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The Rabbit Haul News

Demo coming soon? 👀 We answered your questions!

[p]Hello everyone! 👋[/p][p][/p][p]We hope this new year has been treating you well so far! We have been busy behind the scenes getting ready for our Demo, which we are excited to announce to you soon! [/p][p][/p][p]While we get ready for that, we hosted a Community Q&A in our Discord to hear what you wanted to know about The Rabbit Haul, game development, and everything in between. Thank you so much to everyone who jumped in with questions—we loved reading and answering them![/p][p][/p][p]If you’d like to be part of the next Q&A (and get early sneak peeks along the way), make sure to join our Discord![/p][p][/p][p]Now, let’s hop into your questions! 🥕✨[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Do you have plans to add new flowers or crops we can grow? [/p][p][/p][p]Titus (Artist/Game Designer): Yes, the plan is to have more you can grow! We have some ideas cooking up, and part of it is finding ways these new plants interact with other plants in your garden! [/p][p]
Are cosmetics going to be available in the full game, as they were during the last playtest?[/p][p][/p][p]Titus (Artist/Game Designer): Our cosmetics system is actually what we've been working on lately! We're excited to share how that will look soon, so yes, there will be cosmetics![/p][p]
What made you choose to make a game based on a farmer rabbit that needs to defend his crops from raccoons at night? In addition, does the farmer rabbit even sleep since he works day and night?[/p][p][/p][p]Titus (Artist/Game Designer): To put it simply, we're animal enjoyers and had a cute idea that we thought might work! And Raccoons fit the vibe of a thieving, rascal-like enemy! Also, there are a lot of things we don't know about Sprout: Does he sleep? Use the bathroom? Blink? 🤷 an enigma 😆[/p][p]
How did the town get destroyed, since the playtests never told us the prequel story to the game?[/p][p][/p][p]Titus (Artist/Game Designer): The Trash Panda Posse invaded the town not long before the game begins![/p][p]
Can the beehive spawn bees that can help you defend your crops in the future?[/p][p][/p][p]Titus (Artist/Game Designer): Beehives currently have two branching upgrades! Bees will spawn if you upgrade the beehive down one of those paths, and they'll be able to help you defend![/p][p]
I was interested if you guys have a price point for the game upon release or a range yet?[/p][p][/p][p]Isael (CEO/Sound Designer): We were originally planning on a $20 price point. However, the last few years have shown a shift in pricing strategy, and we are considering entering the market at a lower price point.[/p][p]
When is the next playtest, because I need more 👀👀👀[/p][p][/p][p]Isael (CEO/Sound Designer):  As for the next playtest, we are still not sure whether we'll have another playtest before the demo (which is coming soon). We have discussed giving access to the demo early to our Discord members, but that will depend on whether the build is ready to give early access. Sorry for not having anything more concrete to tell you, it is still being planned currently![/p][p]
Will there be a fishing minigame?[/p][p][/p][p]Mickael (Programmer): No plans for that yet. We might consider it, but we have to get everything else in that we wanted to add first 😂 [/p][p]We will have a level that's based around water, so it could fit in there 🤔, but no promises for now [/p][p]
Do you plan on adding any monetization via in-game purchases (cosmetics, etc.)?[/p][p][/p][p]Mickael (Programmer): No in-game monetization! Everything will be unlockable through in-game currency.


What is your favorite feature that you added to the game so far? Additionally, why do you enjoy the feature from the previous question?[/p][p]

Titus (Artist/Game Designer): There are a few favorites in my opinion, I really enjoy the upgrade card + symbiosis features, which allows for each run to be a little different than your previous! It also opens the door for us to make more symbiotic relationships, and we have some new ideas we want to add in later updates! Additionally, I also like the bees, I think they're fun!


Are there any ideas that you look forward to implementing into future versions of The Rabbit Haul and why?[/p][p]Titus (Artist/Game Designer): Future ideas I'm looking forward to implementing are different biomes! Right now, we have the forest biome, but the plan is to have more, Mickael teased one earlier, haha! Different biomes mean different enemies and things to discover, and therefore (hopefully) new challenges and new fun things to experiment with in your garden.[/p][p]
What's a skill you had to learn/get better at in the process of development?[/p][p][/p][p]Isael (CEO/Sound Designer): For me, I would say the one I am most proud of is taking breaks and work-life balance in general. I learnt that developing a game is a marathon not a sprint.[/p][p]As for hands-on skills, I took a coding bootcamp back in 2023 – it was a 7 months intensive program working evenings and weekends, while working full-time on The Rabbit Haul. These skills have allowed me to be more independent in Unity, to the point where I write my own code now for my audio features and have fixed small bugs or implemented small changes. I also have a better understanding of the technical side of making games, which makes me a better producer in general.[/p][p][/p][p]Mickael (Programmer): It's so hard to pick one. There's so much that's not related to actually developing the game, but the whole "business" of gamedev was a lot of learning. [/p][p]Directly in the game, there's a lot of coding specifics. I had experience with Unity but I'd never been on a project for so long.[/p][p]My code quality has dropped a little since there aren't many people in the codebase, but I've gotten better at understanding the tradeoffs that I'm making when I do something fast and quick vs creating a full system out of it.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you again for all the amazing questions! We loved answering them and chatting with you all. Have more questions for us?  Join our Discord and drop them in! We always want to hear from you. [/p][p][/p][p]With our demo coming very soon, now’s the perfect time to stay close. Make sure you’re following us on social and hanging out in Discord, so you don’t miss any news, sneak peeks, or demo updates. We can’t wait to share what’s next with you![/p][p][/p][p]👉 Check out our socials[/p][p]👉 Join the Discord[/p][p][/p][p]Until next time 👋[/p]

Join The Rabbit Haul Discord!

[p]Hello everyone! 👋🐰[/p][p][/p][p]We hope you’ve been enjoying the playtest so far! Just a heads-up, there are only a few days left, so be sure to hop in while you can and secure your exclusive Playtester Hat before the playtest ends! 🎩✨[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We genuinely appreciate your feedback. Your ideas, suggestions, and bug reports are a huge part of what makes The Rabbit Haul better every single day. This game is being shaped by you just as much as by us. 💚[/p][p][/p][p]If you haven’t already, we’d love for you to join our Discord community![/p][p]
That’s where we chat with players, gather feedback, share updates, give early sneak peeks and hang out during playtests! We would love to see you there![/p][p][/p][p]Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/E9kheX7puq[/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[EXTENDED UNTIL DEC 17!] Open Playtest Starts Today!

[p]EDIT: Thank you so much to everyone who has joined Sprout in defending their haul! We are excited to share that we are extending the Open Playtest until December 17th![/p][p][/p][p]Hello hello! 👋[/p][p]
Our Open Playtest is officially LIVE![/p][p][/p][p]Everyone who plays during this event will get a special Playtester Hat as a thank-you for being part of our journey. 💚[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Check out our latest Steam post to see what’s new! 🐰📦[/p][p]https://steamcommunity.com/app/2514330[/p][p][/p][p]And finally, don't forget to join our Discord for any feedback you may have, log any bugs you run into, talk with other players and more! ✨[/p][p][/p][p]See you in the playtest![/p]

Our Next Playtest Starts December 3rd!

[p]Hello everyone! 👋[/p][p][/p][p]We’re gearing up for another playtest on December 3rd, and it’s shaping up to be a big one thanks to all your support through the year![/p][p][/p][p]When and where?[/p][p]The playtest will run from December 3rd to December 10th, giving you a full week to explore the game and enjoy all the newly added features.[/p][p][/p][p]How to participate?[/p][p]To participate, head over to our Steam page, look for the Playtest section. Click on Request Access. If you click before December 3, you will need to wait until the playtest is active to download the game. Starting December 3, you will be granted access and will be able to download the game to your Steam library.[/p][p][/p][p]As a way to show our appreciation, all playtesters will be awarded a Special Playtester Hat: a finely engineered cardboard box, perfect for those with refined taste.[/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Wizard Raccoon[/p][p]There is a new Raccoon joining the posse! This tricky trash panda prefers casting spells from afar, disabling your towers while the rest of the posse closes in, but that’s not all they’ve got up their sleeve… Which you’ll have to play to find out![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Beehive Upgrades[/p][p]Because so many players rely on bees to keep their gardens safe, we decided it was time to give them some well-deserved love. Bees will now have their own upgrade path, allowing you to level them up! As your hives become stronger, honey bees will join the fight at night![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Petting the Pig
By popular request, you can now officially pet the town pig! The community asked, and we happily delivered. Give him a little pat next time you pass by.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Dynamic Haul[/p][p]The more crops in your haul, the bigger it gets… literally! Now, when you put crops in your haul visibly grow in size! But watch out… When the posse takes from your haul, it will shrink![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Notifications[/p][p]When you pick up items, a handy notification will pop up on your screen so you always know what’s happening around you or what you have just picked up.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]New Town Music
We’ve added brand-new town music to the Rabbit Haul, bringing an even more cozy charm to your adventures. [/p][p]Plus many more Improvements/Balancing/Big Fixes based on your feedback![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We cannot wait to share this latest playtest with you! Make sure to join our Discord to share any feedback you have, and feel free to invite your friends to help spread the word! ✨[/p][p][/p][p]And make sure to keep up with us on socials!
[/p][p]See you on December 3rd! 👋[/p]

Steam Animal Fest Celebration

[p]Hey everyone!

What an amazing week! We’re so grateful to everyone who stopped by and supported The Rabbit Haul during Steam’s Animal Fest!

We’re so close to 10,000 wishlists, and it’s all thanks to this amazing community! Haven’t wishlisted yet? Now’s the best time to wishlist The Rabbit Haul and share it with your friends to help us reach our goal.

We’ve got an exciting playtest coming up soon. Be sure to wishlist the game so you don’t miss it! Want to keep helping the game grow? Here’s how you can help![/p][p]🐰 Wishlist The Rabbit Haul on Steam[/p][p]💬 Join our Discord to chat with our devs and wonderful community[/p][p]❤️ Follow our page for updates and sneak peeks[/p][p]📢 Share our game & our socials with your friends

Our indie studio thrives on your support. Every wishlist, follow, and encouraging word from our community helps us grow and bring this game to life.

Thank you. 💛🐇[/p]