Rodent Company has officially launched its Kickstarter campaign through Pixel Rodents in partnership with Judatone Studios. The cooperative action roguelike for one to four players is scheduled to enter Steam Early Access later this year, while the campaign aims to fund the additional content planned for the full 1.0 release.

In the game, players take control of a ragtag crew of mice, rats, hamsters, and guinea pigs embarking on a desperate journey toward more fertile lands to ensure their colony survives the coming winter. Along the way, they must battle pirate cockroaches, raccoon gangs, hostile lizards, and a variety of other creatures in fast paced combat against massive enemy hordes.

The experience combines randomly generated weapons with unique rodent-powered abilities, encouraging different strategies in every run. The objective is to explore the world, gather food, and return safely to strengthen the colony.

According to the developers, the Early Access release represents only one stage of the project's development. The Kickstarter campaign will fund the complete 1.0 version, adding new biomes, characters, a gunsmithing system, additional game modes, and new content that expands the game's universe.

Campaign rewards start at US$5. At the higher pledge tiers, backers will have the opportunity to contribute directly to the game's development by designing an enemy, a weapon, or even a playable character that will appear in the final release.

"But to complete version 1.0, the game we actually set out to make, is bigger than Early Access alone can fund. More biomes. More enemies. More characters. A gunsmithing system we're excited about. Game modes that expand the lore. The full scope of what Rodent Company is supposed to be. This campaign isn't asking you to believe in a vision. It's asking you to help us finish one that is already in motion," the developers said.