Runeborn pits spellcasters against the forces of Malakar in a dark fantasy world. The core combat mechanic revolves around the spinning of Rune Pillars, which function like the reels of a slot machine for casting spells. To deal damage to opponents, players must match symbols on five special paylines. Players can influence the outcome by locking up to eight runes in place while the remaining columns spin, directly affecting the final combination. This approach allows for deliberate control over random outcomes.