stepping into this project feels like downloading a virus directly into the frontal cortex. the atmosphere is heavy and wet and the sound design immediately establishes a sense of discomfort. every step the player takes is accompanied by a variation of a squelch noise that implies the floor is made of something living and unhappy (which makes me happy). it is a sensory experience that ignores standard comfort for a vibe that is distinctly moist and anxiety inducing
the central figure of this madness is a low fidelity white fat rat that rotates to face the camera no matter where you stand. approaching this creature triggers an internal monologue that ranges from desperate to aggressive. the prompts scream at you with options like talk or talk!! or just rat. sometimes the game asks if you want to chat up this rodent playa or even kiss this rat with language. it creates a relationship with the npc that is confusing and oddly intimate.
sometimes the text just calls it a poopy rat which feels like a regression to toddler insults amidst the horror. the randomness of the text parser means you never quite know if the game wants you to flirt with the vermin or simply acknowledge its existence. the rat does not offer quests or useful information. it just exists to be whiny and occupy space in the void while you try to figure out why you are there.
eventually you find the hole which serves as the primary method of transport. the game invites you to enter with text that oscillates between obvious labeling and strange warnings. seeing text that says back in the hole don't get too excited makes the act of level transition feel shameful. other times it simply questions the nature of the object with a tentative hole? prompt. it is a portal that judges you for using it.
movement starts out feeling standard until you encounter the speed coin. this item applies a force that violently launches the character forward. and its broken. oh lord how broken. the physics engine struggles to keep up as you careen off surfaces and likely into the void. collecting one feels like losing control of your own body rather than gaining a powerup. the sudden acceleration turns the slow exploration into a pinball simulation.
the soundscape deserves special mention for how much heavy lifting it does. landing on the ground produces a pathetic huh sound while jumping makes a cartoonish boing. dying plays one of six random dead noises that sound alarming. combined with the background drone and the constant squelching walking sounds the audio profile is a masterpiece of contradictions. it is scary and silly simultaneously.
even the loading screens refuse to be normal. instead of useful tips the game feeds you existential complaints. reading phrases like they never ask 'how loading?' :( or nonsense like now yodeling gives the loading friction a personality. it breaks the fourth wall to complain about its own existence. the developer clearly spent time making sure even the downtime felt wrong.
the visual design uses a mix of trenchbroom geometry and billboard sprites to create a space that feels abandoned. the lighting casts long shadows over the fleshy textures giving the impression of being inside a giant organ. finding a random plant or a face sprite floating in the darkness adds to the surrealism. nothing fits together because it is designed to be incoherent.
the picking system allows you to highlight objects from a distance but the interaction is always vague. you click on a face or a plant and nothing substantial happens. the game sets up expectations of puzzles and then refuses to deliver them. you are just a camera floating in a soup of assets looking for meaning where there is only a rat and a hole.
rat nightmare is a short and abrasive trip through a developer's fever dream. it is incoherent and loud and wet and confusing. playing it feels like intruding on a private joke that has gone on for too long. it is a perfect example of what happens when you let a physics engine and a text parser run wild without supervision