Rattus
Settle medieval Europe and out-survive your rivals while the plague marches across the map.
Who it's for
You like a light area-majority game with a bit of mean humor and a theme that is memorable. Plays best with four.
Not for you if…
You want a deep, multi-hour strategy or a gentle, cuddly theme. The plague kills your people on purpose and the dice can be harsh.
Vibe's take
Light, darkly funny, and surprisingly tactical. Everyone is helping the plague a little, so the table fills with groans and grins when a big region gets wiped.
About this game
Europe, 1347: the Black Death is on its way, and you are trying to be the family that still has people left when it passes. Each round you pick a social class from the pool, and each class does something different: peasants make more people, monks chase the rats away, merchants flee, knights carry the plague to new regions, witches nudge where it goes, and kings sit it out in their fortified palaces. The twist is that your best moves help the rats too, so every clever play carries a dark joke. Think of a tight area-majority game with a plague marker spreading across the map and a surprisingly light touch for such a grim topic.
Get it
Mechanics
By the numbers
Players
Duration
45 min
Ages 8+
Complexity
2.1 / 5 — LightBGG Rating
6.4/10
Rank #1,577
6.3k ratings
Published
2010
Designed by
Åse Berg, Henrik Berg
Published by
Z-Man Games, Hobby World, White Goblin Games, Cranio Creations, HUCH! and 2 more
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