Catalyst Game Labs ^[1]—publisher of the massively popular BattleTech ^[2] and Shadowrun ^[3] games—is profoundly excited to announce Runefire, a cooperative deckbuilding game based on the popular Pathfinder roleplaying game ^[4]. A crowdfunding campaign will launch later this year, with behind-the-scenes details shared through 2024.

Runefire combines the vast lore of the Pathfinder universe with the fast play of this narrative deckbuilding game. Players choose from several ancestries, from dwarf to elf, halfing to human, and assume one of the quintessential classes of cleric, rogue, fighter, or wizard. Equipped with weapons, spells, and magic items, players begin their adventure in the Inner Sea region, journeying through lands such as Cheliax, Numeria, Taldor, and more! Along the way, they can level up their characters, find additional equipment, learn new feats, and much more. All while experiencing a unique story where players’ actions and decisions through each Adventure impact the next!

“We are excited to see the rich world we’ve created in Golarion reach new fans through the incredible engine the team at Catalyst have built,” said Mike Webb, VP of Sales and Marketing for Paizo. “Whether you are a fan of Pathfinder looking for a new way to experience the world, or a fan of other games in Catalyst’s system looking for a new setting, we think this is an outstanding combination.”

Runefire is built on the award-winning, critically acclaimed and bestselling game engine previously published as Crossfire for Shadowrun and as Dragonfire for Dungeons & Dragons. Building upon that legacy, Catalyst Game Labs is carefully crafting this new experience for those who love Golarion and Pathfinder. The game delves deep in the lore as well as the new Remastered Player Core, GM Core, and Monster Core to ensure the best experience. When players open a copy of Runefire at the table, regardless of what they enjoy playing—RPGs, deckbuilder games, or both—they’ll find a complete box of fun.

“BattleTech will always remain my one true love. Yet the time I spent developing Dragonfire was an absolute high-watermark of my career,” said Randall N. Bills, Creative Director of Catalyst Game Labs. “I could spend weeks of fifteen-hour days in hard playtesting, and yet still sit down immediately and play the game for fun. I’ve literally been giggling as I’ve slid back into the joy of development within this game system. And along the way, I’ve absolutely fallen in love with the lore of Golarion (huge shout out to the MythKeeper for his amazing videos that have helped my insane deep dive). Working with Loren, Jay, Talon, Mike, Kristian, and Bryn—alongside Paizo—to weave in an authentic Pathfinder experience to create the best yet iteration of this game is just glorious. I can’t wait for everyone to throw this great game on their tables.”

Watch catalystgamelabs.com ^[5] for upcoming news about Runefire!