Runehack: The Asterist

Tabletop Roleplaying Game

Runehack: The Asterist is a short TTRPG built primarily around its hacking system. Hack the world your character is in by placing six-sided dice on a square grid, linking them by their pips. Use your abilities to influence what die roll you're using, or how the board itself looks.

(Due to several real life circumstances, I'm publishing the video game before the TTRPG is finished. I realize that a lot of context for the game is written in the PDF, so I apologize ahead of time for the inconveniences this might cause. I'll try to finish it and update this page as soon as I can. Thank you for your understanding.)

The Setting

Runehack: The Asterist place in Runehack, the same world that's already explored in Runehack: Fairy Heist and Runehack: University's Pillars, and multiple articles on my blog. In this game, each player's character is a sentient mind scan nicknamed "ghost", simulated within the hologram-like city of Everling that hovers above the ocean's floor. Asterists are citizens of Everling who are capable of hacking the city itself, as well as its other citizens. Take a look at my blog if you'd like to learn more about Runehack.

Interactive Demo

This page also features an interactive demo of the hacking system utilized in the TTRPG. In it, you will find:

• 8 levels, in which you can get used to the core mechanics of the TTRPG, and see some example levels it could feature.
• Solo Hack functionality, as described in the TTRPG.
• An original dynamic soundtrack composed by me with no prior composing experience. It develops with each level, and sometimes even on significant progress in a level.
• A small surprise after finishing all eight levels.

Controls:

• Space to spin the die (puzzle mode), or to roll a die (solo hack mode).
• Left and Right arrow keys to swap difficulty (solo hack mode).