{"rewrite":{"id":"r_b33c3895b1cb0d3c2ec58381","clusterId":"c_d16ae843ffcdd5a2b9e1b37e","slug":"french-students-kintsugi-puzzle-platformer-is-free-on-steam","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"French Students' Kintsugi Puzzle Platformer Is Free on Steam","summary":"At BIC2026, 4Gamer played Kintsugi, a puzzle platformer by students at France's IIM Digital School. Players use a magic gold substance to repair broken platforms and climb walls. The game is a vertical slice, free on Steam, with about 10 to 15 minutes of playtime. Lead programmer Maxime Corby says the team aims for a full game of two and a half to three hours.","whyItMatters":"The students' pitch deck for a full release is in progress, so the free Steam vertical slice is the public entry point to a project that may become a complete game.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe game\u0026#39;s motif is kintsugi, the Japanese technique of repairing broken ceramics with lacquer and gold powder. The team adopted the idea after a teacher asked for multiple concepts, and one artist proposed it. They researched the practice, learned of its Buddhist origins, and worked that philosophy into the design.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCorby said the team tried to stay faithful to kintsugi but may have interpreted it differently from the original intent. He described the game not as an action title but as a platformer and puzzle game, chosen to keep gameplay simple while presenting a strong world. The near absence of text is deliberate, leaving room for each player\u0026#39;s interpretation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe current team of about ten people is making a pitch deck for publishers. A full game would take one to one and a half years to complete once funding is secured.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Kintsugi, a puzzle platformer by French students, is free on Steam. You control magic gold to repair broken platforms and climb walls. A vertical slice of a planned full game.","twitterPost":"Kintsugi, a puzzle platformer by French students, is free on Steam. Control magic gold to repair broken platforms and climb walls. A vertical slice of a planned full game.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"At BIC2026, a puzzle platformer by French students caught attention. Kintsugi uses a magic gold substance to repair broken platforms and climb walls. The game is free on Steam as a vertical slice, and the team is pitching a full release.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"4Gamer.net\",\"url\":\"https://www.4gamer.net/games/033/G103382/20260817036/\",\"title\":\"フランスの学生が描く，日本の伝統\\\"金継ぎ\\\"をテーマにした美しい世界。パズルプラットフォーマー「Kintsugi」［BIC2026］\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":5367,"outputTokens":594,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1786960733,"createdAt":"2026-08-17T09:53:43.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-17T09:56:44.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-17T09:53:43.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_d16ae843ffcdd5a2b9e1b37e","canonicalTitle":"フランスの学生が描く，日本の伝統“金継ぎ”をテーマにした美しい世界。パズルプラットフォーマー「Kintsugi」［BIC2026］","representativeArticleId":"a_f9ad8be881c83b5141d6dba4","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Kintsugi\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-08-17T08:42:29.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-08-17T08:42:29.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-17T09:56:45.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"4Gamer.net","url":"https://www.4gamer.net/games/033/G103382/20260817036/","title":"フランスの学生が描く，日本の伝統“金継ぎ”をテーマにした美しい世界。パズルプラットフォーマー「Kintsugi」［BIC2026］"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Kintsugi"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}