Runic Curse

Runic Curse - Play Online

You wash up on a cursed island with nothing but a sword and questions. Runic Curse is a 2D action-RPG dungeon crawler that tries to channel Dark Souls energy into a side-scrolling format. You play as Adrian, hunting for your lost crew while battling through ancient ruins filled with enemies, bosses, and magical runes. It's medieval fantasy combat with stamina management, dodge rolls, and plenty of ways to die. The mystery unfolds as you explore 10 different zones, each hiding fragments of the island's dark secrets.

Key Features

• 55+ Spell Types: Craft and combine magic runes with melee weapons for different combat builds.
• 10 Vast Locations: Each zone has unique enemies, environmental hazards, and a boss waiting at the end.
• New Game+ Mode: Replay the campaign with harder enemies and unlimited resets for true masochists.
• RPG Progression: Level up selectively—improve health, stamina, or unlock abilities to access previously blocked areas.

How to Play Runic Curse

The learning curve is gentle, but staying alive past level 5 requires actual strategy.

Master the Combat Fundamentals

You move with WASD or arrow keys, jump with Space, and attack with the left mouse button. The combat revolves around managing your stamina bar—every swing, roll, and jump drains it. Shift gives you a dodge roll with invulnerability frames, which you'll spam constantly during boss fights. Enemies telegraph attacks pretty clearly, so it's all about timing your rolls and not getting greedy with combos. Hit Tab to access your menu for equipment swaps and character upgrades.

Survive the Cursed Island

The real challenge is juggling multiple threats. You'll face poison clouds, burning debuffs, and enemies that swarm you in groups. I got caught by a "Maneater" boss early on and watched my health melt while a burning status ticked away. The game throws timers at you too—there's a "Rune Reset" countdown that limits how often you can refresh certain buffs. Stamina management becomes critical because running out mid-combo leaves you wide open. There's even a stamina refill button tied to watching ads, which feels jarringly mobile-game on a desktop experience.

Upgrade and Unlock New Zones

Every enemy drops experience and occasional loot like health hearts. Level up to pump points into stats that match your playstyle. Some areas are completely blocked until you acquire specific abilities or equipment—classic Metroidvania gating. You'll craft consumable runes for healing or buffs, and improve weapon runes to boost damage. The progression loop is addictive: die to a boss, grind easier zones for levels, craft better runes, retry. Boss Rush mode unlocks after you clear the campaign if you want pure combat without exploration.

Who is Runic Curse for?

This is for players who enjoy challenging 2D action-RPGs but can forgive rough edges. If you liked games like Dead Cells or Salt and Sanctuary but want something less polished and more experimental, you'll find value here. It's not for absolute beginners—the stamina system and boss patterns require patience. Mobile players will feel right at home with the UI design, though the ad-incentivized mechanics might annoy desktop purists. Good for 30-minute sessions where you tackle one zone or boss at a time.

The Gameplay Vibe

The vibe is gritty medieval fantasy, but the execution is rough around the edges. The art style uses hand-drawn 2D assets that lack polish—character proportions are inconsistent, and backgrounds feel flat despite fog effects trying to add atmosphere. Combat feels chunky rather than smooth; hits connect with satisfying damage numbers, but animations sometimes stutter. The UI is cluttered with mobile-style buttons everywhere, even on PC. It's clearly a cross-platform port that prioritized phones first. Audio cues exist but aren't memorable. The mystery elements are buried in scattered lore pickups—you'll mostly focus on the combat grind rather than the story.

Technical Check: Saves & Performance

Progress saves automatically through browser cache, so you can pick up where you left off as long as you don't wipe your browsing data. The game runs smoothly even on older hardware—the 2D graphics aren't demanding, and I didn't notice any lag during boss fights with multiple particle effects on screen. Load times between zones are minimal. The mobile version adapts the button layout for touchscreens, though the cluttered UI becomes even more cramped on smaller phone displays.

Quick Verdict: Pros & Cons

A solid attempt at bringing Souls-like mechanics to 2D side-scrolling, held back by amateur presentation and questionable monetization choices.

• ✅ Pro: Deep combat system with real challenge—dodge timing and stamina management matter.
• ✅ Pro: 55+ spells and weapon combos give you freedom to experiment with builds.
• ❌ Con: The ad-based stamina refill and timer mechanics feel cheap and ruin immersion on desktop.

Controls

Responsive enough for precise dodge rolls, though the keyboard layout feels cramped with abilities on 1-2-3 keys.

• Desktop: WASD/Arrow keys to move, Space to jump, Left mouse button to attack, Shift to roll, 1/2/3 for abilities, Tab for menu, M for map.
• Mobile: Touch controls with on-screen buttons for all actions—designed with large thumb-friendly zones.

Release Date & Developer

Developed by Mirra Games and released on November 18, 2025. It's one of their first attempts at blending hardcore RPG mechanics with casual mobile accessibility.