Thank you all so much for playing Ratatan during Steam Next Fest.
The demo has been downloaded over 200,000 times, and the number of wishlists has surpassed 300,000.
We are deeply grateful for the incredible interest so many of you have shown in this game! Thank you!
Thank You for the Abundant Feedback
We received around 1,000 Steam reviews for this demo alone, and over 2,000 comments and suggestions via the feedback form.
While many of the responses have been critical, we take all of them seriously and will use them to improve and evolve Ratatan moving forward.
Some of the most common points raised include:
- The tutorial and UI are difficult to understand
- Frustration at Ratatans not being able to use skills
- Lack of an in-game save/resume function
- Difficulty keeping up with the game’s tempo and rhythm
- A gap between expectations (e.g., “I thought it would be like Patapon”) and the actual experience
Introducing Early Access
Based on the sheer amount of feedback we received through the demo, Ratatan will continue to evolve to deliver an even more enjoyable experience in Early Access. Here’s how:
All Ratatan Unlocked
In Early Access, all Ratatan will be playable!
Each one has its own unique abilities and combat styles, offering completely different gameplay experiences.
One of the most common pieces of feedback we received was:
- “Why can’t my friends use skills?”
- “I want to use the Ratatan skills I saw in the trailer.”
So in response, the development team has thoroughly discussed the matter and decided to gradually implement player-controlled Ratatan Skills.
These skills won’t be ready at the launch of Early Access, but we plan to roll them out in future updates.
All Worlds, Finally Unlocked
In Early Access, all worlds from W1 to W5 will be playable.
Each world features its own unique theme and rhythm—explore them, battle through them, and overcome their challenges to the beat.
We’ve also prepared many yet-to-be-revealed worlds, background music tracks, and enemies, so we hope you’re looking forward to the ever-expanding world of Ratatan as new surprises unfold!
Design Your Own Challenge with the Goddess’ Game
The newly introduced Goddess’ Game feature lets you customize the rules and reward conditions to take on challenges your way.
- Change bosses
- Skip worlds
- Increase the difficulty
It’s a new replayability feature where you design your own challenge and test your limits.
Randomness Expansion Through Bosses and Altars
In Early Access, we’ve introduced random elements like boss variations and altar events to ensure a different experience every time you play.
- The thrill of not knowing which boss will appear
- Strategic choices at altars—take a reward or avoid risk
The combination of these elements creates a unique adventure experience every run.
We will continue to enhance this randomness to keep the game fresh and engaging, ensuring your journey in Ratatan is always new and unpredictable.
Ratatan: Not a Sequel, but a New Challenge
Many people have told us how Ratatan reminds them of Patapon, or how they’d expected it to be a direct sequel.
And, truth be told, we’re honored by everyone’s high expectations.
We on the development team have positioned Ratatan as a spiritual successor.
This is because we wanted to take the concept behind the fusion of sound and formations found in Patapon and reinterpret and challenge it in our own way, elevating it into a new form.
That said, there’s no avoiding the fact that fans who had hoped for something more like Patapon were ultimately disappointed.
This was not so much a misunderstanding as it was a result of our shortcomings in communication and limitations in how we expressed ourselves, for which we sincerely apologize.
We want to make it clear once again: Ratatan is not a sequel to Patapon.
It is natural that many feel a connection between the two since Hiroyuki Kotani, one of the creators, was also involved with Patapon.
However, the Patapon IP does not belong to us, and we cannot replicate its structure or gameplay.
That said, our desire to empathize with those who love Patapon remains unchanged.
For example, we will continue to introduce features that make the gameplay more accessible, such as the rhythm command mode “Advanced,” which broadens input options, and the rhythm gauge mode “Classic,” which makes it easier to keep to the rhythm.
The core gameplay, however, where players control characters and fuse rhythm with action, will remain unchanged.
It may seem similar, but it is entirely new.
That is why Ratatan is not a sequel, but a new challenge.
Looking Ahead
During Early Access, you’ll finally be able to fully experience the Ratatan style that our development team has been pushing for.
Of course, there are still unfinished parts at this stage of Early Access, but we won’t stop and we will continue to evolve this game further.
We are currently preparing a roadmap to outline our update plans, which we expect to share with you by the end of this month.
We hope to continue to grow this new form of rhythm action together with you and your feedback.
Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.
Producer: Kazuto Sakajiri
