$17.99Ratropolis Cards, rats and real-time defense
Ratropolis is a real-time deckbuilder where cute rats hold a walled city against waves of predators. You start each run with 8 basic cards and build from over 500 economy, building, military and skill cards, adding, removing and upgrading until the deck can pay for walls, troops and cheese. Fast, replayable and tough, with six leaders who each play differently.
Is Ratropolis worth it?
Ratropolis is worth it if…
- you like deckbuilders where the deck has to fund an economy and an army
- you like fast, real-time tower defense with a lot to manage at once
- you like roguelite runs, unlocks and trying a new leader build each time
Screenshots
Build a deck that pays for a city
Every run starts with the same thin pile of 8 basic cards. From there you shape it into an economy, an army and a construction crew, pulling from more than 500 cards across economy, building, military and skill types.
You add cards that earn gold and cheese, raise troops, raise walls and houses, then remove the dead weight and upgrade the keepers. Advisers in finance, defense or leadership tilt your options when things get messy, and random events keep forcing small choices. Unlocks carry over between runs, so each fallen city leaves the next leader with more tools. The joke the game keeps telling is in the casting: you lead cute rats, not feral cats.
Hold the walls in real time
There is no quiet planning phase here. Cards are played live while enemies come from both sides in waves, so quick judgment matters as much as synergy.
You spend resources to expand ground, place buildings behind the walls, post melee rats at the gates and ranged rats behind them, and shift troops left or right as pressure moves. Win a wave and you get breathing room to draft, build and repair before the next one. Lose the city and the campaign ends, with six possible endings and six leaders to try. With 100-plus random events, no two defenses settle the same way.
Good to know before you play?
How does deckbuilding work here?
You begin with 8 basic cards and grow the pile during the run by gaining new cards, removing weak ones and upgrading favorites. The four types are economy, building, military and skill, so one card might earn gold while another raises a house, trains soldiers or fires a battlefield trick. Between runs you unlock more cards, which widens what can show up next time.
What do you actually defend against?
Waves of predators and monstrous creatures attack your rat outpost from the sides, trying to break through the walls and reach the city. You answer with walls, stationed troops, defensive buildings and skill cards, plus advisers who help with money, defense or leadership. Survive all 30 waves of a campaign to reach one of the six endings.
Can you play it solo?
Yes, it is built as a single-player game played with mouse only. You manage cards, buildings and troop positions yourself while the clock keeps running, which is why it feels brisk rather than leisurely.
