The Ministry of Science and Higher Education has initiated an inspection into the development of the educational game Steppe Rider, for which 239 million 888 thousand tenge was allocated from the budget. The inspection is being carried out by the National Security Committee (NSC) and the Department of Economic Investigations (DEI) for Astana.
WHY THE INSPECTION WAS LAUNCHED
As reported by Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek at a briefing at the Government, the ministry has sent requests for the inspection to the NSC and the Department of Economic Investigations.
"Investigative measures are currently underway. Further decisions will probably be announced later — either through the courts or as administrative violations," the minister said.
Further decisions fall within the remit of the NSC and the DEI.
HOW MUCH THE DEVELOPMENT OF STEPPE RIDER COST
According to the public procurement portal, in 2025 the Ministry of Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed a contract with United Kingdom LLP for the development of a game for learning the Kazakh language. The contract amount was 268.6 million tenge (approximately $490,000).
Later, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education provided clarifications on the cost and format of the educational game Steppe Rider following questions about the project raised in public discussion.
WHAT COMPLAINTS WERE RAISED ABOUT THE GAME
After the release of Steppe Rider, users drew attention to technical issues. In particular, reports were made of freezing, awkward controls, and a lack of clear explanations of the gameplay.
At the same time, the project was positioned as a game for learning the Kazakh language. Amid the criticism, questions also arose about how actively users were downloading and using the application.
According to public statistics cited after the release, only a handful of people had downloaded the game at that point. Meanwhile, ministry representatives claimed a significantly higher figure — more than 30,000 downloads — and generally positive reviews, including from Russia and Europe.
Despite the criticism after the release, the game was later recommended to teachers and students in Kazakhstan. A document signed by Deputy Minister Dinara Shcheglova contained a request for staff of educational institutions to download Steppe Rider.
