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Description
For generations, the rats in the old junkyard have been telling each other the great legend about a moon made out of cheese and they want nothing more than to reach this inexhaustible treasure. One day, the little rat children discovered a comic in the junkyard that described the first landing on the moon, and thus the plan was born: Build a rocket and take over the cheese moon!
Fortunately, the junkyard has everything the rats need to build their rocket, and the other animals are willing to support this daring venture — at least if they're well paid. Of course, all the rats work together to achieve this mighty goal. However, each rat family competes to build the most rocket parts and to train the most rattronauts so they can feast on as much of the lunar cheese as possible.
In First Rat, each player starts with two rats and may raise two more. On your turn, you either move one of your rats 1-5 spaces on the path or move 2-4 of your rats 1-3 spaces each as long as they end up on spaces of the same color. Your rats can never share the same space, and if you land in a space with another player's rat, you must pay them one cheese, borrowing cheese from the back as needed. After movement, you collect resources (cheese, tin cans, apple cores, baking soda, etc.) matching the color of the space you occupy or move your lightbulb along the light string, which will boost your income in future turns. (More lights in the junkyard makes it easier for you to find things!)
If you end movement near a store, you can spend resources to buy a backpack or bottle top — or you can steal an item instead, with the rat then returning to the start of the movement track. You can also spend resources to build rocket sections (and score points) or spend cheese in bulk as a donation (and score points).
When you pick up apple cores, you move around the rat burrow to pick up comics or stored food or raise one of your rats from the nursery. Alternatively, you automatically get a new rat when one of your rats reaches the launch pad and boards the spaceship. When a player places their fourth rat on the spaceship — or places their eighth scoring marker on the board — the game ends, and the player with the most points wins. In the event of a tie, the tied player with the most rattronauts in the rocket wins.
First Rat includes a solo mode as well as variable game set-ups described in the rulebook.
Year Published
2022
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 8
This page: 8
Sentiment:
pos 8 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–8 of 8
Video iYS2l-G-nEg
Chairman of the Board top_10_list at 9:19 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10843 · mention_pk 31997
Click to watch at 9:19
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Very simple rules with satisfying decisions
- Appealing kinetic feel and speed
Cons
- Potential to burn out if played too often
- Might need a specific group that enjoys speed/urgency dynamics
Thematic elements
- Racing to a spaceship via resource collection and engine-building
- A fast-paced bureau rat-escape style competition
- Accessible with meaningful decisions
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- race_and_engine_building — Move a cohort of rats along a track, collect resources, build engines and power-up actions
- short-turn_urgency_and_speed — Fast play with urgency rewarded for speed and efficient routing
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I did like the way that two of these mechanisms synergize with each other.
- the card mechanism did not do it for me and it was enough for me to part with this one
- it's a very smooth game, very definitely fine-tuned
- A series of mini games here are held together through that core tile placement system
- it's a hell of a lot of fun
- the gimmick and the novelty wore off pretty quickly
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video XK1-BUi8u1g
John Gets Games general_discussion at 15:52 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10850 · mention_pk 32020
Click to watch at 15:52
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fun, silly theme with a charming box
- short playtime and approachable rules
Cons
- thematically quirky may not appeal to all players
Thematic elements
- silly, cartoonish sci-fi rodents
- junkyard rats building a spaceship to the moon to eat it
- lighthearted, goofy
Comparison games
- Lorenzo il Magnifico
- Coimbra
- Grand Austria Hotel
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- racing — a race-style objective with competing routes
- semi-cooperative with set collection — players cooperate toward a goal but there is a winner
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the theme of this one says it's a science themed work replacement game set in the 17th century
- this is enough for me to be interested
- it's a really strange game it's called first rat and thematically it's about a bunch of rats in a junkyard trying to make a spaceship
- the cover is stunning and the game looks gorgeous
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video JnTvvpkd0hE
Peaky Boardgamer rules teach at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7929 · mention_pk 23334
Click to watch at 0:00
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Clear setup and early game explanation in the video
- Detailed rules explanations for movement, costs, and conflicts
- Visual guidance on tracking assets and scoring
Cons
- Complex and dense rule set that may overwhelm new players
- Many components and tokens to manage
- Potential for rule interpretation complexity in multiplayer
Thematic elements
- space exploration and competitive resource management using scavenged junk
- A junkyard space race where a team of mice builds rockets to reach the Moon.
- tutorial-driven explanation with live-playthrough style
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Barrel and light string tracks with bonus timing — Barrel and light string markers trigger bonuses when crossing spaces; some bonuses are immediate and others affect future turns.
- Barter, shop interactions and token purchasing — Upon landing on shop spaces, players can spend cheese to buy tokens or steal tokens and position their pawn.
- End-game triggers and scoring — Game ends when Launchpad is reached or eight scoring cubes are placed; scoring tracks, awards and caps determine final score.
- Movement along multiple colored tracks — Players move one or two rats along track spaces, with color-specific spacers and optional shortcuts that require resource costs.
- resource management and conversion — Resources like cheese, building materials, and energy drinks are spent to advance and gain bonuses, with rules on spending molded cheese penalties.
- Rocket part construction and scoring — End-game rocket parts (Cockpit, Cargo Bay, Thruster) are assembled using combinations of resources to complete a rocket and gain points.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the game ends after a player reaches the Launchpad with all four mice or places the eighth scoring Cube on the board
- you may never have more than one of your rats in the same space
- the player with the most victory points wins the game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 6rga2FEKCjM
Chairman of the Board top_10_list at 18:11 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5319 · mention_pk 15821
Click to watch at 18:11
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- dense, multi-layered design that remains approachable
- time-efficient for a game with many moving parts
- strong thematic integration and sense of urgency
Cons
- can be busy for new players
- teaching requires care to cover all mechanics
Thematic elements
- race, engine-building, resource management
- space race-themed hybrid euro
- dense, orchestrated competition with multiple lanes
Comparison games
- Carcassonne
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- engine-building and resource conversion — convert resources into spaceship components to score
- roller-move-esque track progression — move rats along a track to gain resources and score points
- shortcuts and shared-spaces — checkpoints let you gain permanent abilities or take shortcuts
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- an absolute blast to play
- this is up there with those classics
- clearly elegant and tightly designed
- it’s a pure two-player gem that should hit higher on the radar
- the box art is a little bit misleading and it makes it look boring, but the gameplay is far from that
- the game hits so many checkpoints
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 3SG-6QpJZ1s
Stonemire Games discussion at 7:49 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5171 · mention_pk 15325
Click to watch at 7:49
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Double-sided board with preset and randomizable layouts
- One side has completely preset layout requiring minimal setup
- Other side allows full randomization for experienced players
- Balances ease of teaching with variable gameplay
Cons
none
Thematic elements
none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The one thing I've realized from playing on board game arena is that I'm out of practice on scoring games. So I would say to game developers, make sure scoring is streamlined and not too convoluted.
- Musical immersion and satisfying feedback for interacting with the game. Fun game vs fun video game actions may not even have any actual utility, but they still feel good.
- Don't forget to design catchup mechanisms. The way Mario Kart World weighs its items based on racer position is such an enjoyable simple catch-up mechanism.
- Video games reward you for completing tough challenges with meaningful unlocks. Trek 12 is my favorite example of this.
- Video games stay fresh through patches, updates, and community content.
- Video games let you tailor the challenge to your comfort zone from casual mode to insane mode.
- Video games excel at simultaneous engagement. Everyone's playing all the time. Imagine Mario Kart where each player races one at a time instead of all at the same time.
- There are few things that are more intimidating than a 20 plus page rule book. Video games drop you into the action quickly and teach you as you play.
- Board games often withhold feedback until the final score tally. Video games give you constant feedback loops. Mid-game checkpoints and milestones could help players better understand how they're doing.
- I am much more of a tabletop game player than a digital game player. But I over the last few years, especially in researching Vantage, I researched a lot of video games.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video uUqHMQPJn0U
Corporate Cardboard general_discussion at 20:02 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4358 · mention_pk 12729
Click to watch at 20:02
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- clever, accessible race/engine-building puzzle
- multiple viable paths to victory
- lightning-fast play and crunchy drafting flavor via simultaneous card use
Cons
- theme novelty may wear thin for some players
- may not scratch a deeper strategic itch for heavy gamers
Thematic elements
- tick-tock race, resource gathering, economy
- rats racing up a track to build a spaceship and reach the cheese moon
- lightweight, humorous
Comparison games
- Which Stone
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- endgame scoring via checkpoints — progress up tracks and reach spaceship for scoring
- Movement along a track — move one or more rats up a track when you take action
- Resource gathering — collect bulbs, energy drinks, cheese along the way
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this game has like hundreds of miniatures and metal components galore that were all unlocked via the Kickstarter
- the biggest thing that surprised me is every time a game comes into our library i try to learn it as soon as possible
- nemesis lockdown is wonderful for that and the contingencies really add a new layer of tension
- the mirror effect... I haven't seen before; it's distilled; it's simple
- Sleeping Gods is the best adventure game—it's 10 out of 10 for me
- Calico is the crunchy, punishing one; Cascadia is more open and forgiving in terms of pathing
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video gYhYqRySDdo
Foster the Mele top_10_list at 15:24 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2991 · mention_pk 8726
Click to watch at 15:24
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fun, tense race to be first
- light-hearted humor
Cons
- may be gross-out for some players
Thematic elements
- survival in cold months
- Winter prep in urban spaces; rats racing to be first
- humorous, lighthearted
Comparison games
- Nacho Pile
- Halloween
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- racing/positioning — racing to secure the first entry to housing before rivals
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Flick of Faith is one of our most played board games.
- Nova means new. Era means era. So this fall is a Nova era.
- Hidden Movement. I hide in the shadows.
- Nachos feel like a fall.
- Rhino Hero because you're falling.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video bGX_L8KsLFE
Our Family Plays Games general_discussion at 32:42 sentiment: positive
video_pk 741 · mention_pk 2157
Click to watch at 32:42
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- cute theme with a lighthearted tone
- fun with resource gathering and forward progress
Cons
- some players dislike theme or find it cute but not deep
Thematic elements
- resource gathering and forward progression
- spacefaring rats in a moon-quest motif
- humorous, cartoonish
Comparison games
- Patchwork (similar puzzle feel)
- Lacrimosa (contrast in depth)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- rigid forward-only movement — cannot go backward; plan advance
- set collection / resource management — gather resources to build up the rocket-like goal
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's Christmas time
- these five under thirty dollars
- it's a gateway game
- it's a co-op not co-op
- the Matrix baby yeah
- we love this show; it's going to be our biggest episode
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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