How to Play

First Rat

1-5 players 30-75 min 7.5 Board Game Geek Rating

Rats dream of reaching the legendary cheese moon and build a rocket from junkyard scraps. Players move their rats along paths to collect resources, purchasing equipment or constructing rocket parts for points. Landing on occupied spaces costs cheese. Collecting apple cores lets you recruit new rats or gather supplies. Victory goes to whoever scores most points before any player gets four rats aboard the completed spaceship.

Published 2022

First Rat

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

1
Place the game board
Use the variable setup side of the board
2
Create the Junkyard Path
Randomly draw Junkyard Path Tiles until the Path is full, placing each tile faceup on its leftmost matching lettered space
3
Set up Score Tracks
Randomly place 7 of the 8 Score Track Tiles faceup on the Score Track areas
4
Distribute player components
Each player chooses a color and takes:
5
Stock Zippy the Frog's Booth
Place Energy Drinks faceup based on player count:
6
Stock Harry Hamster's Booth
Place Backpacks faceup based on player count:
7
Stock Madcap Crow's Booth
Randomly place 6 Bottle Caps faceup
8
Fill the Library
Randomly place 6 Comics faceup to the right of the Rat Burrow
9
Determine turn order
Randomly assign 1st player; turn order proceeds clockwise
10
Distribute starting Cheese
1st player takes Start Rat Marker and 1 Cheese; 2nd and 3rd players take 2 Cheese; 4th and 5th players take 3 Cheese
11
Cover unused spaces
Place Neutral Score Markers and Neutral Rats on spaces not available for this player count

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

1
Move one Rat far
Advance 1 of your Rats 1-5 spaces along the Junkyard Path
2
Move multiple Rats shorter
Alternatively, advance 2-4 of your Rats 1-3 spaces each; all moved Rats must end on different spaces of the same color
3
Follow movement rules
Rats can only move forward toward the Rocket
4
Pay for shortcuts
Discard the required Resource to take a shortcut
5
Avoid same-space conflicts
You may never have any of your Rats on the same Junkyard Path space at the end of your turn
6
Reach the Launchpad
When a Rat reaches the Launchpad, move it to the leftmost free space on the Rattronaut Score Track
7
Choose Launchpad color
The Launchpad has all 5 colors; choose which color it counts as when landing there
8
Pay opponents for sharing
Give 1 Cheese to any player whose Rat occupies a space where your Rat ends its movement
9
Handle insufficient Cheese
If you cannot pay, take 1 Mouldy Cheese and 3 Cheese from supply, then give 1 Cheese
10
Gather from landed spaces
Collect Resources from all spaces where you moved a Rat this turn (unmoved Rats don't collect)
11
Collect Cheese
Take the depicted amount, +1 if your Light String Marker has reached or passed that space
12
Collect Vinegar Bottles
Take 1 from supply, +1 with Light String bonus
13
Collect Tin Cans
Take 1 from supply, +1 with Light String bonus
14
Collect Baking Soda
Take 1 from supply, +1 with Light String bonus
15
Collect Calculators
Take 1 from supply, +1 with Light String bonus
16
Advance Light String
Move your Light String Marker 1 space per Lightbulb collected, +1 with Light String bonus
17
Move in Rat Burrow
Advance your Rat Burrow Marker 1 space clockwise per Apple Core, +1 with Light String bonus
18
Trigger booth visits
If any Rat ends its move in a Booth space, you may acquire 1 Item
19
Buy an Item
Pay the required Cheese amount
20
Steal an Item
Take without paying, but return that Rat to the Start space of the Junkyard Path
21
Build Rocket parts
Discard required Resources to place Score Markers on tracks
22
Donate Cheese
Donate 10 Cheese to place on Provisions Score Track
23
Observe placement limits
Only 1 Score Marker per player in the first 4 spaces; unlimited in the rightmost space
24
Score multiple times
Place as many times as you want or are able each turn
25
Use Energy Drinks
Once per turn when collecting, double your Resource yield (after Backpack bonuses); flip facedown after use
26
Equip Backpacks
Gain bonus Resources when collecting from matching space colors (1 of each type maximum)
27
Apply Comics
Various ongoing abilities including free shortcuts, avoiding Cheese payments, or reduced construction costs
28
Super Rat Comics
Attach token to a Rat for special abilities:

Winning

How to claim victory.

1
Trigger end game condition 1
A player moves their 4th Rat onto the Launchpad; game ends at the end of the current Round
2
Trigger end game condition 2
A player places their 8th Score Marker; play to end of current Round, then play 1 additional Round
3
Use extra Score Markers
9th and 10th Score Markers may be used in additional turns
4
Score the 8 Score Tracks
Earn VP based on marker positions on each track
5
Score Bottle Caps
Earn VP according to each Bottle Cap's specific conditions
6
Score Awards
Earn 3 VP for each Award collected
7
Lose points for Mouldy Cheese
Subtract 2 VP for each Mouldy Cheese
8
Score leftover Resources
Earn 1 VP for every 4 Resources remaining (Vinegar Bottles, Baking Soda, Tin Cans, Calculators, and Cheese)
9
Determine the winner
Player with the most VP wins
10
Break ties
Player with the most Rattronauts in the Rocket wins; if still tied, players share the victory

watch & Learn

Let the pros teach you with these top videos.

First Rat - First Rat

First Rat - First Rat

Instructional

FIRST RAT, English edition, Teaser

FIRST RAT, English edition, Teaser

Instructional

MORE VIDEOS

FULL rules

Looking for the full details? Grab the complete rulebook as a downloadable PDF.

Play Board Games Online

Explore breakout hits and fan favourites with no downloads, setup or paywalls. Just click and play.

Play Now

more GAMES LIKE THIS