RuneScape is one of the grandfathers of the MMORPG genre, standing today as one of the longest-running games on the market since its debut in January 2001. The once browser-based RPG has seen many alternative versions for its huge player base, between Old School RuneScape providing players with the the classic 2006 experience and the short-lived DarkScape providing players with a more PvP-based experience. Now, developer Jagex has teamed up with board game developer Steamforged Games to release not just one, but two tabletop games over the course of 2022.
Steamforged Games’ collaboration with Jagex is the most recent in a long string of collaborations bringing some of gaming’s biggest franchises into a tabletop environment. The tabletop gaming juggernaut has previously created board games based on series like Monster Hunter World and Dark Souls and most recently completed a massively successful Kickstarter campaign for a Resident Evil 2 board game raising over 1 million GBP earlier this year. Now, the developer has set its sights on the world of Gielinor and RuneScape with plans to launch both a board game and a tabletop RPG core book this year.
The two RPG adaptations will feature many of RuneScape’s most popular characters and locations, allowing a group of up to five players to challenge classic quests from RuneScape and bring the adventures in the world of Gielinor home. Players will be able to craft and upgrade equipment, engage with NPCs, and take on a variety of side quests inspired by the classic MMORPG. The board game will launch with a Kickstarter campaign later this year while the core tabletop RPG book is set to launch directly in stores.
The core book for tabletop RPGs will notably be fully compatible with massive tabletop RPG Dungeons and Dragons‘ fifth edition core books, allowing dungeon masters to seamlessly integrate elements of RuneScape into their campaigns. Jagex CEO Phil Mansell was optimistic about the project expressing his enthusiasm over the Kickstarter project “involving the RuneScape communities,” while Steamforged CCO Mat Hart believed the “rich RuneScape universe will translate beautifully” into a tabletop environment.
RuneScape has been expanding significantly from its browser-based origins in recent years with Steamforged’s board game just the most recent effort from Jagex. In an interview with Game Rant last July, multiple Jagex employees spoke about transitioning Runescape‘s mobile version into a cross-platform release and, last September, Jagex partnered with the creator of popular Old School RuneScape mod RuneLite HD to make the HD version available for all players. Steamforged’s upcoming board game will give RuneScape’s passionate fanbase another way to experience the world of Gielinor and create their own adventures.
Source: Steamforged Games
