The Rabbit Haul News

[p]Hello! 👋[/p][p][/p][p]It’s been an incredible year for The Rabbit Haul, and we couldn’t have done it without you. 🐰💚 From every haul you’ve helped Sprout deliver to all the thoughtful feedback you’ve shared in Discord, your support continues to shape the game in amazing ways.[/p][p][/p][p]We’re thrilled to share with you our first Roadmap video, giving you a peek at what’s coming next as we prepare for our next playtest,  and most importantly, our public demo! 🎉[/p][p][/p][p]Check out the video![/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]We hope you enjoy these updates as much as we’ve loved creating them. Here’s a quick overview of what’s on the way:[/p][p]
[/p][p]🐼 Special Events – Take on Trash Panda Posse encampments and combat trials[/p][p]🧙‍♂️ New Bosses – Face the Wizard Raccoon and the Trash Panda King[/p][p]🐝 Beehive Upgrades – Strengthen your defenses with honeybee helpers[/p][p]🎮 Quality-of-Life Improvements – Twitch integration, smoother UI, and better HUD indicators[/p][p]🐷 And the best for last, you will be able to pet the pig![/p][p]
[/p][p] Let us know what you're most looking forward to seeing! 💚[/p][p][/p][p]We can’t wait to share the public demo with you soon! In the meantime, we have one more playtest planned before the end of the year, so keep an eye on our Discord for dates and more details![/p][p][/p][p]Make sure to also Wishlist us on Steam, as that is the easiest way to support our team! And make sure to check out our socials for other updates![/p][p][/p][p]Until next time 👋
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[p]BIG NEWS![/p][p][/p][p]🚨 We’re extending our Alpha Playtest! 🚨[/p][p][/p][p]Now you’ve got until September 22 to hop into our Discord and show off your haul-building and defending skills 💪🐰 Plus, it’s extra time to share your feedback so we can keep making the game even better 💚[/p][p][/p][p]Join us on Discord, and select the “Interested” role, to get your Steam key to playtest! 🥕✨[/p][p][/p][p]As a reminder, this is what is new for this Alpha Playtest:[/p][p][/p]

• [p]the town, quests, exploring, new weapons, roguelite cards from the last playtest[/p]
• [p]New Tutorial Pop-ups 📜[/p]
• [p]New Difficulty Modes (Easy & Normal) ⚔️[/p]
• [p]A new Enemy and Tower 🦝[/p]
• [p]Controller Support! 🎮[/p]

[p][/p][p]Plus a bunch of improvements, balances, and bug fixes:[/p]

• [p]Fixed overselling issue in the shop 🛒[/p]
• [p]Delivery Truck now requires the right amount of gold 💰[/p]
• [p]Sell basket resets correctly 🧺[/p]
• [p]Sniper Violet now unlocks the correct evolution 🌸[/p]
• [p]Item sprite display bugs have been cleaned up 🎨[/p]
• [p]Typos from last playtest polished up ✏️[/p]
• [p]UI for planting seeds feels smoother 🌱[/p]
• [p]Improved overall performance for smoother runs 🎮[/p]
• [p]Balance tweaks based on your feedback 💌 [/p][p][/p]

[p]We are also fixing and adding new things to the build during the playtest such as:[/p]

• [p]Low health indicator when the player is low on health[/p]
• [p]Low haul content indicator when raccoons are stealing crops and when the player is below 3 crops[/p]
• [p]Resolution selector in the options menu[/p]

[p]To learn more about the Alpha Playtest, check out our last post: [/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]We’ve seen so many new faces in this playtest, and we can’t thank you enough for hopping in! Watching everyone play, have fun, and share feedback has been incredible, and it’s all helping us make The Rabbit Haul the best it can be.[/p][p][/p][p]The fun’s not over yet! Join our Discord for another whole week of playtesting, and let us know how many runs you get accomplished 🌟[/p][p][/p][p]Until next time 👋[/p]

[h3]UPDATE: PLAYTEST IS RUNNING UNTIL SEPT. 22![/h3][p][/p][p]Hello again! 👋

We have another Alpha Playtest on the horizon, and thanks to your feedback, it's better than ever!

But before we get into it, check out our newest trailer if you haven’t! [/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p] We want you!
Playtests are the heart of how we make The Rabbit Haul the best it can be. Every bit of feedback, bug report, and idea you share is looked through and helps us grow and improve.

When and where?
The playtest takes place from September 8th to the 15th, giving you a whole week to test and enjoy the game, WOO!

How to participate?
To participate, you need to join our community Discord and choose the interested role. Everyone with the interested role will receive a Steam key via Discord DM the day the playtest starts, and will be able to redeem it on Steam to download The Rabbit Haul.

There will be more instructions for you in the Discord, so hop on in to be ready to jump into The Rabbit Haul! If you can't make this one, no problem. We have more planned down the road!

What’s new for this playtest?

All the fun from the last playtest is back (the town, quests, exploring, new weapons, roguelite cards), PLUS some new updates from your feedback on the last playtest:

New Tutorial Pop-ups We’ve added new tutorial pop-ups to guide you through key mechanics. Whether you’re brand new or just need a refresher, these tips will make it easier to understand how to build a strong garden!

New difficulty modes (Easy & Normal) Sometimes you just want to relax in the garden, and sometimes you want to test your limits. Now you can choose between Easy and Normal modes to best suit how you want to play! New Enemy and Tower Take on the new Reaper level 2, and try out the new Giant Stink Bomb on the rest of the Trash Panda Posse! (We can’t wait to see how you use it)

Controller support Controller support has been fixed! Xbox layouts are supported for now, with more to come in the future.

Improvements/Balancing/Bug Fixes[/p]

• [p]Fixed overselling issue in the shop 🛒 [/p]
• [p]Delivery Truck now requires the right amount of gold 💰[/p]
• [p] Sell basket resets correctly 🧺 [/p]
• [p]Sniper Violet now unlocks the correct evolution 🌸 [/p]
• [p]Item sprite display bugs have been cleaned up 🎨[/p]
• [p] Typos from last playtest polished up ✏️ [/p]
• [p]UI for planting seeds feels smoother 🌱 [/p]
• [p]Improved overall performance for smoother runs 🎮 [/p]
• [p]Balance tweaks based on your feedback 💌 [/p]

[p]As always, we are so grateful to have this community here with us as we continue to build our game. We look forward to sharing this latest playtest with you, so make sure you join our Discord to take part, and feel free to invite your friends to spread the word! ✨

Until next time 👋
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[p]SURPRISE! We’re going to PAX West for the very first time! 🥳
[/p][p]But before we get into it, check out our brand new trailer![/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]We’re bringing our brand-new demo to the show, and we can’t wait for you to try it. We hope this new trailer gets you as excited as we are! 🙌[/p][p][/p][h2]👾 PAX West Information[/h2][p][/p][h3]🌟 Where to Find Us 🌟[/h3][p]📍 Booth #652[/p][p]Arch Expo Hall
[/p][h3]Visit us for:[/h3][p]🎮 An exclusive PAX West demo[/p][p]💟 Indie Stamp Rally fun with our other awesome indie games friends[/p][p]🌱 The return of the #SproutSquad! [/p][p][/p][h3]What is the #SproutSquad? 👀[/h3][p][/p][p]Play The Rabbit Haul demo at our booth and snag your very own adorable sprout hair clip! We love seeing the squad grow, so snap a pic rocking your sprout and share your #SproutSquad and Rabbit Haul love on social media! 💚 Sprouts are available while supplies last (one per person).[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]💟 Indie Stamp Rally[/h3][p][/p][p]We’ve teamed up with A Corgi’s Cozy Hike, Starlight Re:Volver, and ctrl.alt.DEAL to bring you a mini indie stamp rally adventure across PAX! Visit all four booths, collect unique stamps, and you’ll be entered to win some sweet prizes 🎁 [/p][p][/p][p]2× 55” LED TVs — For local participants ONLY (must be able to pick up at PAX (Arch North Building) by 6:00 PM on Sept 1. Winners will be notified by text at 2 PM.[/p][p]1× $100 USD Steam Gift Card — Emailed to the winner after the show[/p][p]2× Starlight Re:Volver Steam Keys — Emailed to winners after the show[/p][p]2× ctrl.alt.DEAL Steam Keys — Emailed to winners after the show[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]
[/p][h2]🚀 What's Next After Pax?[/h2][p]Not attending PAX West? Sad to be missing out on the new demo? Want to know what is next for our Team? We have answers for all of that! 
[/p][p]Our next Alpha Playtest is right around the corner! We will have more information for you soon, so make sure you join our Discord and stay up to date with us on social media so you don’t miss out.
[/p][h3]🐰 Where to find us[/h3][p][/p][p]Join our Discord to be first in line for the next playtest and get all the latest updates![/p][p][/p][p]Wishlist The Rabbit Haul on Steam –  it’s one of the easiest ways to support us. 💚[/p][p][/p][p]Follow us on social media:[/p]

• [p]@calderainteractive on Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook[/p]
• [p]@calderainteract on X [/p]
• [p]@rabbithaulgame on Tiktok[/p][p][/p]

[p]Whether we get to meet you at PAX West or you’re cheering us on from home, we can’t wait to share what’s next. 🌟[/p][p][/p][p]Until next time! 👋[/p]

[p]We’re back with this month’s newsletter, and this one’s all about our latest playtest![/p][p][/p][p]From July 25 to August 5, our Discord community got exclusive early access to the newest version of The Rabbit Haul. And wow… y’all did not hold back![/p][p][/p][p]Our server has been hopping with bug reports, awesome suggestions, epic run stats, and some truly wild raccoon-slaying numbers. It’s been amazing to see your reactions in real time and to have you right there with us. 🐇💚[/p][p][/p][p]Here are some highlights from the chaos:[/p][p][/p][p]A screenshot of a player's win stats! ✨[/p][p][/p][h2]📊 Playtest by the numbers:[/h2]

• [p]142 runs were played[/p]
• [p]457 chests opened[/p]
• [p]6 victories by defeating all waves (MVPs, where you at?👀)[/p]
• [p]23 victories by ordering Gerald’s Delivery Service[/p]
• [p]55 homes rebuilt in Town[/p]
• [p]7,767 Symbiosis Crystals collected[/p]
• [p]23,935 blades of grass mowed down[/p]
• [p]12,832 raccoons met their match 🦝💥[/p][p][/p]

[h2]🌱 Player choices:[/h2]

• [p]76% of all crops planted were Strawberries (3243) 🍓[/p]
• [p]Most-planted tower? Touch Me Not at 59% (815), followed by Power Flower at 20% (277)[/p]
• [p]Most-picked Roguelite Card? Beehive at 9% (40) 🐝[/p]
• [p]Most common symbiotic relationship: Sprinkler at 46% (66), with Beehive close behind at 38% (55)[/p]
• [p]Most popular Town shop upgrade? Power Flower at 26% of all upgrades (106 upgrades purchased in total)[/p][p][/p]

[h2]⏱ Total time played:[/h2][p]You all logged a whopping 79 hours and 48 minutes of gameplay in just 12 days! 😮[/p][p][/p][h2]⭐ Player ratings:[/h2]

• [p]52.2% gave the game 4 stars[/p]
• [p]26.1% gave it 5 stars[/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p]A playtester's impressive garden defenses! 💥[/p][p][/p][h2]🚧 A glimpse at what is next:[/h2][p]Your feedback is gold, and here’s what came up the most at first glance:[/p]

• [p]Lack of controller support (yep, we’re already fixing that)[/p]
• [p]Difficulty curve (we’ll look at adding an easy mode)[/p]
• [p]Missing indicators for low health/low haul (those surprise losses hurt)[/p]
• [p]Some mechanics are not clearly explained (Delivery Truck, Symbiosis Crystals/XP)[/p]
• [p]Plus, 44 bugs were reported which are logged and ready to be prioritized for our team to tackle! 💥🐞[/p]

[p]Rest assured that we read through all the bug reports, feature suggestions and survey responses we receive. We might not get to your bug or suggestions right away, but we will eventually.[/p][p][/p][h2]🌱  How you can support us[/h2]

• [p]Join our Discord to be first in line for the next playtest and get all the latest updates.[/p]
• [p]Wishlist The Rabbit Haul on Steam –  it’s one of the best ways to help our game reach more players![/p][p][/p]

[p]We can’t thank you enough for playing, testing, and helping us grow the game. Your support makes every day worth it for our team. 💛[/p][p][/p][p]Stay tuned for details on the next playtest![/p][p][/p][p]Until next time! 👋[/p]