Rakuworld Is a Chaotic Bullet Heaven With Some Early Access Rough Edges

I know, I know. I’ve been on a bullet heaven binge for weeks now. Erlik, Deadly Days: Roadtrip, Brotato, and the list goes on. So, naturally, like a moth to a flame, I was immediately drawn to Rakuworld.

Thanks, Steam Personal Calendar. My wallet sends its regards, too.

Developed by a solo creator, Rakuworld takes place in a colorful world inspired by school notebooks, crayons, and paper cutouts. The game features 11 maps, four character classes, evolving weapons, and the ability to draw your own hero. I’ve always had a soft spot for games where artwork comes to life. Scribblenauts Unmasked and Doodle Jump immediately come to mind. Even David Jaffe’s Drawn to Death was a fun romp, at least for a while.

Rakuworld is currently in Early Access, so consider these my initial impressions rather than a full review. I’ve spent less than ten hours with the game, and I certainly wouldn’t want anyone judging me after such a short amount of time. Think of this as constructive feedback, with the understanding that things may change as development continues.

So far, I’ve completed five maps, unlocked 23 of the 38 available characters, and had a great deal of fun. However, unlocking more than half the roster in such a short time feels a little too generous, especially with so much of the game still ahead of me.

Combat combines automatic attacks with two manually activated abilities, mapped to the Y and B buttons. Each character has unique powers, weapons, and passive abilities, so bullet heaven veterans should feel right at home. One interesting twist is the ability to jump, something you don’t see too often in this genre. Combined with the ability to dash using the right bumper, it provides additional ways to navigate the environments and avoid enemies.

As you level up, you can unlock new weapons, acquire passive abilities, and improve your existing arsenal. Coins collected during a run can be spent at upgrade boxes scattered throughout the maps. Walk over one with enough coins, and it automatically upgrades an item you’ve already unlocked. There are no choices to make, and the price increases with each purchase. Occasionally, you’ll encounter a free upgrade box, which is always a welcome sight.

The developer has put some effort into giving each character a personality. My favorite so far is Bruno, a Warrior described as a gentle giant with a braided beard who is calm, caring, and built like a mountain. Bruno might seem like a lovable lug, but he comes equipped with a devastating axe attack and a couple of entertaining special abilities. Press B to unleash Bear Toss, which targets the largest enemy within range and sends them on an all-expenses-paid trip to their demise. Press Y and Bruno transforms into a Paper Giant.

Despite the different abilities each character brings to the table, I haven’t found much reason to change my approach between heroes. With so much chaos on screen, strategy sometimes goes out the window, and combat becomes a good old-fashioned button-mashing fest.

As you level up, you can unlock new weapons and passive abilities or improve the ones you already have. Coins collected during a run can be spent at upgrade boxes scattered throughout the map, which automatically improve your existing equipment without offering a choice. Each purchase increases the cost of the next upgrade, although some boxes are free. Weapons can also evolve into more powerful versions once they reach Level 5 and you acquire the required upgrade item. Once both conditions are met, the evolution becomes available as a choice when you level up.

Visually, Rakuworld is a treat. The entire game looks like a collection of childhood drawings brought to life, with characters, enemies, and environments resembling paper cutouts scattered across notebook pages. Well, maybe someone else’s childhood drawings. Artistic talent is a skill I’ve never been able to master. Even the weapons and upgrades embrace the theme, with pencils, scissors, glue, ink, and other familiar school supplies serving as instruments of destruction. It’s a clever approach that gives the game a personality of its own, and there’s something wonderfully ridiculous about battling hordes of enemies with the contents of a pencil case. The colorful presentation is easily one of the game’s strongest features.

The maps have probably been the most disappointing aspect of the game so far. Not because they’re poorly designed or lack visual appeal, but because they’re simply too small. When I play bullet heavens, I prefer a fair amount of room to maneuver, especially when the action gets chaotic. With the exception of Notebook Field and Pyramid, the maps I’ve played have felt a little too cramped.

Some layouts even encourage the creation of chokepoints where you can funnel enemies into a confined space and potentially cheese your way through a run. Plains, the next map on my list, looks like it might offer a little more breathing room.

The Giant Desk map is a nice play on words, as it’s literally a cramped desk covered in clutter. The jumping mechanic proved useful here, as I found myself constantly leaping onto stacks of books before diving back into the action. Picture a kid at a concert who climbs onto the stage for a moment before jumping right back into the mosh pit. Yeah, that’s pretty much how I played this map.

During boss battles, the camera pulls back and shifts to a slightly more top-down perspective on smaller maps to accommodate the larger enemies. The change itself isn’t necessarily a problem, but the special-move box takes up too much screen space and can obstruct the action. With your character already smaller on screen, the oversized interface becomes an unnecessary distraction.

Between runs, Camp lets you assign points to individual characters to improve their abilities. I’ve invested in the first three upgrade blocks for the heroes I’ve played, although I haven’t noticed much of a difference in their performance so far. Perhaps the benefits will become more apparent as I progress further into the game.

Difficulty varies by character. I haven’t lost a run with a Warrior, but I’ve suffered a few defeats with a Wizard and completed a run with a Healer. I’ve also managed to reach first place on three map leaderboards and second place on two others. The rankings have been entertaining, but I’d like to see more challenge as the game develops.

Image Credits: PlayItAgain.gg (original gameplay screenshots captured on Steam Deck and AYN Odin 3 Max)

One of Rakuworld‘s more interesting features is its character creator, which gives players the freedom to design their own heroes. You can start with a completely blank slate, modify one of the included character templates, or hit the Surprise Me button and see what the game comes up with. The tools are more intuitive than I expected, with plenty of options to customize colors, body parts, and weapons. You can even adapt abilities from characters you’ve already unlocked.

Of course, having the tools and possessing the artistic talent to use them are two entirely different things. My creation looks like a melted circus peanut, an orange blob that probably shouldn’t be allowed near small children. But he’s my orange blob, and I’m proud of him. Better yet, you can actually take your creation into battle, and seeing my little monstrosity running around was genuinely entertaining.

For players with artistic talent, there’s tremendous creative potential here. I can only imagine what people might come up with if Rakuworld develops a large community. Then again, perhaps it’s better not to imagine too much.

As much as I enjoyed experimenting with the creator, I’d still rather play as a character someone with actual artistic ability took the time to design. I can barely draw stick figures.

On Steam Deck, Rakuworld has performed well, with a consistent 90 FPS during the portions I’ve monitored. I also tested the game on the AYN Odin 3 Max through DroidDeck, where gameplay held a steady 60 FPS. Character models appeared as malformed black and green shapes on the selection screen, but the issue didn’t affect gameplay.

Progress also hasn’t carried over between my devices. My unlocked characters from Steam Deck weren’t available when I launched the game on PC, and DroidDeck maintained its own progression. I couldn’t find an option to synchronize progress, which is disappointing for anyone who switches between devices.

Rakuworld has been a lot of fun, and I’ve enjoyed my time with it more than I initially expected. Its imaginative presentation, entertaining characters, and surprisingly capable character creator give it plenty of personality. The game also performs well on both Steam Deck and the AYN Odin 3 Max.

There are still areas that could use some attention. I’d welcome larger maps, more variety in combat, and a few interface adjustments, especially during boss encounters. The pace of character unlocks could also use some consideration.

But that’s part of the Early Access process. There’s already an enjoyable game here, and I’m interested to see how it evolves. If you’re a fan of bullet heavens and don’t mind a few rough edges, Rakuworld is worth keeping on your radar.

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