Runebound is a game that I have mixed feelings on. The game contains a certain level of charm not often found in current releases and is quite refreshing where things like simulation and elegance (I despise that term for games by the way) are criteria which games are judged on today. To me the game is clunky and is no where near perfect, but it keeps drawing me back in.

Runebound is an adventure game where players take the role of a character and explore the lands around them seeking treasure and enemies to combat. The core game has the players seeking out an evil wizard looking to raise the dragon lords from their slumber to destroy the lands. So the story isn’t that deep and has that “been there, done that” type feel. Players use a set of movement dice that display various terrain elements and move by rolling those dice and assigning the results to the landscapes around them to move. Combat is a simple process of rolling a pair of ten-sided dice and comparing numbers. The experience system is simple and everything about this game screams accessibility.

As I mentioned, this game has a level of charm. The charm I’m referring to is akin to feelings I had in my youth playing games like HeroQuest and BattleMasters where at the time I wasn’t looking for realism or how streamlined mechanics were…I was just looking for something to get together with friends and have fun adventuring. This to me is what Runebound is about. Like many games by Fantasy Flight Runebound isn’t about who wins or loses, but the adventure between starting the game and packing it up.

But like I said above there are a few things with this game that turn me off to it. First off is the playtime. Though the game is easy and events are resolved quickly, the game takes a long time (a few hours) to complete which to me is just too long especially when the depth of the game doesn’t provide a rich gaming experience, but just a fun one. It’s like meeting someone with an electric personality where at first you’re having a great time but after a while of sitting there the act starts to get old. Part of this I feel is due to the clunky mechanic of the movement dice. Granted it does add an interesting element where for example, if your character is in the mountains it is tough to get out, but for the amount of time that it takes to roll the dice, analyze the dice and plan your move just takes up too much time. The way I see it the benefit gained compared to other potential movement systems isn’t worth it.

Runebound is a fun game though. Despite some of its short falls the game does provide a nice, laid-back adventure which is accessible to many people (especially young people expressing interest in gaming) and contains a depth which makes it interesting but not overwhelming. It is clunky at times but as I mention the clunkiness provides a game experience which often isn’t contained in current releases. A deep gaming experience isn’t really present here, but this is a game which I’ll be keeping in my collection for a long time to come.

Rating: 3.25 out of 5

‘Til Next Time - Happy Gaming
LvT

Filed under: Games - Board Games, Runebound by LordVonTush
No Comments »