iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 20h

Can I use one from October 2024? 😈

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 29/09/2026

#KatFS features treasures as optional collectibles, which can provide some insight into the world Kalia resides in. The plan is to eventually feature unique sprites for each, but for the first release of the Steam Demo only the flavor text will be featured. #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

Old Sealed Beer Bottle - A dusty sealed bottle of Catherine Beer, found in an old abandoned water mill.

Was probably snuck in by the mill's workers and left after the end of operations.

Probably not a good idea to drink it.

Imperial Flintlock Pistol - This handgun you found among the remains of the expedition does not look like anything you've ever seen before in Crater Valley.

It appears worn-out from recent use. You can still smell the burnt gunpowder, and it seems to have smidges of blood.

Unfortunately, it is in far too much disrepair to fire. Your dreams of becoming a gunslinger will have to wait.

Energy Dampening Ring - A metal ring with a liquid crystal filling on its inner side, similar to the ones you have witnessed all over the Facility but at a smaller scale, enough to be carried.

It's just a guess, but these rings seem to be always present whenever powered crystals are involved as a way to contain and redirect their power where it is needed.

Far too heavy to use as a hula-hoop.

Fire Staff Orb Mold - This spherical mold matches exactly the orb at the top of the Fire Staff, which leads you to believe it was used in its crafting process.

While you can't make much sense of the symbols etched on the side of the mold, they seem to indicate that it is intended for use with molten magma crystal.

Perhaps the same crystals that power the Facility also make up the Fire Staff?

0219

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 26/09/2026

Wanted to finish this for the #ScreenshotSaturday Reworked how the goblin mage's magical shields look and operate. Not only will their elemental shields block damage, but they'll also apply their respective status effect if you get too close! 🧊 #KatFS #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

22610

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 24/09/2026

Capping of the Kalia journal UI with some satisfying book handling SFX 🔊(courtesy of the FilmCow audio pack I've been using) Navigating through Kalia's diary, the treasure compendium and the in-game guide should feel like flicking the pages of Kalia's own journal 😁 #KatFS #indiegame #indiedev #sfx

1146

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 24/09/2026

The burger being a rare food drop that restores a ton of HP as well as Kalia's canonical love for burgers all stem from an in-joke spawned by this doodle I also look forward to cramming as many indie dev peer references in the game once it has the room for it 😈

Doodle of Kalia looking at a burger with the caption "BORGER :3"

050

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 22/09/2026

Fiz os desenhinhos pro diário da Kalia hoje, achei que ficaram bem bonitinhos até 😁 As páginas serão preenchidas conforme o jogador avança nas fases e contam a história da perspectiva da Kalia. Essas são só as duas primeiras, a demo terá seis ao todo. #KatFS

Arte de interface do diário da Kalia, com desenhos representando a cabana da Kalia e sua floresta, a Kalia chateada com os zumbis, encontrando a caverna, objetos da expedição da caverna e anotações sobre os ícones de objetos inflamáveis e explosivos.

1102

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 19/09/2026

Happy #ScreenshotSaturday! Last week I've touched up the challenge mode of #KatFS for the demo and felt like showcasing it 😈 It's meant to be a side mode to the main campaign focused on combat encounters. It'll also tease some of the enemies coming in the full game! 🔥 #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

01710

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 16/09/2026

A little teaser at the end of the upcoming #KatFS towards the following chapter, the Crystal Mines. The demo will end right before the chapter would load. Feels good to finally update the assets from back in the pre-alpha days... 💎🔥 #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

Screenshot of a level area of a cave with some glowing crystals growing out of the rocks.

Ditto, of a different section of the cave with more crystals.

1123

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 15/09/2026

The in-game guide in #KatFS has been upgraded with brief pop-up notifications for newly unlocked entries. Pressing the Journal button takes you directly to the new entry, but the pop-up will also fade naturally. ⚠️ (Also casually showing off the Fire Staff cutscene! 😈) #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

2154

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 14/09/2026

Set up the triggers for the #KatFS in-game guide entries today. Some are location-based, while others are more dynamic (such as the NPC entries unlocking when you first engage with the NPC) 🔥 Still looking to improve the notification and navigation for new entries 👀 #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

0196

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 11/09/2026

Tidying up the in-game guide feature for #KatFS with both the entries and their respective illustrations. The intention of the guide is to provide an optional way to learn the game's mechanics and systems more directly 🔥 (Plus, expect some lore tidbits! 😈) #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

Mechanics of Fire - When struck with Fire damage, flammable objects and enemies will become heated. Additional fire damage will further add to the heat, until it combusts.

Once a fire is ignited, it will generate heat that can spread to nearby objects and spread the flames.

Eventually, objects and foes will burn out. Some may get destroyed in the process, while others may still remain intact but fragile.

Learning how to wield flames is crucial for Kalia to survive!

Upgrade Crystals - These highly valuable crystals can be found in special chests, indicated by their glow: Red for Health, and blue for Mana. Opening one of these chests will reveal a crystal of the respective type, which will permanently upgrade Kalia's maximum Health or Mana.

Upgrade Crystal chests are not always easy to find, but going after them can prove valuable in the long term.

Treasure Chests - Treasure chests are hidden all over the underworld, often containing valuable potions and other items that can aid Kalia in her journey. Just walk up to them and open them up with the Interact button.

Wooden chests can be also broken open, while metal chests are indestructible. Chests may also be locked with a sigil, requiring the solving of a puzzle or clearing of a combat encounter to be unlocked.

Stone chests are even rarer and more valuable, containing Upgrade Crystals or actual Treasures.

Dodging - Pressing the Dodge button enables Kalia to quickly escape dangers with a swift roll. The dodge will either follow the direction of her movement or the aim crosshair (which is prioritized can be changed in the game's settings).

While dodging, Kalia is impervious to most (but not all) sources of damage.

1151

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 10/09/2026

Fazendo um esforcinho pra escrever os guias do #KatFS, já estão traduzidos tanto pra PT-BR e EN. O guia vai ser uma ferramenta opcional pros jogadores que precisam de ajuda com as mecânicas, sistemas e conceitos do jogo. 🇧🇷 E vai ter um pouco de lore também 😈 #indiegame #indiedev #indieBR

$O Cajado de Fogo - A Kalia obteve o Cajado de Fogo, um artefato antigo que a permite canalizar energia Ousiônica através de diversas habilidades de fogo. Sua capacidade de usar essas habilidades é medida pela barra de Mana. A força do cajado ainda está fraca devido à séculos de falta de uso, com a maior parte de seus poderes faltando. Talvez haja uma maneira de restaurá-lo a seus poderes originais...$ $Autômatos - Máquinas de uma era perdida, estes Autômatos já serviram as Primeiras Civilizações de diversas maneiras, desde tarefas domésticas a manufatura e mais relevantemente, segurança. Espere encrenca sempre que um deles acordar. Sua composição metálica os torna resistentes a Fogo na maior parte, mas os Autômatos da Primeira Civilização geralmente possuem um núcleo Ousiônico ou outro ponto fraco similar que é suscetível a sobreaquecimento. Aguarde a melhor oportunidade e aplique dano de Fogo suficiente para desativá-los temporariamente!$

Totens Elementais - Estes Totens reagem com seus elementos respectivos, que podem ativá-los ou alterná-los entre ligados e desligados. Sempre que encontrar um, tente experimentar com eles, já que poderam abrir novas passagens ou ativar mecanismos importantes.

O tipo de Totem Elemental mais comum é o totem de Fogo, que pode ser ativado diretamente pela Ousia de Fogo da Kalia. Totens de outros tipos necessitam de uma fonte alternativa do seu elemento respectivo.

Elemento de Choque - O elemento de Choque é capaz de atacar a energia Ousiônica diretamente. Quando a Kalia é infligida com o efeito de Choque, sua Mana será drenada na duração do efeito, enquanto inimigos com habilidades Ousiônicas serão incapazes de utilizá-las.

O efeito de Choque pode reagir com Molhado, causando uma descarga elétrica que atordoará o alvo e se espalhará para outros alvos que estiverem Molhados.

O efeito Choque também pode reagir com Fogo, causando uma pequena explosão de sobrecarga que pode levar a reações em cadeia.

0102

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 08/09/2026

Ambient SFX is a part of #KatFS I do not want to neglect! I've cleaned up some of my previous recordings of the wilderness and hacked up a system for defining ambience zones and blending the audio as you move between them! (Sound ON, obviously 🔊) #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

0195

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 07/09/2026

I said "the enemy NPCs in #KatFS could use better SFX" and @diamonddidi.bsky.social said "bet" and just up and voice acted a bunch of zombie growls 🔥 According to her, "all that metal singing practice paid off" (Sound on for this one, obviously! 🔊) #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

12611

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 06/09/2026

Whoa-whoa the Dominus struck back??? Look at the demon gal herself, she looks amazing in your style! 🤘 Yeah, the life of homesteading and adventuring in the woods is plenty of exercise 😈

030

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 28/08/2026

And that's a wrap on the cutscenes for the most part! It's been an interesting month, getting to draw a lot of Kalia, but also slightly exhausting 😅 Fortunately the cutscenes in #KatFS are very front-loaded, so that's a significant portion of the full set done! 🤘🔥 #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev #art

Cutscene illustration of Kalia just outside her shack in the woods, with her black cat rubbing against her leg.

Cutscene illustration of Kalia getting surprised by something in the deep woods.

Cutscene illustration of Kalia walking across a rickety rope bridge in the caves.

Cutscene illustration of Kalia holding and gazing at the Fire Staff after obtaining it.

0205

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 25/08/2026

[confidently puts both on the table] Kalia and Sylvia 😈

010

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 24/08/2026

I've added a small but important detail - Kalia now has a separate sprite set for the early chapters, before she obtains the Fire Staff 🔥 Showcasing the hard switch here when the Staff Altar is activated, but there'll be an animatic cutscene for this moment 😈 #KatFS #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

1277

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 22/08/2026

Happy #ScreenshotSaturday! Lately I've been drawing and implementing the animatic cutscenes for the upcoming #KatFS demo. What started as a morning walk in the woods for Kalia turns into a nasty fight with some zombies! Where could have they come from? 🧟 #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

4235

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 19/08/2026

A arte das cutscenes levou à criação de uns sprite sheets bem peculiares como: - Kalia desmontada e gatinho - Kalia indo de encontro à dois zumbis gigantes

Sprite sheet com um corpo da Kalia sem cabeça, quatro cabeças da Kalia, cinco caudas da Kalia e dois sprites do gatinho, para montagem e animação.

Sprite sheet com três sprites: a Kalia caminhando e dois frames em close-up do zumbi.

050

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 13/08/2026

Kalia heads out for a morning foraging walk, but not before giving her cat a goodbye pat :3 Establishing scenes for the game's intro cutscene I'm currently working on. #KatFS #indiegame #indiedev #art

Overhead shot of Kalia's shack, with her and her cat walking out of the porch.

Shot around Kalia's shack in the woods, with her cat rubbing against her leg as she looks down at them.

Close up shot of Kalia's cat getting pet.

Shot of Kalia walking off the trail into the woods as her cat observes.

0124

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 12/08/2026

Fazer o visual da mata atlântica aqui do Sul tem sido bem terapêutico :] #KatFS #indieBR #BRart

Cena de uma clareira próxima de um casebre de madeira. O local está rodeado de vegetação da mata atlântica densa, desde arbustos e bromélias mais próximas ao espectador, a árvores e palmeiras no horizonte imediato e uma linha de árvores nos morros distantes, incluindo araucárias e eucaliptos. No fim do horizonte, altos morros azuis. O céu é levemente amarelado de amanhecer.

Outra cena do mesmo local de mata, visualizando uma trilha que desaparece à distância. A trilha está rodeada de mais vegetação densa, e parece levar em direção à uma montanha distante, a mais alta de todas, seu pico acima das nuvens.

060

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 11/08/2026

WIP backgrounds for the first two shots of the #KatFS intro cutscene. A wide shot of Crater Valley, followed by a top-down shot of Kalia's home. 🧡 You'll then witness Kalia and her cat walk out as she prepares to go on a morning walk in the woods that leads to the game's events! #indiegame #art

A wide shot of the hills and mountains of Crater Valley, where Kalia lives. The valley is flanked by tall, spiky mountains covered in jungle, while the interior of the valley is made up of rugged hills cut by rivers, one of which is also visible in the shot. You can also see the morning sky with the sun rising over the horizon.

A top-down shot of a rustic cabin in the woods. Mostly, you can see the clay tile roof, but it is also possible to see the porch and stairs leading to it. The ground is grassy, with a dirt trail meandering nearby. Some treetops can also be seen.

1123

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 08/08/2026

What was meant to be a late summer-themed crossover with @pixeldominus.bsky.social (and @zerraadventure.bsky.social and @diamonddidi.bsky.social) appears to have suddenly turned into an unexpected beach boss fight! 👿🏖️ Does seem to be a common theme with action girl beach episodes... 😎 #KatFS #art

Artwork depicting the characters Kalia, Zerra and Pomulus under a massive shadow, staring up at its source (behind the viewer). They're standing on a sandy beach near the waterline, all wearing swimsuits/beachwear.

Follow-up artwork depicting the other side of the scene. A massive mermaid sea monster emerges from the sea, roaring, as many tentacles wriggle around her, one carrying Diantha.

4208

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 07/08/2026

And the Facility Sentinel's attacks are all done! This thing will wield hardlight blades, hammers and charged explosions in an attempt to purge Kalia out of the ancient facility 👿 These First Civilization people sure knew how to build em... #KatFS #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

1206

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 07/08/2026

Leak de todos os bosses da versão full do #KatFS (planejados) fora de contexto 🤫

Cartela com 12 imagens:
1 - City Scanner de Half Life 2
2 - Autômato da Fonte Secreta de Genshin Impact
3 - Rainha Aranha do Don't Starve
4 - Lich do Hora de Aventura
5 - Alexander de Final Fantasy XI
6 - Boomer de Left 4 Dead
7 - Tanque de guerra britânico Mark IV da Primeira Guerra
8 - Goblin Mago de Clash of Clans
9 - Zumbi segurando bomba de Plants vs Zombies
10 - Troll da floresta de Skyrim
11 - Golem gigante de Shadow of Colossus
12 - Espaço livre com desenho da Kalia

020

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 06/08/2026

Tive que fazer o replay do lance 🤭

031

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 06/08/2026

The Sentinel's ultimate attack is highly lethal and unavoidable! Kalia will have to figure out a way to interrupt it while it's charging up, otherwise... 👿 #KatFS #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

1205

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 03/08/2026

Devlog for July is up! Last month has been all about revamping the visuals for the #KatFS NPCs, including a whole new boss enemy! Let's go through all the NPCs in the upcoming demo: #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev #devlog Read here: gdn001.itch.io/kalia-and-th...

Drawing of Kalia doing the "Absolute Cinema" reaction image.

1207

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 03/08/2026

Opening one of the pre-alpha demo scenes to retrieve something and getting jumpscared by a rendition of #KatFS that now feels ancient (and has also been broken beyond repair by the many system reworks for the alpha) 😬 #gamedev

Editor screenshot of an old scene from the pre-alpha demo, with several bugged visual elements due to years of changes.

1112

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 31/07/2026

Closing the month with a (mostly) feature-complete iteration of the second boss fight of the game! Definitely a great way to conclude the demo and showcase what Kalia's adventure brings. 🔥 It's still missing some special FX, but the main animations are all there! 🤘 #KatFS #indiegame #indiedev

1176

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 28/07/2026

It's quite a stretch for an "aquatic animal", but Kalia wouldn't be out of place with capybaras! 😁 Her main deal might be fire magic but she's deceptively fond of playing in the water I do have some other characters for future stories that are closer to the water if not outright aquatic themselves

Artwork of Kalia relaxing in a pond with a capybara, under a small waterfall shower.

230

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 27/07/2026

A very handy trick I've learned for these complex construct sprites with independent moving parts that wrap and spin around each other 🔥 #KatFS #indiedev #gamedev

A three-image sequence:
First image is labelled "Crown sprite renders entirely over the core sprite" and shows a "crown" sprite (semi-circle shape) rendering over a "core" sprite (spherical shape). The crown is shown at an angle where its back should appear behind the core, but because it is rendered over the core as a whole, the depth perspective appears wrong.
Second image is labeled "Set it to 'visible outside mask' and add a targeted sprite mask over part of the core", and it shows the same setup but with a highlighted sprite mask covering about a third of the core, over the offending area.
Third image is labeled "Crown sprite now has parts both in front of and behind the core sprite", with the same scene but with the crown's back part culled off, giving the impression that it is behind the core sprite.

0164

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 23/07/2026

While the Staff Guardian is an ancient construct designated to protect a single room, the Facility Sentinel is a massive security core responsible for guarding the entire complex. Expect to fight both in the upcoming #KatFS demo! 🔥 #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

Sprite showcase of the Staff Guardian and Facility Sentinel bosses side by side, with Kalia for comparison.

The staff guardian is a floating spherical "head" with a single eye, not much larger than Kalia herself, surrounded by floating rings that break up and cross each other.

The Facility Sentinel is a massive construct, composed of a huge floating spherical core protected by a ring base and a crown hovering over it, with this component being almost as large as the entirety of the Staff Guardian. It is also surrounded by three huge floating "arms" that tower over Kalia.

2279

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 22/07/2026

Settled on a blockout for the second boss design of #KatFS. Lemme tell ya I did not half-ass this one 😅 This thing will be full of moving parts that need to be sprited and animated, quite a challenge ahead! Kalia's largest foe so far! 😈 #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

Screenshot of a rough 3D mesh of the facility sentinel boss, a floating spherical core surrounded by a crown and base, and then flanked by three "arms" floating around it. The inner core alone is larger than Kalia

Screenshot of the 3D mesh in its blade attack form, with a sword protruding from each of the three arms.

Screenshot of the 3D mesh in its "charge attack" phase, where the core lands on the ground and the three arms adjust to brace the core as it charges.

Screenshot of the 3D mesh from the perspective it'll be shown in the game, with Kalia for size reverence.

0112

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 21/07/2026

Por enquanto, tenho um blockout para um dos três "braços" do boss. O conjunto será composto de um núcleo rodeado por esses "braços" que flutuam ao seu redor, podendo se mover e girar para realizar os ataques principais, ou baixarem para estabilizar o núcleo quando o boss prepara seu super ataque

Screenshot do componente do boss modelado no blender, em sua posição em pé e deitado, com um sprite da Kalia de referência.

030

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 21/07/2026

Iterando o design do segundo boss do #KatFS. Eu já tenho uma ideia da "anatomia" do boss, mas to quebrando a cabeça com o design em si 😬 Mas decidi que ele vai remeter ao deus do fogo asteca Xiuhtecuhtli, assim como a sua forma de serpente Xiuhcoatl. São estéticas que eu quero integrar mais ao jogo

Fotografia real de uma estátua da serpente de fogo Xiuhcoatl em um museu (Fonte: Wikipédia)

120

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 20/07/2026

KatFS demo development status report

Edit of a famous internet comic by "As Crônicas de Wesley". The character points and laughs at a defeated strongman with NPC sprites from the game stamped over it, saying "I did it! I have revamped all the demo NPC sprites!". He then says "Should be smooth sailing from here..." while an even stronger enemy stands behind him, labelled "Facility Sentinel Boss Sprites" with the boss's WIP sprite stamped on it. Then an even stronger enemy appears behind both with the label "Animated Cutscenes" and a smug Kalia stamped over its face.

0100

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 18/07/2026

#ScreenshotSaturday time! After a week of improving NPC animations across the board, I wanted to sit back and look at the results... Through a bunch of combat sequences in the upcoming #KatFS demo! 🔥 #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev #indieBR

22210

Kalia and the Fire Staff 😈 @kaliagame.com · 17/07/2026

Soooo much work improving the NPC sprites this week, but it's paid off :') Introducing a new category of zombie, the "beefy zombie". More health, more damage and can't be staggered or knocked back. Still very flammable though! 🔥😈 #KatFS #indiegame #indiedev #gamedev

1133