subject "THANKSGAMING 2025", and a store page and YouTube link? I'll put as many as I can on Kotaku.

Rules next. Reposts appreciated!

24.11.2025 17:59 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 144    ๐Ÿ” 83    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 5    ๐Ÿ“Œ 4

This is great

24.11.2025 23:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 16    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

If I could go back in time this would be in my top 10

22.11.2025 05:53 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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โ€œWe can do betterโ€: Developer calls for a shake-up in the way games do physics - AWAYSIS Interview | SIFTER Could games be doing more in terms of movement?

Could games be doing more in terms of movement? I interviewed the CEO and creative director of @17-bit.bsky.social @jkooza.bsky.social a couple months ago at TGS to get his perspective and find out more about their new game Awaysis www.sifter.com.au/post/develop...

19.11.2025 01:09 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 9    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Those were the best of times for sure. Some of the happiest memories of my entire career in gaming.

17.11.2025 17:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Forestrike: A Martial Arts Roguelite Masterpiece You Can't Miss Forestrike is a martial arts mix of crunchy roguelite systems.

"[Forestrike's] sophisticated storytelling quickly became as important to me as the gameplay."
Wow! Thank you @screenrant.bsky.social
screenrant.com/forestrike-r...

13.11.2025 10:26 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

We are STOKED to be a part of one of the finest events in gaming! Canโ€™t wait for people to see more of whatโ€™s coming!!

13.11.2025 03:11 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 18    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Happy Halloween! @allymobbs.bsky.socialย  made some glitch art featuring a very spooky enemy who awaits you within #AWAYSIS

#gaming #indiedev #Halloween

31.10.2025 09:47 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 9    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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๐ŸŽƒ Todayโ€™s the physical release of HOTEL BARCELONA! Itโ€™s Halloweenโ€”the perfect day for a horror game.
Digital is instant, sure, but cracking open that case, sliding the disc in, and feeling that little surge before it boots upโ€ฆ thatโ€™s magic.
Happy Halloween
#HotelBarcelona #PhysicalEdition

31.10.2025 09:48 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 34    ๐Ÿ” 5    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Big congrats to @ancientgames.bsky.social @yuzokoshiro.bsky.social on todayโ€™s Japanese physical release of EARTHION!๐Ÿš€โœจ๐Ÿฅณ Super proud of the @sdxgames.bsky.social versions we made, and especially stoked that we teamed up with 8BitDo (the best!) on this rad M30! โค๏ธ superdeluxegames.jp/collections/...

30.10.2025 08:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 58    ๐Ÿ” 14    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 7    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Super proud of the team for absolutely smashing out this trailer, itโ€™s getting close!!!

29.10.2025 03:23 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 19    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Because JAPAN

28.10.2025 02:07 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

@jkooza is following 20 prominent accounts