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- #26 | Rat Trap is no joke
#26 | Rat Trap is no joke
Cartoon-inspired, mechanically rich, and driven by a clear vision—Rat Trap is a metroidvania to keep on your radar.
Indieformer
April 07, 2025
Issue Partner
Issue #26
FRONTLINE (TGX EDITION)
Rat Trap
Cartoon-inspired, mechanically rich, and driven by a clear vision—Rat Trap is a metroidvania to keep on your radar.
In the middle of the buzzing TGX 2025 floor in Melbourne, one demo quietly stood out—not because it was loud or flashy, but because it knew exactly what it wanted to be. Rat Trap is a cartoon-inspired metroidvania that blends clever traversal, puzzle-solving, and a unique body-swapping mechanic—all wrapped in the kind of weird, expressive charm you’d find on Cartoon Network in the early 2000s.
You play as a lab rat trying to escape a mysterious facility, slowly assembling an alien mech suit as you go. Each new part changes how you move, what you can access, and how you interact with the world. It’s layered, playful, and surprisingly intuitive—designed to be accessible for new players, but with just enough challenge baked in for the diehards.
I only played a short slice of the demo, but that was all it took to see the potential. It’s still in development, with a planned release next year, but already has the bones of something worth watching. Wishlist it on Steam, give the demo a spin, and keep this one on your radar.
So… why a lab rat?
When I asked Beau, the developer behind Rat Trap, why he chose a lab rat as the protagonist, I expected some kind of metaphor. But the answer was far simpler—and more interesting.
“It started with the mechanics,” he said. “The idea of collecting mech parts that attach to your body and change how you move—that came first. Once I had that, the lab rat story just made sense. Everyone knows what a lab rat is. It’s familiar. It gives the whole thing context.”
That idea—of gameplay leading narrative—runs through the whole project. Rather than frontloading story, Rat Trap lets you uncover it through play. “The facility, the mystery, all of that unfolds as you go. I didn’t want to over-explain it.”
Is this your first go at making a game?
It’s Beau’s first big project. He comes from an animation background, and like many creative pivots, the move into game dev came around COVID.
“I got kicked in the bum like everyone else,” he laughed. “I’d always had the urge to make something, and I’d done some contract animation work before. But that itch to create something of my own—it stuck.”
He tried the usual beginner route—quick mobile games, small prototypes—but nothing clicked. “They didn’t excite me. This did. It played to my strengths, and I could see it growing into something I actually wanted to finish.”
Who’s this game for?
One of the most interesting things Beau told me was who the game seems to resonate with.
“There’s this weird curve—under 14s love it, and then adults in their 30s. Not much in the middle,” he said.
It checks out. The hand-drawn style, expressive animations, and the modular movement system all scream early-2000s gaming nostalgia—but without being derivative. I told Beau it reminded me of something I’d have played on Armor Games as a kid. “That’s exactly it,” he smiled. “That flash-game feel. Something that knows what it is.”
What kind of experience are you aiming for?
Beau’s aiming for a 6–10 hour experience.
“I want people to start on Friday and finish by Sunday. Not just drop off halfway.”
It’s designed to be accessible—there are tools like map markers, navigational aids, and clearer upgrade paths—but there’s plenty of depth for completionists too.
He’s also staying realistic. “You can always dream big, but I want to finish this properly before I start chasing the next big idea.”
So it’s not a soulslike?
He laughed.
“God no. I love hard games—but this isn’t one of them. I wanted to build something smart, not punishing. Something that makes people feel clever, not defeated.”
There’s still challenge there—optional rooms, speed tricks, puzzle chains—but the core experience is designed to be approachable. “Not everyone wants to get dunked on by a boss for an hour,” he said. “And that’s fine.”
What’s the point of all this?
Toward the end of our chat, I asked what motivates him to make games in the first place.
“There’s room for everyone now,” he said. “People who play mobile games daily and don’t think they’re gamers—they are. You don’t have to make the next Stardew Valley. You just have to make something that knows what it is.”
That stuck with me. Rat Trap isn’t trying to be everything. It’s trying to be something. And in an industry full of noise, that kind of clarity stands out.
FRONTLINE (TGX EDITION)
Demo Available Now
There’s a free demo live on Steam now. It’s a self-contained slice of Rat Trap that’ll take you 20–40 minutes, depending on how much you like poking around. You’ll get a taste of the traversal, the fuse-and-split mechanic, and the general tone of the game. And if you vibe with it, wishlist it.
It’s got time. And if this is what it looks like mid-development? I’m excited to see what it becomes.
Happy gaming!
The Indieformer Team
P.S. Don’t forget to share your thoughts and favourite discoveries with us via the comments, Threads, or reach us at [email protected]
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