Cultist Simulator, a narrative-focused Lovecraftian indie card game, launches later today. The game comes from Fallen London and Sunless Sea creator Alexis Kennedy puts you in the shoes of a “seeker after unholy mysteries” in a 1920’s-themed world, as you unlock Eldritch secrets and amass disciples for your cult.
There’s been a huge amount of interest in Cultist Simulator over the past few months. It’s been at a lot of events and the reception to show floor demos seems overall very positive. Which is no surprise – Alexis Kennedy, one of the co-founders of developer Weather Factory, is known for crafting intricate and atmospheric narratives. Fallen London has been around since 2009 and it’s had a dedicated player base since, and Sunless Sea brought that world to a whole new audience and kept the masterful storytelling.
Cultist Simulator is no different. The entire game takes place on a deep, aquatic blue table, as you complete tasks and play cards that represent locations, items, and decisions. You choose a role, from esteemed Doctor to lowly pauper, and slowly uncover more secrets and mysteries of the Eldritch, Lovecraftian Gods that inhabit the world. You eventually found a cult dedicated to one of three, and recruit other believers to serve as your disciples, researchers and burglars.
It’s very Lovecraftian and has buckets of atmosphere. I’ve played a little bit of it at an event, and an hour passed without my noticing on account of how immersive the game is. Which is an impressive feat, given all of what you experience in the world is conveyed through playing cards and timers.
If Cultist Simulator sounds like your jam, then you can pick it up when it launches on Steam, GOG, Humble and itch.io at 11 am PDT. For the first week of its release, there’ll be a 10% discount, so pick it up on the double.
