Runo

About

Runo is a single player casual simulation game with a mystery theme. It was developed by runogame and was released on July 5, 2021. It received very positive reviews from players.

A walking simulator about dear memories, overcoming obstacles, and finding your path. Experience a story inspired by finno-karelian folklore.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 378 reviews

story87 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

Beautiful and immersive visuals with a cozy, warm atmosphere that captures Finnish folklore and culture effectively.
Engaging and meaningful storytelling that intertwines personal history with Finnish myths and traditions, evoking strong emotional responses.
Free, well-crafted walking simulator with relaxing music, thoughtful puzzles, and a unique cultural experience that encourages reflection and learning.

No save feature forces players to complete the game in one sitting, which frustrates some players especially when replaying for achievements.
Technical issues such as bugs, clipping, occasional frame rate drops, and lack of certain controls like invert mouse/y-axis or remappable keys affect the gameplay experience.
Slow walking speed and some unclear or repetitive gameplay elements can make progression feel tedious or frustrating at times.

story
131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
32%
2%
The story is widely praised for its beautiful, atmospheric, and emotionally engaging narrative that intertwines Finnish folklore and personal healing. While generally short and simple, it effectively evokes nostalgia and offers a unique cultural experience, though some found it occasionally confusing or lacking depth. Overall, it is considered a captivating and well-told tale that complements the game's visuals and music.
- “I like the storyline and how the journal entries make you feel like something is missing and not quite right about your memories.”
- “The story really hit home and the visuals, music, and folklore really brought it all together.”
- “Throughout the game you unlock journal entries by exploring that you can read to learn more about Finnish folklore and tradition as well as slowly discovering you and your family's backstory.”
- “The story seems alright, but this game has major issues that soured my experience: main quest can become broken; I was confused how to pick up one of the items needed for a fetch quest, then I watched a walkthrough and it turns out I unintentionally skipped getting the kantele earlier which made progression impossible. Wandering around in the 'wrong' way (as the main quest is broken for me and I don't know what else to do) can make you go out of bounds.”
- “Meh - felt like a Finnish version of Kubo and the Two Strings except the story was a lot thinner, and the first 15 minutes of the game consisted of me accepting random tasks from my dad via text, so that was rather pointless.”
- “The story is pretty basic and not that deep but it's good and it does the job.”
music
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
76%
20%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty, atmosphere, and strong connection to Finnish folklore, often described as calming, enchanting, and immersive. The soundtrack, including a standout ending song, significantly enhances the emotional and homey feel of the game, perfectly complementing the visuals and story. Overall, the music is regarded as a superb and integral part of the game's relaxing and atmospheric experience.
- “The kantele ending music is magical, and the facts and trivia about Finnish folklore and brew-making are splendidly picked and presented.”
- “There is no spoken dialogue, but the sound is atmospheric, and the game closes with a stunningly beautiful song that will haunt you even after you close the game.”
- “The music, scenery, storyline, mythology, the atmosphere in general... truly amazing.”
- “The music and sound effects are really well done.”
- “I enjoyed the atmosphere of the game and the music was pretty relaxing.”
- “Another thing I really liked about the game was the enchanting music.”
graphics
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
77%
18%
5%
The game is widely praised for its stunning, beautiful, and atmospheric graphics that vividly bring Finnish landscapes and folklore to life, creating an immersive and nostalgic experience. While some users note minor graphical bugs, unfinished angles, or limited graphic options, the overall visual presentation is regarded as detailed, realistic, and a key strength, especially impressive for a free, short game.
- “A beautiful game with spectacular graphics, and music.”
- “The graphics are simply gorgeous for a game in this genre, with real-world locations contrasting against the moody menace of the underworld.”
- “Is so beautifully made, the visuals are warm, cozy, inviting, and dreamlike and they give me such an intense nostalgia for a life that I've never even lived.”
- “The story is interesting, too bad for some annoying graphical bugs and interactions that could have been removed.”
- “It has decent graphics, if you don't count the leaf wall around the cabin area.”
- “Graphic options are very lackluster.”
atmosphere
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
19%
3%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive blend of Finnish folklore, stunning visuals, and evocative music that together create a deeply relaxing and emotionally impactful experience. Many players find it uniquely captivating and memorable, often noting it surpasses even high-budget titles in mood and ambiance. Overall, the atmosphere is considered the game's standout feature, successfully transporting players into a rich, atmospheric world steeped in tradition and lore.
- “The music, scenery, storyline, mythology, the atmosphere in general... truly amazing.”
- “Loved the atmosphere and how folklore and traditions play a key part.”
- “It's got an amazing feel and stunning atmosphere, with a stellar story.”
- “This disturbs the atmosphere enormously.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
40%
15%
The gameplay is simple, linear, and easy to pick up, combining light puzzles with exploration and interactive story elements that engage players throughout its roughly one-hour duration. While mostly relaxing and atmospheric, occasional minor bugs and straightforward mechanics were noted, but overall the gameplay successfully blends narrative, puzzle-solving, and an intriguing, immersive environment.
- “The gameplay was very fun; I liked walking through the old forest, solving puzzles, and discovering things about the protagonist's childhood.”
- “The puzzles are very simple yet still fun to solve; nothing was too difficult, and they kept you engaged throughout the playtime while offering nice variation in gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is typically linear but quite involved for a walking simulator, and while there is only one point in the game where you are in any danger, there is still a great sense of ominous threat when you are drawn into the Finnish underworld.”
- “There were some game mechanics and graphics that at times could have been better, but all in all a really good atmospheric free game!”
- “The gameplay is typically linear, but quite involved for a walking simulator, and while there is only one point in the game where you are in any danger, there is still a great sense of ominous threat when you are drawn into the Finnish underworld.”
- “The game has some bugs like objects vanishing for no reason; for example, I was interacting with toilet paper during gameplay and it disappeared suddenly.”
emotional
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes a range of emotions, often described as cozy, heartfelt, and touching, with some players moved to tears by its storytelling and music. While mostly praised for its emotional depth and immersive atmosphere, a few found its seriousness less effective. Overall, it delivers a warm, nostalgic experience enriched by Finnish culture and folklore.
- “I played this game with a friend watching and I read all the entries in the journal, immersed myself in this relatively short experience and it made me emotional.”
- “Gorgeous and heartfelt game with great storytelling!”
- “The story was intriguing and quite emotional.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including game-breaking bugs and lack of save or checkpoint options. While some players appreciate the UI, frequent glitches hinder overall gameplay.
- “Buggy, in a game-breaking way.”
- “No saves or restart from checkpoint, in case you encounter those glitches above.”
- “Game is buggy, took me 25 minutes to get stuck on a game-breaking bug.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor is appreciated for its quirky and random moments, such as the funny inability to drop items normally, and is compared to the clever, culturally insightful comedy of Studio Julmahuvi's work.
- “The inability to drop things normally is really funny; I enjoyed throwing things randomly too.”
- “Something like Studio Julmahuvi's Roudasta Rospuuttoon provides insight into the Finnish spirit while being hilarious.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is notably intense, often requiring significant time and effort, to the point where players feel the need for multiple attempts or "extra lives" to progress effectively.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization is poorly executed, resulting in noticeable texture issues despite a well-thought-out design.
- “It's well thought out but not optimized and has a lot of texture issues.”