Lab Rat

Release Date: April 15, 2025

Puzzle, science fiction, humorous, indie games, experimental/artistic, singleplayer

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Puzzle game stylized on the creation of Artificial Intelligence. In Lab Rat we play the role of a volunteer who, taking part in an unusual experiment, solves increasingly difficult puzzles.

Plot
Mechanics
Technical aspects

Lab Rat is a puzzle game stylized as a work of Artificial Intelligence, developed through machine learning. The game was created by the indie Chump Squad studio and was supervised by such people as Gwen Frey (Kine, The Flame in the Flood), Mike Snight (BioShock Infinite) and Matthew Burns (Eliza).

Plot

In Lab Rat we play the role of one of the volunteers who decides to participate in an unusual experiment. It involves solving more and more complicated puzzles under the guidance of advanced Artificial Intelligence. The AI will be able to shape its opinions about humanity on the basis of the data collected during the solving of the puzzles, as well as on the basis of the opinions of research participants. Although all this sounds very innocent, it soon turns out that this AI has no good intentions.

Mechanics

In Lab Rat the action was shown from the top-down view. The game includes over eighty puzzles with increasing difficulty. During the game we have to move various objects on the boards and manipulate the laser beams and electricity. After dealing with each puzzle, we get access to an internal analysis prepared by the AI, which allows us to check the statistics of other players, express our opinion on the content of a given stage and read the answers given by other participants of the game.

Technical aspects

Lab Rat has a pleasant graphics maintained in a raw, futuristic style. Among the colors dominate the blue shades, against the background of which the few yellow colored elements, such as laser beams or the main character's outfit, clearly stand out.

Videos and Screens

[1:15] Lab Rat trailer #2

[0:49] Lab Rat trailer #1