Rune Rite Flip-and-Write Game

What is Rune Rite?

 A Witchy New Twist on Flip-and-Write

The altar is set. Dancing rune stones tease you with the power of raw creation. 

The creator of Evenglow brings you Rune Rite — a bewitching flip-and-write game where witches compete to harness the power of Runes, brew Potions, and draw the Glyphs that prove their prowess.

🔮✨ Can you write the right rite?

At a Glance

• Craft-your-own-polyomino flip-and-write
• Light ruleset, crunchy puzzles
• Simultaneous play
• Plays solo or with up to five witches (that’s you)
• 30-45 minutes
• Ages 10+

Build Your Own Polyominoes

A witch’s destiny has no preordained shape.

Rune Rite’s dynamic spatial puzzle challenges you to build your own Glyphs from one of five Rune stones — including the enigmatic Moonstone, whose reflective glow deepens the puzzle and the possibilities.

Draft a Rune card on your turn. 

Rotate it to form new combinations and add it to the Altar — a layered and evolving 3x3 grid from where all witches must craft Glyphs.

It takes presence of mind to see and ride the dizzying possibilities!

Fill Your Scroll

You see a unique Glyph in the chaos. Record it on your Scroll before it vanishes!

The Scroll rewards you for building squares of matching Runes — and for your mix of unmatched Runes in each section.

Doing both well? That takes magic.

Hoard Your Potions or Drink Them?

As you fill your Scroll, you’ll earn Potions. Save them until the end of the game and get a bonus.

Or drink them, letting you earn more points by snatching an extra Glyph on another witch’s turn!

Brew carefully. Drink responsibly.

What's in the Box?

• 30 Rune cards (2.5″ x 3.5″)
• 5 player aid cards (2.5″ x 3.5″)
• 50 player sheets (4″x5.25″)
• 1 Stone Altar (game box insert)
• 1 rulebook (4″x5.25″)
   

Why Back on Kickstarter?

Bonuses for Every Backer

• 20% off retail ($5 off the $25 MSRP)
• The Grimoire Mini-Expansion: 10 cards that make the Altar even trickier
• Lovely add-ons based on Jenner Chen’s original, all-human-made Rune Rite art

Tia Johnson, Tabletop Tokki

Max Moody, Abroad Game

Dan Thurot, Space-Biff!

Brad McCarthy, Merry Merried Meeples

Dave Roy, Dude! Take Your Turn

Brien Bourgeois, DicePunk Guru

Pledge Tiers

The Pledge of Enchantment (Any Amount)

• Support out of sheer love

The Pledge of the Scribe ($4)

• Print-and-play Rune Rite base game
• Print-and-play Grimoire Mini-Expansion

The Pledge of the Coven ($20)

• One copy of the Rune Rite base game
• One copy of The Grimoire Mini-Expansion

The Pledge of Kindred Spirits ($35)

• One copy of the Rune Rite base game
• One copy of The Grimoire Mini-Expansion
• One copy of The Book of Wandering Enchanted Traveling Journal add-on
• One copy of the Pyrotechnics card game add-on

The Pledge of Abundance ($40)

• One copy of the Rune Rite base game
• One copy of The Grimoire Mini-Expansion
• One Rune Bookmark add-on
• One Rune Rite Stickers add-on (3 sheets)
• One Rune Rite Pencils add-on (5 golf pencils)
• One Rune Rite Art Posters add-on (2 11"x17" posters)

The Pledge of the Grand Order ($60)

• The retail tier
• Six copies of the Rune Rite base game
• Six copies of The Grimoire Mini-Expansion

The Pledge of the Exalted Fae ($200)

• One copy of the Rune Rite base game
• One copy of The Grimoire Mini-Expansion
• One Rune Bookmark add-on
• One Rune Rite Stickers add-on (3 sheets)
• One Rune Rite Pencils add-on (5 golf pencils)
• One Rune Rite Art Posters add-on (2 11"x17" posters)
• One copy of The Book of Wandering Enchanted Traveling Journal add-on
• One copy of the Pyrotechnics card game add-on
• One copy of the Witchbound base game add-on
• One copy of the Witchbound art book add-on
• One copy of the Witchbound coloring book add-on
• One copy of the Witchbound deluxe wooden tokens add-on
• Credit in the rulebook as Veiled Benefactor of the Ancient Pact

Additional Pad of 50 Player Sheets ($4)

Never run out of magic! Grab an extra pad of 50 full-color player sheets to keep your coven playing game after game.

Rune Bookmark ($4)

Keep your place in The Book of Wandering or your favorite grimoire. This premium 2"x6" double-sided cardstock bookmark features the beautiful, magical runes of the game.

5 Custom Rune Rite Golf Pencils ($5)

Scribe your Glyphs in style! Five golf-sized pencils, black barrels, black ferrules, and black erasers (each to come with a Rune Rite incantation in pink).

Rune Rite Sticker Pack ($5)

Decorate your real-life grimoire, laptop, or game box! A premium pack of durable stickers featuring the beautiful, human-made rune artwork from the game.

The Book of Wandering Enchanted Traveling Journal ($7)

Imagine a handwritten letter from twenty or more like-minded individuals that you've never met. The Book of Wandering is an enchanted traveling journal that journeys across hands and horizons—add your creativity, then send it on to spark joy and imagination in someone new.

3 Books of Wandering ($18)

Three more bucks off! That's 14% additional savings when you buy three Books of Wandering.

5 Dry-Erase Player Sheet Boards ($12)

Save paper and play forever! Upgrade your coven's experience with a set of five premium, thick dry-erase boards featuring the complete Rune Rite player sheet. (Note: Dry-erase markers not included).

Pyrotechnics Card Game ($12)

Limited supply and 20% off! The first game published by The Seahorse & The Hummingbird, Pyrotechnics is a two‑player card duel that fits in your pocket and delivers ten minute bursts of lightly strategic gameplay. With just eighteen cards and thirty‑six spark tokens, it’s the perfect travel game or quick filler between activities! Yet, beneath its compact size lies surprising depth.

Rune Rite Art Posters ($15)

Bring the magic of the game to your walls! Decorate your gaming space with these premium art posters featuring gorgeous, human-made illustrations from Rune Rite.

Patron of the Dark Arts ($20)

Immortalize your name in the legends of Rune Rite! Show extra support for the cabal to have your name credited in the rulebook as a "Patron of the Dark Arts".

Rune Rite and Expansion (Extra) ($20)

Share the magic! Grab an extra physical copy of the Rune Rite base game and the bonus Grimoire Mini-Expansion to gift to a friend or fellow coven member.

Witchbound Base Game ($36)

Discover the game that started it all! Add a physical copy of Witchbound to your pledge and explore the magical island of Coven Cove.  Dive into a gorgeous, open-world adventure.

Witchbound Art Book ($12)

The Coven Cove Compendium. Dive deeper into the magic of Coven Cove! This stunning compendium is packed with gorgeous, human-made illustrations, expansive lore, and behind-the-scenes secrets from the creator of the Witchbound universe.

Witchbound Coloring Book ($4)

Bring the magical world of Coven Cove to life! Relax and color your way through beautiful, human-made line art featuring the charming characters and enchanting scenery of Witchbound.

Witchbound Deluxe Wooden Tokens ($4)

A complete set of custom-shaped, colorful wooden tokens. The perfect tactile upgrade to enhance your Witchbound experience and bring your game to life.

The Witchbundle! ($55)

Explore all of Coven Cove in one magical package! Get the complete physical Witchbound board game along with the premium Art Book, Coloring Book, and Deluxe Wooden Tokens at a special bundle discount.

🇺🇸 A Note on Shipping

As a tiny, one-person publisher, keeping fulfillment manageable is critical. Please note that physical copies of Rune Rite will only ship within the United States. However, a digital print-and-play tier is available for international friends!

Shipping & Handling Estimates

Below are estimates for the costs of shipping & handling for each pledge tier and then additional costs for various add-ons. These numbers estimate the cost to cover postage, boxes, packing filler, tape and labels.

Your actual shipping cost will depend on your location and product manifest.

The Pledge Tiers

• The Pledge of the Scribe
  • It's a digital download. No shipping.
• The Pledge of the Coven, The Pledge of Kindred Spirits and The Pledge of Abundance
  • $8 to $12
• The Pledge of The Grand Order and The Pledge of the Exalted Fae
  • $10 to $14

The Add-Ons

• Rune Rite base game and Grimoire Mini Expansion
  • An additional $1 to $2 per unit
• Witchbound Game
  • An additional $1 to $2 per unit
• All other Add-ons
  • No additional shipping cost

Alaska and Hawaii

• Any tier is estimated to cost $15 to $18 to ship

Guarantees & Values

No AI. No FOMO.

No artificial intelligence or LLMs for anything, ever. No humans were harmed in the creation of Rune Rite. The Seahorse & The Hummingbird proudly works with incredibly talented, committed and hard-working humans to bring board games to life.

No FOMO. The Seahorse & The Hummingbird believes that games should be accessible and joyful, not manipulative or coercive.

Giving

The Seahorse & The Hummingbird commits 2% of every sale to good causes, and that includes this campaign. Read a little more about that here.

Lo! the Conclave

• Game Designer
• Graphic Designer
• Jason Katzwinkel on Board Game Geek

• Artist
• Illustrator
• The Official Website of Jenner Chen

• Chief Ludomancer
• Game Developer
• Triple Rainbow Games

• Worldbuilder
• Game Designer of Witchbound
• Fun Fact: The entirety of Rune Rite takes place inside the open-world, story-driven solo board game Witchbound by Dark Doll Games. The good folk of Witchbound love a game of Rune Rite in their downtime. The Seahorse and The Hummingbird is the exclusive online retailer for Witchbound. Learn more here!
• Dark Doll Games

• Animator 
• Official Website of JC Wollslager

• PR Goon
• Breakup Gaming Society

• Rulebook Editor
• Unguided Playtest Proctor
• Rulebook Editing

• Playtesters
• Cardboard Commons Discord Server

• Publisher
• The Seahorse & The Hummingbird

• Gracious supporter
• Very good-looking individual
• Cultured connoisseur with impeccable taste
• I don't have a link to your website, though

Infernal Pacts

The Seahorse & The Hummingbird has partnered with these great companies for manufacturing and distribution:

• Quartermaster Direct
• Panda Game Manufacturing
• InDiPro Games

Lore Dump

From the world and lore of Witchbound comes a game within a game based on a story within a story: Rune Rite is that game.

Long before Coven Cove was even a name on a map—centuries before its people traded spellwork for simpler lives—a coven of witches fled across the sea to escape persecution. Seeking only peace, quiet study, and hard-won contentment, they made their home on a desolate and untamed island.

They were not alone. 

Before the first hearth was built, the native Fey revealed themselves. A bargain was struck: if the witches would use their magicks to shield the Fey from the island's foul and predatory beasts, the Fey would lead them to a relic of immense, forgotten power.

Deep in the wilderness, hidden beneath centuries of thick foliage, lay a derelict stone altar. Useless to the Fey, its ancient magic answered immediately to the witches. 

Studded across its cracked, pitted surface were ancient gems imbued with primordial sorceries. By arranging these stones in precise patterns, the altar yielded a secret language of runes and glyphs, unlocking forgotten rites from antiquity.

For centuries, the pact held. The witches guarded the island, and their descendants studied the altar’s mysteries, its true origins forever lost to time. 

But time softens all things. Living history faded into honored memory; memory settled into age-old tradition; traditions were explained by scraps of embellished fireside tales; and tales spun into legend, myth, and allegory.

The magic ebbed, but the memory remains. The folk of Coven Cove still gather over tables to play a card game called Rune Rite based on the fanciful and timeworn fairy tales of witches and rituals and a mysterious stone altar in the deep, dark wilderness.

This is that game.