Lute! In the Melody Glade
RHW set out to develop a board game just for fun to serve audiences who enjoy RPG’s, but are looking for simpler gaming mechanics for quick and fun board game nights. Lute offers players of all abilities the chance to adventure into the Melody Glade, in search of the Lute!
Melody Glade is a mysterious land filled with Beasts, danger and Relics. You and your companions (or enemies) are trapped here, lured by an enchanting Lute! To escape the allure, you must collect the Lute and free the tormented Beasts that roam the glade – adventurers just like you once, driven mad by the never-ending melody…
The air hangs heavy with the scent of unknown flowers and the mournful strains of a distant Lute! You and your fellow adventurers, drawn by an irresistible melody, find yourselves standing at the edge of a clearing bathed in an ethereal glow. This is Melody Glade, a place both beautiful and treacherous. Legend whispers of a powerful Lute hidden within the glade, its music both a siren song and a key to escape. But Melody Glade is not a welcoming haven. The land is riddled with treacherous pathways and haunted by tormented Beasts, once adventurers like yourselves who succumbed to the glade’s deceptive allure. Do you have the courage to face the challenges that lie ahead? Can you unravel the mystery of the Lute, free the tormented Beasts, and finally break free from Melody Glade? With a little luck, and skill only the bravest and most cunning will prevail in this alluring adventure…
Use a coin flip to determine + (critical win) or – (critical fail).
Click to Watch how to play!
Runes: A Lute Expansion
Whispers drift through the glade… rumors of a hooded Mystic who dwells deep within, untouched by the lure of the melody and perhaps even drawing on its power. But this power came at a cost. The Mystic’s strange rituals have awakened ethereal horrors: Ghosts! Fearful of these ghastly apparitions, the Mystic offers a grim bargain.
The Trader: A Lute Expansion
A glimmer of hope! A traveling trader has braved the Melody’s lure and set up shop in the Glade, offering a bounty of wondrous gadgets and gizmos – just what weary adventurers need. But trouble follows even the bravest souls. Highwaymen, drawn by rumors of riches, lurk nearby. The Trader offers a deal: trade your Relics for their innovative wares, but be prepared to defend your new-found treasures!
See some of the early concept art and development that started it all!
Copyright © 2026 by Richard H. Wilson, Architect. All rights reserved.