Windsor-Essex video game studio hopes to have a hit with Runeborn

You are the Runeborn! A hero who must arrange a book of powerful magic runes to ward off hordes of monsters set loose by the evil Malakar.

That's the premise of the newest release by iDream Interactive — an independent video game studio based in Windsor-Essex.

They're hoping their passion project will find a following in the crowded and highly competitive gaming market.

"You have to design a game that's, first of all, really fun and engaging," says CEO Jacob Duhaime.

Described as a "rogue-like deck-building game" with a dark fantasy setting, Runeborn will be officially released on the Steam platform on July 15. A demo version is currently available for free.

Duhaime says he founded iDream Interactive in the mid-2000s, and the company has had other releases — most notably the casino-style game Slot Universe in 2013.

Slot machine mechanics are actually at the core of Runeborn, but the game play is enhanced with strategic decision-making, "trinket" power-ups, and boss battles.

Local illustrator Jonathan Rector was hired to create the game's original artwork and enemies, such as Bib, Lord of Shame; Naxis, Devourer of Hope; and Ghorlock, Warden of Disgust.

"They're actually designed off emotions," explains Duhaime, who's a graduate of St. Clair College's digital animation program.

"We kind of let Jonathan have free reign."

Duhaime says avoiding AI art and going with an actual illustrator was a conscious decision by the studio. "A.I. art — it's hit or miss, right? For us, we needed a consistent look and feel for the game."

WEtech Alliance has helped iDream Interactive with business coaching through its ScaleUP Accelerator program. The non-profit group is also hosting the launch party for Runeborn at WindsorEats on July 8.

Adam Castle, WEtech Alliance's director of venture services and partnerships, believes in Runeborn.

"It's colourful, it's vibrant. It's really deep in terms of mechanics," said Castle. "It looks really simple, but there's a depth that keeps people coming back... There's a lot to love there."

But making a hit as a boutique studio in the wide world of video games won't be easy. The number of new games released on Steam annually has grown exponentially over the past decade.

In 2024, Steam broke all previous records with a total of 18,759 new video games released that year.

Jennifer Whitson, an associate professor with the University of Waterloo who researches the software industry, warns standing out in the crowd is difficult for games without major corporate marketing.

"It's extremely tough to find visibility and success (in the industry)," Whitson explained.

"A lot of it is just due to serendipity and being in the right place at the right time."

Even the biggest video game companies need luck to make a hit in such a saturated market. Whitson notes, despite data firms estimating the industry's total revenue last year at just under $178 billion, 2024 was considered financially sluggish for the industry and there have been large-scale layoffs.

But Whitson is also aware of a growing grassroots movement: Game development platforms like Unity and Unreal Engine are now so accessible that small teams can come up with sophisticated projects.

Some major success stories in video games have been the result of dedicated people with bedroom PCs.

"The tools to make games have been democratized," Whitson said.

"People can create games as hobbies, with very little initial outlay except for their time."

Runeborn was heavily influenced by the success of Balatro — a "rogue-like deck-building game" with a poker theme.

Balatro was created by a lone Saskatoon software developer only known by his screen name LocalThunk. Despite such humble roots, the game has proven to be so addictive that it surpassed five million downloads in its first year of release.

Duhaime is hopeful Runeborn can catch a similar wave — built on word of mouth, social media, and the attention of influential video game streamers.

"You know, we have players that have played well over 600 hours just on the free demo," Duhaime says. "We're on over 7,000 wish lists already, and we're excited to get people's eyes on this."

Whitson doesn't dismiss the possibility. "You never know — lightning may strike twice," she muses.

Runeborn's launch is at WindsorEats on July 8.