Since there have been many questions received about Kaido Genkai, here are some common answers that might be of interest to you.
What is Kaido Genkai about?
Kaido Genkai is an open world anime racing RPG set in 90’s Japan, where you explore the countryside, meet and race opponents, and complete objectives to unlock new cars and areas of the map. It is focused on a narrative story line, and has been in development since January 2014 as a passion project by one developer in his spare time. It is highly influenced by PS2 games like Choro-Q (Road Trip in North America), Midnight Club, and of course, Auto Modellista for the visual style.
Who is making this game?
Firstly there’s myself – Karoshi. I do the game development, story, and graphic design. I have a full time job and have never worked on a game (or even program) before. This is a passion project where I spend all my free time after my day job creating Kaido Genkai. The name I chose, Karoshi, means to work yourself to death, which is my ethos for life between maintaining my full time job and putting hours into game development.
The game is supported by the talented vehicle artist Hacao, and illustrator Holeecrab, who are both hugely instrumental in making this project come to life.
When will the game be released and on what platforms?
There is no planned release date, though a demo may or may not be planned for late 2025 (depending on how things go). Kaido Genkai will be on PC first, with the possibility of console releases at a later date. It will not be available for iOS or Android.
Will there be multiplayer?
Sadly not. I’d love to implement this, but as a very small team with limited resources, this is not currently feasible within our means.
Will it be realistic or arcady?
Arcady, most similar to Midnight Club 2 though without some of the mechanics like going on two wheels or slowing down time.
Will there be drifting?
You will be able to perform drifts in the game, but it is not a drift focused game. I feel like there are a lot of amazing games out there which do this kind of genre really really well, so I wanted to make a different experience for Kaido Genkai.
What cars are in Kaido Genkai?
It is a selection of 90’s Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) vehicles, as this felt the most appropriate for the game’s setting. There are about 18 vehicles planned for the game, which include small Kei cars, popular models for the time, and a few hidden gems that we just simply like. There are no vehicles from the 2000’s or from other areas of the world. Additionally, as we do not have permission to use any trademarks or licenses, manufacturers and exact models are the work of fiction.
What is the car customization like?
You can unlock pre-tuned versions of each car, as well as pre-made liveries/paint jobs. A full editor for creating skins and customizing parts is unfortunately not realistic for the size and availability of our team right now, though of course that would have been awesome.
Can I request a car?
You can try, if you’d like to reach out on Discord – though the final car line-up has been mostly solidified already (I’m sorry).
Can I request a feature?
Our Discord is where we receive suggestions, though there is no guarantee that we can accommodate any request. But sometimes a good idea is a good idea, and we’re all in.
How can I help support this passion project?
Thank you so much for your interest in Kaido Genkai! The number one thing you can do is follow and share our posts on social media platforms like Twitter/X, Instagram, and Bluesky. You can also become a member of Discord (I’m sure we’ll love you) and we do have YouTube channel as well. Additionally, if you Wishlist Kaido Genkai on Steam, it really helps us out on that platform too, which cannot be understated.
Thank you to anyone who has followed us, or shared a post or video about the game – you’re really doing a lot to help us out.
If you are a content creator or media representative, we also highly welcome any coverage you might want to give us. Feel free to reach out on socials or through this form if applicable.
We are not currently seeking any kind of monetary donations or support, though a Patreon or similar may be created in the future if it feels like the right thing to do.
Are you accepting any kind of paid partnerships for media etc?
Nothing paid, as the game is still early in development and missing features and graphics still – the game is not ready for a big media push at the time of this writing. However, we really love any media we can get for free – shares on platforms like X/Twitter, as well as any kind of Youtube coverage.