Schrödinger's Skaven
To begin with, let's briefly go back to 1982 and one of the Skaven's major pre-cursors...
HeroQuest - Marvel Winter Special by TSEvans on Scribd
It would be impossible to estimate the importance of Hero Quest in the formation of the fantasy wargaming hobby as it exists today. Many an Oldhammerer got their start painting the plastic figures of this gameline. It stands to this day as perhaps the best introductory product to the Warhammer hobby, and evokes a nostalgic fondness in gamers of my generation to this day.
And, of course, its success led to imitators. In 1992 a Canadian games company with the unlikely name of Waddingtons introduced the Dark World series of games, designed by Eamon Bloomfield.
The turn of the century saw the release of several fantasy boardgames featuring ratmen, including 2004's Dungeoneer: Den of the Wererats...