Parents' Guide to

Runers

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Difficult dungeon-crawler has mild fantasy violence.

Game Windows 2014
Runers Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Runers Game: Screenshot #1
  • Runers Game: Screenshot #2
  • Runers Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

CSMContentDefault
CSMContentDefault Adult
June 30, 2015
age 13+

Good Game, but Not Recommended for Young Kids

[Note: Sorry about the wall of text; apparently, this system doesn't understand what 'enter' means.] Now, let's get this straight. The game itself doesn't have any questionable content for anyone under nine. You could let your nine-year-old play it. ...I just don't think they're likely to enjoy it. Mr. Chad mentions that the game is tough. Well, I'm not particularly coordinated, but I'd like to think that I have the maneuvering skills of your average eleven-year-old (or better, but I am a pessimist). ...On an good day, I can't get past level three of the dungeon on Wimpy. Wimpy is the easiest of five difficulties. Granted, there are only ten levels in the dungeon; so difficulty is going to rise faster than in some other dungeon-crawling rougelikes (rougelike: game similar to the classic game Rouge where the player dies frequently and permanently). Still, I'm not sure that a nine-year-old would have the patience and perseverance to play a game like Runers without getting really frustrated. However, this does depend on the child, and if you know that your kid likes playing games where they have to constantly bang their heads on a metaphorical wall, well, Runers would probably be okay for them. I should note, though, that according to people who have played far more video games than I have, it's not a 'must play' game in its class; it's good but not great. Also, you'll need to change some of the key bindings (key bindings: which key does which action within the game) in the options menu in order to make full use of the game mechanics (you move with WASD and you shoot with 1, 2, 3, and 4 and mouse keys, which means that you can only use the two spells shot with the mouse easily). All this to say that if you are going to get it on Steam or another online seller (which are, I think, the only places where you can purchase it), pick it up when it is on sale.
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What’s It About?

RUNERS puts players in the shoes of a sorcerer embarking on a quest to clear a dungeon of its foul fantastical inhabitants. The adventure starts with players choosing a hero and an initial spell. They're then dropped into an empty room in the first level of a dungeon randomly generated by the game. Moving from room to room, the hero defeats foes by casting a variety of magical spells, nimbly dodging enemies and attacks all the while. Sometimes enemies drop runes, which players can collect and combine in hundreds of ways by using a simple spell-crafting module to create new and more powerful magical attacks. When heroes level up, they earn a new permanent trait that confers an advantage, such as an increase to one or more character stats. Eventually your hero will find a stairway down to another level, descend, and then start the process of exploration all over again. The goal of the game is simply to get as far into the dungeon as possible, growing more powerful and scoring more points along the way.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Runers' decidedly niche appeal is twofold: crafting spells and testing your skills against hordes of computer-controlled enemies. The spell-making module is simple -- just drop runes into slots and click "combine" -- but it carries with it the thrill of discovery thanks to the vast array of spells players can invent. Then the focus shifts to figuring out how best to exploit the spell. What form does it take? How much damage does it deal? How fast is it? How wide is the area of effect?

These riddles are answered in challenging dungeon battles that demand constant strafing and precision aiming. Eventually you'll die, likely sooner rather than later. Then it starts all over again. Clearly, Runers isn't for everyone. Kids who aren't into magic and don't enjoy fast-paced, difficult combat can safely skip it. But fantasy fans who dig tough indie games could have a lot of fun.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about fantasy. Do you enjoy the imaginative worlds and creatures depicted in fantasy movies, books, and games? What makes fantasy so compelling to so many people?

  • Struggling through challenging tasks isn't always fun, but it can make success more satisfying. Have you ever done something that you thought was really hard and eventually achieved your goal? How did you feel?

Game Details

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