Ratatan

Story and setting

The game begins in Rataport, a lively island set in a vast, calm sea. Its inhabitants, the Ratatans, are strange animal-like creatures with different appearances and personalities, but they share one ambition: reaching The Everafter and meeting the Goddess said to live there.

The Ratatans set out as heroes carrying the hopes of their island. The story is presented as a colourful fantasy adventure, with the early-access chapters leading towards a final world and a confrontation with the final boss in version 1.0.

How it plays

Ratatan combines rhythm-game inputs with side-scrolling action. You play rhythm sequences to issue commands to your Cobun troops, telling them when to attack, defend and perform other actions. The Ratatans themselves can be moved freely, so success depends on more than simply keeping time: you also need to decide where to stand, when to advance and when to retreat.

It is structured as a roguelike, with runs offering different power-ups and rewards. Battles can involve more than 100 characters at once, creating large melee encounters rather than small, isolated fights. Accurate rhythm commands build towards Fever-style sequences, while each Ratatan has distinct abilities and the 2D animation gives the units a readable, expressive look. The game supports one player or online co-operative play for up to four people.

Trailers and showcases

Ratatan first appeared publicly with a teaser at BitSummit in 2023, followed by its Kickstarter campaign. The early footage established the colourful cast and the musical-command concept, but the developers have repeatedly stressed that the game is intended to develop beyond simply recreating Patapon.

The 2025 Day of the Devs gameplay trailer showed the core rhythm combat, four-player co-op, large enemy encounters and boss battles. A Future Games Show trailer in June 2025 offered another look at the bright world and chaotic action. Nintendo’s Indie World presentation on 3 March 2026 showed Ratatan running on Switch 2 and announced a 16 July release date, but that date was later replaced. On 25 June, the publisher postponed the launch to October to allow more time for bug fixing, polish and multiplayer and platform work.

The current version 1.0 plan adds Episodes 3 and 4, the final world, the final boss and the remaining Dark Ratatan characters. The developers have also confirmed that promised orchestral recordings will be included, although the full release notes have not yet been published.

Platforms, editions and UK price

The announced launch platforms are PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. There is no current launch listing for the original Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Steam has hosted the Early Access version since September 2025; version 1.0 arrives alongside the console release.

On the UK PlayStation Store, the digital Standard Edition has a £29.99 RRP and the Deluxe Edition has a £34.99 RRP. Both are currently discounted by 10 per cent for pre-order, to £26.99 and £31.49 respectively. The Deluxe Edition includes the base game, a special weapons and accessories set, a Cobun set, upgrade materials and the pre-order Spirit Sword Banbansord. The standard digital edition also includes the weapon while pre-orders remain open.

Physical editions are announced for PS5 and Switch 2. UK retailer listings put the PS5 version at £34.99, while the Switch 2 edition was announced at £39.99. Argos is listing the PS5 boxed version for pre-order at £34.99, and The Game Collection has listed it at £34.95, though availability can change. No physical Deluxe Edition has been confirmed.

Online play and subscriptions

Yes, Ratatan has online multiplayer and online co-op for up to four players. Nintendo lists online play for one to four participants, while Xbox’s listing includes online co-op, online multiplayer and cross-platform co-op capabilities. Local co-op has not been clearly confirmed, so the safe assumption is that the advertised four-player mode is online.

Ratatan has not been announced for the Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus game catalogues. Xbox requires a Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate subscription for online multiplayer on console. PlayStation is offering PS Plus members 10 per cent off the digital pre-order, but that is a discount rather than catalogue inclusion.

What remains unconfirmed

The publisher has not announced the exact UK PC price for the finished version, the precise Steam launch time, or complete system requirements for version 1.0. The Early Access PC version is not the finished release, so its current price and content should not be treated as the final UK launch offer.

The full list of version 1.0 improvements, post-launch plans, accessibility options and any local multiplayer support is still to be detailed. There is also no announced version for the original Switch, PS4 or Xbox One. For UK buyers, the main date complication is that the publisher refers to the global launch as 15 October 2026, while digital console storefronts currently show 14 October at 15:00 UTC, which is 4pm BST; boxed UK listings use 15 October.