Rats of Wistar solo review: Unleash your inner strategist

In Rats of Wistar, you play as one of four rats who orchestrated the daring escape from the renowned Wistar Institute. As the leader of your rat family, your goal is to prove your worthiness to guide the entire colony. Utilize your extraordinary skills to explore the farm, reach the pantry for coveted cheese, and exploit human artifacts to create inventions. Expand your lair under the trees by digging new rooms and building beds. Throughout the game, you’ll encounter native mice, gain advantages from the Alchemist mouse, and score Victory Points (VP) by:

• Building beds
• Digging rooms
• Completing missions within the farm
• Welcoming guest mice
• Creating new inventions
• Claiming objectives

The game spans five rounds, and the player with the most VP at the end wins. In case of a tie, the player first in turn order is declared the winner.

How to play Rats of Wistar

Rats of Wistar is a strategy board game where players lead a group of rats through a series of adventures. The objective is to complete missions, gather resources, and outsmart enemies. Here’s a detailed breakdown of how to play:

Game Setup

1. Board and wheel assembly: Connect the wheel and board using the pin, then place in the center of the table.
2. Wheel sectors placement: Randomly place the 6 wheel sectors, ensuring they face up on the right side based on player count.
3. Objective cards: Shuffle and randomly draw 3 Objective cards to place on the Board; set the rest aside.
4. Mission cards: Shuffle and place basement and home mission cards face down on designated spaces, based on player count.
5. Cheese tiles: Stack cheese tiles on the board.
6. Guest mouse tiles: Shuffle and place basement and home guest Mouse tiles face down on designated spaces. Create a round stack with five tiles.
7. Door tokens: Shuffle and place face down on designated spaces, with specific tokens for 3-4 player games.
8. General supply: Place various tokens (Electricity, Wood, Metal, etc.) next to the board, along with Hero cards and Skill tokens.

Game phases

The game is divided into 5 rounds, each representing a day during the challenge among the rat families. Each round consists of two main phases: the New Round Phase and the Actions Phase.

New round phase

(Skip this phase in Round 1)

1. Update turn order: Based on the position of Chiefs on the Alchemist’s Hut. If multiple Chiefs are present, the leftmost Chief determines the order.
2. Retrieve chiefs: Take your 3 Chiefs back from the board to your Player Board.
3. Guest mouse tile: Discard the previous round’s Guest Mouse tile and reveal a new one.
4. Turn the action wheel: Rotate the Action Wheel 1 sector clockwise (60°).
5. Receive income: Gain resources from Invention cards and tiles on your Player Board.
6. Remove 1x tokens: From Invention cards.
7. Discard and refresh invention cards: Remove the two rightmost cards from the display, slide the remaining ones, and draw new cards to refresh the display.

Actions phase

Following the turn order, players take turns placing a Chief on the Action Wheel or the Alchemist’s Hut to perform actions. Each player performs three turns per round, placing their 3 Chiefs. During your turn, you can also perform Quick actions that don’t require Chief placement.

Action wheel details:

• Main actions: Collecting Wood, Digging Rooms, Collecting Metal, Building Beds, Developing Projects, and Exploring. The strength of these actions depends on the number of Workers in the relevant area.
• Bonus actions: Additional actions available depending on the number of players, including moving workers, taking tokens, and playing Invention cards

Winning the game

The game ends after the 5th round when the Round stack on the board is empty. Final scoring is based on various factors accumulated throughout the game:

1. Ability spaces: VP from removed cubes on your Player Board.
2. Bed tiles: VP from the highest-value space on your Player Board where a Bed tile was removed.
3. Rooms: VP from the highest-value room where an Underground tile was removed, regardless of occupancy.
4. Guest mouse tiles: VP from Guest Mouse tiles, including a possible Cheese tile.
5. Invention cards: VP from cards in your play area.
6. Endgame effects: VP from Invention cards with endgame bonuses.
7. Advanced electricity token: 2 VP if you have it.
8. Resources: 1 VP for every 5 items (Wood, Metal, Movement tokens) and cards in hand.
9. Wild tokens: 1 VP for every 2 Wild tokens in your play area.

The player with the most Victory Points wins. In case of a tie, the player first in turn order wins.

Look and Feel

Rats of Wistar stands out with its detailed components and immersive artwork. Here’s a closer look at the aesthetic elements that make this game visually appealing:

Artwork

The game has some great artwork that brings the world of Rats of Wistar to life. Each character card and game board section is illustrated with artwork fitting the theme, depicting a vibrant, detailed environment that draws players into the story.

Components

1. Wooden components: The chief pieces are very nicely done and stand out on the game board. They’re sturdy and well-crafted, making them enjoyable to handle. The rat pieces look cute in a very Root kind of way.
2. Cards: The mission, event, and character cards are made of high-quality cardstock. They feature clear, easy-to-read text and beautiful illustrations.
3. Board and Tokens: The game board is made of thick, durable material. The tokens are colorful and designed to withstand repeated use.
4. The wheel: Installing the wheel with the pin is a bit of a hassle and could have been handled in a different, easier to use, way.

Theme and atmosphere

The theme of Rats of Wistar is consistently maintained throughout the game. From the dark, mysterious setting to the whimsical yet strategic nature of the gameplay, every element works together to create an engaging atmosphere. The attention to detail in the design helps players fully immerse themselves in the role of their rat characters, making every session feel like a unique adventure.

How to Play Rats of Wistar solo

Playing Rats of Wistar solo against the bot is a fun experience that challenges your strategic thinking and adaptability. Here’s how the solo mode works:

Solo setup

Playing Rats of Wistar solo against Rat-o-bot, an add-on module, provides a dynamic and challenging experience. Here’s how the solo mode works:

Solo setup

1. Rat-o-bot Setup: Set up Rat-o-bot’s components as per the module’s instructions. Rat-o-bot will compete for Invention cards, explore the Farm, complete Missions, and claim Objectives.
2. Choose Difficulty Level: Select a difficulty level from 0 to 9, with 0 being the easiest and 9 the most challenging. Higher levels make Rat-o-bot more aggressive and difficult to beat.
3. Solo Mission Cards: Draw solo mission cards specifically designed for solo play, offering a tailored challenge against Rat-o-bot.

General rules

1. No resource management: Rat-o-bot does not use resources like Wood, Metal, or tokens and doesn’t pay for actions.
2. Ignore effects: Rat-o-bot ignores bonus actions on the Action Wheel, Invention card effects, Guest Mouse tile effects, Mission card rewards, Door token bonuses, and Objective card bonuses.
3. Track bonuses: Rat-o-bot scores VP and performs special actions by advancing on Track cards.

Gameplay

1. New round phase: Follow the standard steps, with additional steps for Rat-o-bot:
   1. Retrieve Rat-o-bot’s Chiefs and shuffle its Automaton cards.
2. Actions phase: On Rat-o-bot’s turn, draw an Action card:
   1. Place the Chief: In the indicated Sector, or move clockwise if occupied.Place workers: Add Workers to the indicated Area if there’s space.Perform actions: Rat-o-bot executes main actions like digging rooms, collecting resources, and developing projects based on the action card’s strength.
   1. Get bonuses: Follow the bonuses indicated on the Action card, such as advancing on Track cards.

Winning the Game

To win, you must score more Victory Points than Rat-o-bot. The competitive nature of Rat-o-bot at higher levels offers a very good challenge, recommended for experienced players. The game provides a unique and engaging solo experience, testing your strategic prowess and adaptability. Will you maintain your leadership of the colony, or will Rat-o-bot usurp your position?

What I think of the game

Rats of Wistar is an absolute blast and offers a solid challenge, especially in solo mode. Controlling the bot is straightforward, yet it manages to keep you on your toes, making each game session exciting. The artwork is not only visually stunning but also perfectly complements the game’s theme, drawing you deeper into its world.

As a solo player, I love the strategic depth this game offers. You can plan several moves ahead and really work on crafting a winning strategy. While it initially appears to be a worker placement game, it’s actually more about playing and comboing Invention cards to make the most out of every action. This focus on card play adds a layer of complexity and excitement that I find incredibly rewarding.

However, this might not be for everyone. If you’re looking for a pure worker placement game, Rats of Wistar might not completely satisfy that itch. But for those who enjoy a blend of strategic planning and tactical card play, it’s a gem. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good solo board game challenge.

Conclusion

Rats of Wistar is a fantastic solo board game that mixes strategy, adventure, and gorgeous artwork. It’s perfect for those who love to dive deep into planning and enjoy a good challenge. The game’s unique focus on Invention cards adds an extra layer of fun, making each session exciting and different. Whether you’re a seasoned solo player or just getting started, this game offers plenty to enjoy. If you’re looking for a game that’s engaging and beautifully designed, Rats of Wistar is definitely worth adding to your collection. Give it a try and lead your colony to victory!