Vikings, norse mythology and lots of dice. Sounds good? RuneCast means we battle, roll lots of dice and defend Midgard against Loki and his army. In this cooperative game you and your friends are vikings, battling on the side of the god. Throughout this blog I will tell you more about this niche game.
About RuneCast
The Gods have chosen you and your companions to take part in pivotal battles that will decide the fate of Midgard and Asgard. Use your heroic power to turn the tide of the battle against Loki and his minions. Loki will be working to ensure that you and the Gods fail.
The Gods have decided to bless you with the ability to return to life if you die in battle, but only so many times will you be resurrected by the Gods before you become an Agent of Loki, targeting your former companions until you destroy them or the Gods resurrect you! Fate is revealed in the Runes and can help you prepare for the next battle, or it can punish you for your previous failures.
Rune Cast is a cooperative dice & card game where players attempt to score enough wounds to defeat various scenarios. Players have hands that will allow them to use armor and weapons throughout the duration of the game, and may contain powerful Fate cards.
2-6 players | 60-90 minutes playtime
Play experience
I enjoy cooperative games, they are amazing for playing with people who do not like losing/winning/competing. RuneCast is a fun cooperative game where you and your friends become vikings. The enemies you battle are send by Loki and are really divers. There are 18 different ones, varying in difficulty. I love the artwork and theme of this game. The viking and norse style are really intertwined in the whole game. The art style fits this theme as well. This game was a kickstarter back in 2016 and is not really well known. It was successful enough, but did not succeed in being a great breakthrough. This is also why, if I take this game to a board game night rarely anyone knows it. That can be a fun experience with collectors.
Style and gameplay
So the style is great, but how is gameplay? Rolling dice, upgrading your gear and making tactical decisions together are enjoyable. RuneCast does this well. I feared this type of game would become predictable but that is not the case. I did think some battles were a little too easy. Maybe that was luck. The gods can bring you back when you die. When that is not possible anymore, you come back as a thrall for Loki. This seems fun to me but I have never encountered people dying enough to actually experience it.
The biggest flaw of this game in my opinion is not everything in the guide is 100% clear. Games have this more often and it is not always a problem. The RuneCast guide also does not have pictures in it or other visual explanations. Because this game is so niche, it is not always possible to find answers online. That being said, if you get to know the game better you will find out.
All in all
All in all, RuneCast gets played here every once in a while and has a unique vibe to it. With 60 to 90 minutes of playtime this is not a fast game. Recommended age is 7 or above. RuneCast can be a great gateway game for kids towards dice games. It is a light game that you can make heavier with different enemies and rules.
What’s inside?
- 9 battle boards (double sided)
- 6 character tiles
- 32 dice
- 38 fate cards
- 16 Loki cards
- 6 hero health/fate tiles
- 7 death tokens
- 7 health trackers
- 24 breakpoint trackers
Happy playing!
I hope that after reading (or skimming) this blog you will know if this game is for you. I really enjoy the vibe of RuneCast and playing it together has always been fun. Technically the game does not really challenge or excite me, but that is not always necessary. If you have played this, I would love to hear what your experience is.
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