Our Brilliant Ruin Returns To Kickstarter With An All-New Starter Set & An Exclusive Ruined Edition Core Rulebook
Our Brilliant Ruin is a TTRPG where the world is decaying under the corrupting light of a dead star, forcing aristocrats, common folk, and rebels to survive amidst horrors and rusted machines.
Studio Hermitage is bringing Our Brilliant Ruin back to Kickstarter with an all-new Starter Set and a limited Kickstarter-exclusive Ruined Edition core rulebook.
Our Brilliant Ruin is a roleplaying game where the corrosive light of a dead and distant star has befouled the world. Only the Dramark remains, the last vestiges of a gilded society unraveling against the backdrop of this preternatural catastrophe. Here, aristocrats cling to their crumbling estates, truefolk struggle to maintain the status quo, and unbonded rebel against it all while Ruined horrors and rusted machines prowl the countryside.
The campaign features the all-new Our Brilliant Ruin Starter Set that is perfect for first-time players looking for an introduction to the world of Our Brilliant Ruin while offering returning players a new venture in the Dramark.
This campaign also makes available a Kickstarter exclusive Ruined Edition of the Our Brilliant Ruin core rulebook. It features a vegan leather cover, bookmark ribbons of unknown provenance, and a black-ink edge treatment that absorbs more wholesome light. This limited Ruined Edition won’t be printed again after the campaign.
The Our Brilliant Ruin Starter Set and Ruined Edition core rulebook will launch on Kickstarter in August, 2025. Backers can follow the campaign on Kickstarter to be notified when it goes live at kickstarter.com/projects/studiohermitage/our-brilliant-ruin-starter-set?ref=bcbsjs.
Key Features
- A complete Starter Set, designed for new and returning players.
- The limited edition Kickstarter-exclusive Ruined Edition core rulebook.
- Stretch goal bonuses.
Justin Achilli, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder of Studio Hermitage, reflects on the inspiration for the Our Brilliant Ruin Starter Set and offers insight into the decision to make the Ruined Edition reprint of the core rulebook a Kickstarter-exclusive.
“A starter set is the perfect way for people with busy lives to see what Our Brilliant Ruin has to offer. The game systems are streamlined and there’s almost zero prep time, so your group can start telling its story in the Dramark right away!”
The Creators Behind Our Brilliant Ruin
Our Brilliant Ruin comes from industry veterans Justin Achilli (World of Darkness, Assassin’s Creed), Rachel J. Wilkinson (Dune: Adventures in the Imperium, Vampire the Masquerade: Port Saga), and Pam Punzalan (Journeys through the Radiant Citadel, 2022 Nebula Award Finalist).
Art director Andy Foltz (Far Cry 4, Star Trek Bridge Crew, Mythic Quest) and artist Efrem Palacios (Star Wars, Hearthstone, Magic: The Gathering) create the game’s distinctive look, working alongside a talented team of artists.
Reviews & Testimonials
“At its core [Our Brilliant Ruin] is a desperate class struggle, one that could set this world apart from a vast sea of fantasy and science fiction competitors.” - Charlie Hall, Polygon
"Attend ballroom dances, engage in secretive romances and fend off monstrous creatures as the world crumbles outside your mansion’s windows in Our Brilliant Ruin, a new RPG that mixes the social drama of Downton Abbey with the bleak apocalypse of Arkham Horror.” - Matt Jarvis, Dicebreaker
"Not only must players intrigue with each other, they have to figure out what to do about the impending doom of everything they know." - Rob Wieland, Forbes
“Role-playing games? Gothic horror? Rich backgrounds, histories, and stories? Sign me up!” - Cullen Bunn
About The Studio
Studio Hermitage is a creative transmedia company working original Intellectual Properties for production across a number of formats including video games and print. The first IP released is called Our Brilliant Ruin, where we invite people to enter a gilded age in which upstairs-downstairs personal and sociological drama meets existential horror. Learn more at ourbrilliantruin.com.
Under the leadership of game development veterans Paxton Galvanek (CEO), Justin Achilli (CCO) and Andy Foltz (Studio Art Director), Studio Hermitage aims to build a lasting creative game company, creating new IPs for a wide range of platforms and formats. The flagship IP, Our Brilliant Ruin, had products released in Hobby/Tabletop Game Format, Comics, a Fictional Audio Drama series, and a Video Game. The founding trio has a combined experience from the game/creative industry of over 70+ years.
For media assets and press materials, visit our Press Kit.
Backers can follow the Our Brilliant Ruin Starter Set campaign on Kickstarter to be notified when it goes live at kickstarter.com/projects/studiohermitage/our-brilliant-ruin-starter-set?ref=bcbsjs.
