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RuneBags

Runic tactics, hidden hands, and evolving rounds.

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Pure tactics

Connect four of your runes in a line to take the point from the shared supply.

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Hidden hands

A pass-the-device prompt keeps each player's hand secret in local play.

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Evolving bag

Shop between rounds to add, remove, and combine your runes into stronger ones.

24 runes, each with a unique power

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Play Against AI

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RuneBags Rules

1. Goal

Win the majority of a shared 10-point supply by forming winning lines of 4 or more runes.

2. Round Flow

1. Shop Phase

2. Round Phase

3. Shop Phase

A simultaneous phase in which each player reveals 5 runes from their personal shop supply and can perform the following actions in any order:

- Add up to 2 of the offered runes to their bag

- Remove 1 rune from their bag: basic and symbol runes are removed permanently, except Inguz and Jera which return to that player's shop supply; neutral runes return to the supply.

- Combine 2 matching level 1 runes into one level 2 rune (except non-combinable runes)

4. Round Phase

Each player draws a hand of 2 runes. If the number of points remaining in the supply is even, White starts. If it's odd, Black starts.

On their turn, the active player must:

1. Play a rune from their hand into one of the board's 7 columns (a column can never hold more than 6 runes)

2. Apply the played rune's effect if it has one, then draw runes from their bag to refill their hand

If a player has no legally playable rune, they must pass.

If both players cannot play, the round is a draw.

If both players form a winning line from the resolution of the same action, the round is a draw.

If a round is a draw, 1 point is removed from the supply instead of being awarded.

The round phase ends as soon as a player forms a winning line of at least 4 runes. That player takes 1 point from the supply.

5. End of Game

A player wins the game by obtaining the majority of the points still available. If the supply reaches 0, the highest score wins. If scores are tied, fewer runes in bag wins.

6. Neutral Runes

Neutral runes are gray blockers. They belong to neither Black nor White.

They do not score points on their own, never return to player bags, and go back to the neutral supply when removed or at the end of a round.

7. Cursed Runes

Adds 1 neutral rune to the owner's bag when it is added to the bag during the shop phase.

8. Corrupted Rune

Adds 1 neutral rune to the owner's bag every time it is played.

9. Ethereal Runes

They return to the shop supply instead of the bag at the end of a round.

10. Rune Effects

Algiz symbol Algiz: inserts from the bottom of the column and pushes upward; cursed.

Ansuz symbol Ansuz: returns the rune directly beneath it to its owner's bag (not neutral runes).

Berkana symbol Berkana: if inside its owner's winning line, grants +1 bonus point once for that round.

Dagaz symbol Dagaz: copies the effect of the rune directly beneath it; corrupted.

Ehwaz symbol Ehwaz: raises its owner's maximum hand size to 3 while on the board. Maximum hand size becomes 4 at level 2.

Eihwaz symbol Eihwaz: if removed or discarded for the round, its owner gains 1 point without ending the round.

Fehu symbol Fehu: returns 1 discarded rune to your bag, 2 runes at level 2. Recovered runes can include opponent runes.

Gebo symbol Gebo: removes the rune directly beneath it for the round, chooses an adjacent target at level 2; cursed.

Hagalz symbol Hagalz: an adjacent neutral rune can count toward your winning line.

Inguz symbol Inguz: center column only; returns to the shop when removed.

Isa symbol Isa: stays on the board from one round to the next.

Jera symbol Jera: edge columns only; returns to the shop when removed.

Kenaz symbol Kenaz: a single Kenaz does nothing. When your second Kenaz enters play, it permanently destroys 1 rune on the board.

Laguz symbol Laguz: cannot be moved or removed.

Mannaz symbol Mannaz: adds 1 neutral rune to the opponent's bag, 2 neutral runes at level 2.

Nauthiz symbol Nauthiz: can float and be placed on any free cell; ethereal and cursed.

Odal symbol Odal: if played on the top row, its owner gains 1 point without ending the round.

Perth symbol Perth: constrains the opponent's next turn to adjacent columns; the forced adjacent column is chosen at level 2.

Raido symbol Raido: grants an extra turn; ethereal only at level 1.

Sowelu symbol Sowelu: discards 1 random rune from the opponent's bag for the round, 2 runes at level 2.

Teiwaz symbol Teiwaz: moves the top rune of any column to an adjacent column at level 1, or to any column at level 2.

Thurisa symbol Thurisa: places 1 neutral rune on the board, 2 neutral runes at level 2.

Uruz symbol Uruz: the opponent's hand cannot be hidden while Uruz is on the board.

Wunjo symbol Wunjo: if no allied rune is adjacent at the end of the round, its owner gets +1 add and +1 remove at the next shop phase.

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Loading match...

Black

Points:

Bag: 0

Turn: White

Points: | Neutral Supply: 0

Discarded this round: none

Shop - White

Mode: none

Final Bag Contents

Black bag

White bag

Click once to finish the text, click again to close.

White

Points:

Bag: 0

Pass the device

Hand the device to the next player.

Game over

Game over

Black 0 Bag 0
White 0 Bag 0

Tutorial

New to RuneBags? Would you like a guided tutorial with quick tips while you play?