- A restaurant battle between a chef and a rat pack for up to 9 players
- An asymmetric cooperative horror comedy that went viral with 5 million views on Twitter
Aran Koning, a member of the Dutch indie game development group Sokpop, known for titles such as ‘Stacklands’, ‘Grail’, and ‘Grunn’, announced that his new asymmetric cooperative comedy horror game ‘RAT GAME’ will be released on October 30.
‘Rat Game’ is an asymmetric multiplayer game where one player takes on the role of a chef defending a restaurant, while other players control a swarm of rats attempting to destroy it. Up to nine players can enjoy the game together in a ‘one-versus-many’ format, where one chef faces off against two to eight rats.
The game instantly became a hot topic after surpassing 5 million views on X (formerly Twitter) immediately following the release of its first trailer last February. Having made a name for itself in the global market, ‘Rat Game’ is scheduled for an official release targeting the upcoming Halloween season.
A showdown between a chef trying to save the restaurant and a swarm of rats trying to ruin it
The stage of the game is a space where a chef trying to drive out the rats clashes with a swarm of rats trying to ruin the restaurant.
The rats team up to disrupt the restaurant’s operations in various ways, including gnawing on wires, clogging toilets, and hacking employee computers. Conversely, the chef must protect the restaurant by following the sound of rat claws from the floor and catching them himself.
The restaurant is designed with a maze-like structure featuring shortcuts and hidden passages throughout. Rats can use narrow spaces and corridors to evade the chef’s pursuit, while the chef must utilize sounds and the surrounding environment to locate the rats.
The developer stated that there are actually working guns in the game, but specific ways to use them have not yet been revealed.
Enhance tension with proximity voice chat and dynamic sound
‘Rat Game’ delivers both horror and comedy by utilizing dynamic sound design and proximity voice chat.
The rat players can communicate via voice when they are close to each other, and the chef can also track the rats’ movements through surrounding sounds. Sounds and music that change depending on the situation heighten the tension of the chase.
The role of the chef can be taken over not only by a human but also by a robot. The developer described the robot chef as “really scary,” foreshadowing a unique gameplay experience.
The sound design and dynamic music were handled by Alexander van der Kruijf of the Berlin-based sound and music collective Tumult Kollektiv.
The game also applies a unique rule that allows dead rats to return to play in some way. As the specific method has not yet been revealed, there is interest in how it will be implemented in the actual game.
A developer at Sokpop who has created over 100 games
Aran Koening is an indie developer based in Utrecht, Netherlands. As a member of the indie game development group Socpop, he has participated in the production of over 100 games, including ‘Stacklands’ and ‘Simmiland’.
‘Rat Game’ is a one-man development project that indie developer Aran Corning has been working on for over a year. It fully captures the style of Sokpop, famous for its original and witty games, and cleverly blends horror mechanics into distinctive asymmetrical multiplayer.
5 million views immediately after reveal… Released during Halloween season
‘Rat Game’ was first unveiled last February. The trailer released at the time garnered approximately 5 million views on Twitter, attracting significant attention even before its release.
Since then, the wishlist has been secured through the Steam page, and the new trailer released along with the launch date announcement is also garnering attention from the community.
It is also worth noting that it will be released on October 30th during the Halloween season, in line with the game’s characteristics of combining horror and comedy.
‘Rat Game’ is a comedy horror game that combines asymmetric multiplayer, proximity voice chat, and dynamic sound with a simple showdown between a chef and a swarm of rats over a restaurant.
With up to 9 people able to play together, it is expected to become a new option for users looking for a multiplayer game where they can cooperate with friends or engage in chase battles.
With high interest garnered on social media even before its release, attention is focused on whether the ‘Rat Game,’ launching for the Halloween season, can maintain its buzz during actual gameplay.
Information regarding ‘RAT GAME’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Aran Koning (Sokpop) |
| Publisher | Aran Koning (Sokpop) |
| Genre | Asymmetrical cooperation, comedy, horror (1 chef vs. 2-8 rats) |
| platform | PC (Steam) |
| Release date | October 30, 2026 |
| language | Unconfirmed based on press release |
| Reactions/Evaluations | Prior to the official release, the announcement trailer recorded approximately 5 million views on Twitter. |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
