On first appraisal, they seem like two games that are impossible to blend. Dead Cells meets Final Fantasy XIV – how would that work? One is a punishing, pixel-art roguelike where death and impermanence are central to the entire premise, not just mechanically, but in terms of atmosphere and tone. The other is a sweeping MMORPG, driven by experience points, leveling up, and playing together with friends. Just launched onto Steam, a new roguelike somehow unites these seemingly mutually exclusive experiences, and it’s already pulled in glowing reviews as well as thousands of players.
Rabbit and Steel is a new roguelike game with a quasi-anime visual style, and bunny-people characters that feel inspired by FF14’s Viera. At one level, especially with regards to combat, it feels similar to MMORPGs. You can play solo or team up with three other players, either by local or online co-op, or a mixture of the two.
Battles are similarly reminiscent of tab-target online RPGs, where your moves have cooldowns and varied status effects, and the key to success is combining the abilities of your party and using them to strategically counteract puzzle-like bosses. Take a buff from one of your comrades, tank some damage while you deliver high-impact magic attacks, then withdraw, receive a heal, and repeat the cycle.
But Rabbit and Steel is primarily a roguelike. Mobs use bullet hell attack patterns, levels vary and change, and there are more than 100 random loot items that you can combine and exchange to create different classes on the go. It’s fast-paced, tough, and frenetic, and you need to fine tune your approach to every battle or else you can even wind up accidentally killing your entire team.
Released on Thursday May 9, Rabbit and Steel has so far received 1,727 user reviews, a gigantic 98% of which are positive. It’s also drawn some impressive player numbers, hitting a new all-time high of 5,446 during the last 24 hours. One of the best new games of this month, if you want to try Rabbit and Steel for yourself, it’s still available at a 10% discount. You can get it right here.
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