Air Hares News

[p]On January 14, 2026, a lifelong dream comes true for the Air Hares creators: the Air Hares game + comic book officially launch on Steam![/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]Air Hares is a labor of love from husband-and-wife team Tim and Megan Bungeroth. Together with an incredible crew of freelance programmers, artists, musicians, they've been working to bring Captain Rabbo to life since 2020.[/p][p][/p][p]Inspired by their journey with infertility and finding hope in science when nature fails, Tim and Megan created a retro-style "bullet hell" game that's about creating life, not taking it.[/p][p][/p][p]Today, they're thrilled to share that Air Hares will be released on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.[/p][p][/p][p]Megan, Tim + Kirby Bungeroth, creators of Air Hares[/p][p][/p][h2]About the game[/h2][p][/p][p]Air Hares is a retro-inspired top-down shooter where you play as Captain Rabbo, seeding and watering the carrot crop of Winrose while dodging Gale Gang falcon goons. [/p][p][/p][p]Players progress through 4 stages, with 3 farming levels and a boss fight in each. As you advance, you'll need to use skills like the barrel roll, parry, and loop-de-loop to dodge the ever-faster falcons. Weather elements like wind, rain, and lightning add extra difficulty.[/p][p][/p][p]Co-op mode features Player 2 as Dirk Doggo, Captain Rabbo's loyal canine companion. It's the perfect set-up for parents and young kids to play together. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Air Hares game features include:[/p]

1. [p]Shooting seeds and water droplets to fill each of 3 carrot fields per level[/p]
2. [p]Dodging + parrying falcons intent on knocking Rabbo out of the sky[/p]
3. [p]Beating 4 different avian bosses with unique mechanics[/p]
4. [p]Teaming up with Dirk Doggo in co-op mode – perfect for playing with kids![/p]
5. [p]Original music, beautiful pixel art, narrative cut scenes, and a story of hope in the face of desolation[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Get ready to fly with the Air Hares[/h2][p][/p][p]The Air Hares team is thrilled to share the game and comic book with our supporters and new fans! It means the world to us, and we hope you enjoy playing it with your family and friends.[/p][p][/p][p]Available to purchase on Jan. 14:[/p]

• [p]Air Hares full game, with solo & co-op mode[/p]
• [p]Air Hares comic book Volume 1: Floppy Flights of Fancy, a 50-page full-color digital download[/p]
• [p]Air Hares Original Soundtrack, featuring full versions of the in-game songs plus a BONUS original vocal track![/p]

[p]Be sure to Wishlist the game on Steam: [/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Follow Air Hares on Instagram + TikTok![/p][p]Join our Discord community![/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p]Air Hares™ was created as an act of DEFIANCE. [/p][p][/p][p]Defiance in the name of everything and everyone that had constantly been saying NO to me, my life, and the dreams I shared with my wife. [/p][p][/p][p]In 2017, fresh off a handsome two year $90K MFA program in Writing, I went back to stocking pantries as a Junior Facilities Associate in corporate Chicago. I couldn't find a job that deployed the skills for which I went to school and I DEFINITELY couldn't find a job as a Narrative Designer in the Video Game industry. All those jobs were somewhere far, far away and my resume of Shakespearean Verse and King Arthur Radio Plays wasn't enticing any recruiters.[/p][p][/p][p]So I did something crazy. I pitched The Legend of Zelda as an epic poem to a now defunct Strategy Guide Publisher. It was a long shot. Like a SUPER LONG SHOT. I didn't think anyone would even reply.[/p][p][/p][p]Until they DID. [/p][p][/p][p]And that launched a year long adventure wherein the book was greenlit by Penguin Random House and Nintendo of America. I had drafts, beautiful, lyrical, swashbuckling drafts. And I played Breath of the Wild until my eye balls bled. My brand new life was set to launch in Fall 2018, and my poetry was set to launch in Targets and Walmarts and Barnes & Nobles across the entire world. [/p][p][/p][p]Until it DIDN'T.[/p][p][/p][p]Nintendo of Japan nixed the entire project in the 11th hour. And my dream of uniting my love of epic verse and my favorite game developer died on the wings of one sad email...just in time for the afternoon pantry stocking.[/p][p][/p][p]But that's NOT what this series is about. This series is about what I did NEXT. Because what I did after that was even crazier.[/p][p][/p][p]I made Air Hares™.[/p][p][/p][p]So, while the launch date hasn't officially been announced yet, everyone who visits this page is now on notice: the runway is ready, the game is coming very soon, and I'm about to tell you the WHOLE STORY of how it got made.[/p][p][/p][p]Now buckle up, hold on tight, and get ready to DEFY the laws of gaming.[/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[h3]What games inspired Air Hares?[/h3][p]Air Hares was always designed as a story first. The world and the stakes were paramount but once those core elements were complete we let the style and genre of the game naturally evolve from the adventure. [/p][p]The action is heavily inspired by crop dusting so a top down flyer felt like a perfect fit. Especially in conceiving an all ages family friendly arcade game. I loved Galaga and 1942 growing up but as I grew older I became infatuated with Nintendo and some of its less violent tendencies. [/p][p][/p][p]Air Hares is about CREATING LIFE, not taking it, so it evolved into this paradoxical less-violent SHMUP because the story and characters demanded it. Your ammunition was made to farm carrots, and while it CAN be used to defend yourself, it comes at a cost. That’s where the flair of resource management and high scores come into play.[/p][p]Another influence was Twin Bee. That was a great example of firing projectiles at the ground, which is the core goal in Air Hares. [/p][p]And, of course, Star Fox. A team of small furry mammals jumping into cockpits and saving the day was obviously entwined within my gaming DNA. Especially since Star Fox on the SNES was a 3D game and it never got that classic Super Nintendo 2D treatment. And, if you squint,  you can see that the series’ reverence for Torii shrines throughout Winrose Warren.[/p][p][/p][p]Finally, the biggest influence was just Nintendo, its whimsical charm, and its formalized play structure. My background as a writer is in metrical poetry and many Nintendo games are built upon a Kishotenketsu structure, which is a form of Japanese poetry. We here at Wondoro define it as: Learn, Develop, Twist, Test or “The Wondoro Way.” 🙂[/p][p]The entire game is built upon this premise and is basically a mandala of that pattern.[/p][p][/p][h3]What's different about Air Hares compared to other games on the market?[/h3][p]Honestly, I’ve never played a game like Air Hares before. Many games, and for good reason, are designed around a shooting mechanic. It just works for too many reasons to count. But, as I said before, Air Hares is about CREATING life. Not taking it.[/p][p]It's also an allegory of my family’s journey through IVF. Captain Rabbo is my wife Megan. I am Dirk Doggo aiding her on her journey. It took us multiple years and many surgeries to produce our son, but science and persistence paid off. Hence the game’s tagline: “The Only Law of Nature is Defiance.”[/p][p]So with that reality driving the engine behind Air Hares, the game needed to be about creating and defending life. Captain Rabbo has a wicked parry mechanic for any bird who gets too close, and can use seeds to shoot, but she can also dodge and barrel roll. She has compassion for her enemies. I think we’re going to have a Pacifist Achievement on Steam. But the game is also indisputably a SHMUP, which is a fun paradox.[/p][p]And, again, I’ve never seen that before, and I’ve been playing games since the late 80’s, so I’m hoping it resonates with gamer parents like us.
[/p][h3]What are some fun facts about your studio and process?[/h3][p]We’re literally a mom and pop game studio. It’s just Megan and myself organizing and financing a group of amazing freelancers. And neither of us code. We’re just gamers and storytellers with a crystal clear vision. [/p][p][/p][p]Wondoro is an homage to Nintendo, and a portmanteau of Wonder, door, and the Japanese word “Do”. So it literally translates to “the way of the door to wonder” or as we say “Gateway to Play.” Our company name is literally the torii into our universe.[/p][p]Also, Dirk Dogoo IS our cairn terrier/chihuahua mix Arthur. At one point he served as the official CFO of Wondoro before he stepped down in disgrace due to a grievous lack of financial planning. Now he’s just a compensated spokespup. It’s a better fit.[/p][p][/p][h3]What can players expect from the demo?[/h3][p]The Air Hares demo gives the player a great sense of how the game plays and progresses. The full game features 16 levels over 4 stages that teach and test all of Rabbo’s abilities. The demo shares two farming levels (one early stage, one later stage) and a boss fight. [/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]The player will sample a taste of the adventure while also getting a glimpse of the game’s gorgeous pixel art and rocking synth wave soundtrack.[/p]

[p][/p][p]We're so excited to be part of NextFest this week — and to share our demo![/p][p][/p][p]Now you can download the demo for free and play as Captain Rabbo, seeding and watering the carrot crop from your plane.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We'd love to hear your feedback after playing![/p][p][/p][p]Yours in flight,[/p][p]Tim + Megan Bungeroth, Air Hares creators[/p]

[h2]From Wondoro Studio and indie.io, Captain Rabbo and her Air Hares are coming to Steam!
[/h2]

A mom-and-pop indie game five years in the making, Air Hares is a top-down scroller, a non-violent shoot-em-up, and a visual feast of pixel art harkening back to classic 80s and 90s arcade games.



Air Hares was born out of a single, wild idea from husband-and-wife team Tim and Megan Bungeroth: “What if bunnies could fly airplanes?” From that simple question, the Air Hares team created the world of Winrose and its hero, Captain Rabbo Sunskipper, an intrepid bunny pilot who leads her team of small furry mammals to seed, water, and defend their carrot crop.

[h2]What’s the inspiration behind Air Hares?[/h2]

Creators Tim and Megan Bungeroth were inspired by retro games of their youth, and their personal struggles with infertility.

When nature worked against them in their journey to expand their family, Tim and Megan turned to science and hope. They began working on Air Hares while undergoing IVF (in vitro fertilization), and wanted to make something that embodied the spirit of never giving up, of turning to technology when the natural world isn’t enough.



Now, they’re thrilled to share Air Hares with their 3-year-old son, Kirby, and hope that the message of Air Hares will resonate with others facing similar struggles.

Their faithful pooch, Arthur, is also represented in the game as Dirk Doggo, Captain Rabbo’s loyal fellow pilot.

[h2]How do you play Air Hares?[/h2]

The premise of Air Hares is straightforward: playing as Captain Rabbo, your mission is to fly your plane, seed and water your carrot crop, and evade the falcons flying at you.



There are 4 stages to the game. Each stage features 3 levels of increasing difficulty and culminates in a boss fight.

The falcon goons are determined to knock Captain Rabbo out of the skies, and each stage introduces new tactics from the dastardly birds. Luckily, you’ll gain pilot abilities to counter them: parry, barrel roll, and loop-de-loop to complete your mission.



[h2]Can you play Air Hares with two people?[/h2]

Absolutely! Air Hares is the perfect co-op game, especially for parents and kids playing together.

Player B can choose between fellow Air Hares pilots Dirk Doggo, Linnie Lightfoote, Candy Clayton, and Betty Bunting — each with their own unique plane design and player strengths.

[h2]Our partnership with publisher indie.io[/h2]

We are thrilled to partner with indie.io to bring Air Hares into the world!

Working with a game publishing platform like indie.io greatly helps indie developers like us focus on game development while we handle all the behind-the-scenes magic. From helping manage store pages to crafting marketing campaigns and repping the game at digital and live events, indie.io helps in all the aspects that indie developers often struggle with alone.

We chose indie.io as our partner because they instantly understood what we were trying to do with Air Hares: create an inspiring, fun, non-violent game that parents and kids can play together. We’re so proud to work with their incredible team that champions indie games like ours.

Plus, indie.io has an incredible catalogue of other indie games to check out:

indie.io Publisher Page

[h2]How can I learn more about Air Hares?[/h2]

So glad you asked! We’d love to have you along for the ride.

Read more on our website: www.airhares.com
Follow us on Instagram: @airhares
Join our Discord server

[h3]Join the fight to save Winrose and wishlist Air Hares today![/h3]