Bad Rats

A physics puzzle where rats guide a ball to kill a cat.

Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

Bad Rats: The Rats' Revenge is a puzzle game from 2009, built around physics and created by Invent4 Entertainment. Across a series of levels, players position rats and fixed objects to steer a ball into a trap, which then kills a cat. The game was Invent4’s first release, launching on Steam on 20 July 2009, and later appearing on other services in 2010. At launch, it received no reviews, but retrospective pieces have heavily criticised its graphics, puzzle design, and physics. Its presence on Steam was unusual because Valve still hand-picked the platform’s catalogue at the time. Over time, it became a common gag gift on Steam, and by 2018, more than 400,000 users owned it. A sequel, Bad Rats Show, arrived on the seventh anniversary in 2016.

The gameplay resembles The Incredible Machine and Armadillo Run. In each level, the player moves and rotates a set of rats and static objects to guide a ball toward a trap. When the ball hits the trap, it activates and kills a nearby cat. The game includes a tutorial and two modes. In Easy mode, the inventory is limited and the solution can be shown. Expert mode gives the player the full inventory—including all ten rat types—and no solutions. Hints are available in both modes.

Invent4 Entertainment was an indie studio based in Porto Alegre, founded by Augusto Bülow on 4 April 2009. Bad Rats was its first game. Bülow came up with the concept, programmed the game, and designed the levels. Carlos Alberto Kunkel Bülow created the 3D models and animations, while Mateus "Mes" Silva Brum provided graffiti imagery. Gustavo Bülow contributed additional art, and Márcio Stein handled music and sound design. A demo was released through the studio’s website on 20 May 2009, downloaded over 20,000 times by August, and an updated version came out in November. The full game launched on Steam on 20 July 2009. It became available on the studio’s website in January 2010, and on GamersGate and Direct2Drive in February 2010. In April 2010, the company announced partnerships with Strategy First for North America, Akella for Russia, and Micromedia for the Netherlands.

In a 2015 retrospective, Kotaku’s Nathan Grayson called Bad Rats the worst game on Steam, criticising its “shoddy” puzzles and “inconsistent” physics. IGN’s Max Scoville and Brian Altano agreed later that year.

Quick Facts

Title: Bad Rats: The Rats' Revenge
Developer: Invent4 Entertainment
Platforms: Windows
Released: 20 July 2009
Genre: Puzzle
Modes: Single-player
Designer: Augusto Bülow
Composer: Márcio Stein

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

Bad Rats was developed by Invent4 Entertainment, an indie studio based in Porto Alegre, founded by Augusto Bülow on 4 April 2009. Bülow provided the concept, programming, and level design; Carlos Alberto Kunkel Bülow designed the 3D models and animations; graffiti imagery was by Mateus 'Mes' Silva Brum; additional art by Gustavo Bülow; music and sound by Márcio Stein. A demo released on 20 May 2009 was downloaded over 20,000 times by August that year, with an updated version in November. The game launched on Steam on 20 July 2009, followed by releases on the developer's website, GamersGate, and Direct2Drive in early 2010. Partnerships later brought it to North America via Strategy First, Russia via Akella, and the Netherlands via Micromedia.

Gameplay is similar to The Incredible Machine and Armadillo Run. Players arrange rats and static objects to steer a ball into a trap that kills a cat. Two modes exist: 'Easy' mode limits inventory and shows solutions; 'Expert' mode gives all items (including ten rat types) and no solutions. Hints are available in both modes. The game received no reviews at release but was later criticized for its graphics, puzzles, and physics. Retrospectives called it the worst game on Steam, citing shoddy puzzles, inconsistent physics, hideous art direction, low-quality textures, and an unfriendly user interface. Its cover art was included in a list of worst PC game box art ever.

Reader's Guide

Bad Rats became an oddity on Steam because its release occurred while Valve still hand-curated the platform's catalogue, before Steam Greenlight launched in 2012. According to developer Augusto Bülow, the game only gained popularity years after release, after negative reviews by popular YouTubers drew attention. It became an internet meme and was frequently used as a gag gift by Steam users, who wrote sarcastic positive reviews that resulted in an overall positive review score. Bülow stated in 2016 that he was happy with this, as the game was 'planned to be funny' and if people were laughing while playing, it reached its objectives. By July 2018, leaked Steam player counts estimated 476,787 unique players. A sequel, Bad Rats Show, was teased from December 2014, announced at E3 2016, and released on 20 July 2016—the seventh anniversary of the original. A third game, Bad Rats 3, was announced in December 2019 with a planned release on 20 July 2023, but that target was missed.

Did You Know?

Bad Rats was Invent4 Entertainment's debut game, released on 20 July 2009 via Steam.
The game became a popular gag gift on Steam, leading to an estimated 476,787 unique players by July 2018.
A sequel, Bad Rats Show, was released on the seventh anniversary of the original in 2016.
The developer stated the game was 'planned to be funny' and was happy with its reputation as a gag gift.