Rakuworld is a horde-survival action game built around hand-drawn paper and crayon visuals. Players create custom heroes by sketching them directly in the game and then guide those creations through waves of enemies across stylized notebook-inspired environments.
Gameplay
The core loop centers on drawing a hero part by part with crayons, assigning one of four classes such as warrior, mage, elf, or healer, and then entering runs equipped with a signature weapon, passive ability, power, and ultimate. Thirty-six pre-made paper cut-out heroes exist across the four classes, each carrying distinct kits that players unlock progressively through world advancement. Combat involves managing evolving weapons, tomes, level-up cards of varying rarities, pencil cases, stacking items, and map shrines to build combos against large groups of scribble enemies. Runs feature per-hero leveling and a talent camp for upgrades between attempts, with worlds unlocking in sequence to expand available content.
Eleven distinct worlds provide the backdrops, ranging from the Notebook Field and Giant Desk to Toy Town, Cardboard Pyramids, Paper Tokyo, and Sky Islands. Each world generates its own enemy horde alongside three mini-bosses and two bosses, resulting in 22 bosses and 33 mini-bosses total. The hand-drawn aesthetic extends to every element, with white scissor edges on the puppets and crayon-style rendering that maintains a consistent notebook theme throughout.
Game Modes
Rakuworld focuses on survival runs where players face continuous enemy waves in single-player or shared-screen local co-op for one to four participants using gamepads or keyboards. Remote Play Together supports additional online sessions with friends. No separate named modes exist beyond these core runs, which emphasize horde management, boss encounters, and progression through chained unlocks of heroes and worlds. The structure supports repeated attempts with different heroes and builds, incorporating deterministic elements that allow exact reproduction of runs for testing or sharing.
Progression and Features
Advancement ties directly to completing runs and unlocking new heroes and worlds in a chain. Each hero gains individual levels, while the talent camp offers persistent upgrades between sessions. Thirty-six weapons feature evolutions, supported by 21 tomes and various items that encourage experimentation with different class kits and loadouts. The game maintains 60 frames per second during intense horde sequences and includes full support for English and Spanish interfaces.
Is It Worth Playing?
Rakuworld enters Early Access on October 27, 2026, with a complete initial build containing all 36 heroes, 11 worlds, bosses, weapons, and co-op features already present. The developer plans updates every four to six weeks during a six-to-nine-month Early Access period, focusing on additional worlds up to 20 plus an epilogue, more heroes, per-world soundtracks, and built-in online co-op based on player feedback. Those who enjoy horde-survival experiences with a strong emphasis on custom creation and local multiplayer will find the unique drawing mechanic and paper aesthetic a fresh draw. The game suits players comfortable with iterative runs and co-op sessions on one screen or via Remote Play Together, particularly if they appreciate indie titles that prioritize hand-crafted visuals and straightforward progression systems over polished online infrastructure at launch.
