Rune Teller
- February 9, 2023
- CODELIFE Studio
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam"Rune Teller" is a narrative-driven, choice-based visual novel set in a mystical world of runes and magic. As the rune teller, you will make decisions that influence your relationships and fate, uncovering secrets and navigating moral dilemmas in a beautifully illustrated and immersive environment. With multiple endings, each playthrough offers a unique experience in this tale of destiny, manipulation, and sacrifice.
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Reviews
- The game is enjoyable, especially when played with friends, providing a fun co-op experience.
- It has a charming art style, lovely music, and a cozy atmosphere that many players appreciate.
- The developers are active and responsive, frequently updating the game and taking community feedback into account.
- The game feels unfinished and janky, with many players noting issues like poor optimization, bad English translation, and clunky controls.
- Combat can be frustrating due to a lack of fluidity and balance, especially for solo players facing overwhelming enemy numbers.
- The world feels empty and lacks direction, making exploration tedious and quests uninspired.
- gameplay35 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mixed bag, featuring cozy elements alongside challenging combat reminiscent of Souls-like games, but suffers from a lack of depth and variety in mechanics and quests. While some players enjoy the cooperative experience and find the combat satisfying, others criticize the simplistic mechanics, limited enemy variety, and the need for significant polishing. Overall, the game shows potential but requires more engaging content and refinement to stand out in the crowded RPG genre.
“It's a cozy game, with increasingly difficult combat (a la Souls) and survival mechanics that keep the game exciting and create appropriate tension.”
“Quests are fun and interactive, featuring a wide range of unique spells and mechanics, along with a very good combat system.”
“Gameplay and fighting methods are so fresh that it makes you remember how it feels to get into a game like this and just love all the new things you encounter.”
“Because of the stagger mechanic, you can easily get stun-locked to death, and every encounter is usually a 3v1 situation.”
“This game does not have a lot of depth in its mechanics.”
“Maybe the game gets better past the first area, quest and map wise, but the core mechanics are already a dealbreaker.”
- story35 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as having potential, with a decent overarching narrative and a variety of quests that contribute to the world-building. However, players express frustration with the lack of guidance and quest markers, leading to confusion and missed story elements. While some appreciate the sense of adventure and exploration, others criticize the repetitive nature of quests and poor writing, which detracts from the overall experience.
“Great combat, good storyline, insane potential.”
“The story is roughly 25 hours of playtime, and even in early access has a completed ending.”
“Each map consists of several quests, which link to a larger story.”
“The game doesn't really tell us where to go, which has caused us to skip a chunk of the story before we actually knew where we were supposed to go.”
“Quests were uninspired, had poor writing/translation, and even had their objectives update mid-quest or make you do the same thing again.”
“My main critiques of the game are the quest system that does not state all quest objectives when receiving a quest.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming art style that evokes nostalgia, particularly reminiscent of PS1 textures, which some players appreciate while others find it lacking. While the visuals may not be technically impressive, they are described as pleasing and smooth, contributing positively to the overall experience despite some criticisms regarding their simplicity and potential detracting elements. Overall, the graphics elicit mixed feelings, with a notable appreciation for the unique style and effects.
“Very sweet game with lovely music and pleasing visuals.”
“The art style is awesome.”
“I played a few games with this art style and this one feels the smoothest so far to be honest.”
“Ps1 style textures and art style hit the nostalgic note and do not overstay their welcome, but I can see them being a full detractor from the game.”
“If you want Dark Souls with bad graphics, boring fighting, plain worlds, and lots of dumb dialogue that you must hold down the space bar to read.”
“There is no art style either.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a balanced mix of fun and effort, particularly noting that while it can feel excessive at the start, it becomes more manageable as the game progresses. However, some users express frustration with tedious inventory management and weapon swapping. Overall, the grind is seen as a necessary component that enhances the gameplay experience.
“Inventory management and weapon swapping is tedious.”
“Grindy in the beginning.”
“Farming is not exhaustive too.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized, particularly for a low poly title, with users reporting poor performance and a subpar UI/menu experience. While the gameplay and combat mechanics are easy to learn, the overall optimization leaves much to be desired.
“The game runs smoothly, and the style of gameplay and battle is easy to get used to and learn.”
“Combat takes a bit to get used to, as the UI/menuing isn't the most optimized experience, but you adapt over time.”
“Terrible optimization for a low poly game.”
“Combat takes a bit to get used to as the UI/menuing isn't the most optimized experience.”
“As you can guess, I do not think highly of the performance of this game.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as lovely and sweet, complementing the pleasing visuals. It creatively incorporates elements of the city's life sounds, adding depth to the experience, while overall being considered decent.
“Very sweet game with lovely music and pleasing visuals.”
“The music is decent too.”
“They put people's life sound into the music of one city... it means what it means.”
“Music is decent too.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally described as nice and chilling, contributing positively to the cooperative experience. However, some players find the visuals inconsistent and the sound design unpleasant, which detracts from the overall immersion.
“The game has a nice and chilling atmosphere.”
“Would greatly enhance the atmosphere.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highly praised, with players finding the bosses particularly entertaining and laugh-inducing. The funny graphics and overall style contribute to a lighthearted and enjoyable experience.
“Bosses are super fun; the first one had us laughing our butts off.”
“Funny graphics and style.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's monetization approach is positively noted for avoiding the typical cash grab tactics seen in many early access titles, as it emphasizes genuine engagement with the fan base and regular updates.
“This game feels like a cash grab, with little regard for player feedback or meaningful updates.”
“The monetization strategy is overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
“It seems like the developers prioritize profits over player experience, which is disappointing.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly highlighting the impact of the rainbow horse, which inspires feelings of love and affection for the overall experience.
“The rainbow horse made me feel compelled to express my love for this game.”
