Ruinarch

About

Ruinarch is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Maccima Games LLC and was released on April 24, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Ruinarch is a single-player role-playing sandbox simulation game, where you play as an overlord, causing chaos and conflict in procedurally generated fantasy worlds. Choose from three archetypes, each with unique playstyles, and experiment with destructive spells to create mayhem. Despite good game mechanics, be prepared for bugs and some grinding, but also expect plenty of humor in this anguish-filled tale."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,069 reviews

gameplay38 positive mentions

grinding17 negative mentions

Unique concept of playing as an evil overlord, allowing for creative chaos and manipulation of villagers.
Emergent storytelling through villager interactions and consequences of player actions, leading to memorable scenarios.
Regular updates from developers show commitment to improving the game and adding new content.

Game feels repetitive and lacks depth after a few hours of play, with limited replayability.
Difficulty is low, making it easy to win without much challenge or strategy required.
User interface is cluttered and can be confusing, with some mechanics not clearly explained.

gameplay
167 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
67%
10%
The gameplay of the game has been widely criticized for being unbalanced, repetitive, and lacking depth, with many mechanics feeling shallow or unfinished. While some players appreciate the unique concepts and potential for emergent gameplay, the overall experience is marred by bugs, limited content, and a lack of meaningful progression. Many reviewers suggest that the game is currently in a half-baked state, requiring significant improvements and additional content to fully realize its potential.
- “A fun game with interesting mechanics and a variety of options.”
- “The game has a strong foundation and some exciting mechanics, but there are areas that need to be improved upon.”
- “It's a fun, promising game that will get you a few hours of gameplay; if they keep updating the features, I am sure it will become something great.”
- “The game is not finished; there are some ideas, but the gameplay is nonexistent.”
- “Just boring, repetitive gameplay.”
- “The game remains unfinished; most mechanics don't go anywhere, it remains buggy and stiff, and like... RimWorld is right over there for a few bucks more and hundreds of hours of more fun.”
story
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
76%
10%
The game's story aspect is characterized by its emergent storytelling, allowing players to assume the role of a storyteller who creates chaos in procedurally generated worlds, reminiscent of titles like RimWorld. However, many reviews highlight a lack of structured narrative or campaign, with players expressing disappointment over the limited storytelling depth and repetitive gameplay. While the concept shows promise, it currently feels more like a sandbox experience with untapped potential for richer narratives and interactions.
- “This emergent storytelling is the heart of the experience.”
- “It is rough, imperfect, and occasionally repetitive, but when its systems align, it offers some of the richest emergent storytelling found in an indie simulation title.”
- “The game is literally RimWorld but you're the storyteller, and it's amazing.”
- “While enjoyable and largely 'finished', it's a shame the game has been left in this state - it has so much potential for storytelling (RimWorld style) but most of that capacity is unrealized even after all this time.”
- “There is no campaign of any sort here, no story mode.”
- “It's selling itself as a 'story generator' style game, but the content, interactions, and AI are too limited at the moment to say anything really interesting happened.”
graphics
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
69%
8%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users noting that while the visuals are modest and sometimes lack polish, they serve the gameplay adequately. Some players appreciate the charm of the art style, despite it being described as dull or low-resolution, while others express disappointment over recent changes that replaced original artwork with less appealing designs. Overall, the graphics are functional but could benefit from further refinement and upgrades in the future.
- “The game offers some nice graphics and environments, although some ugly glitches here and there, it is pleasant all the same and has a really great aesthetic.”
- “The art style is functional rather than polished, with top-down tiles that occasionally make it difficult to distinguish units or read the environment clearly.”
- “The game-play and art style has a certain charm after all this time.”
- “The artwork or graphics are dull, controls feel off, and everything is just unresponsive.”
- “It's still a little bare bones, and the graphics are pathetic, and the interface is abysmal, but the foundation here, the social simulation, has tons of promise.”
- “Graphically everything is simply too flat, and nothing important 'pops'.”
replayability
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
58%
14%
The reviews on replayability are mixed, with some players expressing concerns about a lack of long-term engagement due to repetitive gameplay and limited content. However, others highlight the potential for replayability through different playstyles and the evolving nature of the game as new updates are released. Overall, while some find the game enjoyable and replayable in its current state, many feel it requires further development to enhance its replay value significantly.
- “While Ruinarch has some shortcomings, it has excellent replayability due to the nature of the villagers and special abilities chosen, making each playthrough feel different.”
- “There is a lot of replayability with the different playstyles.”
- “The number of ways in which it is possible to do that is amusing and leads to a good deal of replayability.”
- “I do not think the game offers much in terms of replayability compared to other titles of a similar genre.”
- “Ultimately it feels like there is a lack of replayability, which is very important in a game like this for my short review of my unscrambled thoughts.”
- “The game has no replayability (3 different demons, but after you finish with one of them, it's the same next game).”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
73%
12%
The music in the game is described as simple yet atmospheric, with a calming quality that enhances the overall experience, though some players feel it lacks variety and can become repetitive. Users appreciate the humorous interactions between characters influenced by their musical preferences, such as creating chaos by turning villagers against each other based on their love or hate for music. While the soundtrack is well-executed for the game's theme, many reviewers express a desire for more diverse tracks to match different gameplay scenarios.
- “The music is good and atmospheric.”
- “Calming music is a plus, along with several scenarios to choose from; this game can last you a long while.”
- “I gotta say, the art and music are well done given the type of game this is.”
- “The music alone isn't cutting it.”
- “I think there's only one music track that plays during the entire game (which can get boring and repetitive), and the UI can be a tad bit complex at first glance.”
- “You can also cause afflictions ranging from hating music to becoming psychopathic in specific circumstances.”
humor
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its dark and absurd elements, allowing players to manipulate villagers in hilariously twisted ways, such as turning them into kleptomaniacs or serial killers. While some players find the humor to be hit-or-miss, with a mix of nihilistic tones and comedic scenarios, many appreciate the game's ability to create unexpected and funny situations through its mechanics. Overall, it offers a unique blend of strategy and dark humor reminiscent of games like RimWorld, providing a fun, albeit sometimes easy, experience.
- “I encountered some small bugs, but the game is really funny once you know what you can do to the people.”
- “The possibilities of how you can torment these people is hilarious to me.”
- “I find myself laughing at the simple twisted things you can pull, and the different reactions.”
grinding
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
94%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, leading to a decline in enjoyment over time. While some mechanics, like revamped base building, offer relief from monotony, many feel that the overall gameplay becomes a slow and shallow experience, often resembling a clicker game. The lack of engaging content and the overwhelming focus on resource management contribute to a sense of boredom and frustration, particularly in the late game.
- “The grinding aspect of the game is rewarding, as it allows you to steadily progress and unlock new features.”
- “I appreciate how the grinding feels meaningful, giving me a sense of accomplishment with each level I reach.”
- “The grind is well-balanced, making it enjoyable to collect resources without feeling overly tedious.”
- “However, the game's replayability suffers over time as actions and keeping up with the villagers become tedious.”
- “The game is more of a tedious time waster than anything 'fun' as most of the time, regardless of the three major 'ruinarchs' you choose, you spend your time doing stuff from afar and nothing else happens.”
- “This game was a lot of fun but too many changes happened that made it completely different and, in my eyes, it wasn't fun anymore. It became extremely tedious and annoying, and it was just never the same after the big update.”
stability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and unfinished mechanics that detract from the overall experience. While some players find enjoyment in the core gameplay and appreciate the game's aesthetic, many express frustration over its instability, with issues like freezing and clunky AI making it difficult to recommend in its current state. Overall, the game is seen as promising but still requires substantial improvements to achieve a stable and enjoyable experience.
- “The game remains unfinished; most mechanics don't go anywhere, it remains buggy and stiff, and like... RimWorld is right over there for a few bucks more and hundreds of hours of more fun.”
- “However, in its current state, it is too buggy to play as the game often bricks itself or glitches out.”
- “It's too buggy and villages are too easy to destroy, and I need to help them to rebuild; it's just not very fun.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy is perceived as a blatant cash grab, leading users to advise potential players to avoid the game.
- “A quick cash grab, stay away.”
- “The monetization system feels exploitative and ruins the overall experience.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's optimization is severely lacking, with users reporting massive performance issues, long loading times, and a general absence of balance and polish. These shortcomings overshadow any positive aspects, leading to a frustrating experience that feels unrefined and poorly executed.
- “What good it does have is overshadowed by massive performance issues, poor choices in gameplay, AI that can casually undo anything you do, and the inability to even play this like anything other than a barebones basic 'god game.'”
- “This game is a trash waste of time. It lacks balance, never fixes bugs, has loading times that are incredibly long, and has no optimization.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its unique over-world dungeon keeper-esque design, allowing players to experience the role of the antagonist in an engaging way. Additionally, the music contributes significantly to the immersive and atmospheric experience, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the journey.
- “I'm happy to have bought this game and I'm excited to go on this journey with the devs. There aren't enough games where you play the antagonist, and they've created an interesting, overworld dungeon-keeper-esque atmosphere that I just love.”
- “The music is good and atmospheric.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional tone of the game is criticized for its reliance on Christian demon iconography, which some players find juvenile and cringe-worthy, leading to feelings of embarrassment rather than genuine emotional engagement.