Runo

Adventure· Walking Simulator· Exploration· Atmospheric

Released Jul 2021

A walking simulator about dear memories, overcoming obstacles, and finding your path. Experience a story inspired by finno-karelian folklore.

91% positive · 589 reviews

Done

All announced content has been released

High confidence

Done

All announced content has been released

High confidence

Where to get it

Free on Steam

Steam Free

Evaluation

Runo is a self-contained walking simulator that launched on July 5, 2021. The store description presents it as a compact, complete experience — a single playthrough of roughly 1.5 hours with no save system, designed to be played in one sitting. The game was created by a university-based group with funding from two Finnish cultural institutions (AVEK and the Finnish Cultural Foundation), and the description reads as a finished creative work rather than an ongoing project. There are no DLC listings, no roadmaps, no developer posts announcing future content, and no post-launch update history. The game launched as a complete product and has remained so.

Evidence

Game described as a ~1.5-hour walking simulator with no save system, designed to be played in one sitting. Presented as a finished creative work inspired by Finnish folklore, developed by a university group with cultural institution funding.

description · Jul 5, 2021 source content shipped

high

Short description confirms the game as a complete narrative experience with no mention of updates, DLC, or ongoing development.

store metadata · Jul 5, 2021 source content shipped

medium

Media

Details

Developer

runogame

Publisher

Srsface Studios

Achievements

Platform

Windows

Controller

—

Steam Deck

Not rated

Players

Single-player

Walking Simulator Exploration Atmospheric First-Person Story Rich Casual Supernatural Magic Adventure Linear 1990's Indie 3D Realistic Free to Play

About this game

Story

A walking simulator about dear memories, overcoming obstacles, and finding your path.

Runo tells an original story about forgotten pasts and mysteries. At an age-old family cottage in rural Finland, lost myths, tales and ancient lore come to life. On the night of Midsummer’s Eve, something stirs the calm scene. What is going on at the cottage?

About the game

Runo is played with a mouse and keyboard, and one play-through takes roughly 1,5 hours. Runo does not have a save system, so it should be played through in one sitting - and preferably with headphones on!

About the project

Runo connects with stories and discussions about cultural heritage, myths and folklore. Inspiration is drawn from the Finnish national epic Kalevala among other sources. We have made use of our own childhood memories and paid homage to the traditions and stories passed on from generation to generation.

The idea to make a game based on folklore came from a group of like-minded people working together in free-form university meetings. Students, scholars and professionals from the humanities, game design and the arts came together to create Runo.

The game received funding from AVEK - The Promotion Center for Audiovisual Culture (2018) and The Finnish Cultural Foundation (2020). The project was also showcased in The Finnish Museum of Games exhibition “The Kalevala in games” in 2019-2020.