Kazakh Ministry Asks KNB to Audit 242 Million Tenge Steppe Rider Game

August 18, 2026 at 05:46 PM2 min

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The Ministry of Science and Higher Education has asked the National Security Committee’s anti-corruption service and the Astana Department of Economic Investigations to review spending on the Steppe Rider language-learning game, Minister Sayasat Nurbek said. Nurbek said the ministry initiated the request itself and that investigative proceedings are under way.

Key Facts

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Science and Higher Education asked the KNB anti-corruption service and the Astana Department of Economic Investigations to review spending of about 242 million tenge on the Steppe Rider video game.
Minister Sayasat Nurbek said the ministry initiated the request itself and investigative proceedings are now under way.
The state contract for the game was signed in 2025 at 241.8 million tenge excluding VAT, with TOO United Kingdom as the contractor.
The technical specification called for an educational RPG with turn-based strategy elements, a storyline, quests and at least 12 hours of gameplay, while official store descriptions present Steppe Rider as a runner with quizzes.

Investigation Request

The Ministry of Science and Higher Education asked the National Security Committee's anti-corruption service and the Department of Economic Investigations for Astana to review spending on the Steppe Rider video game, Minister Sayasat Nurbek said at a government briefing. The ministry initiated the request itself and investigative measures are now under way, Nurbek said. The matter now rests with the investigative authorities, he added. Nurbek did not directly answer whether the ministry was satisfied with the game or whether it met all technical specifications.

Game Contract and Funding

The game was developed under a state order in 2025 at a cost of 241.8 million tenge excluding VAT. The contractor was TOO United Kingdom, which previously worked in advertising and event organization. A tender for the children's computer game was announced in March 2025, with nearly 242 million tenge allocated. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education earlier said the project cost included development for three platforms and subsequent support. Ministry representatives also promised to continue improving the game during 2026.

Product and Criticism

The technical specification called for an educational RPG with turn-based strategy elements, a storyline, quests and at least 12 hours of gameplay. Official store descriptions present Steppe Rider as a runner with quizzes and tests. The game is available on Steam, Google Play and App Store. After its release, users and game industry representatives criticized the project for simplified gameplay, technical shortcomings and discrepancies with the original technical specification.