Move your Ratatan, command Cobun on the beat, and clear World 5 to finish your first run. Learning how to play Ratatan means handling movement and rhythm together: you move your leader freely while musical commands direct the army. Between attempts, return to Rataport to improve your squad and prepare for the encounter that stopped you.
How do you control your army in Ratatan?
Move your Ratatan freely and enter the displayed rhythm phrase to tell your Cobun what to do, including every rest in the pattern. An empty beat is a deliberate pause. Filling it with an extra input can spoil the order.
BAD inputs fail; GOOD timing can complete a command. An all-JUST phrase gives stronger effects and better MP efficiency. Get a useful command out reliably before chasing perfect timing. A Guard that activates in time helps more than an Attack you fail to finish.
- In a quiet section, alternate Attack and Fall In until you can keep the beat without constantly checking the prompts.
- Add Guard and Jump so you can defend while maintaining the rhythm.
- Learn your equipped Hustle Tech effects, then practice using them when you have enough MP.
Listen for the squad's response and follow the rhythm display before beginning the next phrase. If inputs keep missing, adjust timing compensation at Options > Audio > Calibration.
| Command | What it does | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | Sends Cobun into an attack | The target is in range and has left an opening |
| Fall In | Regroups Cobun around your Ratatan | You need scattered units to follow your movement |
| Guard | Uses a shield to reduce incoming damage | The formation cannot safely avoid a hit |
| Jump | Lifts your Ratatan and Cobun into the air for 4 beats | A ground attack can be jumped over |
| Hustle Tech 1 | Activates the Cobun's first special techniques | You have MP and those effects fit the encounter |
| Hustle Tech 2 | Activates their second special techniques | You have unlocked it through the Quest Board and need those effects |
You can enter other rhythm commands while jumping. That lets you chain another jump, attack, or regroup instead of waiting helplessly for the jump to finish.
Which Ratatan tips keep your whole army alive?
Watch the entire Cobun formation and start defending during an enemy's wind-up, before the attack reaches you. Getting your Ratatan out of a warning marker does not automatically get every soldier out.
Use Fall In to gather scattered Cobun, move the group, then choose a position from which your next attack can connect. Melee units need to reach the enemy. Ranged units need a clear attack line and useful distance. Retreat too far and your orders may be perfectly timed while your attacks reach nothing.
Match the defense to the attack. Jump handles ground attacks you can clear. Guard reduces damage when everyone cannot escape in time. Movement helps you leave a marked area. None of these handles every enemy move.
Do not squeeze in another Attack after a dangerous wind-up has started. Rhythm phrases take time to enter and resolve. Prepare your defense when the tell appears, rather than when the hit lands.
For a troublesome encounter, spend an attempt learning one dangerous sequence: its warning, your response, and where the squad should stand afterward. Once you can survive it, look for a recovery window to use a special technique. The Ratatan bosses page is the next place to focus on individual fights.
How do you use MP, Hustle Tech, and Fever?
Restore MP with Attack, Guard, Jump, and Fall In, then spend it on Hustle Tech when the equipped effects will help. Check the gauge before issuing a special command. Repeating a technique without enough MP will not make it happen.
Hustle Tech effects depend on your Cobun classes and equipment. Read their descriptions in Rataport and try them in an easier encounter. You need to know whether the command supplies damage, protection, or another effect before relying on it during a boss opening.
Successful rhythm commands build Tension toward Fever. Keep choosing sensible commands while it builds; you can defend and preserve the squad without constantly attacking. Fever does not remove the need to watch health, positioning, and enemy tells.
Super Fever Tech is a separate, character-specific ability unlocked through the Quest Board. Fill the Tension Gauge, then enter that Ratatan's specified rhythm command. Activation leaves a small amount of Tension and grants Super Armor, preventing enemy knockback or status effects from canceling the technique.
Check the ability for your chosen leader before setting out. The Ratatan tier list helps you explore the roster once you are ready to try another setup.
Which upgrades help you get farther in a run?
Choose Ratakaruta effects that work with your equipment, elements, and existing status effects, then use Rataport upgrades to address what ended the attempt. A bonus you can trigger regularly is more useful than one your squad rarely activates.
If damage is already adequate but your Cobun keep falling, prioritize healing or protection over another offensive effect. Intermission shops spend Tokens during the adventure. Consider your health and the next boss before buying: recovery that gets you through the fight can matter more than a conditional damage upgrade.
Back in Rataport, keep those temporary run choices separate from preparation for future attempts.
| Facility | What to do there |
|---|---|
| Ratatan Dock | Improve passive upgrades for your Ratatan and Cobun |
| Support Desk | Unlock broader improvements and services |
| Craft | Craft or upgrade weapons and compare their effects |
| Quest Board | Check tasks, claim rewards, and pursue technique unlocks |
After a defeat, prioritize adventure upgrades at the Ratatan Dock and Support Desk, and equip stronger weapons when you obtain them. Make a deliberate adjustment before departing: improve a weak weapon, change a passive, or practice the defensive command that failed. That gives your next attempt a specific problem to solve.
How do you finish your first Ratatan run?
Complete Episode 1 by reaching and clearing World 5 for the first time, then set Goddess Games to Oath Level 1 or higher and start another run to enter Episode 2. Your first clear is a progression milestone, with more episodes beyond it.
For a beginner walkthrough, keep the route practical:
- Prepare in Rataport, checking weapons, passive upgrades, and Quest Board rewards.
- Fight with Attack and Fall In as your basic cycle, adding Guard or Jump when the enemy's tell calls for it.
- Pick compatible Ratakaruta effects and spend Tokens according to what will help you survive the next encounter.
- Clear through World 5 to complete Episode 1.
- Raise the Oath Level to at least 1 in Goddess Games before starting the next episode.
You can use a suspend save to stop partway through an adventure and resume later. If solo attempts feel too punishing, Welcome Mode makes the early adventure easier, can be toggled at any time, and does not change the story. It is disabled during co-op; see Ratatan multiplayer when you want to play with others.
With your first clear complete, your next target is Episode 2. Clearing it leads toward Episode 3, but Bonboya Gate can display melodies as collected before the required Dark Ratatan encounters are met, blocking entry despite the display. Continue with Ratatan how to unlock Episode 3 when you reach that stage.