Cult of the Lamb

Cult of the Lamb
Praise the Lamb!
Protagonist(s): Lamb Genre(s): Roguelike Dungeon crawler Simulation Rating(s): T for Teen Platform(s): Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S Microsoft Windows macOS Release Date: August 11, 2022 Engine: Unity Developer(s): Massive Monster Publisher(s): Devolver Digital Country: Australia

Cult of the Lamb is a dark fantasy roguelike/simulator game developed by Australian indie studio Massive Monster and published by Devolver Digital. It was released worldwide on August 11, 2022.

Why It Praised the Lamb

1. To address the lamb in the sacrifice first: the game is a unique combination of a roguelike dungeon-crawler (similar to games like Fear & Hunger and Diablo) and a social simulator (akin to most of the Animal Crossing franchise). And because of this, it can be wildly addictive. Sound familiar?
2. Gorgeous, cartoony artistry and animation, even with a foreboding atmosphere through and through.
3. Interesting, mostly endearing character designs, especially the Lamb themself.
4. The game has a butt-ton of upgrades and unlockables. This gives the game extreme replay value.
5. Fantastic music courtesy of River Boy that fits the game's tone perfectly. Honorable mentions go to Start a Cult and Darkwood.
6. Aesthetic-wise, the game is an ultimate paradise for Satanists (VERY similar to the Doom series). Heck, even the Lamb takes their cue from Baphomet!
7. Many, many ways to earn Devotion (which are used to unlock buildings), including, but not limited to
   • Preforming sermons and/or rituals
   • Doing errands for certain cultists (as well as giving them gifts or inspiring them)
   • Interacting with the shrine (or other buildings that have Devotion)
8. Fun, engaging combat complete with randomized weapons, curses, relics, and Tarot cards that always keep things fresh.
9. Boss fights provide some good challenges.
10. Some darkly funny moments to be found. For example: the Ascend Follower Ritual in which your follower ascends peacefully, only to end up dropping bones and follower meat while everyone cheerfully celebrates.
11. Just like Blasphemous before it, the game received free updates that added new content, including a new post-game story.
12. All in all, the game is an enormous love letter to fans of roguelike games, city sims, and Satanism (as mentioned above), and it shows!

Bad Qualities

1. Some of the cultists' character designs look a little weird with how their mouths are placed (for example: birds, elephants, snakes, etc.) and how their body parts (turtle shells, spider limbs, and wings) are on their heads instead of their torsos.
2. Difficulty spikes can happen due to the cruel nature of the RNG.
3. Some gross toilet humor that involves pooping and puking. At least you and your villagers can clean up.
4. The DLC packs are purely cosmetic stuff, so unless you want a huge variety of animal species in your cult or new decorations, you're better off just skipping these.

Reception

The game received universal praise from gamers and journalists alike. It's also especially popular with LaVeyan Satanist groups and the furry fandom.

The game is a huge commercial success, having sold a million copies within the first week of release. By January 2024, it sold over 3.5 million copies.

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