Rat Runner

Overview

Rat Runner is a fast-paced survival horror game where you play as the lone sane survivor of a scientist’s failed experiments. Explore a maze-like sewer system, collect items, evolve new abilities, and outsmart the infected rats hunting you. Your goal is simple: survive and escape!

Rat Runner began as a passion project, an opportunity for our team to challenge ourselves, learn new systems, and build a polished, fully playable game we could be proud of. With Halloween coming up, we aimed to create a horror experience that was atmospheric, tense, and fun. Many of us had never developed a horror game before, so we dove into research, experimentation, and plenty of iteration. Our goal was to push ourselves as developers and designers to create a unique experience that shows our growth, creativity, and collaboration.

Want to see for yourself?

Click the buttons below to play the game yourself, or view the GitHub repository.

Itch.io GitHub

Features

Save & Load System

Developed a secure save/load feature that records player progress using file I/O and binary serialization to prevent tampering with game data.

Enemy AI & Navigation

Implemented enemy behaviors using Unity’s NavMesh system, including patrolling, player detection, and dynamic speed scaling.

Game State Management

Developed a system to manage all core game states including Playing, Paused, and Game Over, ensuring consistent UI updates, and smooth transitions.

Camera Controls

Implemented smooth camera movement and look mechanics, allowing players to freely navigate the environment with responsive and immersive controls.

Tech Stack

Game Development

Tools and languages used to build gameplay systems and mechanics.

C#

Unity

Unity

Development Tools

Software used for coding, debugging, version control, and collaboration.

GitHub

GitHub

Visual Studio

Visual Studio

Project Management

Tools used to organize tasks and track progress throughout development.

Trello

Trello

Project Images

1 / 5

Rat Runner main menu

The main menu screen for the game.

2 / 5

A puzzle in Rat Runner

One of the various puzzle rooms containing the speed puzzle.

3 / 5

A tunnel in Rat Runner

A player navigating through one of the maze-like tunnels.

4 / 5

The upgrade bench where a player might user their items to upgrade themselves.

5 / 5

The jumpscare animation when a player gets caught by an enemy rat.

❮ ❯