Cultist Simulator

Cultist Simulator

released on May 31, 2018

Cultist Simulator

released on May 31, 2018

Seize forbidden treasures. Summon alien gods. Feed on your disciples. Cultist Simulator is a game of apocalypse and yearning from Alexis Kennedy, creator of Fallen London and Sunless Sea. Play as a seeker after unholy mysteries, in a 1920s-themed setting of hidden gods and secret histories. Perhaps you're looking for knowledge, or power, or beauty, or revenge. Perhaps you just want the colours beneath the skin of the world. In this roguelike narrative card game, what you find may transform you forever. Every choice you make, from moment to moment, doesn't just advance the narrative - it also shapes it. Become a scholar of the unseen arts. Search your dreams for sanity-twisting rituals. Craft tools and summon spirits. Indoctrinate innocents. Seize your place as the herald of a new age.


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This is cool and I think it could be an interesting game to really sink your teeth into, but it will have to wait for me. I saw so many people (and even the game itself, iirc?) saying that the game mechanics are supposed to be hidden and obscure, that figuring out everything for yourself is the joy of the game, that you absolutely should NOT look up anything online -- but after a fun start and then hours and hours and hours of just doing the same thing over and over without progressing or understanding what I was doing/was supposed to do, I finally looked up some base mechanics which REALLY improved the experience for me. Unfortunately it was too little too late, and I have to put it away for the time being until I find it in me to play it again. So many hours on this and I haven't even done any rituals yet! But I do like the feel of it so I'll probably return to it, and possibly give it a higher score if I enjoy it.

I do love me some mysterious and unknowable games, but for me this was just a little too much - figuring things out is fun, but if you're going that route I think you need to give your players at least enough information to get things rolling, especially when your game has this level of complexity to it. I feel like it's extra important if your game uses one single mechanic, in this case placing cards, because if a player (me) doesn't understand that one mechanic then they don't understand how to play the game at all.
Maybe my brain is just too small, but I think I would have a much greater experience with this overall if the game wasn't so intent on not telling me its most basic gameplay elements - or at least, if I wasn't discouraged from looking up tips online. Those last hours I played after actually learning basic gameplay were much more fun than the 7-10 hours or so that came before it.

(Also I played the switch version and feel robbed, the card table looks MUCH cooler on PC. Too bad playing games on my desktop computer is the bane of my existence)

Incredibly unique mechanics that generate story out of player action. But it can be frustratingly obscure trying to figure out the game's goals.

This game is a very... unique experience but it's not a bad one. Objectively, this game is a great example of ludo-narrative harmony and does an outstanding job of establishing a tone and sticking with it. However, part of that harmony is an often frustrating degree of obscurity around game mechanics. I personally find this to be a positive trait in this case, since the narrative of the game is about being an occultist trying to grasp at knowledge that is beyond your comprehension, furtively reaching for any scrap that furthers your understanding. The gameplay is emulating that narrative by giving you some hints, but largely making you figure things out on your own. For me this led to a sense of obsession as I was insatiably curious about how to make it all work, how to get to the "end", and realizing how much deeper it went. Ultimately, I think that works for this game, and I am quite fond of it. I look forward to picking this up every once and awhile for many years to come.

I logged like 24 hours and only just got a lair or hq or something. This game is designed fantastically, art style is amazing, certain animated graphics that appear after doing certain actions, the game uses cards as it's entire way to communicate information, which also can be managed. This game tickles my brain in the exact right way.

fun but i really wish that it had more things to do/more interesting ideas

Lovely game, starts confusing but the more mechanics you figure out the harder it pulls you in.