Ratty Ruckus (2023)

Ratty Ruckus takes the classic game of tic-tac-toe to a whole new level with unexpected surprises and lots of rats. Players must create a sequence of matching rats in a line within the 4 x 4 grid either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The first player to line up their rats takes the cheese. Each successful sequence earns a point and ends the round, the first player or team to reach three points wins the game. —description from the publisher User summary: This game is marketed as Tic-Tac-Toe taken to the next level. While it is inspired by Tic-Tac-Toe, there are several key changes, including up to 3 players (or teams of 2 each) rather than just 2 gamers facing off. And spaces are not always owned by one player for the duration of the game, as other players can take over a space or co-exist in a space. With the need to get 4 in a row on a 4 x 4 grid, the game is still (but much less) susceptible to the "gridlock" of Tic-Tac-Toe that leads to draws among skilled players. Can be played by 2 or 3 players, or with partner teams can be played by 4 or 6 players; not with 5 or more than 6 players.