RuneCipher pairs classic squad tactics with Real-Time defense, weapon matchups, and time magic.
RuneCipher is a medieval fantasy strategy RPG built by solo developer Rasim Alam (Rasmalai Studios), currently in development for PC.
At first glance, it speaks the language of Fire Emblem-style grid tactics, with squads, weapon matchups, positional play, and character growth. Then combat starts, and the usual back and forth between two units becomes something sharper, more physical, and more demanding.
When two units clash, the fight does not simply resolve through stats, accuracy rolls, and a short animation. RuneCipher moves to a stamina-based parry-and-counter system where timing matters. Players need to read incoming attacks, parry or evade with precision, and manage Stamina Points during the exchange.
A perfect parry can open the door to a free counter. A mistimed defense can drain resources and leave the unit vulnerable. It gives each encounter a little dueling game inside the larger tactical layer.
It asks players not only to plan the engagement, but also to perform inside it. That puts the game closer to the recent appetite for timed reactions and parries seen in RPGs like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, only filtered through a full squad tactics structure rather than a traditional party battle system.
RuneCipher uses a triangle built around Slash, Blunt, and Pierce damage, supported by a Break mechanic that rewards players for exploiting weaknesses. Players will need to use abilities on the top-down grid and during battle exchanges, which should make resource timing important.
RuneCipher’s story takes place in the Kingdom of Calista, a realm where time magic is forbidden because its consequences are considered too dangerous to control.
The kingdom is already slipping into crisis. Mana is failing. Wildlife is petrifying. Harvests are weakening. People are being fed partial truths while something much larger festers underneath the surface. The discovery of the Chronos Relic draws both the crown and a young scholar named Noni into the same dangerous search.
Noni is not chasing power for glory. She wants to save her friend Nymea from petrification. Prince Cleo, meanwhile, wants the relic for the kingdom’s ambitions.
Their collision sets off the central incident. In a moment of panic, Noni uses time magic openly to save someone she cannot bear to lose. That single act turns her from a desperate scholar into someone who has crossed the most dangerous line in Calista’s society.
The Chronos Relic also connects directly to play. Time magic lets players experiment with different strategies and correct mistakes on the battlefield.
Outside individual battles, RuneCipher is planned to include a larger world to explore, legendary weapons to obtain, fighters to recruit, and a clan growth system built around unit development and bonds.
The pitch also mentions living battlefields, with dynamic weather and environmental systems that can alter how each map plays.
RuneCipher’s Steam page went live a few hours ago from developer Rasim Alam. He has been developing the game for about a year, with playtesting already taking place at university and local indie events. Below is the official reveal trailer.
