A captivating fusion of bite-sized roguelite motion and comfortable cult administration

Cult of the Lamb is what occurs when snappy roguelite dungeon-crawling motion meets freaky animal cult base constructing and administration, and it’s a wild, intoxicating fusion.

It’s difficult to mix two very totally different genres in a cohesive means, ensuring every half feels satisfying by itself whereas additionally becoming into the larger image, however the danger is usually value taking. And the builders at Large Monster positive pulled it off. Right away, it’s clear it is a tortured, sinister-yet-weirdly-cute world value attending to know. However I used to be stunned by simply how riveting the core “slice and construct” loop ended up being.

We’ve performed roguelites that put on out their welcome. We’ve sunk dozens of hours into city builders. In opposition to the percentages, Cult of the Lamb doesn’t chew off greater than it may chew.

Cult of the Lamb (PC [reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Collection X/S)
Developer: Large Monster
Writer: Devolver Digital
Launched: August 11, 2022
MSRP: $24.99

In case you’re not cautious, that is the form of sport that may make hours instantly vanish. However on the flip aspect, Cult of the Lamb can be extremely respectful of your time as a busy participant.

After a brief however impactful intro to arrange the stakes and the 4 main bosses, you’re off to begin your very personal cult. Taking part in as a literal sacrificial lamb who’s introduced again to life by an ominous determine often called The One Who Waits, you’ll indoctrinate critters as a questionable but dedicated chief. Biome by biome, bishop by bishop, you’ll get revenge to assist your mysterious benefactor. I like that the general path is established so early.

The core loop is so sastifying

Ranging from scratch at your new dwelling base, you’ll harvest pure assets, construct, farm, cook dinner, clear, bless people, give each day sermons to the group, and carry out rituals, amongst different overseer duties. Early on, there’s little to handle, however you’ll have to get your arms soiled chopping timber or mining; additional alongside, with many extra cultists at your disposal, they’ll deal with a lot of the cult’s busywork when you give attention to the big-picture growth and seedy decision-making. Above all, simply ensure that they preserve the religion.

Out within the roguelite dungeons — which you’ll enterprise to at any time — you’ll battle by way of randomized rooms with loads of quick sword slicing and dodge-rolling, culminating in a mini-boss. Every of those “runs” will usually take about 10 minutes.

Additional breaking it down, Cult of the Lamb is cut up up into 4 totally different biomes, every led by a conspiring bishop, and also you’ll have to finish three (escalating) runs in every zone earlier than you possibly can embark on a closing fourth run to dethrone the ruler of that land.

Motion-wise, that’s the essential development loop. However base-building is the way you in the end develop highly effective sufficient to face an opportunity of dealing with these challenges head-on.

In different phrases, performed flawlessly, you’re taking a look at 16 runs, minimal (plus some endgame stuff). As bizarre because it feels to border the sport this manner, I really feel prefer it’s value stressing up entrance as a ballpark determine for anybody who’s acquired roguelite fatigue. As a lot as I like video games like Hades, Useless Cells, and Rogue Legacy 2, don’t are available anticipating that form of run-after-run grind. Cult of the Lamb condenses the whole lot to keep away from repetition.

Out within the area, you’ll naturally accumulate gold, meals, and followers, all of which funnel into the cult-raising efforts again dwelling. And now and again, you possibly can bump into unusual people — a few of them will open up areas on the world map so that you can discover, and so they’re only a fast-travel click on away. Whether or not it’s a rapid-fire fishing mini-game, a dice-rolling competitors towards a number of NPCs, or a gold-obsessed maniac’s lair, it’s a colourful world.

Tending the flock isn’t a problem

Like every sensible simulation sport, Cult of the Lamb is aware of to maintain issues easy at first to keep away from flooding you with an excessive amount of data. That bit-by-bit rollout carries all through the entire sport, retaining issues contemporary with out feeling overwhelming. You’ll by no means be “on the hook” for an idea till it’s correctly launched and defined. So when you’ll ultimately find yourself managing a dozen or two animal cultists, the method of getting there’s clean.

And when it’s not — when a bishop curses your flock with illness and so they poop throughout city when you’re dungeon-running, or somebody dies of previous age and also you overlook to maintain the physique, or a dissenting snake within the grass emerges and also you neglect to imprison and “re-educate them” — nicely, misfortune is a part of the enjoyable. Whereas I had all of these mishaps (and extra), my cult by no means acquired too derailed. Anticipate some humorous Tamagotchi vibes.

The in-game cycle is simply each day (not weekly), and also you don’t should eat or sleep like your followers. Typically, earlier than leaving city, it’s finest to provide a sermon, cook dinner some meals, clear up messes, fulfill little villager requests, order any development you need to be accomplished, and accumulate assets that the group has harvested or generated. (A very good portion of them will spend their day praying.) Cult of the Lamb has a number of totally different expertise timber.

The principle tech tree — the largest one — is for the city, with a number of unlockable constructing blueprints fueled by your follower’s devotion. That is the way you’ll more and more automate your cult. There’s additionally a talent tree on your lamb, opening up new kinds of randomized weapons and rechargeable fight skills, in addition to higher beginning weapon stats.

After which there are unlockable rituals (that run on a cooldown) and doctrines (which are everlasting for the playthrough). Rituals can restore everybody’s religion in you, increase the lifeless, or fulfill empty stomachs, amongst many different darkish “miracles.” You may even get married! A number of instances over! Doctrines current fascinating conundrums — these are unlockable traits on your villagers, however it’s an “both this or that” selection and they are often powerful calls with wild professionals and cons to contemplate that result in memorable conditions because the simulation unfolds. If you wish to get egocentric, you possibly can; the sport gained’t decide you. As I grew to actually take care of my cultists (which you’ll individually identify), I attempted to not be too vile.

Once more, for the entire parts that come into play, Cult of the Lamb presents the whole lot in a digestible means. Your display screen gained’t bombard or prester you. And when you do want to concentrate to what your cult is as much as on a kind of each day foundation, if you happen to get distracted by the roguelite aspect of the sport — otherwise you resolve you need to catch each fish again to again for a complete day — you gained’t be overly punished. I by no means as soon as discovered the base-building sim aspect to be hectic, even throughout “oh shit I ought to most likely run dwelling” moments of panic.

The roguelite dungeons have nearly no downtime

As an alternative, the stress tends to manifest within the roguelite motion. There are a number of difficulties — I went with “Medium” — and that’s what I’d advocate. (The builders do too.) I made it midway by way of Cult of the Lamb earlier than I died on a run, and all instructed, I believe I wiped 4 or 5 instances. In case you’re a planner, you possibly can actually set your self up for fulfillment.

Apart from gaining extra uncooked assault energy and weapon varieties within the randomized pool (my favourite is a large slow-hitting hammer), you possibly can preach to get a well being enhance or end sure multi-part NPC quests to earn alternate fleeces that go well with totally different playstyles. As an alternative of discovering momentary tarot playing cards on runs (for issues like a better crit likelihood or higher chests), I most well-liked to put on a tunic that gave me 4 random playing cards proper firstly (and prevented me from discovering any extra). Different tunics are dangerous however highly effective.

The sport takes a number of good cues from The Binding of Isaac, together with everlasting and non-permanent hearts, in addition to non-obligatory AI “demons” that observe you into battle with varied skills, however don’t count on snowballing merchandise combos or something loopy. The fight is straightforward, quick, and efficient. In case you’re not actively attacking an enemy, you’re most likely dodge-rolling their swipes or projectiles. It’s typically a race to take out the highest-priority threats and clear some destructible bits of the atmosphere so you might have extra room to work with; the skeletons, spiders, assassins, and different threats can simply overwhelm.

A cautious strategy is normally the way in which to go so that you don’t take too many papercuts alongside the way in which. The bosses are the toughest a part of Cult of the Lamb, excess of the frequent foes or something strategy-minded within the base-building gameplay. Even with every space’s enemies warming you as much as the mini-boss, and the mini-bosses telegraphing what to anticipate from the precise biome boss, the bishop fights require focus and quick reflexes.

Each single time I failed a run, it was whereas combating a bishop. That mentioned, the penalty in your collected assets isn’t too strict, and there are methods to cheat loss of life — would you commerce a cultist’s life on your personal? It’s a merciless world, and I truthfully nonetheless felt responsible.

A dozen hours is simply lengthy sufficient

I admire how streamlined the motion is, however by the tip, particularly factoring in additional runs for assets and non-obligatory beauty unlocks, I had my fill of the fight. It lasted simply lengthy sufficient. In case you crave various character builds, this won’t be your sport. On the village simulation aspect, a relentless rollout of recent unlocks saved it contemporary the whole means by way of for me. I spent 13 hours ending the story, and some extra digging for secrets and techniques. Apart from normal mop-up, there isn’t a lot of an incentive to stay round after the credit, although you possibly can — and it appears like post-game content material is within the works.

The roguelite motion might’ve had a bit extra complexity when it comes to distinct enemy, weapon, and skill selection. That mentioned, the design feels fairly intentional. Cult of the Lamb isn’t a sport meant to be performed endlessly, and it’s fulfilling as is, particularly given how ridiculously quick the runs find yourself feeling. You may fly by way of rooms, which retains the pacing tight. My solely notable criticism with the cult-raising is that issues can get a little bit crowded generally, which is a minor (at all times momentary) downside if you’re making an attempt to work together with a particular object or villager. Worst case, I might simply maintain the meditative fast-forward-time button for a number of seconds and the group would shortly shuffle alongside.

I’m a giant fan of roguelite motion video games and metropolis builders, however even if you happen to’re on the delicate aspect, Cult of the Lamb is a profitable combo. It attracts most of the finest points of these genres, locations them in a one-of-a-kind world, and charts its personal condensed course. The result’s onerous to place down. Regardless of the morbid material and potential for participant fatigue, that is such a simple sport to advocate to a large viewers. Go on, unfold the nice phrase.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}