| Ratatan | ||||
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| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Demo Review | Early Access Review |
Ratatan is a roguelike rhythm action game by the creators of Patapon that sets you on the quest to journey to The Everafter. Read our review of its early-access build to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.
Everything We Know About Ratatan
Ratatan Story Plot
Ratatan are creatures known for their affinity for rhythm and their ability to harness Melodium, a power derived from music. These beings use Melodium to direct and command armies of Cobun. Their objective involves a journey across the world of Redo, with the ultimate goal of reaching The Everafter, a place believed to be the residence of The Goddess.
Their journey is not without peril, however. During this expedition, they will face hostile pirates who pose a threat to the region’s stability. Success in these encounters hinges on the Ratatans’ ability to use music to command their army to victory.
Ratatan Gameplay
Ratatan’s development is spearheaded by key figures from the team behind its spiritual predecessor, Patapon. As such, the game exhibits parallels with the original strategy rhythm concept. While maintaining the core mechanics, it distinguishes itself from being merely Patapon 4. Ratatan not only features a more vibrant art style, but it also adds more roguelite mechanics.
Players will command their armies by performing command songs, which requires the input of seven buttons, an increase from Patapon’s four, in precise rhythmic sequences. These commands direct troops to march, defend, or attack. Errors in timing will result in either performing the wrong move or not making a command at all. Conversely, consistent rhythmic accuracy will trigger Fever Mode, and subsequently, Super Fever Mode, both of which amplify the army’s capabilities.
Players can assume the role of diverse Ratatan characters and lead various Cobun troop types. Each Ratatan and Cobun unit possesses distinct traits, specializations, and vulnerabilities. Moreover, Ratatan also features procedurally-generated levels, with randomized power-ups and over 100 unique rewards per run. Additionally, Ratatan supports up to four-player online co-op.
Ratatan Release Date
Released on September 18, 2025, Ratatan is now available to be purchased in Early Access on Steam for $24.99. Once it is out of Early Access, it will be available on other platforms as well.
| Digital Storefronts | ||||||||
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 Steam |
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| $24.99 | ||||||||
 Nintendo |
 PlayStation |
 Xbox |
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| Coming Soon | ||||||||
Ratatan Review [Early Access]
Hits the Beats Just Right
I fondly remember that Patapon was a shining gem when it first came out for the PSP, cemented into the childhoods of many now-adults whose ears perk up at the familiar "Pata-pata-pata-pon!" jingle. Now, while there’s no Patapon 4 in sight just yet, Ratatan might just be the next best thing.
With Ratatan created and produced by Hiroyuki Kotani, the very same creator of Patapon, it’s no wonder that this spiritual successor has made waves ever since its announcement in 2023. With its roguelike rhythm-centric action, cute and vibrant characters and worlds, Ratatan is set to charm its way back to people’s hearts, with a blend of nostalgia and something new.
Rattatta-ing to The Everafter
The plot begins when Crow, a mysterious but elegant black bird, along with her giant ship companion Fortrun, wakes an amnesiac Ratatan (of your choice) from its slumber—with an unceremonious THWACK to the head, at that. Then, she teaches you all the basics of…well, being a Ratatan!
You play any of the eight titular Ratatans, adorable creatures who wield mystical instruments called Melodiums which are then used to control your little army of tiny, armed critters called Cobun through a simple call and response. In tune to the background music and with the help of the visual guide on screen, you tap the respective key or button to the beat. Every Rattatta, Zun Zaka Tan, Yahoi Hoi is echoed back to you through a cute chorus…as the Cobuns attempt to completely eradicate whatever blocks their path. As long as you sing out the commands, they will follow obediently to your will with utmost enthusiasm. Sounds simple enough.
After seeing your skills, Crow then finds you promising, suitable for a rather arduous task—to reach The Everafter, where The Goddess herself and your Ratatan’s missing memories supposedly reside. That motivation kickstarts the entire plot—simple in its premise, but you’re not playing Ratatan for its story anyway. You’re here to rhythm your way to your goal!
A Straightforward Gameplay Loop
What you learn from the tutorial stage is essentially the entire gameplay loop. You and your small but terrible Cobun army attack-chant your way through worlds that are sectioned off into smaller areas. Each stage is full of enemies to eliminate, except for Interval stages which provide a moment’s respite and give extra bonus rewards at the end too.
As shown in the tutorial, you have a full arsenal of six commands—Fall In (which is like regrouping and following the leader), Jump, Attack, Guard, and two Hustle Tech commands, which are special MP-reliant skills that dish out stronger damage and are slightly different in execution depending on your Cobuns’ weapons. The controls are snappy and fluid, complemented by a pretty solid UI that has all you need in one glance without looking too crowded, adding to the gameplay experience.
On that note, thank God that there’s only six commands to think about—it looks fairly simple, but as with any roguelike/roguelite, it gets more complicated and overwhelming the deeper you go. You’re not only thinking about the commands to issue after every measure, but also your positioning, your Cobuns’ positioning, predicting the opponents’ next movements…it can get too much too quickly, with your eyes flying all over the screen while your ears listen to the beat, so simplicity in basic commands is always a plus.
After finishing off the enemies, at the end of a stage is an ominous-looking but cutely named Goodie Gate, which gives you usually two choices of rewards, ranging from Ratakaruta (skill buffs), treats like Candy and Donuts that are used as currency back at the Rataport, Tokens for spending, or a one-way-ticket straight to the Shop to pick and choose your own reward for a price. Nothing out of the ordinary here, it’s a pretty standard practice for the roguelike/roguelite genre.
This cycle continues forth until either you reach The Everafter, or you, the captain, perish in battle—the more likely scenario. It all falls on your Ratatan’s survivability since the Cobun are pretty much immortal. When the cute critters fall in combat, they simply revive after a set amount of time and are ready to unleash attacks once again.
Grinding Your Way To Victory
When a run ends, you are sent back to the Rataport, where you can make use of the hard-earned loot you got from trekking through worlds with your Cobuns. Use Candies, Donuts, and Chocolates to make your runs a little easier with buffs such as immunity to certain status effects for your Cobuns and more, or head over to the blacksmith to upgrade and equip them shiny new weapons and even craft new ones.
You’d be doing this routine for numerous runs to come—after all, grinding is key to getting stronger in a roguelike. Set out to journey, come home with loot, rinse and repeat. If you’re not the type of person to grind out games for maximum progression, then Ratatan may not be your cup of tea.
But if you blaze through and keep at it, your efforts will not go unnoticed. Progression in the game is rewarding, especially when you start building your Cobuns’ weapons and leveling them up. Worlds and areas that used to be a pain to get through can now just be steamrolled over with your beefed up equipment and upgrades courtesy of the Rataport, amping up that sense of accomplishment. I surely felt it when the first two worlds became easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy after a couple of runs.
Eight Ratatans, Eight Different Combinations
Luckily, you’re not locked to just one Ratatan for one save file—you can freely switch between the eight available Ratatans, each unique from one another in voice, team composition, design, and even their signature Melodium. They’re all themed after animals (except for Mashuma, but it’s okay, they get a free pass), which shows in their appearance and even how they move. I’m a fan of (cute) frogs so I always end up playing Keroronpa, and they hop from spot to spot. Nyandola, on the other hand, runs on all fours due to their nature as a cat. It’s those tiny minor tidbits that make the Ratatans so much more appealing and lovable.
Battle-wise, choosing your Ratatan also means choosing which set of Cobuns to bring on your journey. Each of them have a specific pairing of weapon-wielding Cobuns: one ranged, one melee. Keroronpa’s Cobuns use bombs and swords, while Kamonelo’s uses wands and hammers. However, after trying several out across different runs, there doesn’t seem to be any evident pros and cons with any combination, so it’s all up to you to choose which Ratatan you like or what passive skill of theirs fits with your battle style.
And if I may—speaking of their voices, as a fan of Japanese voice actors, seeing some familiar names on the cast list was one lovely surprise. There’s Youhei Azakami (Honkai: Star Rail’s Mydei, Ensemble Stars’ Rinne Amagi) as the owl-like Mimizukyun, while Sally Amaki (Overwatch 2’s Kiriko, Tomo-chan is a Girl’s Carol Olston) takes on the role of rabbit-esque Pyokorappa. Masaya Fukunishi (Kaiju No. 8’s Kafka Hibino) fills in the shoes for froggy Keroronpa, and the prolific Tomokazu Sugita (Gintama’s Gintoki Sakata, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Joseph Joestar) lends his singing voice to the shanty-singing ship Fortrun. Joseph Joestar going "Fortrunrunrun!" was definitely not on my 2025 list.
Colorful Audio-Visuals Steal the Scene
Aside from the gameplay, another striking thing about it is its visuals. Bright, popping colors fill the screen, drawn in a charming cartoon-y fashion that’s downright adorable. It’s whimsical and fun—just like the rest of Ratatan. Bosses are painted in vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows, paired with blues and greens of different shades. You may be furrowing your brows in concentration, but the happy vibe the visuals give just exude a refreshing vibe that eases the tension…er, a little bit.
On the other hand, text boxes could use a little work with some typos here and there (e.g. a Cobun enthusiastically crying out "Desruction!"), but it’ll probably be ironed out before the full release once they get into the nitty gritty polishing.
And I know it’s a little odd to call audio colorful, but hear me out, the soundtrack just is. There’s a slight variety if you listen in carefully outside of the Ratatan-Cobun chanting, differences between each world you get into. It lends itself to the whole fantasy atmosphere, and really adds to the full Ratatan experience.
Definitely Something to Look Forward to
Whether you’re here wanting Patapon-esque nostalgia or wanting to try something completely new, Ratatan is a good choice to dive into. Despite making use of inspiration from its spiritual predecessor, it still manages to carve an identity for itself.
It’s already pretty solid in its foundations even at Early Access, and it provides a fun experience at this stage—how much more when it’s more fleshed out and complete? I’m definitely looking forward to more of Ratatan after its Early Access period is over.
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Ratatan Product Information
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| Title | Ratatan |
|---|---|
| Release Date | September 18, 2025 (Early Access) |
| Developer | Tokyo Virtual Theory, Ratata Arts |
| Publisher | Game Source Entertainment |
| Supported Platforms | Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch |
| Genre | Rhythm, Action, Roguelike |
| Number of Players | 1-4 |
| ESRB Rating | RP |
| Official Website | Ratatan Official Website |
