An Ulster County digital and tabletop gaming business whose sales were disrupted when its Facebook account was hacked two-and-a-half years ago has filed for bankruptcy protection.
OuiSi Inc., of Stone Ridge, a hamlet near New Paltz, petitioned in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Poughkeepsie for Chapter 11 reorganization on April 24. It declared $91,692 in assets and $1.6 million in liabilities.
“Reliance on social media advertising, while instrumental to OuiSi’s early success,” CEO Paul Brillinger states in an affidavit, “would later prove to be a critical vulnerability when the debtor’s Meta accounts were compromised.”
Brillinger, a professional photographer, co-founded OuiSi in 2017. The name is pronounced as We See, and translates as Yes Yes in French and Spanish.
Players combine photo cards into a photologue, based on color, texture, shape, content or “anything that can be creatively justified.” The game is meant to foster collaboration and creativity and inspire curiosity, according to its website. A game based on wildlife photography, for example, invites players to connect with the beauty of our planet.
Brillinger says the game surged in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic as families on lockdown were looking for mindful activities.
OuiSi marketed its games on social media channels such as Meta’s Facebook and Instagram. The strategy spurred rapid growth, but in October 2023 its Facebook account was hacked. The takeover disrupted sales during the critical holiday season, Brillinger says, and left the business significantly weaker going into 2024.
Strained finances prevented OuiSi from investing in marketing, personnel, product development, and channel diversification. It became overly dependent on Facebook, “which resulted in further unprofitability in 2024.”
OuiSi made nearly $3.3 million in 2024, $1.8 million in 2025, and $106,000 in the first 16 weeks of 2026, according to the petition.
OuiSi’s largest creditors are Meta Platforms, for advertising, $869,525, and Panda Manufacturing, Hong Kong, for making the games, $367,635.
“While Panda Manufacturing is not the root cause of OuiSi’s distress,” Brillinger states in the affidavit, “its current demand for immediate payment is the forcing event that necessitated this court-supervised restructuring.”
OuiSi’s strategy is to continue operating as a going concern. It needs to stop creditor pressures, Brillinger says, preserve value, maintain operations and restructure its obligations.
OuiSi still has “significant opportunity to grow,” he said, “and to fulfill its mission.”
