From the introduction: Island Rats is a fantasy adventure game of exploration, problem-solving, and survival. One player acts as the Game Master (GM) while the remaining players take on the role of Player Characters (PCs). Although paper, pencils, and dice are involved, the core of the game is a conversation; the GM tells the players what is happening, the players tell the GM what their characters to do in response, and the GM describes how their actions in turn affect the world.