iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Our first crowdfunding game is live on itch.io. It's a free to play game but would love for your help on getting our studio setup. terrytkato8.itch.io/dead-hour #freetoplay #indiestudio #itchio #indiegame #startup #donations

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Concept art for one of our games, USB (Universal Serial Blade) by demonrabbitink.com

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

plot twist: the "indie studio small enough that the CEO replies to every comment" allegations are true. i see all of them. i reply to most of them. no shame in the game #gamedev #indiedev

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Our art starts from a blank canvas to a finished frame. No AI, no prompts, just artists putting in the hours. This is what "made by real people" looks like at Kato.8, and we're proud about it. — #gamedev #indiedev #NoAI #indiegame #TinyTeams

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

A solid product will not save you. Being good isn't enough, you have to market it, invest in understanding what your audience actually wants, and take their opinions seriously. You can't just build whatever you want in a vacuum and expect it to land. #gamedev #indiedev #indietech

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Big one: Kato.8 has multiple investor meetings lined up. We've built out demos and vertical slices for our games, plus a full pitch deck covering every project and the studio. The response so far from investors/ publishers has been exciting. More updates coming. #gamedev #indiedev #indietech

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Not sponsored, just wanted to share: Finch turns self-care into a game. You set your own tasks, complete them for in-game currency, and use it to decorate. It's cute, it's low-stakes, and it's helped me actually follow through on stuff. #gamedev #indiedev #indietech

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Best gaming junk food? Runners up: gummy colas, Funyuns, canned soda. #1 of all time, no discussion needed: pepperoni pizza. That's the GOAT and I will not be entertaining debate. #gamedev #indiedev

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Minecraft, FNAF, and Rocket League are all overrated to me. I'll be the first to say I get why people love them--it's just genuinely not my thing. That's not gonna stop y'all in the comments though. Which take am I most wrong about? Tell me below. — #gamedev #indiegame #indiedev #gamedevelopment

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I ranked my games S-to-F. Five Nights at Freddy’s landed in D tier, Hades in C, Expedition 33 in S. How did I do? #gamedev #indiedev #indietech

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

There’s a tradeoff nobody talks about enough. High barrier to entry means most people bounce. The ones who don’t become ride-or-die. Low barrier means everybody gets in. Nobody’s loyal. They play it, they like it, they move on. #gamedev #indiedev #gamedesign

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

People keep asking what kind of studio we’re building. Easy answer: the games I grew up on. Super Nintendo era. The ones that made me fall in love with this. And I want everyone here building from whatever their version of that is. Passion first, or don’t make it. #gamedev #indiedev #retrogaming

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Dating’s rough when you run a studio. But the studio is the point of the dating, kind of. I started this because I want a family and I want to be able to take care of them. That’s the whole drive. Bad business answer. True one. #gamedev #indiedev #buildinpublic

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

We're going to PAX West! September 4–7. Seattle Convention Center. We're bringing merch to give out! We want to meet everyone. Devs, artists, players, students. All of you. Come find us and talk to us! Tell us what you're building. See you in Seattle 💙 — #PAXWest #PAXWest2026 #gamedev #indiedev

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Three videos/podcasts I go back to when running a studio is kicking my ass. One studio that ran out of payroll. One writer who assumed he was a fraud. One team given six weeks to save their own jobs. None of them make it look easy. #gamedev #indiedev #indietech #gaming #indiestudio

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Disney's latest round of cuts hit its visual effects team hard, and AI is one of the reasons being pointed to. This is exactly why we started Kato.8 the way we did, people first, no shortcuts on that, even when it'd be easier. #gamedev #indiedev #TinyTeams #AI #layoffs

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Gamescom's exhibitor space sold out for the first time. What stands out to us isn't the number, it's that more devs are starting their own studios, and gamers are paying attention to who's actually putting heart into these games. That's the community we're building Kato.8 for. #gamedev #indiedev

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Demos are done! All three of Kato.8's games now have working demos. We're deep in internal testing, and a community playtest Discord is coming so players can jump in and help steer the studio. #gamedev #indiedev

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

A few more tips for your startup based on mistake that I made early on. Learn from your mistakes, grow from them and work with them. #mistakes #careergrowth #gamedev #indiestudio #startupjourney

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Metrics are important for forecasting game sales and revenue. Wishlist numbers are no longer a key indicator on possible purchases for your game on Steam. Find better data. #gamedev #steamwishlist #indiestudio #startupjourney

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

What if I told you I have no idea what I'm doing as a CEO? That's not entirely true, but, like most of you, I have never started my own company before. Learning as I go along and using the experience I have. #gamedev #indiestudio #startupjourney

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Why time management is so important for startups. Every milestone matters. #gamedev #indiestudio #startupjourney

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

What would I do if I had to start all over again? What would I do differently? #gamedev #indiestudio #startupjourney

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

It is incredibly tough managing a startup while working full time and adding freelance work on top of that. I have my own strategy on how I stay on top of all of it. Play around to find your perfect balance. #gamedev #indiestudio #startupjourney

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

We have made so much progress. It is crazy to think about far we've come compared to day 1. We're nearly at the finish line and it is 100% thanks to our teams at Kato.8 #gamedev #indiestudio #startupjourney

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

I have never been an "in front of the camera" person. I always feel so awkward recording myself. It is such a great way to reach a broad audience and market yourself though. No way can a business not be on social media these days. #marketing #indiestudio #startup

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Planning and organizing a game build is a lot of work. Making sure you have everything planned out beforehand is critical. Scope out your work. #gamedev #indiestudio #startupjourney

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

*Outtakes* It's never done in just one take. I always get tongue tied and twisted when recording myself for these posts. I have never been a fan of recording myself and always feel so awkward doing these. #outtakes #startup #gamedev #indiegamestudio

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Struggles of a zero funding startup pt.3 Finding free tools and coming up with creative solutions to address your needs. There are a ton of free tools that can help with every part of your company. #startup #gamedev #indiestudio #creativesolutions

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

So excited for this game to come out. Got to love all the indie studios putting out so many cool games. #indiestudios #gamedev #startup #support

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

We have a winner of our naming contest! Congrats to our winner, Emma. She will receive a free copy of the game, her name in the credits, and a free copy of the art book. #winner #contest #gamedev #startupjourney #indiestudio

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Another game that left a mark on my love for video games was #TMNT Turtles in Time. Absolutely one of my favorite beat 'em up games. #snes #gamedev #indiestudio #startup

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

"My goddess has called for a hunt. She will guide my hand towards my target." Be sure to tune in on May 10th at 1pm PT/3pm CST/ 4pm ET on twitch.tv/laroomckenzee #twitch #dnd #streamer #gofundme

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Ideas are easy. Execution and follow through is the difficult part. Anyone can come up with a game idea. It's putting all the pieces together that makes it possible. This is what my creative process looks like pt. 1 #creative #gamedev #indiestudio

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

"Born on a mountain, destined to rock. I seek the truest sounds in this world." Be sure to tune in on May 10th at 1pm PT/3pm CST/ 4pm ET on twitch.tv/laroomckenzee #twitch #dungeonsanddragons #indiestudio

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

There's a reason why I haven't built all these games myself. I have no eye for design and no artistic talent. Recognize your shortcomings and know when you need help. #gamedev #indiestudio #startup

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Finally got our YouTube channel up and running. Please take a look at the trailer for our documentary that will follow Kato.8 Studios through the team's journey. www.youtube.com/channel/UCQY... #gamedev #indiestudio #documentary #interview

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Unpopular Opinion: use AI to make your life and work easier. Don't replace people with AI but use it to streamline your work. Use it as a tool, just like the internet and multiple forms of technology have made workflows better. #indiestudio #ai #gamedev

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

I've rebooted my Twitch account to start streaming on behalf of Kato.8 Studios in order to help with cashflow. Please tune in to help support. twitch.tv/laroomckenzee #support #twitch #indiestudio

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Fight the power! Stop replacing people with AI. We are trying to reverse the culture of investing in AI and going back to investing in people. Please help us combat the big studios by donating to our GoFundMe (link in bio) #indiestudio #startup #gofundme

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Feel free to checkout our website and learn more about what we're building. If you're still interested, DM me and we can setup some time to chat.

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

The best thing to do when making a mistake is to learn from them. I will own up to the fact that I am not perfect and doing my best to lead with humility and note when I drop the ball. #leadership #startup #indiestudio

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Had such a great talk with Lano.Exe about trying to build a game studio by gamers for gamers. Bring the gaming culture back to those who care. #gamedev #startup #gofundme

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

It is a revenue share to start and will have the option to convert to a paid role once we get funding

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Love to hear it! Feel free to DM me and we can connect about the role

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Kato.8 Studios @kato-8.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Great to hear. Please feel free to DM me and we can start chatting about this

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