Games × Runelore
Runes in Games
Fantasy games are full of runes. We check which are the real Elder Futhark and which are invented, one game at a time.
Full rune descriptions in your pocket whenever you need them. In one app.
Games × Runelore
Fantasy games are full of runes. We check which are the real Elder Futhark and which are invented, one game at a time.
Very few. Most fantasy games, including Crimson Desert and The Blood of Dawnwalker, use invented rune-like glyphs rather than the real Norse Elder Futhark. This hub reviews each game and shows exactly where its runes come from and whether any are genuine.
Usually not directly. Studios borrow the angular, carved look of runes for atmosphere, then design original symbols. The Elder Futhark is a real 24-character Germanic alphabet used from roughly 150 to 800 CE, and game runes rarely map to it letter for letter.
Right now it covers Gothic 1, the Gothic 1 Remake, Gothic 2 and its Night of the Raven add-on, Gothic 3, Valheim, The Witcher 3, Fable, Minecraft, Diablo II, Diablo IV, Elden Ring, Skyrim, League of Legends, Dota 2, Bloodborne, Tunic, Hogwarts Legacy, Crimson Desert and The Blood of Dawnwalker, plus a clearly labelled prediction for the upcoming Witcher 3 expansion Songs of the Past. More are added as new games featuring runes release. Each entry explains what the game's runes actually are and where they differ from real runes.
Some games render genuine Elder Futhark letters as set dressing, but almost none use them as a working writing system you can read. Where a game gets its runes right or wrong, each guide says so plainly.
You can cast a free rune reading in your browser with the genuine 24 Elder Futhark runes and their traditional meanings, then learn the futhark one sign at a time. No game, no carving, and no special knowledge required.
Full rune descriptions in your pocket whenever you need them. In one app.
