When we checked out NINE ROUNDS RAPID at ENDIX, it was one of those games that did not take long to catch our eye. Between the hand-painted look, the frantic top-down action, and the promise of two fugitives blasting their way through a possessed space station, it already felt like it had plenty of personality. Dig a little deeper, and there is even more going on beneath the surface, from time manipulation and building flexibility to co-op play and a world that seems to be falling apart around you.
Developed and published by SOUTH WESTERLY GAMES, NINE ROUNDS RAPID throws players into the shoes of an underrabbit and a broken robot as they fight their way through shifting danger in search of freedom, fortune, and answers. With another playtest already in the works and more content still to come, we caught up with the team to talk about the game’s strange world, its roguelite systems, and how things went for them at ENDIX.
NINE ROUNDS RAPID has a great setup straight away, with an underrabbit, a broken robot, a possessed space station, and a fight for freedom. Where did the original idea for this world and these characters first come from?
The world of NINE ROUNDS RAPID is massively inspired by the Ian M. Banks Culture Series of books. It’s all very bleak and dystopian, but cut through with dry humour and weirdness. The title of the game is actually named after one of the space ships in those books called “Eight Rounds Rapid” – we thought Nine was catchier!
There is a lot of personality in the game’s presentation, especially with the hand-painted look and the graphite from scanned-in sketches making its way into the final world. How important was it to give the game a visual identity that felt handmade rather than overly clean or polished?
Extremely! Joe Plant is our Studio Founder, and he worked on NINE ROUNDS RAPID solo for 2.5 years. Before starting the project, he was Iron Maiden’s Lead Artist, working on their Book of Souls Tour Intro. The aesthetic is one of the main reasons we’ve got as far as we have, and it mirrors our studio’s belief that original, human-made art will always cut through the noise and find its audience.
Roguelites live or die on how replayable they feel, and you are clearly aiming for runs that stay fresh through procedural generation, weapons, mods, and upgrades. What were the biggest priorities for you when designing that sense of variety from one run to the next?
The first thing we got in that added that variance was the procedurally generated maps. After that mammoth task was completed, we started to focus more on the engine-building side of things. We recently held a playtest that focused on allowing players to customise their weapons using attachments, and we now need to really flesh that system out and make it more than “number go up” – think synergies across weapons, abilities, playstyles that really make you experiment and try new tactics.
The time manipulation powers instantly stand out, especially in a top-down shooter where positioning and pressure matter so much. At what point did pausing, slowing, and rewinding time become a core part of the game rather than just an extra mechanic?
About a year ago! Time manipulation was always planned to be part of the lore in the game, but we also considered it a bit of a stretch goal. Then one day, our lead dev, Charlie, was messing around and cracked it straight away!
The system has a bit of tinkering left, but we want it to be a core mechanic, whether it’s being used to dodge a barrage of enemy bullets, survive a quicktime event or because you have some attachments on your weapons that go into overdrive when time is slowed!
The arsenal sounds like it gets pretty wild, from more standard blasters to weapons that sound far less predictable. How much fun have you had coming up with weapons, attachments, and builds that let players get a bit weird with how they approach a run?
Honestly, we’re only really starting to explore that stage. We wanted to get all of our core systems nailed down before working on the content, as it will come with a truckload of balancing that will need our full attention. We often find ourselves spitballing over our Discord about what we’d like to see, and that alone is great fun!
The lore side of NINE ROUNDS RAPID seems like it has plenty going on too, with survivors, strange corporate forces, and the mystery of what is really happening on the Loridian Ring Hub. How much of the story was built alongside the action, and how much came later as the world took shape?
We’ve had a rough story from the get-go, but it’s still forming around us. We have an incredible writer attached to the project who has done some excellent world-building – we know the characters and their motives, we just need to crack on with the dialogue so players can start to explore it themselves!
You have mentioned that the next NINE ROUNDS RAPID playtest will feature co-op, along with a load of new systems and content. How exciting has it been getting that side of the game ready, and has co-op changed the way you think about balance or encounter design?
It’s been the hardest task by far, to be completely honest! We still haven’t quite cracked it yet, but now our last playtest has finished, we’ve got two people on the case, and they’re making great progress. The balancing aspect of it is very much at the forefront of any co-op conversations we have, but the other is the play style.
We want people to go into a run with a friend and really communicate how they want to play – for example, one could aim for a really tank build, focusing on passive upgrades that make them a sponge, while the other goes for a glass cannon build, skirting around the edge of the map picking off enemies one by one.
We first came across NINE ROUNDS RAPID through ENDIX, so I have to ask, how was the event from your side as a developer? Did the format work well for showing the game off, and is there anything you would love to see improved in future?
It was great! The ENDIX team is super friendly, and we knew the PR team they were using as well. The selection of games on show was great too. I think that when the show evolves and gets the backing it deserves, the sky’s the limit, being able to play the game IN the showcase, servers with thousands of people, user-generated content on the fly – the showcase scene would never be the same!
For players discovering NINE ROUNDS RAPID for the first time, what do you hope ends up being the thing that keeps them coming back: the action, the builds, the co-op chaos, the world itself, or a bit of everything?
Getting the hook right for any game is a science. Those initial 10 minutes are crucial and determine whether someone is going to put some serious hours into a game or not. For us, it’s going to be a mix of the narrative and the action. We’ll guide the player through the various systems that will give the player a full understanding of the game, all delivered with a hint of dry, sarcastic humour in a natural way.
Finally, as the game keeps growing and the next playtest approaches, what are you most excited for players to experience in NINE ROUNDS RAPID that they may not have seen yet?
The next playtest!! We’re aiming to have all of the core systems in and balanced before we release it to the world again. People are more than welcome to sign up via our Steam page; they can also join our Discord to keep up to date with the latest news and partake in some private playtests as well!
A big thank you to SOUTH WESTERLY GAMES for taking the time to chat with us about NINE ROUNDS RAPID. It was already one of the more interesting games we came across at ENDIX, but hearing more about the ideas behind it only makes us more curious to see how it all comes together as development continues.
There is clearly a lot of ambition packed into this one, from its hand-crafted style and shapeshifting runs to its co-op plans and time-bending combat. NINE ROUNDS RAPID feels like the sort of game that wants each run to tell a slightly different story, and we will definitely be keeping an eye on where it goes next.
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