Rune Ark

About

Rune Ark is a single player casual role playing game. It was developed by WelesGames and was released on November 18, 2025. It received neutral reviews from players.

The kingdom stands on the brink of ruin. Whispers of doom echo through the streets, yet no one knows the truth. Beneath the castle, in the depths long consigned to oblivion, something stirs. An ancient darkness, thought to be sealed away forever, awakens once more—and you are the only one who can uncover its secrets. In Rune Ark, strategy and storytelling intertwine in a unique fusion of Match-3 …

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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60%

Audience ScoreBased on 10 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Rune Ark successfully merges match-3 combat with roguelite dungeon exploration, creating a unique and engaging gameplay experience.
The game features a dark fantasy atmosphere with interesting art and lore, enhancing the overall immersion and storytelling.
The procedural generation of dungeons ensures variety in gameplay, making each run feel distinct and rewarding.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs and technical issues, which detract from the overall experience and make it hard to recommend as a finished product.
Combat can become repetitive and frustrating, especially with attack animations interfering with gameplay and potential softlocks during battles.
The writing and dialogue are often criticized for being poor, which undermines the narrative experience and player engagement.

story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The story in Rune Ark is a blend of dark fantasy and engaging narrative elements, offering players choices that influence outcomes and multiple endings, which enhances replayability. However, some users noted issues with dialogue bugs and a lack of clarity in quest tracking, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, the game successfully integrates its story with puzzle mechanics and atmospheric exploration, appealing particularly to puzzle enthusiasts.
- “Rune Ark is an ambitious genre hybrid that strives to merge match-3 combat, roguelite dungeon exploration, and a dark fantasy storyline into a cohesive experience, and for the most part, it succeeds by embracing the strengths of each element without becoming overcomplicated.”
- “Choices made throughout the game can influence outcomes, and multiple endings give the story replay value for players who want to see how their decisions shape the fate of the realm.”
- “It delivers engaging puzzle combat framed by atmospheric dungeon-crawling and a story that, while compact, gives meaning to every choice and battle.”
- “Yes, I did want to understand the various paths that would explain the king, queen, alchemist, and even the father since there are hints, but the story and dialogue are not great overall (there's a lot of bugs in the dialogue as well).”
- “I don't really know the story since it's bugged.”
- “If you're on a quest, there's no way to check a journal to see what the quest requires.”
gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
34%
22%
Rune Ark combines match-3 mechanics with rich world-building and narrative, providing a deeper context to its gameplay that enhances player engagement. While the core mechanics can become repetitive over time, the shifting dungeons and story elements maintain a sense of progression and anticipation. Overall, the game offers an enjoyable experience for those seeking a narrative-driven twist on traditional match-3 gameplay.
- “Rune Ark may present itself as a puzzle game on the surface, but its world-building and narrative structure give its mechanics a sense of greater purpose, anchoring each match in the larger fight to reclaim a kingdom teetering on the brink of ruin.”
- “Even when the core mechanics repeat, the shifting dungeons, varying objectives, and story moments help maintain a sense of progression and anticipation.”
- “For players who enjoy match-3 mechanics but want a richer context than simple score chasing, Rune Ark offers a refreshing, narrative-driven alternative.”
- “Because match-3 is the core mechanic, it naturally occupies most of the player’s time, and those who tire of the system may find the experience repetitive over long sessions.”
- “These choices reinforce the game’s identity as an indie project that prioritizes gameplay clarity and mood rather than graphical spectacle.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a dark fantasy aesthetic, featuring dimly lit environments, oppressive architecture, and eerie magical elements that enhance the sense of mystery and danger. It effectively combines engaging puzzles with a compelling narrative, appealing particularly to puzzle enthusiasts while providing a meaningful context for player choices and battles. Overall, the atmosphere is immersive and complements the gameplay mechanics, creating a satisfying experience for players.
- “It delivers engaging puzzle combat framed by atmospheric dungeon-crawling and a story that, while compact, gives meaning to every choice and battle.”
- “Rune Ark really surprised me in a good way; it’s a great mix of atmospheric match-3, fun mechanics, and satisfying grind.”
- “The game’s presentation leans toward a dark fantasy atmosphere—dimly lit corridors, oppressive stonework, eerie magical symbols, and creatures that hint at curses and ancient catastrophes.”
- “Its ambitions lie not in overwhelming complexity but in marrying puzzles with atmosphere and story, and that balance will resonate more with puzzle-inclined players than with traditional RPG purists.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game offers significant replayability due to its branching choices and multiple endings, allowing players to explore different outcomes based on their decisions and experience how these choices impact the story.
- “The game offers a variety of paths and choices, encouraging players to replay it to explore different scenarios and outcomes.”
- “With numerous character builds and strategies to experiment with, each playthrough feels fresh and engaging, making you want to dive back in.”
- “Choices made throughout the game can influence outcomes, and multiple endings give the story replay value for players who want to see how their decisions shape the fate of the realm.”
- “Once you've experienced the main story, there's little incentive to go back and replay it, as the choices don't significantly alter the gameplay.”
- “The lack of meaningful side quests and character development makes replaying the game feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features modest system requirements, ensuring broad accessibility, and maintains smooth performance even on lower-end hardware.
- “Modest system requirements make the game widely accessible, and performance remains smooth even on lower-end hardware.”
- “The game runs flawlessly on a variety of setups, ensuring that players with different configurations can enjoy a seamless experience.”
- “Optimized graphics settings allow players to customize their experience without sacrificing performance, making it enjoyable for everyone.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's dark fantasy art style is clean and functional, enhancing readability and navigation without visual clutter. This design choice emphasizes gameplay clarity and mood, reflecting its indie roots rather than focusing on graphical extravagance.
- “Its dark fantasy art style is clean, readable, and functional rather than ornate, making it easy to read the board and navigate dungeons without visual clutter.”
- “These choices reinforce the game’s identity as an indie project that prioritizes gameplay clarity and mood rather than graphical spectacle.”