DreamHack Birmingham 2026 featured a wide range of intriguing indie games, from cozy survival titles to brain-melting puzzlers. One game that stood out from the crowd for me was NINE ROUNDS RAPID, from the South Westerly Games team.
If you’re a fan of roguelikes, roguelites, and bullet hells, NINE ROUNDS RAPID is a title to watch out for. Here’s a first look at the upcoming game, based on my hands-on preview with the title at DreamHack Birmingham 2026.
Fast-paced, frantic, and fun
NINE ROUNDS RAPID is an upcoming, top-down roguelite shooter that promises plenty of tricky battles and gorgeous levels to explore. Developed and published by the team at South Westerly Games, this game stood out as one of the best indie titles at DreamHack Birmingham 2026.
I got to check out the game briefly at the event and found it incredibly promising.
Despite being a fair way away in terms of its release date – Q2 of 2027, according to the game’s Steam page – NINE ROUNDS RAPID felt smooth, polished, and lightning-fast during my time with it.
The game takes place on a glitchy, possessed space station, with two fugitives acting as the stars of the show. The pair hopes to battle the possession, earning their freedom and plenty of loot along the way.
There are nine levels all in all, each with its own boss to tangle with. Levels are packed with fiendish, warped monsters and environmental hazards to navigate, and combat feels exceptionally punchy.
This is a roguelite shooter, meaning there’s a sense of gradual progression that ticks over. When you die – and trust me, you will, as there are some tricky fights to contend with – you’ll be able to readjust your strategy.
Something that stood out to me during the preview was how good the movement felt. Top-down shooters can’t slack in the movement department; even the slightest clunkiness becomes obvious when you’re facing off against hordes of enemies. Movement in NINE ROUNDS RAPID felt smooth and intuitive.
Gorgeously unique artwork
The main element that drew me over to the NINE ROUNDS RAPID stall at first was the game’s art style. It’s comic-book-esque, with a muted but deliberate color palette, and I was delighted to learn that it’s hand-drawn.
The game’s Steam page notes that players can “Look a little closer to see graphite from our original, scanned-in sketches on in-game assets.”
In a world where game styles are arguably becoming rather same-y in some genres or involving more generative AI content, I think it’s incredibly refreshing and exciting to see a game that’s taking strides to highlight the creativity and talent of its team.
It looks beautiful, and I’m excited to see how it feels with the game’s full release, particularly when it comes to boss design and boss battle layouts.
Aesthetics aside, the core gameplay loop in NINE ROUNDS RAPID felt satisfying, and I can see it being a game that gets you stuck into the “one more round” mentality – as a good roguelike or roguelite should do. The world felt rewarding to explore, and the variety of upgrades on offer kept me intrigued.
Performance-wise, I didn’t notice any quirks or bugs during my time with the game. I didn’t spend a huge amount of time with the preview, admittedly, but there were no visual issues, weird textures, or frame drops during my time with it.
Fellow roguelike and roguelite sickos, this is a game to watch out for. The preview of NINE ROUNDS RAPID was a delight, offering a blend of eye-popping artwork and deliciously moreish gameplay, and it’s looking like it could be a hit when it drops in 2027.
FAQs
NINE ROUNDS RAPID is a top-down roguelite shooter that feels reminiscent of bullet hells.
NINE ROUNDS RAPID was developed and published by South Westerly Games.
Based on the Steam page, NINE ROUNDS RAPID is due to come out in the second quarter of 2027.
The best roguelikes include Balatro, RACCOIN: Coin Pusher Roguelike, Slay the Spire, Megabonk, and Vampire Survivors.
