Hey team, let’s dive into Cult of the Lamb by Massive Monster and published by Devolver Digital. As you might have seen on Steam, the game boasts “Overwhelmingly Positive” reviews across the board. In fact, one player praised the seamless blend of roguelike dungeon crawling, base building, and management—and even went so far as to call the soundtrack by River Boy “absolute GOAT.” Personally, since I love tracking every collectible, side quest, and achievement, I was instantly hooked.
First off, Massive Monster’s journey began back in 2016 with their first game, King of the Hat. Here, they refined random map generation and tile-based building, setting the stage for what we see in Cult of the Lamb. That said, I will note that the late-game grind for full achievements can drag a bit. Nevertheless, base management remains compelling and never feels overwhelmingly complicated.
Now, let’s talk mechanics. Combat uses light and heavy attacks, dodge frames, and perk buffs. You can equip four perks at once—so mix healing and damage boosts to create your ideal build. For healing, food like berries or meat restores up to 50 percent of your health. Devolver Digital often supports deep mechanics in indies—for example, look at Hotline Miami back in 2012. In fact, you can see echoes of Hades in the fast-paced dungeon runs, but the base sim layer adds an entirely new dimension. That said, coop mode can lag when too many projectiles are on screen. On PC, however, it runs at a solid 60 FPS. I do wish they added more controller remapping options. Still, advanced players can master perfect parries and hit combos to clear floor after floor without breaking a sweat.
Speaking of speedruns, Cult of the Lamb truly shines. I personally route runs to clear Region One in under nine minutes. By using the “Land of Plenty” ritual early on for bonus resources, I save roughly seven seconds per dungeon. That said, Remote Play Together can suffer frame drops when too many effects hit at once. To streamline your run, avoid excess fish traps and skip optional mini-dungeons to reach boss rooms faster. My any% record currently sits at 28:42. Of course, RNG from relic drops still makes achieving a new record a challenge. Thankfully, the game’s layout resets let you optimize each seed—so every run feels fresh, yet fair.
On story and narrative, the Lamb’s pact with the Stranger unfolds through sermons and witty follower dialogue. Developers mentioned on a Devolver podcast that they aimed for a balance of dark humor and heartfelt moments. Consequently, the pacing stays tight—each boss and ritual builds tension just right. I truly felt immersed in the lore while sifting through sacred texts found inside dungeons. At the same time, dialogue skits keep things playful. As a completist, I track every secret plot twist in a dedicated notebook, ensuring I never miss a beat.
Visually, Cult of the Lamb employs a custom engine with hand-drawn sprites that pop off the screen. The high-contrast color palette highlights blood reds and dark woods, giving everything a striking sheen. Animations feel snappy during combat, and followers’ adorable jiggle adds a layer of charm. I tested it on Switch at 30 FPS and PS5 at 60 FPS—minor frame dips only appear when dozens of enemies swarm the screen. For inspiration, you can see echoes of The Binding of Isaac and retro SNES titles throughout the design.
Furthermore, the audio truly stands out. The soundtrack blends haunting choral chants with driving percussion—track “Blood for the Blood God” sets real urgency in every boss fight. Sound effects like follower praise and ritual drums cue you on ritual success, too. Although there’s no voice acting, the text reads with strong personality. Massive Monster outsourced music to River Boy, whose work perfectly matches the game’s dark whimsy.
When it comes to followers, characters shine through their distinct traits. Whether it’s a Gloomy, Hyper, or Cheerful follower, each trait grants buffs or penalties that shape your strategy. For example, I once had a scholar with the “Astoundingly Smart” trait, which sped up research by 20 percent. Plus, representation is subtle but diverse—male, female, and non-binary icons appear in the roster. Ultimately, those character arcs influence my decisions: sometimes I’ll resurrect fallen followers, other times I’ll purge traitors based on perk synergy.
Challenge comes in three layers—dungeon combat, base crises like hunger, and deity demands. User feedback says minibosses spike difficulty more than main bosses. I agree. They test your build more. Accessibility options are few; no easy mode yet.
Replay value rocks. Post-game objectives let you rebuild your cult. New biomes, alt rituals, and hard mode bosses keep you coming back. I replayed to collect all four deity blessings. It reminded me of replaying Stardew Valley for different farm layouts.
In comparison, Hades offers more weapon variants, but Cult of the Lamb is richer in base building. If you love both sides of management and action, this hits the sweet spot.
For speedrunners, the random seeds and ritual choices fuel new routes. I’ll chase a sub-25 run next season.
Final thoughts: Cult of the Lamb stands out in 2022’s indie scene. Devolver Digital continues to back bold ideas. It blends roguelike, sim, and narrative in unique ways.
If you finish every side quest and collect every artifact, you’ll love this game.
Hardcore players will relish its depth, casual gamers will appreciate its charm
Speedrunners get a fresh, fair challenge every run.
Recommended similar games: Hand of Fate 2 blends deckbuilding and action RPG combat. Hades delivers top-tier roguelike fights and story arcs. Stardew Valley offers cozy farming and community building. RimWorld provides deep colony management and emergent storytelling. Don’t Starve shares darkly charming art and tough survival.
