Whether you celebrate Easter or not, it’s hard to escape rabbit symbolism around this time of year. Historians trace the so-called Easter Bunny as far back as the 16th century, when stories of a Santa Claus-esque judge of children in rabbit form emerged in Europe. It’s also been said that rabbits and eggs are symbols of fertility and new life, symbolizing spring.
How are these adorable creatures represented in the gaming medium, though? Surprisingly, rabbits and bunnies seem to get quite a bit of play (no pun intended) in video games, starring in everything from gritty action-adventure titles to cozy games designed around cooking and customization. If you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit with some rabbit-centric video games, here are some of the most worthwhile.
F.I.S.T: Forged in Shadow Torch
Check Out F.I.S.T: Forged in Shadow Torch on Steam
A tough, combat-oriented metroidvania, F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch follows a cybernetically enhanced rabbit called Rayton, who fights against the oppressive Machine Legion after a period of retirement. While the game has been criticized for some lackluster exploration, it’s ultimately landed well with metroidvania fans, who have plenty of kind words for its combat and bizarre anthropomorphic world, which has shades of Grant Morrison’s We3. Personally, I think the visual design is where F.I.S.T. shines the brightest, its organic-machine fusion and old-Shanghai world being especially appealing and unique.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Bunhouse
Check Out Bunhouse on Steam
Much more chill and adorable is Bunhouse, a low-stakes gardening game where every playable character is a bunny. The game encourages careful resource management and customization through simple but satisfying mechanics, and some great low-fi graphics help elevate the quaintness of the experience. Even better is that Bunhouse can be played with up to three other players in co-op.
Cinnabunny
Check Out Cinnabunny on Steam
Keeping with the theme of cozy rabbit-based games, Cinnabunny is a delightful and charming life-sim that sees the player take the role of a rabbit who runs a bakery. Like games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, Cinnabunny is all about socializing with NPCs, crafting new items, and decorating your in-game home. Cinnabunny also adds some lovely open-world mechanics into the mix, making it surprisingly robust despite its simple presentation.
My Brother Rabbit
Check Out My Brother Rabbit on Steam
If action and cozy games aren’t exactly your speed, maybe you’d like to check out the terribly underrated My Brother Rabbit, a heartfelt point-and-click adventure game from 2018. It takes place primarily in a world of colorful psychedelic fantasy reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, so bizarre and outlandish is its design. The player controls a rabbit trying to help his sick friend, but My Brother Rabbit is really about a family struggling through tragedy and hardship.
Rabbit and Steel
Check Out Rabbit and Steel on Steam
Like Bunhouse, Rabbit and Steel offers co-op with up to three other players, but Rabbit and Steel is the furthest thing from a “turn your brain off” sort of game. At its core, Rabbit and Steel is a roguelike with a touch of the boss-rush subgenre for good measure: tough, individual enemies make up the majority of Rabbit and Steel runs. At the same time, it self-identifies as being MMO-inspired, with combat designed primarily around gear and cooldown abilities. It can definitely be a chaotic experience, but also extremely rewarding once you get the hang of it.
At the time of writing, Rabbit and Steel currently sits at a rating of 97% Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam, with nearly 7,000 total English reviews.
Overgrowth
Check Out Overgrowth on Steam
Overgrowth might look similar to anyone who messed around with Lugaru back in the day, as it’s developed by the same company. Like its predecessor, Overgrowth sees the player filling the role of a rabbit kung fu master, although it has a much more involved story, better world design, and deeper combat sandbox, which adds new systems like stealth. If you like rabbits and expressive hand-to-hand combat with ragdoll physics, Overgrowth might be the game for you.
ATLYSS
Check Out ATLYSS on Steam
Finally we have ATLYSS, an online RPG that’s been getting a lot of love on Steam since its early access launch in 2024. Naturally, the game is still a work in progress, but it has already drawn effusive praise for its world design, combat, and traversal. And with a character-creator allowing you to make a rabbit-themed avatar, it’s well worth checking out for RPG fans looking to get into the Easter spirit.
