'Project Rabbit,' an extraction Soulslike currently in development by NovaFlare, is generating significant buzz. The trailer released on the 14th has already surpassed 210k views. With its dark fantasy world based on 'Alice in Wonderland,' boss designs reimagined with an Eastern aesthetic, and the signature atmosphere of the Soulslike genre, the game is packed with eye-catching elements.

However, high expectations have been accompanied by curious questions—specifically regarding the 'extraction' keyword. Extraction games center on survival and escape, while Soulslikes are defined by high difficulty and weighty action. Many are wondering how these two seemingly disparate genres will be combined.

Fortunately, the opportunity to answer these questions arrived sooner than expected, as NovaFlare announced it would showcase 'Project Rabbit' at this year's PlayX4. What kind of game is 'Project Rabbit,' and how exactly have they integrated extraction and Soulslike elements.

Could you provide a brief introduction to NovaFlare.

"NovaFlare is a company founded by 14 developers who previously worked at NCSoft. As you know, many projects within NCSoft were recently reorganized, and the 'Raijak' team we were part of was not spared. At the time, we were developing a new project under the organization led by FirstSpark Games CEO Choi Moon-young, but when the entire organization was dissolved, we left the company. It was heartbreaking to see developers who had worked together for so long scattered.

We decided to team up and start our own company to build the games we wanted to make. Fortunately, we received a lot of interest from the start, which allowed us to secure initial funding from Smilegate. We received our first round of investment last summer and are planning a second round this summer.

How long have you been developing 'Project Rabbit'.

"Including the prototyping phase, it has been about a year to 14 months. We have only just implemented a few core systems, so we still have a long way to go. However, we felt it was a good time to introduce the company and the game to get external feedback, which is why we decided to exhibit at PlayX4.

Many people say the dark fantasy reimagining of 'Alice in Wonderland' reminds them of NEOWIZ's 'Lies of P.' I understand some of your developers are from NEOWIZ's Round8 Studio; is there any connection.

"I think people assume that because some of us, including myself, are from Round8 Studio. But in reality, 'Project Rabbit' and 'Lies of P' have almost no connection. Round8 Studio had many different teams, and while I am a former Round8 member, I was not involved in the development of 'Lies of P.' The same goes for the other developers.

Nevertheless, it is natural for the two works to be compared as dark fantasy Soulslikes based on fairy tales. The main reason we chose this concept was that, as a new studio, we needed to stand out. We thought about which game and concept would make the strongest impression from the start, and 'Alice in Wonderland' came to mind. We decided on this concept because we felt it would be compelling to adapt the way Alice explores a strange world into a Soulslike with a unique worldview.

I thought the female character in the trailer was Alice, but it turns out you can freely set gender and appearance. Will characters from the original fairy tale not appear.

"I can see why there would be that misunderstanding (laughs). To be precise, the player is not Alice, but a third party following in her footsteps. The structure involves uncovering the secrets of why Wonderland has changed and where Alice has gone.

Characters from the original fairy tale will appear, reimagined in the unique style of 'Project Rabbit.' The boss monster in the trailer is a prime example. Many people think it is a Joseon-era warrior or general, but it is actually an homage to the Mad Hatter—specifically, the son of the Mad Hatter. Various other original characters will appear with our own unique interpretations.

The Eastern-style world is also impressive. It feels like a reimagining of Wonderland through an Eastern lens; why did you choose this direction.

"Rather than a typical Western fantasy, we thought it would be fresher and more fun to interpret Wonderland through an Eastern lens while keeping a Western-style foundation. We are grateful that many people are responding positively.

However, not all of Wonderland is Eastern-styled. You might get that impression because of the white rabbit statue wearing a dopo (traditional robe) in the trailer, but only the region where 'Karun,' the son of the Mad Hatter, appears is based on the Joseon concept. There are other regions with different characteristics and atmospheres. We plan to showcase a total of five conceptual regions, including four unique areas and a central castle.

It seems you incorporated extraction elements to differentiate the game from existing Soulslikes. Is there a special reason for this.

"Before I explain, I would like to clarify something. When people hear 'extraction genre,' they often think of PvPvE-based battle royale games. Many associate it with cooperating with other players or backstabbing them to loot items. Our game is a bit different from that.

We focused on the play structure of session-based entry, farming, and extraction. 'Extraction Soulslike' was the most intuitive way to describe this, but it seems to have been perceived as a battle royale, which wasn't our intention. The foundation is, and will always be, a Soulslike. You can think of it as 80-90% Soulslike with about 10% extraction elements added.

The biggest reason for adding extraction elements is tension. If you have played FromSoftware's Dark Souls series, you know the unique tension felt when an invader enters your world. Even if the situation isn't actually that dangerous, it creates psychological pressure. We wanted to incorporate that kind of unique tension into the gameplay experience.

The extraction genre is still considered to have a high barrier to entry. There are concerns that 'Project Rabbit,' which combines Soulslike and extraction, might also be inaccessible.

"That is a fair point. Since both Soulslike and extraction genres are based on repetitive challenges and death, we are approaching this by minimizing the burden of death that players feel.

For example, while typical extraction games make you lose all items upon death, we plan to differentiate this based on the nature of the dungeon. Simply put, there are high-risk dungeons where you lose everything, but there are also dungeons where you do not lose items. Of course, dungeons where you lose everything offer better rewards. We are designing it so players can choose according to their preferences. Most dungeons will not involve item loss, and the so-called 'extraction dungeons' are more of a high-risk, high-reward experience.

You mentioned that other players can invade to fight or cooperate, so was it necessary to use the term 'extraction'.

"Because our core gameplay revolves around entering a session, farming, completing quests, and extracting, 'extraction' was the most concise word to describe it. However, that term seems to have caused misunderstandings about it being a PvPvE-focused competitive game.

As I said before, 'Project Rabbit' is a Soulslike at its core. The extraction elements are more of a device to strengthen the play structure and tension.

Then, what are the unique features of 'Project Rabbit' that differentiate it from existing Soulslikes.

"The biggest differentiator is the session-based play structure. Live-service operations could also be a differentiator. Usually, single-player package games take anywhere from six months to over a year for DLC or expansions to be released. As a result, many players leave in the meantime.

Of course, there are advantages to accumulating enough content to release at once. However, we intend to keep our update cycle short by consistently adding new bosses or content every 2-3 months. I believe this operational method is possible because of the session-based structure.

The response has been hot, with the trailer surpassing 210k views in just one week.

"There were people interested before, but with the trailer performing well, we are having more meaningful discussions regarding publishing and investment. I know people say the investment market is frozen, so I am grateful for the interest we have received despite that.

What is the current level of completion, and what is your target release date.

"The current completion level is about 30-40%. Our goal is an Early Access release late next year. To achieve this, we plan to expand our development team to 30 people this year and reach 50-60 by next year.

The official release will depend on player feedback and the scale of improvements after Early Access, but internally, we are aiming for 5-6 months after the Early Access launch.

How has the reaction been on-site.

"A lot of people have been showing interest since yesterday. Many are playing it themselves, and there are quite a few comments about it being difficult. The reaction from overseas visitors is particularly good, which I see as a positive sign.

Any final words for gamers keeping an eye on 'Project Rabbit'.

"I fully understand the opinions that it feels unfamiliar or concerning to combine extraction elements with a Soulslike. However, the essence of the game we want to make is, and will always be, a Soulslike. Please view the extraction elements as a device to add unique fun and tension on top of that.

We will do our best to create a game that Soulslike fans can look forward to rather than be disappointed by, and one that will be loved for a long time.