'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. The game has captured attention 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.

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

Could you provide a brief introduction to NovaFlare.

"NovaFlare was founded by 14 developers who previously worked at NCSoft. As you may know, there have been many project restructurings at NCSoft recently, 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 in different directions.

We decided to start our own company to build the games we wanted to make. Fortunately, we received a lot of interest from the beginning, which allowed us to secure startup support from Smilegate. We received our first round of investment last summer and are planning a second round for 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 some of the 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 have compared the game to NEOWIZ's 'Lies of P' because of the dark fantasy reimagining of 'Alice in Wonderland.' I understand some of your developers are from NEOWIZ's Round8 Studio; is there any connection.

"I think people make that connection because some of our team members are from Round8 Studio. However, in reality, 'Project Rabbit' and 'Lies of P' have almost no connection.

Still, it is natural for the two works to be compared given that both are dark fantasy Soulslikes based on fairy tales. The biggest 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, and 'Alice in Wonderland' came to mind. We decided on this concept because we felt it would be compelling to explore the strange world of the original Alice through a unique Soulslike lens.

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

"I can see why there might 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.

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

The Eastern-style world is also impressive. It feels like an Eastern reimagining of Wonderland; 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 the Western-style world as a base. We are grateful that many people are responding positively.

However, the entire Wonderland is not Eastern-themed. You might get that impression because of elements like the stone statue of the White Rabbit wearing a dopo (traditional robe) in the trailer, but only the region where 'Karun' appears is based on the Joseon-era Eastern concept. There are other regions with distinct 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' was the most intuitive term to describe this, which is why we introduced it as an 'extraction Soulslike,' but it seems to have been perceived as a battle royale. 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 player 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 difficult to approach.

"That is a fair point. Since both Soulslikes and extraction games are based on repetitive challenges and death, we are approaching this by minimizing the burden of death as much as possible for the player.

For example, while typical extraction games make you lose all your 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 your items. Of course, the dungeons where you lose everything offer better rewards. We are designing it so players can choose based on their preferences. Most dungeons will not involve item loss, and the so-called 'extraction dungeons' are more of a high-risk, high-return form of content.

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

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

As I said before, 'Project Rabbit' is, first and foremost, a Soulslike. The extraction elements are more of a device to strengthen the gameplay 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 gameplay structure. Live-service operations could also be a differentiating factor. Usually, single-player package games take anywhere from six months to over a year for DLC or expansions to be released, which leads to many players leaving 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 two to three months. I believe this operational method is possible precisely 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 very grateful for the interest we have received despite that.

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

"The current completion level is about 30-40%. Our goal is an Early Access release by the end of next year. To achieve this, we plan to expand our development team to 30 people this year and up to 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 shown interest since yesterday. Many have tried playing it, and there have been quite a few comments that it is difficult. The reaction from overseas visitors has been particularly good, which I see as a positive sign.

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

"I fully understand the concerns and the sense of unfamiliarity regarding the combination of Soulslike and extraction elements. However, the essence of the game we want to create is, and will always be, a Soulslike. Please view the extraction elements as a device to add a different kind of 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.