I don't know what the issue here is but for some reason the game RUINER only seems to launch fine when started through the "Play" button inside GOG Galaxy.

Clicking the Desktop shortcut or even the Ruiner.exe inside the game folder does not do anything. I don't remember this being a problem the last time I played the game which was back in November last year.

I already tried the "Verify / Repair" function in GOG Galaxy and also did a fresh install of the game using the latest offline installer files. The result is still the same: the game only starts when I launch it through GOG Galaxy.

EDIT: Ok I found the solution. RUINER will only work via Desktop shortcut or the EXE file when GOG Galaxy is closed and not running at all. If Galaxy is running then the game refuses to work via shortcut or EXE file. This is the first time I came across something like this.

I'm currently installing it to try.

But just so you know: The game and also the offline installer was last updated in 2019, so if that version (you said you tried it) doesn't run now without Galaxy, it also didn't last November.

GOG Galaxy is the problem here. It needs to be closed or else the game won't launch via Desktop shortcut or EXE. No idea why the game behaves like this. I've not experienced this with any other game on GOG before.

No, it's not. Can not confirm whatever you experience.
This is what I did:

1. install the game through offline installer
2. Launch game theough the provided link - works
3. Launch game directly by double clicking the .exe - works
4. launch Galaxy in case there is an update.
5. Launch game through Galaxy - works.
6. Close Galaxy
7. Launch game directly through the .exe - works.
edit: additional steps
8. Launched Galaxy again
9. Launcher the game by double clicking the .exe - works


Whatever happens on your system, it's not something that happens to everyone and not (just) depending on the use of Galaxy. I use Galaxy v2.0.61.63 Beta

You'll have to investigate further to find the explanation.

Edit. Be aware that a previous Galaxy version had problems with the Galaxy Service which kept crashing. If the game access that ... who knows.
The error was repaired, but the update needs to be installed manually since it would also affect the Galaxy updater. In case you are using a version about 2.0.53 or lower, you need to download the installer and install the new version over the old one. Do this right after Windows start before opening Galaxy or it won't work because some files remain locked, even after quitting Galaxy.

Well on my end Galaxy (latest version 2.0.61 Beta) is causing the problem for whatever reason.

I tried to launch the game via Desktop shortcut while GOG Galaxy was open = nothing happened.
I closed GOG Galaxy and launched it again via the same shortcut = game was starting fine.

This made me curious. Will try it as well and report my result. :)

You even posted here in 2020 saying it works by shortcut or galaxy. Game hasn't been updated since that time.
https://www.gog.com/forum/ruiner/game_wont_load_at_all/post3

"I did a fresh reinstall of the game to see if I could help you with this problem but unfortunately I can't as the game just works 100% by default for me. No matter if I run it via my desktop shortcut or through GOG Galaxy"

"I don't know what the issue here is but for some reason the game RUINER only seems to launch fine when started through the "Play" button inside GOG Galaxy."

"GOG Galaxy is the problem here. It needs to be closed or else the game won't launch via Desktop shortcut or EXE."

Why are you launching it by shortcut anyways if galaxy is open? Just click the play button?

So it works with play button, works from shortcut if galaxy is closed, works from exe.
Probably have a launch parameter in the shortcut, just make a new one, either way conclusion is user error, start over after completely removing the game.

Maybe just to figure out if it can be played from shortcut? Now the question for OP remains WHY this only works for him when Galxy is closed. However your first sentence makes it pretty clear. Since the OP himself was already able to launch the game with and without Galaxy and there hasn't been an update - something else must have happened on OPs system that causes this problematic. Really strange behavior imo. I don't know of any application that is refusing to run via exe just because another app is running as well AND at the same time does run when said exe is launched by using the exact same app that was the problem before ... like I said, I think it is an interesting problem. Since we have several solutions it might not be a big problem but it is still iimo an interesting situation.

Edit: Just for completeness: Was able to launch the game through shortcut even though Galaxy was launched as well - I even maximized it so that the game started in background. So it is definitely a thing that not everybody experiences.

That's what's weird about this. It did work just fine back then but for reasons unknown it doesn't work the same way anymore now. The problem with the game not launching when Galaxy is open is reproducible on my end (not just a one time thing). The shortcut and Galaxy launch parameter are both also fine. I already did a fresh reinstall of the game using the latest offline installer files but this problem still persists. Galaxy has been updated a few times since 2020 so maybe one of those updates messed something up. I've not experienced something like this with any other game to this day.

Nope, it isn't Galaxy - it's working fine for me as well as I just edited above. It must be something else on your system that causes this strangee behavior.

Well on my end it is Galaxy. Like I said it's reproducible.

Galaxy is open and running = only the play button makes the game launch. Galaxy is closed and not running = shortcut or exe launch the game fine again.

I already reinstalled the game once and nothing changed so I probably need to completely remove and reinstall Galaxy too. Maybe then things are working as intended again.

I never doubted that it does not work for you ... I just still think that it is really strange. If Galaxy is the problem normally it would not matter how you launch the game (Galaxy is doing the same thing as the shortcut).
But since you were able to reproduce this maybe it WOULD really be a good idea to reinstall Galaxy ... o try todays update first before doing this.

Just installed the new update to see if that helps but it's still the same.

I made two short clips showing the problem: https://imgur.com/a/V8VkDdb

I did. The result is the same as in the two clips.