Rattus

You send rats on a mission of death throughout Medieval Europe. Your goal is to keep the rats from killing all your peeps and to have the largest remaining population at game's end, but that's beside the point. It's the Black Death, and at the end of each turn you place rat tokens in territories where they'll do the most damage. And that is just stinking awesome.

During set-up, players claim territories with colored wood blocks. As play progresses, they place rats and replenish their dwindling ranks, taking off and putting on in an endless routine of bubonic plague and new births. Special cards let you move populations, move rats, increase populations, etc. The Pied Piper Expansion adds more cards and walls to hold the rats out.

You can't predict what your opponents will do, but this is not a game of chance. There are no dice, no spinny-wheels, and no random "Everybody dies!!" cards. Rat tokens can surprise you with their death tolls (they remain facedown until the plague spreads to the region they inhabit), but winning is a result of strategic placement and smart use of cards.

This isn't the most intense board game ever, but it's a good break from multiple-hour showdowns like Merchants & Marauders or Axis & Allies. Strategy becomes fairly intricate as you try to deplete rival populations while maintaining yours at high levels. Not a great 2-player game, Rattus is rapidly becoming a favorite for 3 or 4 players among the Exodus staff.

• 2-4 Players
• 30 Minutes
• Ages 10+

Review by C. Hollis Crossman C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

Samples

How to Play

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.