The game has been in development by a team of two for close to three years, and it was sparked when Jakobsson had the idea for the slugcat character — everything else came after, from the 16 bit-inspired visuals to the dark, industrial setting. "I wanted it to have a bit of that retro look," Jakobsson says of the game's style, "but I also wanted it to be soft and dynamic." The alien setting of Rain World, meanwhile, went through multiple evolutions. It started out much more lighthearted, with a style that veered towards cartoonish, but eventually became the grim vision it is today.

"A tribute to the beauty of decay."

"The environment itself is a tribute to the beauty of decay, I guess," explains Jakobsson. "And a tribute to the beauty of the ugly. I love industrial environments for one reason or another." It's also a world without humans, and its design reflects this. You won't find doors or sidewalks in Rain World because, according to Jakobsson, it would destroy the illusion. "You shouldn't know exactly how tall the creatures are, that would ruin the magic,' he says. "So I've been drifting towards some kind of abstract / industrial style." Despite this, hints of the original cartoon style remain — when slugcat dies, for instance, its eyes will turn into Xs.

For the most part, Rain World will be a solitary experience, but there will also be both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes so that you can enjoy the desolate landscape with up to four friends. Much like another Kickstarter darling, Hyper Light Drifter, Rain World was looking for a somewhat modest amount of crowdfunding cash, with the developers seeking $25,000. It has managed to raise nearly all of that amount with weeks still remaining in the campaign. That money will be paid to hire a new programmer and pay for things like playtesting and quality control, with the game expected to launch on Mac and Windows towards the end of the year. The ultimate goal is not just to create a challenging survival experience, but an alien world of a mystery.

"You should see vague resemblances to things you recognize," says Jakobsson, "and sense that there is some kind of purpose that is just out of your reach."