Action-packed rhythm roguelike RATATAN is different, and it isn’t afraid to embrace it. In the musical world from PATAPON developer Ratata Arts, players journey to the Everafter to meet “The Goddess.” This endeavor is every Rataport resident’s dream; you’re fighting for yourself and all other island inhabitants. Pick your character, start mashing to the beat, and hope you and your small army can reach the Everafter. If not, hey — at least you got to move and groove! While Hades roguelike elements and PATAPON gameplay elements make a solid combination, it does have some drawbacks. Commanding creatures with button presses to the beat is essential and enjoyable; if you enjoyed PATAPON, Crypt of the Necrodancer, or games in a similar vein, this may be worth your time. All things considered, RATATAN isn’t perfect, but it is ambitious and full of rhythmic fun.
RATATAN: A closer look
While RATATAN looks adorable, I promise it can brutalize you. The levels are broken up into areas like the rooms of Hades during your run. After conquering an area, you get to pick your prize — items, new powers, or upgrades — but before making any hasty picks, remember that a strategic build is key to your survival.
One of the drawbacks of the rhythm system is that the enemies’ attacks sometimes don’t match the music. Even with sounds slightly out of sync, defending and dodging can get difficult. In these rhythmic battles, the ability to block effectively can be crucial to your survival. Rhythm-based games need to get the timing just right, or the whole experience falls flat.
Other than that, RATATAN’s combat feels as great as it looks. Boss fights can be challenging, and players will definitely want to take some time to learn attack patterns and set up powers and gear accordingly.
About RATATAN
RATATAN, first launched on Steam in Early Access on September 18, 2025, is a vibrant blend of rhythm games and side-scrolling action. Take on intense, beat-based battles independently or check out the game’s online co-op experience that accommodates up to 4 players. Things get chaotic pretty quickly, with more than 100 characters engaging in a massive melodic melee.
RATATAN is already available on Steam in Early Access (EA), but the title has yet to hit home consoles. I’m expecting the game to come out swinging when it fully releases on July 16th, 2026, on Steam, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X. Unfortunately, a new update on the game’s Kickstarter page says RATATAN will no longer be released on the OG Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 4:
In deciding the best way to use limited money to make a full online title, sometimes you have to prioritize different platforms. After lengthy discussions with our publisher Game Source Entertainment, we have decided that the projected number of units we could sell for legacy hardware would not justify the licensing fees necessary to complete those SKUs. We can replace either of those SKUS with Steam, Switch 2, PS5, or Xbox Series X. For anyone who does not have one of the above hardwares, we will begin a support ticket to look at what options we have.
In looking at those options it became clear that we wouldn’t be able to make the highest possible quality game while also developing for a large number of different platforms. So we have decided to focus on a smaller number of platforms to achieve maximum quality. We know there are a lot of backers who looked forward to this on their platform of choice and we are deeply sorry for being able to do everything. That being said, we will continue to look into what options we have to see if those platforms are options in the future. For now, however, please allow us to focus on this more manageable set of platforms.
Devs will be able to tweak a lot of the small issues, and I believe they will. Don’t let the roguelike elements scare you away — go ahead and give in! You know you want to do one more ru—Oh, whoa, sorry. I don’t know what happened there. Something came over me.
All things considered, RATATAN‘s solid mechanics show a lot of promise and are sure to make this game a smash hit. It can be difficult for some game launches to stick the landing, but I have faith that RATATAN can pull it off once it’s out of EA. On the game’s Steam listing, developers say they expect the game’s full version to “introduce additional worlds, characters, weapons, skills, and more, further expanding the endgame content and variety of play. [Developers] are also working on improving overall stability and quality to deliver a more polished experience.”
Check out RATATAN when it launches for Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X, and PS5 on July 16, 2026. The game’s Physical and Digital Deluxe Versions will retail for $39.99, while its Standard Digital Version will retail for $34.99. The best part? Devs confirmed the Nintendo Switch 2 version is NOT on a controversial Game-Key Card; “you will get the full game on a cart,” reads the Kickstarter.
