Cultist Simulator

Lore & Background

Cultist Simulator was developed by Weather Factory, an independent studio founded by Alexis Kennedy after he left Failbetter Games, where he had worked on gothic and Lovecraftian horror games like Fallen London. Kennedy sought a more hands-on role in design and writing, and Cultist Simulator was the studio's first game, an experimental title produced quickly with minimal costs. The card-driven narrative system was inspired by Kennedy's experience with Fallen London, making concepts tangible and allowing players to organize cards as they saw fit. Kennedy described it as the most minimalist take on the card-based concept, with cards representing a vast vocabulary of terms, and he designed the interface to let players discover strategy and reasoning themselves, mimicking crafting systems and creating a Lovecraftian feel.

Reader's Guide

Cultist Simulator received 'mixed or average' reviews on Metacritic, while OpenCritic assessed strong approval with 50% of critics recommending it. Reviewers praised the game's writing, with Eurogamer noting it evoked 'a protean clutch of riddles, scholarly marginalia, back-alley rumours and pointed epithets.' PC Gamer appreciated how trial-and-error gameplay encouraged experimentation, with each failure providing knowledge for future runs. TouchArcade praised the visual style for evoking the early 20th century aesthetic. Critics also noted pacing issues, with Nintendo World Report stating it could take too long to make meaningful progress and that mistakes could reset progress. The game won 'Best Emotional Game Design' at the Emotional Game Awards 2018, and won 'Best Game Design' and 'Best Innovation' at the Develop:Star Awards, with a nomination for 'Best Narrative.' It was also nominated for 'Debut Game' and 'Game Innovation' at the 15th British Academy Games Awards. Sales surpassed 35,000 units within six days, allowing the game to break even and generate profit in its first week.

Did You Know?

• The game's Kickstarter raised £82,000 against a target of £30,000.
• A free update released on 22 January 2019 added an extended end-game where the player elevates their cult leader into a godlike state.
• The 'Exile' DLC, released in May 2020, replaced base game mechanics with flight across 1920s Eurasia and North Africa from occult gangsters.
• The game's 'Secret Histories' mythology is shared with Weather Factory projects Book of Hours and tabletop RPG 'The Lady Afterwards.'