Ruggnar

I really should not buy games on a whim. Somehow I expected this to be fun. Beats me why I expected that. Very barebone game.

Made with love it seems, sad it didn't get more attention

Really nice game. Love the voice acting.

The game is a mix of platformer and random generated maps that are run as levels. The gameplay loop goes around traversing really dark levels, avoiding traps and collecting gold coins to get to the exit as fast as possible. I haven't seen any enemies and upgrades are basically to the amount of light you have available. You die in one hit and go back to the last checkpoint, and many levels seem to have no checkpoints at all. Visibility is very bad in this game, not only that objects don't have enough differentiation from the background, so you're going to spend a lot of time looking for levels, or falling off platforms because you hit a wall you can not even distinguish right in front of you. The game preview screenshots of the big maps make it seem this is a metroidvania, but there's nothing metroidvania about it, it's a precision platformer in the dark. I would say it's a waste of money even on sale, but there may be people who like this type of game.

I like it. The voice acting is cheesy yet charming and the gameplay is simple yet fun. There's nothing revolutionary about it but it's a Dwarf game which is obviously one of the best genres to ever exist.

Ruggnar is a distinctive indie platformer that deliberately turns away from traditional combat-driven design and instead builds its identity around exploration, atmosphere, and environmental challenge. Developed by Sword N’ Wands and published by PID Games alongside Dear Villagers, the game feels like a thoughtful experiment in restraint, asking players to engage with danger not by fighting it, but by understanding it. From the outset, it establishes a slower, more contemplative rhythm that emphasizes planning, observation, and patience over reflex-heavy action. You play as Ruggnar, a gruff but endearing dwarf who leaves his struggling hometown in search of treasure hidden within abandoned ruins and forgotten dungeons. The premise is intentionally simple, serving mainly as a framework for the journey rather than a deep narrative arc. What makes the adventure compelling is not a grand story twist, but the way the world itself becomes the primary antagonist. There are no enemies to defeat, no monsters to battle—only darkness, traps, and the constant uncertainty of what lies just beyond your field of vision. The game’s defining mechanic revolves around light, specifically candles, w…