Updated Andrii Kovalenko2 min read

KUTO: The Lock of Time — story, combat, Steam

Outcast time guardian, Scythe of Kronos, Rewind Key. What the game is, Early Access Q1 2027, and the Steam wishlist.

KUTO: The Lock of Time is a 2D action-platformer metroidvania built around rewinding time, from Custom Software Development Limited, Early Access Q1 2027. You play Jokoan Kuto — a Time Guardian the pantheon stripped of foresight and sentenced to the fire. He walked out carrying the titan Kronos. Now the Scythe of Kronos is in his hands, and the Rewind Key is the only clock that still answers to him.

Start at the homepage or the press kit if you need assets. The Steam page is the public source of truth for what is in the current build.

The genre, in one line

It's a 2D action-platformer metroidvania built around rewinding time: Scythe of Kronos, Rewind Key, a hand-built map you reopen as you get stronger. If you want the longer version of how those genres differ, we wrote a separate explainer on roguelikes vs Metroidvanias.

The premise

Jokoan Kuto belonged to the Order of the Time Guardians until the gods turned on him. Cast out and left for dead, he survives the only way left to him: by merging with the essence of Kronos, the titan of time. That bond is the whole story. It keeps him alive, it hands him the Scythe of Kronos, and it lets him bend time — and now his only way forward is through the ages, with the gods' forces in his path. The full story is in our lore deep-dive.

The Scythe, and time as a second weapon

Combat has two halves, and Steam names both. Chain dashes, jumps and strikes with the Scythe of Kronos. Hold the Rewind Key and pull the last few seconds back — a missed jump, a trap you read too late, a hit that should have ended the fight.

The current build is that Rewind Key, available from the moment you take the clock. Steam is explicit: further time abilities will be announced only once they are actually in development. An older design note on five Time Keys is still on the site; treat the store page as what ships.

What death costs

Steam's wording is rewind death. Hold the Rewind Key and pull the last few seconds back instead of eating the loss. The map you have opened stays open — it is a metroidvania, not a fresh random layout.

Setting and tone

The current build is the opening region: ancient sanctuaries, ritual halls, collapsing structures, rendered in 2D. It does not take itself entirely seriously — there's a dark, dry humor running under the story-rich campaign. It ships in English and Ukrainian.

Where you can play it

KUTO: The Lock of Time is coming to PC via Steam Early Access in Q1 2027. The Steam page and trailer are live now, and the best way to follow development — and to help the game get made — is to wishlist it.

If a time-bending Metroidvania about an outcast who fights the gods with a stolen titan's power sounds like your kind of game, add KUTO: The Lock of Time to your wishlist on Steam.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of game is KUTO: The Lock of Time?
A single-player 2D action-platformer metroidvania built around rewinding time. Scythe of Kronos, Rewind Key, interconnected map.
Who is making it, and when does it release?
Custom Software Development Limited (CPCS). Early Access is planned for Q1 2027. The Steam page and trailer are live now.
What platforms and languages does it support?
PC via Steam (Windows), in English and Ukrainian.
Who do you play as in KUTO: The Lock of Time?
You play as Jokoan Kuto, an outcast from the Order of the Time Guardians who was betrayed by the gods and survived by merging with the essence of the titan Kronos.
What is the main weapon in KUTO: The Lock of Time?
The Scythe of Kronos — a fast, heavy melee weapon Jokoan wields for close-quarters hack-and-slash combat. The time powers complement it but the Scythe is always in hand.
What time mechanic is in the current build?
The Rewind Key. Hold it and pull the last few seconds back — a missed jump, a trap, a hit that should have ended the fight. Steam lists further time abilities as planned on that same rewind foundation, announced only once they are actually in development.
Do you keep progress after dying in KUTO: The Lock of Time?
Steam's wording is rewind death — hold the Rewind Key and pull the last few seconds back instead of eating the loss. It is a metroidvania, so the map you have opened stays open.
Is KUTO: The Lock of Time only set in Rome?
The current build is the opening region — ancient sanctuaries, ritual halls, collapsing structures. The two bosses are the Minotaur and Athena. Anything past it is not something the store page commits to yet.
What does the 2D Metroidvania structure mean in practice?
The world is rendered in 2D and built as an interconnected map. Areas you cannot reach early become accessible as you grow stronger — exploration and backtracking, not a fresh random layout.
Is KUTO: The Lock of Time story-driven or purely gameplay-focused?
Both. The game is tagged as story-rich, and the lore — Jokoan's betrayal, the Kronos bond, the gods in pursuit — is built into the campaign, not dropped in cutscenes and forgotten.
What is the tone of the game?
Dark fantasy with a dry humor running under it. The premise is grim, but the game does not play it entirely straight.
How is KUTO: The Lock of Time different from a roguelike?
Steam positions it as a 2D action-platformer metroidvania built around rewinding time, not as a roguelike. The map is a hand-built, interconnected region you reopen as you get stronger, not a fresh random layout.
Where can I wishlist KUTO: The Lock of Time?
On Steam — the page is live now at store.steampowered.com/app/4755510. Wishlisting helps the game get visibility at launch.

Keep reading

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