I’ve always thought that the one genre that allows for a lot of experimentation is that of roguelikes. Yet, while we’ve had some unique experiences, I’ve also felt that many new ones have stayed on the turn-based, deck-builder, or action lanes. However, as someone who is always looking for the next roguelike, it is always a welcome sight to see a studio bring a new take on the formula, and it is even better when that new take ends up surpassing some big names of the genre. That is precisely what Rune Dice does. It brings a satisfying yet challenging roguelike gameplay loop, superb progression systems, and a unique dice-merging mechanic that will easily hook anyone.
Nailing The ‘One More Run’ Factor
Rune Dice moves away from an action-oriented loop or a turn-based system with a deck-builder and brings its dice-merging mechanic, which, at first, might sound a bit overwhelming, but it isn’t.
You start the game at a beautifully made tavern with lovely pixel art sprites, and get to pick from one of two available classes, Rogue and Mage. Naturally, I picked John Wickblade for two reasons: the name is just fantastic, and one of the many references that I loved in Rune Dice and Rogue is usually the class I pick in any RPG. With my edgy Rogue selected, I started a new run on the game’s first map, Nearby Forest, and left it all in the hands of the RNG Gods.
Since there are a few systems to break down, I’ll go over my favorite one first: classes. See, in many roguelikes, we’re used to having a couple of characters that grow in power as you finish runs with them, or you have just one character with different weapons that you unlock. Rune Dice leans more into an RPG-lite system, where you have several classes you need to unlock and then more characters of that class you can get by completing certain requirements.
Take Rogue, for example. You level up our class by playing class dice, and then unlock new characters by playing specific dice. This creates a solid progression system with superb rewards that not only give you a new skin for your class or a recolor, but a whole new starting loadout. For instance, John Wickblade begins with Dodge, Blind Strike, and Poison dice. However, Romeo Deathbrew, the next Rogue character, begins with only Poison dice, and the same applies to other classes.
One important thing for me in any roguelike is the drive to continue earning new things or unlocking new features, and Rune Dice truly rewards you after every run. Some classes have even tougher requirements to unlock, such as the Necromancer, which requires you to defeat one particular enemy in the game’s second map. All in all, the way Rune Dice handles classes and character unlocks is superb and truly gives you an edge to eventually beat the bosses that will likely cause your demise in a run you thought was perfect.
Leaving classes aside, however, let’s get into the dicey (no pun intended) part of the game: its dice-merging system. Now, when someone looks at dice and roguelikes, the combination might not seem ideal first, but it is just one of the best I’ve seen in the genre. Basically, you need to start combining dice of the same number, and then have that new die merge with another, and so on, until you create the biggest die.
To give you an idea, you begin with a die showing 1; you have to roll it against a similar die, and doing so will merge them into a die with a 2. Then, due to the game’s die magnetism, it will bounce and look for another two, it will then become a three and look for the same number, and the loop goes on. Between all of this, you also have unique dice, some from your class, and some that spawn on the board depending on the match. Merging coin dice will give you gold for the shop, and your class dice will have different effects, like giving shields to the Warrior, healing you as a Paladin, or even stealing life as a Necromancer.
Yet, it isn’t just all about throwing dice and making big numbers, as you’ll also be fighting against enemies who can throw their dice on the board, and merging them will either buff them, make them move closer to you, or even weaken you.
This dice-merging system is highly enjoyable, as it has a healthy mix of skill and RNG, where you’ll be praising your throws at times and then screaming at the heavens when that dice magnetism fails. In truth, that is my only complaint, as sometimes the dice magnetism didn’t seem to work or worked against me. Often, I threw my die to merge it with a normal one, and it somehow sought the enemy die instead of a regular one. It might be an RNG thing, but it often felt as if my throws punished me more than they rewarded me.
Also, since the game is called Rune Dice, you might be wondering: Where are the runes? Well, you also have a few other things that can buff you during a run: Runes and Relics. The former are one-time use items that you can activate at any moment during your turn and provide different effects. Some bring dice together, others heal you or give you shields, and others just speed up the process when the board resets to respawn all dice. Relics, on the other hand, provide passive bonuses that are either class-specific or general, such as resurrecting you with 10 HP after your first demise.
Then, we have the map. Each area has a randomly-generated board with different nodes that range from normal combat encounters to tough fights, mini-bosses, merchants, or the Jester, who has a board of beneficial dice and lets you throw once to obtain coins or heal up. While all encounters are fantastic, mini-bosses and bosses are the highlights, with each having different effects, such as webbing-up dice or even summoning stone dice that block your throws. It was a joy to face these enemies repeatedly despite how challenging some of them were, and they are some of the most memorable encounters I’ve had in a roguelike.
Also, for those looking for replayability, there’s a lot to do in Rune Dice, from hard mode to clearing a boss with each class on every difficulty, and then leveling up each class to get a better loadout or discovering all relics in the game.
A Fresh and Addictive Take on the Formula
Overall, Rune Dice ended up becoming one of my favorite roguelikes of all time thanks to how well it nails its progression systems, gameplay loop, and roguelike elements. However, and most importantly, it masters that “one more run” feeling, which is necessary for games of the genre. I spent 10 straight hours during my first seating and don’t regret it one bit.
Smart Raven Studio has done an excellent job of refining the formula, and I only hope the studio continues to add more areas, classes, and dice to collect, because it has created something truly memorable. Rune Dice is a gold mine full of shiny things for players to experience, and roguelike fans will have a field day with one of the most unique titles we’ve seen this year.
Rune Dice (PC Reviewed)
Rune Dice brings a fresh and unique take on the roguelike formula, with some of the best progression systems in the genre and a challenging yet rewarding gameplay loop.
Pros
- Excellent progression systems
- The dice-merging mechanic is fantastic
- A beautiful art style
Cons
- Dice magnetism can sometimes work against you
