The upcoming cyberpunk JRPG Robot Rhapsody from indie dev Rapturous Studio (Beloved Rapture) has reached its $20,000 Kickstarter goal just 44 hours after the campaign began. The crowdfunding drive will remain open until August 14, giving the project time to pursue several stretch goals.
Robot Rhapsody takes place in a fractured future dominated by AI-controlled “utopias,” techno-cults, and powerful corporations.
Its story follows Selva, a retired mercenary who once made a living hunting rogue machines, alongside Aurum, a poetic robot bard, and a growing group of rebels and survivors. Together, they explore the remnants of human resistance and fight against societies where artificial intelligence controls nearly every aspect of daily life.
Combat uses a traditional turn-based system designed to offer a meaningful challenge, complemented by several difficulty settings ranging from the more accessible Story Mode to Classic and Expert modes.
One of its central mechanics allows players to hack robotic enemies and recruit them into the party. These mechanical allies can then be customized using components and technology salvaged throughout the adventure, but if a recruited robot is knocked out, it is permanently lost.
Outside combat, players will be free to explore an interconnected version of Zoxxo City filled with optional encounters, secrets, side quests, and NPCs whose schedules and dialogue change as events unfold.
Player decisions can also affect a bounty system that determines how aggressively hostile machines pursue the party. Rapturous Studio estimates that the main story will take between 20 and 30 hours, with more than ten additional hours of optional content.
The narrative will examine subjects such as artificial intelligence, environmentalism, cult behavior, dystopian societies, and the role of art as a form of resistance. Its presentation combines hand-crafted pixel art with a cinematic hybrid-rock soundtrack composed by a returning member of the Beloved Rapture team.
This is Rapturous Studio’s second successful crowdfunding campaign following Beloved Rapture, which was later released and received the 2026 RPGMaker Award for Best RPG. The developer has once again partnered with publisher 2 Left Thumbs for its next project.
With the initial target secured, the campaign is moving toward stretch goals that include a Boss Rush mode, partial voice acting, and eventual console versions.
Robot Rhapsody is currently targeting a November 2027 release, while its Steam page lists a broader 2027 launch window. The Kickstarter campaign will conclude on August 14, 2026.
