Rainworld
Rain World is a 2017 survival-platform video game developed by independent studio Videocult and published by Adult Swim Games and Akupara Games. It was released for PlayStation 4 and Windows in March 2017 and Nintendo Switch in December 2018. The player controls a "slugcat", an agile animal resembling a cat-slug hybrid, that is burdened with survival in a derelict and hostile environment. The slugcat traverses the remnants of an industrialized ancient civilization as it searches for its lost family. It uses debris as weapons to evade lethal predators, scavenges for food, and attempts to reach safe hibernation rooms before deadly torrential rain arrives. Rain World can be played alone or with multiple players; there is also a sandbox mode.
Beginning in 2011, Rain World, funded through Kickstarter, was in development for over six years by a two-man team who intended to simulate a unique, realistic ecosystem; creatures act independently from the player and perpetually roam the environment. Rain World uses real-time procedural animation and conveys much of its narrative through environmental storytelling, adopting an adaptive low-fi and electronic soundtrack. The player is given little explicit guidance so that they would feel like a rat that lives on subway tracks, learning to survive in an environment without comprehending its higher-level function.
Rain World received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its art design and fluid animation but criticized its difficulty, checkpoint system, and controls; some of these concerns were addressed with later updates. The game was nominated for awards and garnered a cult following and a large modding community. A downloadable content pack titled Rain World: Downpour, which was adapted from a popular community mod, was released for Windows in January 2023 and ported to consoles in July 2023, adding five slugcat characters with unique abilities; it received positive reviews from critics. A second content pack, Rain World: The Watcher, was released for Windows in March 2025 and ported to consoles in September.
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