Steam News27 September 20259mo ago

The death of Runelight

This isn't a post I wanted to have to make. It's definitely not one I wanted to have to make this soon. But alas, it's time to face the truth and realize this is what needs to be done.

In this update3

Full notes

Full RuneLight update

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What changed

1 fix1 addition0 changes0 removals

Gameplay
Fixes

addedReason 1 - The state of the gameRuneLight isn't in a bad state. I actually do think it's fun to boot up the game and do a run. My issue is that I get the feeling that RuneLight is missing something. I don't have the drive to keep playing or try again doing something differently, which is a key to roguelites. Perhaps it's because as the developer of the game I've seen all that can be seen, explored every novelty. But as I've worked on a new update, added more items and content, I've come to the conclusion that new equipment that expands on one or two builds in the game doesn't push the needle towards deeper replayability. What RuneLight really needs is more mechanical depth and expansion. But what those mechanics are, what foundational changes I need to make, I'm not sure. And for a game that's been in early access for over 2 years, That's not a good sign.

fixedReason 2 - Community InterestAnother big factor in my decision to kill RuneLight is lack of community interest. The state of the game and lacking depth is something that could be fixed with a lot of time and effort, but I just don't think that there are enough people out there who want to see RuneLight fully realized. It's not about money or financial benefit, but the fact is that there are only a double digit amount of RuneLight players out there, for a game that's been in development for as long as it has.

RuneLight changes

addedRuneLight isn't in a bad state. I actually do think it's fun to boot up the game and do a run. My issue is that I get the feeling that RuneLight is missing something. I don't have the drive to keep playing or try again doing something differently, which is a key to roguelites. Perhaps it's because as the developer of the game I've seen all that can be seen, explored every novelty. But as I've worked on a new update, added more items and content, I've come to the conclusion that new equipment that expands on one or two builds in the game doesn't push the needle towards deeper replayability. What RuneLight really needs is more mechanical depth and expansion. But what those mechanics are, what foundational changes I need to make, I'm not sure. And for a game that's been in early access for over 2 years, That's not a good sign.

fixedAnother big factor in my decision to kill RuneLight is lack of community interest. The state of the game and lacking depth is something that could be fixed with a lot of time and effort, but I just don't think that there are enough people out there who want to see RuneLight fully realized. It's not about money or financial benefit, but the fact is that there are only a double digit amount of RuneLight players out there, for a game that's been in development for as long as it has.

This isn't a post I wanted to have to make. It's definitely not one I wanted to have to make this soon. But alas, it's time to face the truth and realize this is what needs to be done. I am taking RuneLight out of early access and putting a hold on all future updates. I've got three main reasons that I made this call, so let's talk about them, as well as the future of RuneLight going forwards.

The reasons I killed RuneLight

Reason 1 - The state of the game

RuneLight isn't in a bad state. I actually do think it's fun to boot up the game and do a run. My issue is that I get the feeling that RuneLight is missing something. I don't have the drive to keep playing or try again doing something differently, which is a key to roguelites. Perhaps it's because as the developer of the game I've seen all that can be seen, explored every novelty. But as I've worked on a new update, added more items and content, I've come to the conclusion that new equipment that expands on one or two builds in the game doesn't push the needle towards deeper replayability. What RuneLight really needs is more mechanical depth and expansion. But what those mechanics are, what foundational changes I need to make, I'm not sure. And for a game that's been in early access for over 2 years, That's not a good sign.

Reason 2 - Community Interest

Another big factor in my decision to kill RuneLight is lack of community interest. The state of the game and lacking depth is something that could be fixed with a lot of time and effort, but I just don't think that there are enough people out there who want to see RuneLight fully realized. It's not about money or financial benefit, but the fact is that there are only a double digit amount of RuneLight players out there, for a game that's been in development for as long as it has.

Reason 3 - The rise of WZRDS

The third and most important reason I'm canceling RuneLight development is the rise of WZRDs. I started WZRDs as a side project earlier this year to get a better grasp on multiplayer development, but the game has quickly blossomed into a game that I genuinely believe has a lot stronger legs than RuneLight ever did. If you like Bullet Heavens, or you want to see the games I develop, I recommend you check it out here

The future of RuneLight

While I am putting development of RuneLight on hold for the foreseeable future, I want to state that this isn't the end of RuneLight. I do still have ideas, plans, and dreams for what RuneLight could become. But if I want to realize those ideas and dreams, it needs to be on my terms in the future when I've had time to step away and really think what the game needs. In the meanwhile, I will still be maintaining RuneLight, fixing bugs and addressing issues that arise.

Source

Steam News / 27 September 2025

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