Runeborn News

[p]July has been another incredible month for Runeborn—full of events, testing, new features, and community conversations that are shaping the future of the game. Here’s a look at everything that’s been happening behind the scenes (and in person!).[/p][hr][/hr][h3]🎉 Our Pre-Launch Party Was a Blast![/h3][p]We kicked off July with an in-person pre-launch party at WindsorEats, hosted by our friends at WeTech Alliance, and it was a smashing success!  It was amazing to meet some of you face-to-face, share early builds, and celebrate how far we’ve come. The energy in the room was incredible—thank you to everyone who came out![/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]⚔️ Testing, Balancing & Building[/h3][p]We’ve been testing new runebooks, tweaking their balance, and seeing how they shake up runs. We’re also developing new amulets and auras to add even more depth and variety.[/p][p]
[/p][hr][/hr][h3]🛠️ System Overhauls & Quality of Life[/h3][p]We’re rewriting our save/load system from the ground up to ensure a smoother and more consistent experience.  We’ve also made tons of quality-of-life updates, like adding titles and descriptions to empty trinket and scroll slots, plus exploring new ways to speed up gameplay for those who like to go fast.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]🎨 Visual & Audio Improvements[/h3][p]We’re continuing to polish the game’s look and feel:[/p]

• [p]Updating scroll and trinket artwork[/p]
• [p]Reworking UI elements (shop designs, new run screens, and maybe even the rune inventory!)[/p]
• [p]Adding more sound effects and music for bosses to make battles even more epic[/p]

[p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]🌍 Better Localization Tools[/h3][p]We’ve updated our localization tooling so we can easily improve translations and keep them up-to-date as new features roll out. This should help us deliver more accurate language support moving forward.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]🤝 Partnering with Influencers[/h3][p]We’ve teamed up with Oncade, a platform that allows influencers to earn commissions for promoting Runeborn. This means more content creators will share their runs and show off creative builds—perfect for spreading the word![/p][hr][/hr][h3]🐞 Bug Fixes & Prototypes[/h3][p]We’ve fixed dozens of bugs, improved stability, and even started prototyping new ideas and concepts that we’re still testing internally. No spoilers yet, but we’re excited about what’s cooking![/p][hr][/hr][h3]💬 Thank You, Community![/h3][p]As always, we want to thank you for your amazing support and the lively conversations on Discord. Your feedback, bug reports, and screenshots keep us motivated every day. If you haven’t joined yet, come say hello and share a screenshot of your best run![/p][p]We know many of you are asking about a release date. We’re not quite ready to lock one in yet—but we promise we’ll keep you posted. Thank you for being patient as we continue polishing the game. We want to launch with our best foot forward, and your support helps us get there.[/p][p]Stay sharp—and stay Runeborn.[/p][p]– The Runeborn Team[/p]

[p]June was a massive month for Runeborn, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the amazing support we’ve received. From Steam Next Fest to your bug reports and feedback, the community has truly shown up. Let’s take a look at what happened—and what’s coming next.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]🎉 Steam Next Fest Was a Huge Success[/h3][p]First off, thank you to everyone who played the demo, streamed it, and shared your feedback during Steam Next Fest. We saw an incredible surge of interest, and your support means the world to our small team.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]🔍 What We Learned[/h3][p]With thousands of new players jumping into the demo, we’ve had the chance to learn a lot:[/p]

• [p]Machine-translated languages need love. Many of you pointed out inconsistencies and errors in our AI-assisted translations. Thanks for your patience—we’re working on improving them.[/p]
• [p]Too much RNG? A lot of players mentioned that the randomness can sometimes get in the way of planning. We hear you.[/p]
• [p]More music & sound effects. We need to add more BGM variety and improved SFX.[/p]
• [p]Punchier animations. It is recommended that we add more punch to our animations, especially when getting a 4 or 5 match.[/p]
• [p]Speed controls. You want more granular controls for animation/retriggering speeds.[/p]
• [p]Replayability is strong. Despite that, the demo's variety and depth are keeping players coming back for more.[/p]
• [p]Art & polish are hitting home. We've received tons of praise for the look and feel of the game—thank you![/p]

[hr][/hr][h3]🛠️ What We’re Working On[/h3][p]Our focus is now fully on building out the Early Access version of Runeborn. Here’s what’s in progress:[/p]

• [p]Town Between Chapters: We’re adding a new town area between chapters where you’ll have access to all shop types. This should ease some of the RNG frustrations and give you more control over your builds.[/p]
• [p]Runebooks: We're testing 3-5 new Runebooks for our Early Access build.[/p]
• [p]Bug Fixes & Balance Updates: We’re digging into all the issues you reported and continuing to tune the game for a smoother experience.[/p]

[p]Special shoutout to everyone who used the F2 bug reporting tool—those reports have been incredibly helpful.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]💬 Community Shoutouts[/h3]

• [p]Our Discord has been buzzing with awesome suggestions, especially around new trinket ideas and gameplay tweaks. Keep them coming—we’re listening![/p]
• [p]Huge thanks to Olexa for featuring Runeborn again on YouTube. That video has over 48,000 views, and we’ve welcomed many new faces since then. If you're one of them, welcome to the community! 👋[/p]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][hr][/hr][p]That’s it for now. We’ve got some exciting stuff in the works, and we’ll be sharing more sneak peeks as we get closer to Early Access.[/p][p]Thanks again for playing, for testing, for sharing your ideas, and for being part of the journey.
Stay sharp—and stay Runeborn.[/p][p]– The Runeborn Team[/p]

[p]Summary[/p]

• [p]New Trinket Art[/p]
• [p]Add Steam Deck Virtual Keyboard Input[/p]
• [p]Disable Resolution and Display Mode settings on Steam Deck[/p]
• [p]Update Russian Localization for “Trinket”[/p]
• [p]Localize Familiar sneak peek in New Run Screen[/p]
• [p]Replace Discord with QQ link in the Simplified Chinese locale[/p]
• [p]Change Chest Animation to use Dark Flashbang effect[/p]
• [p]Update Credits and added Astrolabe Games[/p]
• [p]Replace Comic Sans with Playpen Sans[/p]
• [p]New Simplified & Traditional Chinese logo[/p]
• [p]Updated “Runeborn” text in Simplified & Traditional Chinese[/p]

[p]Bug Fixes[/p]

• [p]Fix missing translations on different Runebooks’ Starting Trinkets[/p]
• [p]Fix missing translations in the Rune Chest instructions subtitle[/p]
• [p]Fix incorrect font-weight fallback options[/p]
• [p]Fix missing translations for Sell Value on Item Cards[/p]
• [p]Fix Traditional Chinese Game Logo[/p]
• [p]Fix bug where you cannot continue the game due to Personal Leaderboard Scores being too large[/p]
• [p]Fixed various issues with Spanish translations[/p]
• [p]Fix issue where Trinkets are missing the Unique keyword in Cards[/p]
• [p]Fix issue where StartNextLevel analytic was double-firing[/p]
• [p]Fix issue where Rune Inventory title label was line wrapping in Japanese[/p]

[h2]Greetings adventurers![/h2][p]We’re back with another big update for the Runeborn demo (0.5)—and this one’s all about opening the gates to more players, improving the experience, and making each run feel better paced and more rewarding. Let’s dive in!

[/p][h3]🌍 Now Localized in 10 Languages![/h3][p]Runeborn is now playable in nine additional languages:
Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, and Spanish.
[/p]

• [p] We worked with professional translators for Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Japanese to ensure high-quality localization.
  [/p]
• [p] The remaining languages were translated using machine translation and AI assistance. While we’ve done our best to polish them, they might not be perfect—please let us know if you spot anything off!
  [/p]

[p]We’re also officially launching in Asian markets on June 5th, 2025. Welcome to all our new players—we’re thrilled to have you on this journey!

[/p][h3]🎮 Partial Steam Deck & Controller Support[/h3]

• [p] You asked, we listened. Runeborn now has partial controller support for Xbox, PlayStation, and other modern gamepads. [/p]
• [p] It also runs great on Steam Deck so you can take your roguelike deckbuilding on the go.
  [/p]

[h3]🎥 Updated Launch Trailer[/h3][p]To celebrate all the improvements and our global rollout, we’ve released a brand-new launch trailer! It features updated gameplay and new trinket art—perfect for sharing with a friend who’s curious about the game.

[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Let us know what you think—we’re proud of how far Runeborn has come!

[/p][h3]📅 Coming to Steam Next Fest – June 9th[/h3]

• [p] We’re excited to announce that Runeborn will be part of Steam Next Fest, starting June 9th!
  [/p]
• [p] This is your chance to jump into the updated demo, experience all the latest changes, and share your feedback with us.
  [/p]
• [p] We’ll be hanging out during the event, streaming gameplay, answering questions, and talking with the community. Be sure to stop by our store page and join the fun!
  [/p]

[h3]🧭 Better Game Flow & Run Length[/h3][p]With the addition of Chapter 3 in Early Access, we noticed that complete runs were starting to feel like a slog, especially once Chapter 4 entered the mix. To keep runs engaging and rewarding:
[/p]

• [p] Chapters have been shortened from 9 levels to 7.
  [/p]
• [p] This change keeps the pacing tight and lets players reach elite and boss rewards more frequently.
  [/p]
• [p] To compensate, we’ve increased the difficulty of the first three levels, so your journey still starts with a challenge.
  [/p]

[h3]🎨 Visual Improvements[/h3]

• [p] Over 100 trinkets have received updated artwork to better match their theme and rarity.
  
  
  [/p]
• [p] Tooltips got a visual facelift, making it easier to quickly parse important info mid-run.
  
  [/p]
• [p] And to spice up boss encounters, we’ve added a new effect for each boss—see if you can spot them!
  [/p]
• [p] What we're dubbing "Hot Trinkets" - a new visual way to see how much a Trinket is contributing towards your Cast
  
  [/p]

[h3]🐞 Bug Fixes & Patch Notes[/h3]

• [p] We’ve squashed dozens of bugs and made various under-the-hood improvements.
  [/p]
• [p] Full patch notes are below.
  [/p]

[h3]Patch Notes[/h3][p]Summary
[/p]

• [p] 100+ NEW Trinket Art
  [/p]
• [p] Added Localization: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, and Spanish
  [/p]
• [p] Added Basic Controller Support (Virtual Cursor)
  [/p]
• [p] NEW Tooltip Art to improve readability
  [/p]
• [p] Bosses now have additional abilities
  [/p]
• [p] Removed most error popups and implemented error sounds and animations in their place
  [/p]
• [p] Added Trinket Slot Reward animation feedback
  [/p]
• [p] Vypras Forced Hold visuals updated
  [/p]
• [p] Added click to skip cutscenes (Comic, Elite & Boss Intros)
  [/p]

[h3]Balance Changes[/h3]

• [p] Chapters now have 7 levels
  [/p]
• [p] HP Curve updated to account for new Chapter length
  [/p]
• [p] Removed Ghorlock boss from Demo
  [/p]
• [p] Curse of Replication will now target non-Unique trinkets if possible
  [/p]
• [p] Enemy abilities no longer trigger after they die
  [/p]

[h3]Trinket Updates[/h3]

• [p] Jade Bell: Double your Coins gained from Interest (Previously: +1 Coin for every 5 Coins owned when an enemy is defeated (Maximum +10 Coins))
  [/p]
• [p] Gift Box: +2 Coins per Common Trinket you own at the start of a fight (Previously: Conjure 2 Common Trinkets at the start of a fight)
  [/p]
• [p] Nugget of Wisdom: +2 Coins when you deal greater than or equal to 50% of the Enemy's total HP in a single Cast (Previously: +4 Coins when an enemy is defeated)
  [/p]
• [p] Faberge Egg: After 3 more Enemies are defeated, Evolves to make a copy of a random Trinket, including its Gem (Previously: After 3 more Enemies are defeated, sell this to make a copy of a random Trinket, including its Gem)
  [/p]
• [p] Flickering Flame: +50% to all listed Amulet values (Previously: Retrigger all Runes for the next 5 Casts)
  [/p]
• [p] Peg Leg: Degrade value changed from 3 -> 1
  [/p]
• [p] Axe Akimbo: Damage changed from 300 -> 400
  [/p]
• [p] Jeweler's Loupe: xMulti changed from 0.5x -> 0.4x
  [/p]
• [p] Wild Card: Moved from Rare to Legendary
  [/p]
• [p] Ocarina: Now works with Elite and Boss Chests as well
  [/p]
• [p] Frostbite: Now only activates on Meditate and Cast
  [/p]
• [p] Sigil of Speed: Now starts tracking when you get the trinket rather than from the start of the level (If obtained mid way through a level, you can now still earn the highest rarity trinket)
  [/p]
• [p] Sprinting Shoes: Removed
  [/p]
• [p] Nullification: Removed
  [/p]
• [p] Added a new Duplicate keyword on Trinkets that have been duplicated by Curse of Replication, Faberge Egg
  [/p]

[h3]Bug Fixes[/h3]

• [p] Fixed an issue where changing resolutions in-game caused an error
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed an issue where the end of run jingle was being played as a sound effect, using the incorrect volume slider setting
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed an issue where destroying a trinket slot that was being copied by Chameleon Tail would cause an error
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed an issue where match previews did not work with Double Trouble
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed an issue where Black Ice Amulet did not work with Daoist Bracers
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed an issue where Helping Hand and Avia would cause Wild Runes to morph into their final rune prematurely
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed an issue where Dark Magic would not connect to Wilds
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed an issue where hovering trinkets during a cast would display incorrect values for Grow trinkets
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed an issue where Mobius Scroll Case would work with Forbidden Scrolls that add amulets
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed an issue where Coin sound effects would play on the Game Over Leaderboard Popups
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed an issue where Prismatic Eye, and Skipping Stone would show incorrect match particles when fighting the Siren enemy
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed various issues with Scroll of the Ram
  [/p]

[p]That’s it for now! Whether you’re diving into a new language version, picking up a controller, or testing out a new build during Steam Next Fest, we can’t wait to hear what you think of the changes.

As always, we’d love to hear your feedback in the forums or Discord. Thanks for playing—and stay Runeborn.

- The Runeborn Team[/p]

Hey everyone,

We’re inching closer to Runeborn’s Early Access release this June, and April was all about bringing major systems into final form, tightening player clarity, and deepening community connections.

Here’s everything that happened in April:

[h3]🎨 Runebook Animations Overhaul[/h3]

• The screen you see the most in Runeborn finally got the love it deserved.
  
• Runes now float and shift with a new Idle animation, tied visually to the magic of the intro comic
  
• Hold animations were reworked to feel more responsive and satisfying
  
• A smooth "slam-down" transition was added to bridge states
  
• Polished visual clarity remained our top priority throughout
  

We wanted the Runebook to feel alive without sacrificing the readability and precision you rely on in combat.
[h3]
💡 Spell Line Clarity Updates[/h3]

• One common point of confusion was where spell lines begin. We tackled that head-on:
  
• Match previews are now shown directly on held runes
  
• A new pulsing shine moves left to right across match previews to help teach flow
  
• These small additions go a long way in helping new players understand how to play faster
  

[h3]🧠 Community Play Sessions[/h3]

• We launched our first “Play With the Devs” sessions this month.
  
• Full team live gameplay streams hosted directly in our Discord
  
• Real-time Q&A, design commentary, and laughs
  
• All sessions recorded for future sharing and dev diaries
  

Players got to meet the people behind the systems, watch them break stuff, and hear directly about the design process.

Catch up here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zfdHfJ7BJw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4qzjoviUVY
More of these events are coming in May!

[h3]⚙️ Systems & Balancing Work[/h3]

• Behind the scenes, April was filled with bug fixes and long-term system planning.
  
• One player shattered our damage cap — that got patched fast
  
• Trinkets are being tuned to scale well into the late game
  
• Balancing efforts now focus on futureproofing for upcoming content
  
• Early work started on our post-EA roadmap
  

[h3]📣 Help Us Find the Right Creators[/h3]
We’re looking to get Runeborn in front of the right eyes.

If you know a content creator, streamer, or YouTuber who might love Runeborn, send them our way.
Whether they focus on indie games, roguelikes, or deep build systems, we’d love to chat.

Reach out to us in the Discord or tag us on socials. Every connection helps.

🛒 Wishlist & Review the Demo
If you haven’t yet, wishlist Runeborn on Steam and leave a review on the demo.

These two actions go a long way in helping us stay visible as we prepare for Early Access.
It really does make a difference.


Thank you for being on this Journey with us for Runeborn, and see you in the next one!

👉 Wishlist Runeborn
👉 Review the Demo
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3073990/Runeborn/