Attack
Drop an attack rune on an unprotected enemy stack to destroy it.
Voliware Games · Steam, 8 November 2026
A real-time board game for up to four players, set to an original metal soundtrack. Stack runes, set off chain reactions, and smash your opponents’ pieces before they finish their next combo. No turns. No waiting.
--Days
--Hours
--Mins
--Secs
No install · no account
Try a round.
Pick a band and try a round against the AI.
The one minute version
Everyone plays at once.
Everyone plays at once.
Nobody waits their turn.
Two to four players share a board and place runes at the same time. Each round lasts up to five minutes, ending early if someone reaches the mode’s goal.
-
01
A rune lands on your cursor
Your band deals attack, defence and buff runes in a fixed rotation. Place one and the next arrives on your cursor.
-
02
Drop it on a cell
Stack up to three matching runes on a cell: triangles on triangles, squares on squares, discs on discs. Cell bonuses can increase or reduce your score.
-
03
Complete a stack of three
The stack scores and clears, setting off a chain reaction through your adjacent two-stack cells. Each cell in the chain scores at a higher multiplier.
-
04
Attack an enemy stack
Use attack runes to destroy enemy stacks and defence runes to protect your own. Complete a stack to earn your band’s special rune.
-
05
Fill the meter, call down the god
Scoring, capturing cells and destroying runes charge your power meter. Fill it to trigger your band’s max power, which acts on the board for five seconds.
-
06
Reach the mode’s goal
Capture territory, score points, collect coins or complete a secret shape. Each mode has its own goal.
Real timeNo turns, no
move limit
Stack of 3Same variant
only
3×3 →
5×5Board grows with the table
1v1 →
1v1v1v1Humans, AI, or both
The pieces
Know your runes.
Every band uses three basic runes: triangles attack, squares defend and discs add bonus points. Each band also has a special rune.
Basic runes
Defence
A defence rune can protect a cell from attacks. Pyre of Surtr’s Beast rune and Ashwake power can destroy protected runes.
Buff
Buff runes add bonus points, which also charge your power meter. Place them on multiplier cells to increase their value.
Specials - earned by completing stacks
Complete a stack to receive your band’s special rune, then resume your normal rotation. In Coins mode, you can also buy one at the fountain for five coins. Independent campaign bands use basic runes only.
Beast
Destroys every rune on the cell, including itself. Ignores protection.
Horns
Uses itself to fill your stack to three runes, completing it.
Rift
Steals an enemy stack and becomes a matching rune. Steal a stack of two to complete it for yourself.
Shred
Stacks onto any of your runes and changes to match its type.
Rules of engagement
- Match basic runes. Stack attack on attack, defence on defence and buff on buff. Specials have their own rules.
- Use your own stacks. Basic runes cannot complete an opponent’s stack for you. Rift can steal it first.
- Attack enemy stacks. Buff and defence runes cannot be placed on enemy stacks.
- Protection has exceptions. One protected rune shields the cell from attacks, but Beast and Ashwake bypass protection.
- Stacks cap at three. Complete a stack to score it and clear the cell.
The table
More players, a bigger board.
Two bands play on a 3×3 board, three on a 4×4, and four on a 5×5. Some boards have missing cells that interrupt lines.
- Bonus cells. Cells carry flat bonuses and penalties - +3, −1 - and straight multipliers up to ×3. The bonus applies once to whatever the cell pays out.
- Bonuses move. Every 30–45 seconds, around 40% of bonuses move to other empty cells. Occupied cells keep their bonuses.
- Cells clear. Scored cells empty out and can be used again.
- Lines score too. Fill a row, column or diagonal with your runes to score and clear it. Missing cells break a line.
3×3
Two bands
Nine cells, nowhere to hide. Every placement is inside somebody’s reach.
4×4
Three bands
The awkward table. Two opponents, one board, and no natural alliance.
5×5
Four bands
Room to build a fuse line - and three people who would like to cut it.
Where the points come from
Build a chain. Make every stack count.
Complete a stack to start a chain through your connected runes. Each cell in the chain increases the multiplier, so planning several stacks together earns more points.
The stack
A completed cell pays for every rune on it, with the cell’s +, − or × bonus applied on top. Then it clears.
The chain
Chains spread horizontally and vertically through your runes. Empty and enemy-only cells stop them. Cells score about a third of a second apart, giving opponents a chance to destroy them before they score.
The multiplier
The first chained cell scores at ×2, then the multiplier rises by one per cell. Shorter branches resolve first, leaving the end of your longest branch with the highest multiplier.
The streak
Complete another stack within roughly six seconds to raise your streak multiplier, up to its cap. Attacks keep an existing streak alive but cannot start or increase one. Wait too long and it resets.
Planning a chain
Connect your stacks.
Build several connected stacks of two, then complete one to start a chain. Watch your opponents: an attack can break the connection before the chain reaches it.
The Worldsong surge
Call on your god.
Points, coins, captured cells and destroyed enemy runes charge your meter. When full, it triggers your god power automatically for five seconds. You can charge it again once it has drained.
Stormcall
Drops wild Shred runes into the emptiest line for five seconds, skipping cells it cannot take.
Ashwake
Once a second for five seconds, picks a cell at random and burns a whole row, column or diagonal through it. Protection does not save you. It spares only the runes of the band that set it off.
Reality Spiral
Steals an enemy stack once per second for five seconds, starting with the smallest. Stolen stacks of two complete immediately.
Light Unbroken
Places runes for five seconds, completing your near-full stacks first, then claiming empty cells.
The meter resets between rounds and charges faster on smaller boards. Independent campaign bands have no god power.
Game modes
Four ways to win.
The runes, chains and god powers work the same way in every mode. Each mode changes what you need to win.
Flagship
Crescendo
Capture territory with chain reactions.
Complete a stack to start a chain. Every cell the chain scores becomes your territory, including cells held by an opponent.
Connect stacks across enemy territory to take several cells in one chain.
- Win: hold 40% of the cells - scaled to how many bands are at the table.
- Clock: at five minutes, whoever holds the most cells takes it.
- Points: they do not win. They fuel your max power and break exact ties.
- Scoreboard: the board is the score. What you see painted is what you hold.
Classic
Points
Race to the score goal.
Race to the score goal. Stacks, lines, buffs, chains and streaks all contribute to your total.
The score goal increases with the number of bands and doubles while streaks are live.
- Win: first to the score goal - roughly 66 at two bands, 132 at three, 200 at four.
- Clock: at five minutes the highest score takes it.
- Also ends: when nobody has a legal move left.
- Best for: learning the chain, and for people who like the board on fire.
Economy
Coins
Collect coins before your opponents do.
Complete a stack to drop coins onto three random cells, with the amount affected by the completed cell’s bonus. The next player to place a rune on each cell collects its coins. Your opponents can collect them too.
Drop your cursor rune onto the central fountain and spend five coins to turn it into your band’s special. The fountain cell is out of play.
- Win: a coin goal per opponent - about 66 in a 1v1, 132 at three, 198 at four.
- Clock: at five minutes the biggest purse takes it.
- Coins are the score. There is no separate points goal at all.
- Fountain: five coins forges the cursor rune into your special.
Hidden objective
Strategy
Everyone is building something. Nobody can see what.
Each band receives a secret shape of connected target cells, visible only on its own screen. Capture every target cell to win.
Watch where your opponents keep placing runes. You may be able to work out their targets and block them.
- Win: capture every cell in your shape. Three targets at two bands, five at three or more.
- Shapes are connected, so a target run is defensible - and readable.
- Progress shows as a plain 2/5 on the scoreboard. Everyone can see how close you are, nobody can see to what.
- The reveal: only when the round ends. The board is stripped bare, the winner’s shape is traced out, then every losing band’s plan is shown in turn.
All four modes support two to four players, with AI, online, LAN and local play. Rounds last up to five minutes. Campaign matches can rotate through your enabled modes between rounds.
The bands
Pick your band.
In Metalaria, the gods gave up war for sound, and the bands took over the fighting. Each band has a different rune rotation, special rune and god power.
Mjolnir Rising
“Bring the thunder.”
Thor’s band plays power and Viking metal with the force of a war chant. Wild runes help them build stacks, while Stormcall hammers whole lines into place.
- Special
- Shred - wild, stacks on any of your runes
- Max power
- Stormcall - storms the emptiest line for five seconds
- Deal order
-
- Buff
- Buff
- Defence
- Attack
- Defence
- Buff
- Attack
- God
- Thor
Pyre of Surtr
“Burn it all down.”
Blackened death metal from the fire giant’s forges. Pyre of Surtr specialises in demolition: Beast breaks protected stacks, and Ashwake burns whole lines of enemy runes.
- Special
- Beast - annihilates the cell, ignores protection
- Max power
- Ashwake - burns a random line every second for five seconds
- Deal order
-
- Attack
- Buff
- Attack
- Attack
- Defence
- Buff
- Defence
- God
- Surtr, the fire giant king
Mirror Serpent
“Strike from the shadows.”
Loki’s band plays avant-garde folk metal that changes genre mid-song. Their Rift steals enemy stacks. Leave a stack one rune from completion and they can finish it for themselves.
- Special
- Rift - steals a stack outright
- Max power
- Reality Spiral - steals a stack a second for five seconds
- Deal order
-
- Buff
- Defence
- Attack
- Attack
- Buff
- Defence
- Buff
- God
- Loki
Radiant Tyr
“Glory in the light.”
Choirs and cathedral bells drive Radiant Tyr’s symphonic metal. Horns completes a stack with a single rune, while Light Unbroken finishes near-full stacks and claims empty ground.
- Special
- Horns - completes your stack with one rune
- Max power
- Light Unbroken - places runes for five seconds
- Deal order
-
- Defence
- Defence
- Buff
- Attack
- Buff
- Attack
- Buff
- God
- Heimdall, keeper of Tyr’s shield
Why the deal order matters
Learn your rotation.
Each band repeats a fixed seven-rune rotation, with three of one basic type and two of each other type. Learn the order to plan your stacks and anticipate opponents. Earning a special leaves your place in the rotation unchanged.
Single player · four endless campaigns
Take your band on tour.
Play a 25-date tour against rival bands, earn Fame and compete for the championship. Each season spans four in-world months. Finish one and start the next in a new era with a new schedule. Each band has its own campaign.
25
Matchdays, all headline shows
Every scheduled match has four bands. Smaller matches happen when a band fails to show or leaves mid-match.
3–7
Rounds per night
Matches start at best of three and build toward best of seven. Roughly half rotate two or three modes, so one night can include Crescendo, Coins and Strategy.
5
Ambushes per season
After the opening week, rivals can interrupt your tour with 1v1 challenges. These duels include character banter between the bands.
How you are judged
Earn Fame to win the season.
The band with the most Fame wins the season. Earn it through progress toward round goals, round and match wins, clean victories and bonus actions.
- Progress counts even in defeat. Earn Fame for the share of a round’s goal you reached.
- Bonus actions. Lines, stacks, god powers and destroyed enemy runes earn extra Fame, up to a cap.
- Rival results. Other bands simulate their own matches and earn Fame under the same rules.
- Changing rivals. Bands leave the tour and new independent bands join. Independents have no special rune or god power.
Get a table together
Online, LAN or on the couch.
Play with two to four players in any mode. Fill empty seats with AI opponents at five difficulty levels, from Trivial to Insane.
Solo skirmish
Straight into a match against the AI. Set the player count, the difficulty and the number of rounds, or dial in the full rule set yourself.
Quick match
One button. Matchmaking finds you a table, fills any empty seats, and drops you into the countdown.
Custom game
Host a match with your own rules. Open it to players through the online lobby, or share a join code for a private game.
LAN & direct join
Skip the internet entirely. The host runs the match on their own machine and everyone else joins straight to an IP address and port - no relay, no lobby, no account needed at the other end.
Local party - up to four on one screen
Up to three guests can join an offline skirmish on one screen. Choose a band in the couch lobby with the stick and press A to join. During a match, press a face button to take the seat in the matching screen position.
Disconnect a controller and the AI takes over. You can also play with one keyboard and three controllers. Keyboard controls are rebindable.
40Achievements
28Soundtrack tracks
4Playable bands
4Game modes
Windows 64-bit
SteamOS + Linux
Full controller &
Steam Deck
Steam Cloud saves
Leaderboards &
lifetime stats
Original metal
soundtrack
Out 8 November 2026
Ready to play?
Coming to Steam for Windows, SteamOS and Linux. Add Battle Runes of Metalaria to your wishlist to get a release notification.
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