Rabbit and Steel
| Rabbit and Steel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | mino_dev |
| Publisher | mino_dev |
| Composer | Steelplus |
| Platform | Windows |
| Release | 9 May 2024 |
| Genre | Action roguelike |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
Rabbit and Steel is a 2024 action roguelike video game. Gameplay involves one to four players taking on a series of boss fights, with mechanics inspired by massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) raids and bullet hell games. The game is structured into runs, and players unlock upgrades and equipment during those runs in a roguelike fashion. The game was the second game of solo developer mino_dev, who released it for Windows on 9 May 2024.
It has been praised for bringing mechanics traditionally associated with MMOs to a smaller-scale four-player coop experience, without the time investment that would normally be required, similar to Atlyss. Reviewers highlighted its gameplay loop and accessibility features.
Gameplay
[edit]Rabbit and Steel is an action roguelike game for one to four players, where players take on a series of bossfights.[1] The game draws inspiration from and uses many mechanics of raids in MMORPGs such as Final Fantasy XIV and World of Warcraft.[2] Each bossfight has a set of mechanics; in multiplayer these mechanics require group coordination, such as moving into and out of shapes, avoiding bombs placed on certain players, or being forced to group up.[1][3] In single-player, the coordination mechanics are replaced by bullet hell-style attacks the player must dodge.[2]
Each player controls a rabbit that has access to four abilities, each with a cooldown and various special effects.[4] Abilities also share a global cooldown.[5] Using abilities in the correct order is an important part of gameplay.[4] In roguelike fashion and unlike in MMOs, rabbits do not level up in a persistent manner.[3] Instead, in each run, players receive loot drops that allow them to upgrade their abilities and improve their character for that run.[3] Each run takes players through several zones; at the end of each run, there is a metaprogression system: players can unlock new rabbit classes and gear based on their performance.[3]
Development and release
[edit]Developer mino_dev is an Atlanta, United States-based solo indie developer. They previously developed Maiden and Spell, a bullet hell fighting game they compared to Touhou Project.[6] Rabbit and Steel was their second project, begun in November 2021.[7] It used code and characters from Maiden and Spell, combined with ideas from Final Fantasy XIV raids.[6] Mino_dev also cited Hades as an inspiration, citing its weapon upgrades as the inspiration of the game's ability upgrades.[5]
The game was released on 9 May 2024 on Steam for Windows.[8] DLC titled Rabbit and Steel: Extra Mode was released on 6 February 2026.[9]
Reception
[edit]Reviewers considered that Rabbit and Steel captured the essence of MMO raids well,[1] and commented on the game's accessibility to solo players and those without the time required for MMOs.[10] Alex McHugh of PCGamesN said that the game "understand[s] the mechanics of raiding", praising its depth while commenting that it avoided the logistical difficulty of raiding in MMOs.[2] Massively Overpowered's Sam Kash complimented the gameplay loop, saying that it "really clicks".[3] Kash also praised the game's support for local multiplayer and its easier "cute" difficulty, which they considered to make the game accessible for families and a larger set of players.[3]
Rabbit and Steel sold over 125,000 copies in its first two weeks.[11]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Bolding, Jonathan (12 May 2024). "Here's a co-op action roguelike that's basically a boss rush of high-tier MMO raids". PC Gamer.
- 1 2 3 McHugh, Alex (9 May 2024). "New indie co-op roguelike on Steam recreates MMO raids with rabbits". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kash, Sam (29 May 2024). "Fight or Kite: Rabbit and Steel distills the MMO raid experience into a flashy boss battling roguelike". Massively Overpowered.
- 1 2 Yanamoto, Shinichi (26 September 2023). "［TGS2023］ウサギ少女たちがレイドボスに挑む。PC向け新作ローグライトアクション「Rabbit and Steel」試遊レポート". 4Gamer. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- 1 2 Wood, Austin (16 May 2024). "A 4,000-hour Final Fantasy 14 diehard made his own MMO raid-infused roguelike and it's tearing it up on Steam, beating the 4-year sales of his last game in 24 hours". GamesRadar.
- 1 2 Kivel, Katelyn (20 May 2024). "Rabbit and Steel Dev Talks World First Race, Future Plans, and More". Game Rant. Archived from the original on 27 October 2025. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "Press Kit | Rabbit & Steel". minodevgames.
- ↑ "Rabbit and Steel on Steam". Steam. Archived from the original on 5 March 2026. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "Rabbit and Steel: Extra Mode". Steam. 6 February 2026.
- ↑ Thorn, Ed (2 May 2024). "Rabbit And Steel gives you the thrills of an MMO raid without the preceding mega-grind, and it has a demo". Rock Paper Shotgun.
- ↑ Carless, Simon (22 May 2024). "How Rabbit & Steel raided its way to 125k+ sales in two weeks". gamediscover.co. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2026.