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Ruinarch

Ruinarch is an evil god simulator and sandbox game where you mess with people’s lives for hilarious results! Make them vampires, werewolves or bard haters and cackle as the drama unfolds. Once you’re done, unleash a malicious buffet of spells and custom plagues to wipe them out and start anew!

Steam Page
Release
April 24, 2023
3 years and 101 days ago
Steam Reviews
Mixed1,413 reviews62.9%

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Updated: Jul 14, 2026Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer.
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher.
A separate publisher is listed without a proven bounded regional or service-only role.
Search Google: Is Ruinarch self-published or published by Squeaky Wheel Studio Inc?Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified.
Search Google: How is Ruinarch and Squeaky Wheel Studio Inc funded?FundingThe known source of funding behind the game.
Search Google: Who controls the creative direction and IP for Ruinarch and Maccima Games LLC?Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game.
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released.
The title released with a separate publisher relationship.

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About the Game

Emergent Storytelling

Ruinarch is a simulation sandbox game where you use all the infernal tools at your disposal to manifest conflicts and toy with people's lives in procedurally generated fantasy worlds. Flipping the table on story generator games like Rimworld and Dwarf Fortress, you are now the one weaving tales full of drama and dark comedy!

Multiple Playstyles

There are many ways to be evil. Choose from three overlord Archetypes - each one provides you with a different playstyle. Do you want to focus on sheer destruction or are you into a more subtle puppetmaster approach?

Mix your own Cocktail of Evil Spells

What happens when you hurl a meteor at a poisonous puddle? Poisonous meteor explosions, that's what! And that's just one of the many nefarious ways that you can combine elemental interactions to create your personalized cocktail of destruction!

Turn villagers against each other

Simply destroying the world with ice and fire is for amateurs. The real fun begins when you meddle with villagers to create a custom made demonic soap opera! Afflict the local hero with Lycanthropy and watch as his childhood friends turn on him when the full moon rises. Afflict a previously loving husband with Unfaithfulness and then watch the fireworks once you tell his wife of his infidelity.

Spawn monsters to kidnap and harass villagers

Snatch or seize a roaming monster and then breed it to have very specific functions in your Kennel.Then unleash monster parties to snatch Villagers or raid Villages!

Spread some Gossip

Your Beholder Structure allows you to spawn Eyes all over the world to gather information. You've seen a Knight steal a Shaman's Potion? Store it as an Intel and then tell the Shaman about it!

Create a customized Plague

Build a Biolab to afflict Villagers with Plague and summon Plagued Rats. Upgrade your plague to instill it with various nasty symptoms and improve its virulence. You can even make Plagued victims explode when they die!

Infiltrate the Village secret Cultists

Captured villagers can be taken to your prison and brainwashed into cultists! Cultists will secretly worship you and aid your return into the world.

Start a Zombie Apocalypse

Make the Plagued dead rise as zombies. Other villagers that they attack may also contract the virus. Soon, the entire village will be filled with nothing but shambling zombies.

Unleash the Creatures of the Night

Afflict a Villager with Vampirism or Lycanthropy to turn them into denizens of the night. Watch as they terrorize their neighbors and spread the curse! You may eventually see the Village fight back and start Vampire and Lycan Hunts.