diff --git a/osu.Game/Rulesets/RulesetLoadException.cs b/osu.Game/Rulesets/RulesetLoadException.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7c3a4bb75d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/osu.Game/Rulesets/RulesetLoadException.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Copyright (c) ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>. Licensed under the MIT Licence.
+// See the LICENCE file in the repository root for full licence text.
+
+using System;
+
+namespace osu.Game.Rulesets
+{
+    public class RulesetLoadException : Exception
+    {
+        public RulesetLoadException(string message)
+            : base(@$"Ruleset could not be loaded ({message})")
+        {
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/osu.Game/Rulesets/RulesetStore.cs b/osu.Game/Rulesets/RulesetStore.cs
index 391bf2c07d..6dd036c0e6 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Rulesets/RulesetStore.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Rulesets/RulesetStore.cs
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Reflection;
 using osu.Framework;
-using osu.Framework.Extensions.ObjectExtensions;
 using osu.Framework.Logging;
 using osu.Framework.Platform;
 using osu.Game.Database;
@@ -129,12 +128,15 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets
                 {
                     try
                     {
-                        var instanceInfo = ((Ruleset)Activator.CreateInstance(Type.GetType(r.InstantiationInfo).AsNonNull())).RulesetInfo;
+                        var resolvedType = Type.GetType(r.InstantiationInfo)
+                                           ?? throw new RulesetLoadException(@"Type could not be resolved");
+
+                        var instanceInfo = (Activator.CreateInstance(resolvedType) as Ruleset)?.RulesetInfo
+                                           ?? throw new RulesetLoadException(@"Instantiation failure");
 
                         r.Name = instanceInfo.Name;
                         r.ShortName = instanceInfo.ShortName;
                         r.InstantiationInfo = instanceInfo.InstantiationInfo;
-
                         r.Available = true;
                     }
                     catch
diff --git a/osu.Game/Stores/RealmRulesetStore.cs b/osu.Game/Stores/RealmRulesetStore.cs
index 0d2cddf874..cf9ffd112c 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Stores/RealmRulesetStore.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Stores/RealmRulesetStore.cs
@@ -147,19 +147,15 @@ namespace osu.Game.Stores
                     {
                         try
                         {
-                            var type = Type.GetType(r.InstantiationInfo);
+                            var resolvedType = Type.GetType(r.InstantiationInfo)
+                                               ?? throw new RulesetLoadException(@"Type could not be resolved");
 
-                            if (type == null)
-                                throw new InvalidOperationException(@"Type resolution failure.");
+                            var instanceInfo = (Activator.CreateInstance(resolvedType) as Ruleset)?.RulesetInfo
+                                               ?? throw new RulesetLoadException(@"Instantiation failure");
 
-                            var rInstance = (Activator.CreateInstance(type) as Ruleset)?.RulesetInfo;
-
-                            if (rInstance == null)
-                                throw new InvalidOperationException(@"Instantiation failure.");
-
-                            r.Name = rInstance.Name;
-                            r.ShortName = rInstance.ShortName;
-                            r.InstantiationInfo = rInstance.InstantiationInfo;
+                            r.Name = instanceInfo.Name;
+                            r.ShortName = instanceInfo.ShortName;
+                            r.InstantiationInfo = instanceInfo.InstantiationInfo;
                             r.Available = true;
 
                             detachedRulesets.Add(r.Clone());