The Challenges and Future of EA
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2949320/Ratatan/
It’s been almost two weeks since Ratatan entered Early Access.
We can’t express how grateful we are to everyone who has played the game and shared their thoughts with us via reviews and the feedback form. Thank you so much!
We’d like to talk about the challenges that have become clear from everyone’s feedback, and what our plans are going forward.
[hr][/hr]
[h2]Challenges Identified from Feedback So Far[/h2]
[h3]Game Balancing[/h3]
Many players mentioned that enemies felt a bit too tough, or that some skills felt much stronger or weaker than others.
We also heard that the difficulty curve can feel uneven—with moments that flow smoothly followed by sudden spikes that felt overly harsh.
[h3]Ratakaruta[/h3]
A lot of feedback pointed out that power levels differed depending on attributes and that builds tended to end up looking the same each run.
Some players also highlighted that randomness, such as draw luck, can heavily affect the experience.
We’ve heard a strong desire for more freedom and more variety when building decks.
[h3]Roguelike Structure[/h3]
Repeated feedback noted that runs felt too long, the gameplay became repetitive, and rewards felt underwhelming.
Players also mentioned that the variety of choices and events were limited, which made the excitement of wondering what will happen next run weaker.
It’s not that randomness itself is disliked, but rather that the balance between risk and reward sometimes feels off.
[hr][/hr]
[h2]How We’re Addressing These Issues[/h2]
[h3]Game Balancing[/h3]
Rather than making large changes all at once, we’ll be carefully adjusting balance little by little.
With the new Super Fever Technique ultimate move arriving in October, along with other player-side power-ups, we’ll continue tuning the overall balance to match these enhancements.
[h3]Ratakaruta[/h3]
In the short term, we’ll review attribute strengths to allow for a wider variety of effective deck combinations.
We’re also considering a Reroll feature, which will let players reroll card selections, reducing the impact of randomness while giving more meaningful choices.
In December, we plan to introduce powerful Duo Cards that can be obtained by combining specific elemental powers. This will significantly expand deck-building variety.
[h3]Roguelike Structure[/h3]
This area is one of our biggest challenges, and we’re planning major overhauls.
First, in October, we’ll add Risky Picks featuring tough enemies that grant previously scarce resources. This aims to reduce the number of required runs while enhancing the sense of accomplishment and reward.
Currently, progression heavily relies on battles, so we’ll also add more non-battle events to lower battle density and create a more varied experience.
In December, Dark Ratatan will be introduced, adding major climactic events to break up monotony and inject tension and excitement into runs.
[h3]Other Improvements[/h3]
Bug fixes, UI enhancements, and multiplayer stability improvements will continue to be addressed in future updates.
[hr][/hr]
[h2]Update Planned for End of October[/h2]
[h3]Ratatan Exclusive Skill: Super Fever Technique[/h3]
We’re implementing long-requested ultimate moves unique to each Ratatan.
[h3]Cobun Accessory Implementation[/h3]
Cobun can now equip head accessories, and rewards have been increased, expanding both visual customization and gameplay options.
[h3]New Random Events[/h3]
We’re adding areas with tougher enemies and areas with larger rewards, introducing more variety to the pacing of runs.
[h3]Ratakaruta Reroll Feature[/h3]
We’re prioritizing a system that lets you redraw your deck, replacing the previous “Best Build” button. This reduces randomness while creating new ways to use tokens.
[h3]Random Match Improvements[/h3]
The UI has been updated so you can see currently ongoing sessions, making it smoother to join multiplayer games.
[hr][/hr]
[h2]Ratatan: Evolving Through Your Feedback[/h2]
We’re often asked, “Is this a sequel to Patapon?”
Ratatan was created as a completely new challenge. While it shares some roots with Patapon, it’s not about revisiting nostalgia—it’s about exploring a fresh rhythm experience and a unique roguelike structure.
The driving force behind this challenge is the feedback we receive from all of you. Balance adjustments, the card system, the roguelike structure… we’ll continue to improve these based on what you have to say.
Early Access has only just begun, and because of your input, Ratatan can keep evolving and become even more fun.
We, the development team, are fully aware that there are areas that still need improvement. That’s why we’re dedicating ourselves to making these improvements and working tirelessly toward the official release.
Every review that says, “This was fun!” gives the development team a huge boost. If you have suggestions for what could be improved, please share them through the feedback form.
Your reviews and feedback support Ratatan’s future and help expand its potential!
Roadmap
It’s been almost two weeks since Ratatan entered Early Access.
We can’t express how grateful we are to everyone who has played the game and shared their thoughts with us via reviews and the feedback form. Thank you so much!
We’d like to talk about the challenges that have become clear from everyone’s feedback, and what our plans are going forward.
[hr][/hr]
[h2]Challenges Identified from Feedback So Far[/h2]
[h3]Game Balancing[/h3]
Many players mentioned that enemies felt a bit too tough, or that some skills felt much stronger or weaker than others.
We also heard that the difficulty curve can feel uneven—with moments that flow smoothly followed by sudden spikes that felt overly harsh.
[h3]Ratakaruta[/h3]
A lot of feedback pointed out that power levels differed depending on attributes and that builds tended to end up looking the same each run.
Some players also highlighted that randomness, such as draw luck, can heavily affect the experience.
We’ve heard a strong desire for more freedom and more variety when building decks.
[h3]Roguelike Structure[/h3]
Repeated feedback noted that runs felt too long, the gameplay became repetitive, and rewards felt underwhelming.
Players also mentioned that the variety of choices and events were limited, which made the excitement of wondering what will happen next run weaker.
It’s not that randomness itself is disliked, but rather that the balance between risk and reward sometimes feels off.
[hr][/hr]
[h2]How We’re Addressing These Issues[/h2]
[h3]Game Balancing[/h3]
Rather than making large changes all at once, we’ll be carefully adjusting balance little by little.
With the new Super Fever Technique ultimate move arriving in October, along with other player-side power-ups, we’ll continue tuning the overall balance to match these enhancements.
[h3]Ratakaruta[/h3]
In the short term, we’ll review attribute strengths to allow for a wider variety of effective deck combinations.
We’re also considering a Reroll feature, which will let players reroll card selections, reducing the impact of randomness while giving more meaningful choices.
In December, we plan to introduce powerful Duo Cards that can be obtained by combining specific elemental powers. This will significantly expand deck-building variety.
[h3]Roguelike Structure[/h3]
This area is one of our biggest challenges, and we’re planning major overhauls.
First, in October, we’ll add Risky Picks featuring tough enemies that grant previously scarce resources. This aims to reduce the number of required runs while enhancing the sense of accomplishment and reward.
Currently, progression heavily relies on battles, so we’ll also add more non-battle events to lower battle density and create a more varied experience.
In December, Dark Ratatan will be introduced, adding major climactic events to break up monotony and inject tension and excitement into runs.
[h3]Other Improvements[/h3]
Bug fixes, UI enhancements, and multiplayer stability improvements will continue to be addressed in future updates.
[hr][/hr]
[h2]Update Planned for End of October[/h2]
[h3]Ratatan Exclusive Skill: Super Fever Technique[/h3]
We’re implementing long-requested ultimate moves unique to each Ratatan.
[h3]Cobun Accessory Implementation[/h3]
Cobun can now equip head accessories, and rewards have been increased, expanding both visual customization and gameplay options.
[h3]New Random Events[/h3]
We’re adding areas with tougher enemies and areas with larger rewards, introducing more variety to the pacing of runs.
[h3]Ratakaruta Reroll Feature[/h3]
We’re prioritizing a system that lets you redraw your deck, replacing the previous “Best Build” button. This reduces randomness while creating new ways to use tokens.
[h3]Random Match Improvements[/h3]
The UI has been updated so you can see currently ongoing sessions, making it smoother to join multiplayer games.
[hr][/hr]
[h2]Ratatan: Evolving Through Your Feedback[/h2]
We’re often asked, “Is this a sequel to Patapon?”
Ratatan was created as a completely new challenge. While it shares some roots with Patapon, it’s not about revisiting nostalgia—it’s about exploring a fresh rhythm experience and a unique roguelike structure.
The driving force behind this challenge is the feedback we receive from all of you. Balance adjustments, the card system, the roguelike structure… we’ll continue to improve these based on what you have to say.
Early Access has only just begun, and because of your input, Ratatan can keep evolving and become even more fun.
We, the development team, are fully aware that there are areas that still need improvement. That’s why we’re dedicating ourselves to making these improvements and working tirelessly toward the official release.
Every review that says, “This was fun!” gives the development team a huge boost. If you have suggestions for what could be improved, please share them through the feedback form.
Your reviews and feedback support Ratatan’s future and help expand its potential!
Roadmap