WAR RATS: The Rat em Up Preview – Is This Rat-ical Enough for You?

by Jim Smale · May 20, 2025

WAR RATS: The Rat em Up Preview – The rats are out in force! WAR RATS: The Rat em Up throws you into chaotic, action-packed battles filled with rodent warfare. With fast-paced gameplay, strategic mechanics, and an undeniable charm, this game may just gnaw its way into your must-play list. But does it have the bite to back up the bark?

WAR RATS: The Rat em Up Preview Pros

Decent cartoon-like graphics.
735.22MB download size.
Full controller support.
Steam achievements.
Graphics settings are fullscreen, borderless, and v-sync.
3 save slots.
Game settings – show health bars, low health fx, unit chatter, damage numbers, controller vibration, camera shake, amd controller support.
You can remap the mouse and keyboard controls.
Mouse and keyboard support.
The play guide menu is the manual on how to play the game.
Four game modes – skirmish, campaign, multiplayer, and basic training.
Excellent humour throughout.
The shooting is twin-stick, and grenade throwing is momentum-based.
With a controller, the right stick acts as a mouse cursor.
The campaign has three game difficulties – Cheasy, Ratgular, and Hairyratballs.
Iron Rat mode is where you play the campaign with one life, die, and it’s game over.
Game settings for the Campaign are friendly fire, yes or no, and pass through, which allows shots to go through friendly troops.
Unlock new cosmetic skins for your rat army.
World map area select.
Fantastic cutscenes and interactions.
You can pause the game.
CHZ is the credits used in-game, and you spend these on upgrades and defenses for your base.
Exploding barrels and other environmental hazards can be used by you and the enemy.
Go to the shop in between levels to buy weapons, upgrades, and throwables.
Blueprints can drop, and after so many, you get to unlock new weapons.

WAR RATS: The Rat em Up Preview Cons

You cannot remap the controls for the controller.
All button prompts are for the mouse and keyboard, making it hard to learn with a controller.
The grenade range is slow to restart, as you have to wait for a menu screen and then press retry, and then wait for the game to load again.
The game just needs more life in the levels themselves, the cutscenes do such a good job of setting it all up that it’s disappointing when you go in-game and it’s just flat.
Needs more sound effects and general noises; the music kind of drowns out everything else.
I am not a huge fan of how gins work and the aiming model with a controller, it’s not snappy enough.
No game mode variations.

Official Website:

Developer: Wootusart Industries

Publisher: Wootusart Industries

Store Link:

Steam Early Access