Developer: Gameclaw Studio
Platform: PC (Reviewed)
Genre: Action, Adventure, RPG
Publisher: Raw Fury
Regions of Ruin: Runegate is a fresh indie side-scrolling combat game with town-building mechanics. It is developed by Gameclaw Studio and published by Raw Fury. Set is a fallen dwarven world, where men and women look alike. The goal is to rebuild a shattered civilisation that was once a great dwarven empire, which has collapsed into ruin, leaving scattered survivors throughout the world, with monster-infested lands behind. The narrative of the game is simple yet effective, focusing on survival, rebuilding, and uncovering the ancestors’ secrets.
At the core of the game is a 2D side-scrolling hack-and-slash combat game, with open-world exploration and town-building with resource management. You explore a diverse range of environments, gather materials, recruit allies, and gradually rebuild a settlement for your people. The combat in the game is straightforward and flexible. Players can equip and use a wide range of weapons, from knives, axes, bows and more. Engaging in head-on melee combat, further away with ranged attacks, and being able to develop and level up your different skills via the skill tree. The loop of the game is to explore, fight, gather, and rebuild, which can get really addictive, with the sense of progression one of the game’s major strengths. The controls are tight and responsive, which is highly crucial for a combat-heavy game like this. The movement, blocking, and attacking feel well-developed.
The art style of the game is a pixel art presentation. With features such as detailed retro-inspired environments, varied biomes, and strong dwarven fantasy aesthetics. It has struck a balance between nostalgic pixel art and modern visual clarity, making exploration visually rewarding. The soundtrack leans into a cosy yet adventurous tone that supports both the exploration and combat sides of the game. While the soundtrack is not groundbreaking, it is able to complement the atmosphere well, while enhancing the feeling of rebuilding a lost work and venturing into danger. The sound effects are functional and satisfying, especially in combat, though they don’t stand out as much as the visuals.
Even though the game is single-player, we were kindly given a second code, so another player could play the game. These were Sapphire’s thoughts on Regions of Ruin: Runegate. “I did not expect to get as hooked on this game as I did, but honestly, it kind of pulled me in from the start. First off, the character customisation is way more fun than it needed to be, even with its limited options. You can tweak your survivor however you want, and the hairstyle names are just ridiculous in the best way. Like calling slicked-back hair “Distinguished Gentleman”, it’s small but gives the game so much personality right away.
The sound design is genuinely one of the standout parts. The music hits that sweet spot between calm and epic; you’ve got these crackling fire sounds layered over Nordic-style instrumentals with humming vocals that feel bold and immersive. It reminded me of How to Train Your Dragon at times. The only thing that I did not like was the little dwarven-style voice effects; they felt a bit off compared to how everything else sounded. Though overall the atmosphere was great, whether you were in caves, out exploring or in the middle of the fight, it all felt adventurous.
Story-wise, I was surprised. The dialogue actually matters, and conversations with characters feel impactful. The cutscenes do a great job of setting the tone and pulling you into the world, which made me care more about rebuilding my settlement. Interacting with others was the best way to get quests, and there are quite a lot of tasks to do.
Gameplay is definitely enjoyable. You are constantly exploring new areas through points of interest, fighting enemies, collecting resources and building up your home base. It is one of those loops that works. Along the way, you meet people who give you quests, and the game slowly reveals more depth the longer you play. One of my favourite parts was rescuing captured people and bringing them back to your settlement. They can either join you as companions or work to gather resources, which adds a satisfying sense of progression. You are not just surviving, but building a community.
Exploration is a great aspect, though at times it feels like you can easily hop between completing quests super quickly. I wish some quests took longer to complete and would take some more time building up to. Food acts as a kind of progression system to unlock new areas, which is a cool way of making it seem like you are trekking through lands, and you can fast travel between areas. The map is pretty big, but it’s broken into smaller sections.
I will say that the combat takes some time to get used to. There does seem to be a bit of delay, which can throw you off slightly during attacks, and the stamina system seems to play a big role. Different weapon types affect how much stamina you use, your damage and your attack speed. Movement is key; being able to jump over enemies and dashing all help in your favour. The skill tree is also a great addition, letting you improve your abilities over time as you fight and help others.
I will say that I loved the visuals; they kind of reminded me of Kingdom Two Crowns. There is a distinct beauty in the sprite work, lighting, and shadows. I especially loved the contrast between different regions and new lands that were discovered. This game was something I enjoyed and was easily able to play consistently in a go without feeling the need to take a break. The game is refreshing, made me feel like I was on quite the adventure, though the combat was a bit iffy at times for me.”
Overall, Regions of Ruin: Runegate succeeds by refining a niche formula rather than reinventing it. It’s a comfort RPG that is easy to get into, rewarding to progress through and full of small systems that keep you engaged. It’s a polished and enjoyable indie game that blends combat and town building into a satisfying experience, especially for fans of dwarven fantasy and side-scrolling adventures.
Overall: 8.5/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
