RuneQuest: Warlords

About

RuneQuest: Warlords is a multiplayer strategy game. It was developed by Virtuos and was released on December 9, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

RuneQuest: Warlords is a turn-based strategy game set in the mythical world of Glorantha, where players become warlords defending their tribes against Chaos. Utilize rune-based magic and strategic combat to lead diverse armies of heroes and creatures. Immerse yourself in a rich lore-driven campaign centered on survival and epic battles.

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Strategy

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76%

Audience ScoreBased on 50 reviews

story9 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and engaging tactical experience set in the rich lore of the RuneQuest universe, with interesting units and mechanics.
Many players find the gameplay addictive and enjoyable, with a solid campaign that provides a good amount of content and strategic depth.
The graphics and art direction are generally well-received, contributing to an immersive atmosphere that captures the essence of the fantasy setting.

The voice acting and sound design are frequently criticized for being poor, lacking variety, and detracting from the overall experience.
Many players report bugs and technical issues, including problems with unit movement, mission objectives not registering, and performance drops.
The campaign can feel repetitive and linear, with some missions lacking variation and depth, leading to a less engaging experience for players.

story
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
63%
9%
The story is generally considered decent, with the first six missions praised for their faithfulness to the Glorantha lore and a sense of depth, while later missions suffer from repetitiveness and a lack of engaging narrative. Players noted that the plot is linear and basic, often feeling like a generic fantasy tale without fully exploring the unique aspects of the Glorantha setting. Despite some interesting characters and moments, the overall execution is marred by bugs and a lack of player choice, leading to a mixed reception of the campaign's storytelling.
- “The first 6 missions felt very Glorantha-faithful; the missions felt different from each other, and the storyline seemed like it was going to have some depth.”
- “Honestly, I'm good with the story itself because it provides a nice introduction to the world of Glorantha for folks less enmeshed in the lore.”
- “Overall, I'm enjoying the few missions I've played in the campaign.”
- “Missions 7 through 15 were a slog, with very little variation in scenario structure, forgettable story development that could be any generic fantasy game, and along with enemy unit numbers made the game very tedious.”
- “Glorantha is a setting famous for its depth and layers, and the game doesn't ease you into any of them; it feels like a boilerplate fantasy plot without really explaining or investing the player in what makes the world unique and great.”
- “Linear story, battles becoming very repetitive, no sense of wonder, dialogs are very basic.”
gameplay
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising its solid mechanics and enjoyable campaign, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking innovation. Players note that the missions can feel linear and lengthy, and there are issues with clarity in mechanics and unit variety. Overall, while the game offers a nostalgic tactical wargaming experience with modern graphics, it falls short in progression and depth compared to its predecessors.
- “Overall, well done - nice graphics, good gameplay and I'm enjoying the campaign thus far.”
- “The gameplay isn't terribly innovative, but it's solid and objectively fun.”
- “Surprisingly deep mechanics with a competent AI.”
- “Otherwise, gameplay-wise it feels like something out of the 2000s.”
- “The gameplay so far is very repetitive, with linear missions that follow the same process of moving to each objective then clearing the map of enemies before moving onto the next one (which, by the way, can be very very long).”
- “And while the core mechanics of the game are fine, the progression and unit variety is very lackluster and poorly explained, and the rosters are tiny and feel very uninspiring.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The graphics in the game are generally well-received, with many users praising the solid visuals and appealing aesthetic. However, there are notable concerns regarding optimization, as some players experienced performance issues that required them to lower graphic settings. While the overall presentation is appreciated, there are also mentions of animation glitches and minor graphical bugs that detract from the experience.
- “Overall, well done - nice graphics, good gameplay and I'm enjoying the campaign thus far.”
- “Great tactical turn-based game, strong visuals for the price, fair amount of unit depth.”
- “The setting is intriguing, the visuals are solid.”
- “I had to actually dial down the graphics just to play through the tutorial.”
- “As big a deal as presentation can be for a lot of folks, and while the graphics are certainly pretty, I feel like they could have been better optimized.”
- “Love the setting, the graphics are nice, but the voices and sound overall are absolutely abominable.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players enjoying specific tracks, like the lunar music in skirmish mode, while others find the overall soundtrack forgettable and lacking in depth. Critiques highlight issues such as repetitive loops, choppy performance, and a failure to evoke the epic feel expected from the game's setting. Overall, many suggest that turning off the game’s music in favor of personal playlists might enhance the experience.
- “The music, however, I quite liked, especially the lunar music I got in skirmish.”
- “I'm not expecting a glorious metal soundtrack (even though Glorantha is one of the most Manowar-esque settings in existence), but at least something epic, while the tracks I've heard so far are extremely flat and don't convey the feeling of epic battles.”
- “Music & all.”
- “Best to just turn off the volume and put on some music when you play this game.”
- “The music in the final level is completely broken.”
- “I'm not expecting a glorious metal soundtrack (even though Glorantha is one of the most Manowar-esque settings in existence) but at least something epic, while the tracks I've heard so far are extremely flat and don't convey the feeling of epic battles.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with players noting that while it boasts high performance and attractive graphics, there are significant issues such as choppy music, graphical glitches, and inconsistent unit behavior. Many users have experienced persistent performance problems, even on high-end hardware, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “This is a high-performance game.”
- “As big a deal as presentation can be for a lot of folks, while the graphics are certainly pretty, I feel like they could have been better optimized.”
- “As big a deal as presentation can be for a lot of folks, and while the graphics are certainly pretty, I feel like they could have been better optimized.”
- “The music does have a tendency to get a little choppy, which I think is more of an issue with performance in general.”
- “Units changing places or hit points after loading, effects not updating properly, towers (!), sound, units cloning after a cutscene (yes, you heard right, at one moment I had 4 Chieftain Halgrims and 3 Gudmunds in my army), enemy units appearing out of thin air (I don't mean rogues or dryad archers), constant performance issues (3080 Ti, I played 1440p), many more.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been heavily criticized, particularly in the last two missions, which are reported to be plagued by significant bugs, leading many to question how the game was released in such a problematic state.
- “The last two missions were such a horrible buggy mess; it's unbelievable that the game was released in that state.”
- “I experienced constant crashes and glitches that made it nearly impossible to enjoy the game.”
- “The game frequently freezes and has major stability issues, which completely ruins the experience.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players found the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly during missions 7 through 15, which suffered from repetitive scenarios, lackluster story development, and overwhelming enemy numbers, leading to a monotonous experience.
- “Missions 7 through 15 were a slog, with very little variation in scenario structure, forgettable story development that could be from any generic fantasy game, and the enemy unit numbers made the game very tedious.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity, as players express concern over comical scenarios, such as a whimsical duck chief potentially decimating their forces based on a perceived slight. This blend of unexpected and silly elements contributes to a lighthearted tone throughout the gameplay.
- “Please tell me it doesn't end with the ducks wiping out my entire army and heroes in 2 turns because the chief duck 'thought' Ketil Whiteeye looked at them funny.”