Dice games usually involve sitting around a table arguing over bad luck. Rune Dice takes a slightly more explosive approach.
Now available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC, Kwalee Ltd and Smart Raven Studio have launched a fantasy roguelike where players fling magical dice across battlefields, fuse matching rolls together and attempt to wipe entire enemy waves off the map through carefully planned chain reactions.
It looks chaotic. It also looks like the kind of game capable of stealing entire evenings without warning. We’ll find out in full review very soon.
At A Glance
- Game: Rune Dice
- Developer: Smart Raven Studio
- Publisher: Kwalee Ltd
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Genre: Roguelike Strategy
Dice Rolls Meet Tactical Combat
The main hook behind Rune Dice is simple enough: launch dice onto the battlefield and combine matching numbers to create stronger attacks and bigger combos.
The trick comes from positioning and timing. Every throw can trigger chain reactions, clear enemy groups or completely ruin your plans if the dice land badly. The game mixes physics-based aiming with turn-based strategy, meaning success depends just as much on planning ahead as it does reacting in the moment.
And of course, bigger combos lead to bigger destruction.
Eight Classes, Different Builds, Endless Chaos
Rune Dice also goes heavy into replayability through its class system.
There are eight different classes to choose from, each bringing unique dice types, magical abilities and tactical styles into battle. Rogues can spread poison through enemy ranks, Mages unleash lightning attacks, while Warriors focus on soaking up damage and surviving longer encounters.
Different heroes within each class also begin with alternative loadouts and starting combinations, helping runs feel less predictable from the outset.
The result sounds very much built around experimentation and discovering overpowered combinations before the game inevitably finds a way to punish you for becoming too confident.
Boss Battles And Risky Upgrades
Outside standard combat encounters, Rune Dice throws players against larger boss fights with mechanics designed to disrupt familiar strategies.
Some summon extra enemies. Others alter the battlefield itself. Certain bosses can even change the combat rules completely, forcing players to rethink their entire approach mid-run.
Progression also includes relics, magical runes and upgrade systems tied to ancient altars where players can risk valuable dice for stronger rewards. Whether that gamble pays off is another matter entirely.
Still, every good roguelike needs moments where greed immediately backfires.
A Strong Hook For Strategy Fans
There is no shortage of roguelikes around right now, but Rune Dice at least arrives with a genuinely unusual central mechanic. Combining dice physics with combo-heavy strategy battles gives it an identity that stands out far quicker than many games in the genre manage.
For players who enjoy tactical planning, build crafting and the satisfaction of watching a carefully prepared combo obliterate an entire battlefield, this could be one worth keeping an eye on. Even if the dice inevitably betray you sooner or later.
Find Rune Dice on the usual storefronts for £12.49. It’s playable on Xbox Series X|S via the Xbox Store, but also on PlayStation, Switch and PC.
