(22 January 2026 | Source: Informburo.kz)
The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan has provided clarifications regarding the cost and format of the educational game Steppe Rider following questions about the project during public consultation.
HOW MUCH DID THE GAME COST TO DEVELOP
According to data from the public procurement portal, in 2025 the Ministry of Science and Higher Education entered into a contract with United Kingdom LLP for the development of a children's game for teaching the state language. The total contract amount was 268,674,899.36 tenge, including VAT of 28,786,596.36 tenge.
WHAT THE MINISTRY STATED
According to Informburo.kz, speaking at a briefing at the Central Communications Service (CCS), the chairman of the language policy committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Erbol Tleshev, reported that Steppe Rider is the first domestic educational game in the runner genre, developed as part of the implementation of the language policy development concept.
Commenting on the cost of the project, he stated that the game was developed for three platforms simultaneously and included 3D production, development of game mechanics, user interface, mobile version, adaptation, testing, and optimisation. According to him, more than 30 specialists worked on the project, and the development timeframe was approximately seven months.
QUESTIONS REGARDING THE GAME GENRE
In the public procurement documentation, Steppe Rider was described as a turn-based RPG with a complex structure and multi-hour gameplay. At the same time, on the Steam digital store, the project is presented as a runner with quizzes and tests.
Responding to a question about the discrepancy in the wording, Erbol Tleshev stated that the game was implemented using turn-based logic.
However, the definition "turn-based RPG" used in the public procurement documentation refers to the game genre, whereas the "turn-based logic" mentioned by the ministry describes the order of performing in-game actions. The materials do not clarify why the genre definition was specifically used in the documentation if the project is presented as a runner.
USER FEEDBACK
According to ministry representatives, the game has been downloaded by more than 30,000 users, and reviews are generally considered positive, including from Russia and European countries.
Meanwhile, journalist Ivan Strizhakov, who previously published a video review of the application, reported technical problems, freezes, and a lack of clear explanations of the gameplay. He also highlighted the inconvenience of the controls and questioned the feasibility of developing a separate product when similar applications already exist.
PROJECT PLANS
The Ministry of Science reported that in 2026, development of Steppe Rider will continue under warranty support. Plans include adding a large-scale map, new game mechanics, and a competitive mode between users.