Rats, Bats, and Bones

About

Rats, Bats, and Bones is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Smallfry Games and was released on October 28, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

"Rats, Bats, & Bones" is a trap defense game where you play as a engineer, placing an array of traps and barricades to defeat hordes of undead enemies. With 45 hand-crafted levels, multiple difficulties, and a variety of upgrades and abilities to unlock, the game offers a challenging and engaging experience. Additional features include an endless mode and a killer synthwave soundtrack.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 80 reviews

music23 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The game features a charming retro aesthetic with clear visuals and an exceptional synthwave soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience.
It offers a variety of traps and strategies, allowing for creative gameplay and replayability, making it enjoyable for tower defense fans.
Despite some difficulty spikes, the game is generally well-balanced and rewarding, providing a satisfying challenge without feeling unfair.

The game is heavily criticized for being a clone of Dungeon Warfare, lacking significant innovation or differentiation from its predecessor.
There are issues with difficulty balancing, particularly in the later acts, where players may feel overwhelmed by enemy numbers and mechanics that lack clear counters.
The limited refund system for trap upgrades can be frustrating, discouraging experimentation and leading to potential soft locks if players make poor choices.

music
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
48%
6%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its exceptional synthwave soundtrack that enhances immersion and gameplay. The tracks, reminiscent of Danny Baranowsky's work, are described as catchy and atmospheric, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal. While some players noted minor issues, such as music freezing in the menu, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack is a standout feature, making it worth experiencing even outside of gameplay.
- “The soundtrack, made by the same multi-talented person that created this game, is truly exceptional: synthwave of the highest order.”
- “The music is sugar-dripping sweetness with John Carpenter synthwave horror vibes, making me swoon in trance-like joy.”
- “It's worth buying for the soundtrack alone - it's catchy and synth-y, almost spooky, really fits the game.”
- “Music in the main menu would also 'freeze' at times, which was annoying.”
- “The visuals are ugly (even for pixel art), the soundtrack is very poor (and releasing it separately to 'seem' like a bonus/DLC is a sham), and yet... the gameplay is still the worst part.”
- “Although the OST is synthwave, it has this sorta spooky vibe going on; everything just fits together.”
graphics
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
52%
7%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming retro aesthetic, reminiscent of classic consoles like the C64 and ZX Spectrum, which many players find both functional and visually appealing. While some users appreciate the clarity and legibility of the low-res pixel art, others express concerns about its appeal to younger audiences and its overall quality. Despite mixed opinions on the visuals, the graphics are often praised for complementing the game's atmosphere and enhancing the overall experience.
- “The visuals were a concern for me going in; some games with this visual style can be difficult to read, but I found everything to be quite clear.”
- “This is an awesome tower defense game with wonderful pixel graphics and a stellar soundtrack.”
- “The visuals and music/sound effects work really well together to create a fun, old-school atmosphere.”
- “However, the graphics are seriously chonky and right at the borderline of what seems playable.”
- “The visuals are ugly (even for pixel art), the soundtrack is very poor, and yet... the gameplay is still the worst part.”
- “I am not nostalgic about the low-resolution graphics of old.”
gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The gameplay is characterized by polished tower defense mechanics and a variety of traps, though some players note a need for better balance and performance improvements. While the game offers addictive and smooth gameplay, it has been criticized for being grindy and lacking imaginative elements. Overall, it provides a solid experience, especially for fans of retro graphics, despite some visual and audio shortcomings.
- “The game has 24 traps divided unevenly between four different categories (simple, mechanical, projectile, and mystical).”
- “The focus is the gameplay and it is done very well, with no bugs or issues for my play even on a Steam Deck.”
- “Very addictive gameplay.”
- “So the balance does feel like it still needs another good patch to shake it up for mercy's sake; there is a little performance clunk, and the gameplay doesn't extend itself to the infinite horizon.”
- “The visuals are ugly (even for pixel art), the soundtrack is very poor (and releasing it separately to 'seem' like a bonus/DLC is a sham), and yet... the gameplay is still the worst part.”
- “It has very similar gameplay with even more retro graphics.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The story aspect of the game is generally viewed as minimal and lacking depth, with some players noting that while it may not be strong, the progression through different areas and occasional location descriptions add some enjoyment. Despite its shortcomings, the core gameplay systems and variety in mission types help compensate for the weak narrative. Overall, the story is considered almost non-existent, but players can still find fun in the gameplay mechanics.
- “Love the story.”
- “Graphics and story are pretty minimal, but it is fun if you can overlook small studio limitations.”
- “There is not much of a story, but the maps are not random; I like the progression through different areas and the occasional description of locations.”
- “The story is almost non-existent.”
- “It's like the defender's quest system but even worse, which is just gross.”
- “What it lacks in fidelity it makes up in strong core systems, tower defense with a lot of trap variety, mission types, and upgrades.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it excessively tedious, especially when attempting to unlock hard mode or achieve 100% completion. While some appreciate the game's soundtrack and graphics, the repetitive nature of the gameplay has been criticized for lacking creativity and becoming overly grindy.
- “The game becomes rather grindy if going for all achievements or wanting to beat the levels on hard because to unlock hard mode for a level you have to beat it on medium difficulty first.”
- “It got a killer soundtrack, spooky theme, nice C64 graphics, a lot of content, smooth gameplay but is incredibly grindy.”
- “Great music, nice pixel art, but gameplay is rather unimaginative and too grindy for my taste.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find the varied enemies, fun traps, and engaging level designs contribute to high replay value, others feel that the lack of a level editor and mod support limits it. Enhancements like Steam Workshop integration could significantly boost replayability.
- “A level editor with Steam Workshop support would greatly improve replay value.”
- “Mod support with Steam Workshop for new enemies and traps would greatly improve replay value.”
- “The enemies are varied, the traps and status effects are fun, and the level designs offer a lot of replayability.”
- “This is frustrating and reduces replayability.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players report that optimization in the game is a mixed bag; while normal gameplay runs smoothly, performance issues arise during later waves in endless mode due to overwhelming enemy numbers. Many feel that the game's balance requires further adjustments, as the current optimization can be unforgiving and leads to noticeable clunkiness. Overall, a patch is needed to enhance the experience and address these performance concerns.
- “The sheer enemy numbers force a degree of optimization that many may find challenging.”
- “No lag during normal play, but later waves in endless mode can significantly impact performance due to the high number of enemies on screen.”
- “The balance feels like it still needs another patch to improve performance, as there are moments of clunkiness in gameplay.”
- “But a lot of the struggle also comes in just sheer enemy numbers forcing a degree of optimization that many may find too unforgiving.”
- “So the balance does feel like it still needs another good patch to shake it up; for mercy's sake, there is a little performance clunk, and the gameplay doesn't extend itself to the infinite horizon.”
- “No lag during normal play, but later waves in endless mode will tank your performance due to how many enemies there are on the screen.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its engaging combination of visuals, music, and sound effects, which collectively evoke a fun, nostalgic vibe. Players appreciate the easy-to-understand rules that complement the overall experience.
- “Great atmosphere, music, graphics, and easy to understand rules.”
- “The visuals and music/sound effects work really well together to create a fun, old-school atmosphere.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the humor in the game, particularly enjoying the amusing interactions and combinations, such as the fling trap and shotgun, which provide unexpected and entertaining moments.
- “It was really fun figuring out how things work and even discovering some funny interactions. The fling trap + shotgun combo is all I'm gonna say; that made me laugh.”