Rats of Wistar
- Designer Simone Luciani , Danilo Sabia
- Publisher Cranio Creations , Capstone Games , CrowD Games , DSV Games , Game Harbor
- Illustration Candida Corsi , Sara Valentino
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Start for freeWhat to Expect
You play one of four rats who escaped from a lab and lead your family to prove you deserve to lead the entire colony. Explore the farm, use artifacts, build your lair with new rooms and beds, complete missions, welcome native mice, and invent new devices over five rounds. Contracts and events help you plan your actions and gain advantages.
Who Is This Game For?
Rats of Wistar targets experienced gamers aged 13 and up who enjoy complex strategy games with worker placement and hand management. With a 90-minute playtime, it requires patience and tactical thinking. A solo mode is included for single-player enjoyment.
How It Works
Over five rounds, you place workers on action spaces, use hand cards and contracts to complete missions and expand your colony. The variable setup ensures variety, while events and the turn order claim action mechanic add dynamic flow. You build up your tableau engine and score victory points by constructing beds, rooms, inventions, and fulfilling challenges.
What Makes It Special
Designed by Simone Luciani and Danilo Sabia, Rats of Wistar was nominated for the 2024 Nederlandse Spellenprijs Best Expert Game. It blends classic worker placement with innovative contracts and events. Part of the anthropomorphic animals family, it offers high replayability through variable setup and tableau building.
Awards
2024
Pro
- Combination of worker placement, hand management, and contracts
- Variable setup adds variety
- Includes solo mode
- Nominated for Nederlandse Spellenprijs Best Expert Game 2024
Contra
- Relatively long playtime around 90 minutes
- Complexity demands prior experience
- Age rating 13+ limits suitability for younger families
Setting & Atmosphäre
The game is set on a farm where anthropomorphic rats expand their underground colony and compete over five days to lead the entire rat colony.
Tipp für Einsteiger
Take time to understand mechanics like worker placement and contracts before diving into complex strategies.
Häufige Fragen
Can I play this solo?
Yes, Rats of Wistar includes a solo mode for single players.
How long does a game really take?
The game lasts about 90 minutes, representing an extended play session.
What prior experience do I need?
Designed as an expert game, it requires experience with complex worker placement mechanics.
How does this compare to similar games?
Rats of Wistar combines worker placement with contracts, events, variable setup, and tableau building, setting it apart from other animal and strategy games.
Is this suitable for families?
Due to complexity and age rating of 13+, it is better suited for experienced players rather than families with younger children.
What mechanic makes it special?
The combination of worker placement, contracts, and events along with variable setup distinguishes its gameplay.
Fazit
Rats of Wistar is recommended for strategic players seeking a complex worker placement game with thematic depth. Playtime and complexity require some prior experience.
