Planned Release Date: Q1 2027

About This Game

The free demo is coming in October 2026.

A note from the developer

Hi, I'm the solo developer behind KAESHI.
KAESHI is a 2D beat 'em up inspired by the swordplay of Sekiro.
The art, sound and code were made with AI tools, but I tuned the game feel and balance myself over thousands of runs.
Hope you enjoy it!

About the game

KAESHI is a 2D action game that mixes '90s arcade beat 'em ups with Sekiro-style parry swordplay. Parry enemy attacks to break their posture, and when they open up, finish them with a Deathblow. Enemies hit hard, so swinging blindly will get you killed quickly.

Features

• Clang-clang-clang parry chains
  There is no guard button. Parry each hit of an enemy's flurry with the right timing. The parry window is fairly generous.
  
• Fast combos
  A five-hit combo that continues with every press. Launch enemies with a rising cut and follow up in the air.
  
• Enemies that parry back
  Samurai enemies and bosses take a guarding stance and knock your blade away. Dash behind them to get around the stance.
  
• Reel, stagger, Deathblow
  Enemies whose posture breaks start to reel, and if you keep up the pressure they become staggered. Staggered enemies can be finished with a Deathblow, and there are several finisher animations.
  
• Perfect dodge
  Dodge right before an attack lands to slow time for a moment and counter with a dash slash.
  
• Anime-style art and Japanese voice acting
  The game takes place in a rainy mountain village, a bamboo forest and an old shrine. Cutscenes are voiced in Japanese, with subtitles in 14 languages.
  
• Three difficulty levels
  Choose Easy, Normal or Hard and change it at any time. Parry and dodge timing are the same on every difficulty.

Demo: Chapter 1, "Home in the Rain"

Narumi Shizuka, a new swordswoman of the Hakurin, returns to her home village of Kaminashi after it has been attacked by the dead. The demo includes all of Chapter 1 (a training section, seven combat zones, a mid-boss and a boss fight, and cutscenes) and takes about 15 to 20 minutes to play. The story continues in the full game.

AI Generated Content Disclosure

The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:

KAESHI is a solo-developed game, and apart from the story and the game design, almost everything in it was made with generative AI. The artwork (characters, backgrounds, cutscenes, portraits and key art), character and enemy animation, Japanese voice acting, music, sound effects and the game code were all created with AI tools. The translations into the other 13 languages (in-game text and store page) were also made with AI. The story, the world, and the game design (combat rules, levels and difficulty) were decided by the developer. No content is generated by AI while you play.

Mature Content Description

The developers describe the content like this:

This game features frequent sword-fighting violence in a stylized 2D anime illustration style. Blood sprays when enemies (risen revenants) are cut, and finishing moves can behead enemies or cut their bodies into pieces. The "Reduce Gore" option removes blood and dismemberment, making defeated enemies disperse as smoke. There is no sexual content.