RuneQuest (RQ) was one of the first skill-based roleplaying games, and also one of the earliest with a strong setting: Greg Stafford's mythical world of Glorantha. The first and second editions were set in this world, but due to a complex licensing agreement with Avalon Hill and an attempt to genericize the system, the third edition was set in a fantasy version of ancient Earth. The original RuneQuest game was known for its rune based magic system and cults, and some of the most highly regarded RPG supplements ever published.

A planned fourth edition, using a new system and set in a new world, was canceled and eventually released on the web as RuneSlayer. Fan support for Glorantha remained strong, and a number of periodicals and licensed products were released over the years. Stafford's Glorantha eventually reemerged as the core of a new, more narratively focused RPG in 2000 known as Hero Wars and its immediate sequel HeroQuest (2003). RQ itself saw a resurgence when Mongoose released RuneQuest Fourth Edition in 2005.