Rattenjager is Elden Ring crossed with Secret Of NIMH, done as a skirmish game.
The PDF is 40 pages, with clean, readable text and vibesy, pixelated backgrounds.
Rules-wise, Rattenjager is pretty simple. 1 damage kills PCs, PCs have 20 lives, attacks are range 1 and in cardinal directions only---unless a PC throws their weapon, in which case they have to go get it.
The game increase slightly in complexity with Sap and Mutations. Sap is a pool that can be spent for a variety of extra actions during a turn, including faster movement and ranged attacks. Mutations are powerups that can be collected for the duration of the match, and include a variety of powerful effects.
Both PvE and PvP game modes are available, and the game plays quickly, with little intrusion of dice.
Overall, if you want a quick, bite-sized skirmish game with a neat theme, try Rattenjager out. It's got just enough randomness to stay unpredictable, but it's very player decision driven, and is as much about resource management as it is aggression.
Minor Issues:
-If movement restores Sap, Sap Dash seems like it leaves you +1 on Sap with every activation if you just run around in a circle. I assume this is not intended.
-Can units only hold 1 weapon? And do units drop weapons on death? If not, it seems like you can force an unwinnable state for other players by just picking up weapons every chance you get and never throwing. Jumping and bone blades def mitigate this, but I'm not sure to what extent.
-Units spawning directly on the spawn square seems like a recipe for lots of out of turn spawn kills. Especially since this doesn't seem to be limited during spawn in at match start?
Thank you for the explanation on the game for those considering getting it and the kind words.
Addressing the minor issues: - Dash was never intended to restore sap and I've updated the description to say so. - Units can only hold 1 weapon as described on page 7 but I've clarified this further on that page. - I see the problem with spawn killing and have updated the rules to make spawn point selection random.
There's a PvP mode that involves fast gameplay and quick deaths. Players respawning happens often and they slowly improve as they play, collecting upgrades. There's also an unarmed and armed mode for each unit, as they can throw their weapon, becoming faster but unable to attack without it.
The other game mode is player Vs a giant rat as players work together to take down a dangerous and constantly mutating giant rat.
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Rattenjager is Elden Ring crossed with Secret Of NIMH, done as a skirmish game.
The PDF is 40 pages, with clean, readable text and vibesy, pixelated backgrounds.
Rules-wise, Rattenjager is pretty simple. 1 damage kills PCs, PCs have 20 lives, attacks are range 1 and in cardinal directions only---unless a PC throws their weapon, in which case they have to go get it.
The game increase slightly in complexity with Sap and Mutations. Sap is a pool that can be spent for a variety of extra actions during a turn, including faster movement and ranged attacks. Mutations are powerups that can be collected for the duration of the match, and include a variety of powerful effects.
Both PvE and PvP game modes are available, and the game plays quickly, with little intrusion of dice.
Overall, if you want a quick, bite-sized skirmish game with a neat theme, try Rattenjager out. It's got just enough randomness to stay unpredictable, but it's very player decision driven, and is as much about resource management as it is aggression.
Minor Issues:
-If movement restores Sap, Sap Dash seems like it leaves you +1 on Sap with every activation if you just run around in a circle. I assume this is not intended.
-Can units only hold 1 weapon? And do units drop weapons on death? If not, it seems like you can force an unwinnable state for other players by just picking up weapons every chance you get and never throwing. Jumping and bone blades def mitigate this, but I'm not sure to what extent.
-Units spawning directly on the spawn square seems like a recipe for lots of out of turn spawn kills. Especially since this doesn't seem to be limited during spawn in at match start?
Thank you for the explanation on the game for those considering getting it and the kind words.
Addressing the minor issues:
- Dash was never intended to restore sap and I've updated the description to say so.
- Units can only hold 1 weapon as described on page 7 but I've clarified this further on that page.
- I see the problem with spawn killing and have updated the rules to make spawn point selection random.
What are the mechanics like? Love the concept!
There's a PvP mode that involves fast gameplay and quick deaths. Players respawning happens often and they slowly improve as they play, collecting upgrades. There's also an unarmed and armed mode for each unit, as they can throw their weapon, becoming faster but unable to attack without it.
The other game mode is player Vs a giant rat as players work together to take down a dangerous and constantly mutating giant rat.