Cult of the Lamb is a baaaalm in Gilead

theverge.com:

I’m putting Cult of the Lamb on my game of the year shelf right next to Elden Ring. The dark yet cutesy cult simulator roguelike mixes the best parts of Animal Crossing with all the fun of a dungeon-crawling murder fest. The unique way the game combines these two disparate elements makes it more than worthy of claiming a spot on 2022’s game of the year list.

Cult of the Lamb starts with the titular lamb being offered up as a sacrifice to sate the hunger of a handful of eldritch gods that look like the parasites that probably live between the folds of Lord Cthulhu’s tentacles. As you tremble and cry, you’re saved at the last minute by another, eldritch-ier looking god who promises you power if you do their bidding and kill the gods who are trying to eat you. Free and with great and terrible power, you recruit members to your cult and use the power of their faith to grow strong enough to kill the four gods.

Being a god is hard. There are so many prayers to answer and needs to satisfy.

At the start of the game, you’re given a base, and it’s your job to populate it with as many followers as you can. It’s not enough for them that you can levitate in the air with blood pouring from your eyes, shouting, “Be not afraid.” No. Your followers are a needy bunch, requiring a whole host of other creature comforts that you and only you can fulfill.

Every action you take, whether it’s making food for your followers or cleaning up after them when they shit or puke everywhere, increases their faith in you. If you neglect these needs, your followers will grow angry and start preaching heresy.

I loved this part of the game. I got so much joy out of meeting those cute little woodland creatures’ needs. As a god, you can take two different