Rat Game
You squeeze through a hidden shortcut, nibble a wire in two and go still the moment you hear the Chef stomping overhead. That held-breath mix of mischief and dread is the whole pitch of Rat Game, an asymmetrical horror comedy where a pack of rats tries to shut down a restaurant and one Chef is determined to stop them.
| Genre | Asymmetrical horror comedy |
| Players | Up to 8 in co-op multiplayer, 1 Chef against 2 to 7 Rats |
| Chef | A human player or robot-controlled |
| Map | One detailed restaurant level |
| Playtime | Around 3 hours |
Rats Versus the Chef in Rat Game
The setup is a feud. The Chef has been trying to exterminate the rats, which leaves them no choice but to ruin his restaurant, and matches are built around 1 Chef against 2 to 7 Rats. The rats win by getting the place shut down for good, the Chef wins by stopping them, and the last one standing takes it.
The Chef does not have to be a person. You can play against a human or robot-controlled Chef, and there is a co-op only mode where you and your rat friends face the mechanical Robo-Chef, who is programmed to cook, clean and kill.
Friend groups who enjoy loud, laugh-heavy nights will get the most from the rat side, since squeaky proximity chat turns every plan into comedy. The Robo-Chef mode keeps the same tension for groups without a volunteer to play the Chef.
Sabotage Tasks and Shortcuts for the Rats
As a rat you crawl through hidden shortcuts and hide in dark corners of a vast, human-scale map, working in teams to get the restaurant closed. The map is interconnected and filled with tasks and secrets, so the shortcuts are as important as the objectives themselves.
- Nibble through the wires
- Clog the toilet
- Hack the PC
- Hunt for secrets in the interconnected map
Stealth-minded players will enjoy the dark corners, because the best rat plays are the ones the Chef never hears. A hidden shortcut is worth more than a fast sprint across an open floor.
A dynamic soundtrack runs under the whole match, which helps the restaurant feel alive and a little threatening even before the Chef shows up. Add the squeaky proximity chat and plenty of cheese, and the tone stays somewhere between a cartoon and a stakeout.
Playing the Chef in Rat Game
The Chef stomps around the family restaurant listening for the tell-tale sound of scrabbling claws, waiting for the right moment to grab a rat and throw it in the cage. If all else fails, there is also a gun. Once the Chef hears claws, the hunt is on.
Players who like being the hunter tend to prefer this side, since patience and listening matter more than speed. It rewards the player who stays quiet long enough to be sure.
The role also changes how the horror feels. Rats play a comedy about sabotage, while the Chef plays something closer to a slow, suspicious pest-control job.
What Divides Players About Rat Game
The biggest debate is content size. There is one level, the restaurant, because it was judged more fun to have one very detailed level than several similar ones. Some players love that depth and others wish for more variety, and with around 3 hours of playtime the game is clearly built for repeat matches rather than a long campaign.
The second debate is the group requirement. Matches start at 2 Rats against a Chef, so the game leans on friends far more than solo play, and the lobbies were built for up to 8 players rather than for drop-in strangers.
Even so, reviews sit in the Very Positive range. The squeaky proximity chat is a big part of the appeal, because it turns coordination into a running joke.
Questions About Rat Game
Players keep coming back to the same three questions. The answers are short, but they change how you plan a session.
- How many players can join a match? A match is built for up to 8 players, with 1 Chef against 2 to 7 Rats. The lobbies technically allow up to 10 players, but that has never been tested, so results may vary.
- Can you play without a human Chef? Yes, you can play against a human or robot-controlled Chef, and there is a co-op only mode against the mechanical Robo-Chef who cooks, cleans and kills. The rats can therefore stay a full team even when nobody wants the Chef role.
- How many levels are there? Just one, the restaurant, an interconnected map full of tasks, shortcuts and secrets. The game lasts around 3 hours in total, which suits repeat sessions with friends.
Rat Game is at its best when the wires are chewed, the toilet is clogged and the Chef is one cage away from catching you, and everyone is laughing through squeaky proximity chat. If you have a group ready to play rats against a Robo-Chef or a friend with a gun, it is an easy game to build a night around.