Library Of Ruina is Project Moon's 2021 deck battler, where you run a Library that mails out invitations, fights the Guests who accept, and turns the losers into Books. Every librarian is defined by one Key Page, which fixes HP, Stagger Resist, Speed and the Slash, Pierce and Blunt resistance columns, plus a deck of exactly 9 Combat Pages. Fights resolve as clashes: both sides roll dice at each other, the higher roll wins and the loser's die is destroyed, so damage is something you win rather than something you spend. Books drop the pages that build the next deck, which means the difficulty curve is assembled out of whatever you beat last.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Canard | Clashes and speed dice basics | Floor of History | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Urban Myth | Light and page cost mastery | Floor of History | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Urban Legend | Stagger Resist and damage types + gear | Floor of General Works or Floor of History | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Urban Plague | Build optimization | Floor of General Works | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Urban Nightmare | Min-max | Floor of General Works or Floor of Art | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Canard)
The opening rank, fought entirely from the Floor of General Works. Finishing episode 3 of Yun's Office opens the Floor of History, and clearing the Hook Office reception opens the Floor of Technological Sciences.
Level/Difficulty: Chapter 1, one floor available Key Rewards: A Yun's Office Fixer Page 1, A Hook Office Fixer Page 1, first real Combat Pages
What to Do in Canard
- Learn Clashes and speed dice. At the start of each scene every character rolls speed dice, and those results set both turn order and who can be targeted. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Floor of History as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- Open the guest's Key Page before you build. The Slash, Pierce and Blunt columns run Ineffective 0.25x, Endured 0.5x, Normal 1x, Weak 1.5x and Fatal 2x, and the stagger table is separate from the HP table, so a fight can be won on stagger with damage types that barely scratch health.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Pierce dice or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Clashes and speed dice fundamentals
- Floor of History selected and functional
- Canard main content cleared
- Ready for Urban Myth
Phase 2: Early Game (Urban Myth)
The second rank, where guests start bringing passives worth reading. Episode 1 of Streetlight Office opens the Floor of Literature, giving you three floors to rotate receptions between.
Level/Difficulty: Chapters 2 to 3, two or three floors Key Rewards: A Hook Office Fixer Page 2, A Backstreets Butcher pages, the four Lulu's Friend pages
What to Do in Urban Myth
- Work on Light and page cost. Light pays for Combat Pages. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Pierce dice if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Redirecting is free and it is the strongest button in the game. Pointing a librarian at whichever enemy die would otherwise hit unopposed converts a one-sided attack into a clash, and a clash you lose still destroys nothing except one die.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Urban Legend.
- Consider whether Floor of General Works might suit your playstyle better than Floor of History.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Light and page cost integrated into gameplay
- Pierce dice acquired
- Urban Myth fully cleared
- Ready for Urban Legend
Phase 3: Mid Game (Urban Legend)
Reaching this rank unlocks the Floor of Art outright. This is the first tier where the Key Page pool jumps in quality, and where default Assistant Librarian pages stop being acceptable.
Level/Difficulty: Mid campaign, four floors Key Rewards: A Zwei Fixer's Page, A Stray Dog's Page, Grade 8 and Grade 7 Fixer pages, Axe Gang Member pages
What to Do in Urban Legend
- Master Stagger Resist and damage types. Every hit reduces HP and Stagger Resist on separate tracks with separate resistance tables. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Slash dice. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- Emotion Points come from clashing at all, not from winning. Losing a clash still pays 1 point, and rolling either the maximum or the minimum on a die pays another, so a scrappy scene often levels your whole floor faster than a clean one.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Emotion Level for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Stagger Resist and damage types mastered
- Slash dice acquired or in progress
- Urban Legend fully cleared
- Ready for Urban Plague
Phase 4: Late Game (Urban Plague)
Guests here punish sloppy resistance checks. Finishing the Shi Association reception opens the Floor of Language, and clearing the Puppets reception after that opens the Floor of Social Sciences.
Level/Difficulty: Late campaign, six to eight floors Key Rewards: The Carnival's Page, Salvador's Page, Tamaki's Page, Will Make Fine Silk, Ink Over
What to Do in Urban Plague
- Finalize your build. You should be running Floor of General Works or Floor of History with optimized gear.
- Slash dice should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Emotion Level 4 grants an extra dice slot and every level refills Light, so the fourth level is worth more than the first three combined. Plan the fight so the level up lands before the guest's own escalation, not after it.
- Books and Reception invitations optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Urban Nightmare.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Slash dice upgraded to max
- Urban Plague fully cleared
- Ready for Urban Nightmare
Phase 5: Endgame (Urban Nightmare)
The rank before Star of the City, which is itself the gate on the Floor of Philosophy. Clearing a single Star of the City reception then opens the Floor of Religion, leaving Impuritas Civitatis as the last tier.
Level/Difficulty: Endgame, all lower floors at high Realization Key Rewards: Star of the City access, Floor of Philosophy, Floor of Religion
What to Do in Urban Nightmare
- Urban Nightmare tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Defeating or staggering a target refunds 1 Light. Finishing a nearly dead guest with a cost 1 page is a net gain, which is why cheap closers earn deck slots over expensive ones that look stronger on paper.
- The endgame loop: run Urban Nightmare, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Floor of Art for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Books and Reception invitations mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Urban Nightmare fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Building a deck around damage types the guest resists at 0.5x or 0.25x
- Letting enemy dice go unclashed because redirecting looked risky
- Running one copy of the key Combat Page in a 9 card deck
- Spending Light on cost 4 pages while a cost 1 finisher would have refunded it
- Ignoring Floor Realization until the Floor of Natural Sciences requirement blocks progress
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Open the guest's Key Page before you build. The Slash, Pierce and Blunt columns run Ineffective 0.25x, Endured 0.5x, Normal 1x, Weak 1.5x and Fatal 2x, and the stagger table is separate from the HP table, so a fight can be won on stagger with damage types that barely scratch health.
- Redirecting is free and it is the strongest button in the game. Pointing a librarian at whichever enemy die would otherwise hit unopposed converts a one-sided attack into a clash, and a clash you lose still destroys nothing except one die.
- Emotion Points come from clashing at all, not from winning. Losing a clash still pays 1 point, and rolling either the maximum or the minimum on a die pays another, so a scrappy scene often levels your whole floor faster than a clean one.
- Emotion Level 4 grants an extra dice slot and every level refills Light, so the fourth level is worth more than the first three combined. Plan the fight so the level up lands before the guest's own escalation, not after it.
- Defeating or staggering a target refunds 1 Light. Finishing a nearly dead guest with a cost 1 page is a net gain, which is why cheap closers earn deck slots over expensive ones that look stronger on paper.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Library Of Ruina Guides
- Library Of Ruina Library Of Ruina Overview
- Library Of Ruina Best Builds
- Library Of Ruina Tier List
- Library Of Ruina Beginner's Guide
- Library Of Ruina Tips & Tricks
- Library Of Ruina Weapons Guide
- Library Of Ruina Combat Guide
- Library Of Ruina Boss Guide
- Library Of Ruina Maps & Locations
- Library Of Ruina Crafting Guide
- Library Of Ruina Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Library Of Ruina, check out these related guides:
- Slay the Spire Walkthrough: card-game game with similar mechanics
- Balatro Walkthrough: card-game game with similar mechanics
- Sultan's Game Walkthrough: card-game game with similar mechanics
