To celebrate the recent release of the Unholy Alliance update, Devolved Digital is giving Cult of the Lamb players the chance to get their hands on in-game items through Twitch drops. There are three décor items to gain throu?gh watching others play, and a se?t available for subbing. 

All of the items up for grabs through this Twitch drop campaign will be officially released to players on all platforms further down the?? line, although there is currently no confirmation about when this will actually happen. 

For now, if you’re playing through Steam and want to get yourself any of the following decorative pieces for your Cult of the Lamb playthrough, there are a numb??er of different rewards on offer and you have until September 20 to claim yours.?? 

In order to get any of the following drops, you’ll need to first link your Twitch account with the Devolver Digital codes site. To do this, just head to the website and click on the “Connect your Twitch Accountâ€?button at the to?p. 

How long do you need to watch to get Cult of the Lamb Twitch drops?

There are three items ready to be claimed by players who tune into any stream on Twitch with the “DropsEnabled�tag (you can find all of the currently live and eligible streams here). The items you stand to gain, and how long you need to watch to get each of the?m, are as follows:

• Goat Effigy (1 hour of watch time)
• Goat Statue (2 hours of watch time)
• Goat Plant (3 hours of watch time)

In total, you’ll only need to watch someone play for three hours in order to get all of the Twitc??h dro?p items. 

How to get the Cult of the Lamb Support a Streamer pack

The Su?pport? a Streamer pack isn’t gained through watch time and instead requires you to do one of the following:

• Subscribe to a Twitch streamer with the “DropsEnabledâ€?tag active
• Gift a subscription to someone else in a stream with the “DropsEnabledâ€?tag active

For doing this, you’ll get not one, but four?? items for your playthrough:

• Teddy Dog follower form
• Flower Bottle decor item
• Leafy Sculpture decor item
• Mushroom Candle decor item

The post How to? get all Cult of the Lamb: Unholy Alliance Twitch drops appeared first on Destructoid.

Indie darling Cult of the Lamb just isn't slowing down anytime soon, from the look of things. Even though it received a huge hotseat multiplayer update very recently, developer Massive Monster is already looking to celebrate the game's second anniversary with - believe or not - Cth??ulhu itself. Slightly nerfed, mind.

More specifically, Massive Monster is looking to memorialize Cult of the Lamb's second birthday by re-releasing the Cthulhu follower form for free to everyone playing the game on August 16. I sa??y 're-release' because some may recall that the Cthulhu form isn't actually new, but an old pre-order bonus that was left ignored up until now. We'll now be able to reclaim him, alongside a suite of appropriately festive anniversary goodies.

Unlock Cthulhu in Cult of the Lamb on August 16

If you felt that the Unholy Alliance update for Cult of the Lamb lacked a tentacle or two, make sure that you log into an updated version of the game on August 16 to resolve that particular concern. Anyone claiming the Cthulhu follower form will also get the snazzy Flower Cart, Prayer ?Box, and Stone Candle Lamp accessories for the Cult grounds, which is neat in its own right.

The bit that I'm uncertain about is whether Cthulhu will now be permanently available as a bonus for anyone playing the game, or if it's a one-off bonus for people specifically logging in on August 16. I recommend sticking to Massive Monster's specific instructions, if you'd like to unlock the big lad in your game: "Make sure your game is fully up to date, Cthulhu and décor will be available in-game as soon as your system clock hits August 16th," says the announcement.

For those who are chasing after a real-world Cult of the Lamb goodie or two, the ??announcement also highlights a few cute new plushies and shirts, and they seem genuinely well designed. Neat stuff, that, though I reckon I'll be sticking with the green tentacled me?anie, myself.

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Sony has revealed the PlayStation Plus game catalogue titles for August 2024, and the list of games is headlined by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt??. The critically?? acclaimed game from CD Projekt Red has won over 200 Game of the Year awards and is often considered one of the best RPG games of all time.

Even though The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt came out all the way back in 2015, it is still a game worth exploring, as the game takes you on an adventure as Geralt of ?Rivia, a Witcher who slays monsters for coin.

PS Plus Game Catalogue for August 2024

Among the list of games coming to the Game Catalogue for PS Plus Extra members, is Cult of the Lamb. The roguelike game from indie d??eveloper Massive Monster and publisher Devolver Digital is another headliner in the PS Plus titles for August 2024. Players start their own cult, and gain followers, and there are al?so base-building and dungeon-crawling elements present in the gameplay.

Wild Hearts by developers Omega Force, released under the EA Originals banner, takes players to a world filled with monsters (known as Kemono) in the fantasy land of Azuma, which is inspired by feudal Japan. PS Plus Extra subscribers can also play Wild Hearts free of cost , and all games from? ??the catalogue will be playable from August 20 onwards.

Here are the games? added to the PS ?Plus Game Catalogue in August 2024:

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
• Cult of the Lamb
• Wild Hearts
• Watch Dogs 2
• Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker
• Ride 5
• Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris
• Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet
• Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization
• Sword Art Online: Last Recollection

PS VR2 and Classic Catalogue games for August 2024

PlayStation P??remium subscribers get to enjoy all the games from the Game Catalogue available for Extra members, and they also get access to PS VR2 games and Classic Catalogue which features titles released for older PlayS??tation consoles.

• Vacation Simulator
• TimeSplitters
• TimeSplitters 2
• TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
• Sword Art Online: Lost Song

The post Witcher 3 and Cult of the Lamb are coming?? to PS Plus gam?e catalogue appeared first on Destructoid.

The Unholy Alliance update for Cult of the Lamb has brought a slew of new content to the game, including the long-awaited local multiplayer so you can play with friends. As The Lam??b and The Goat, you and your friend can take on all sor??ts of challenges together.

However, if you’re lo??oking to spice things up in your game, or just don’t have anyone else to play with but still want to see The Goat, you can switch to playing as The Goat during single-player mode. Here’s how you unlock The Goat for play, bot?h in single-player and multiplayer.

How to unlock The Goat in Single-Player Mode Cult of the Lamb: Unholy Alliance

To unlock The Goat fleece, you will need to enable co-op. Connect a second controller to your console so The Goat appears in your? game. You do not nee?d to have a second player, just a second controller.

Now that co-op is enabled, you need to die. You can be in single-player now. Go into any Crusade you want and simply do not fight back when attacked by enemies. You’ll die and be transported to a white realm ?with a large black pool of liquid ahead of you.

Walk up to the cursed statue of The Goat and choose to interact. You’ll go through some dialogue first, and then several Corrupted Tarots and Relics will be unlocked. You can read through each of them to find out the bon?uses. Once you’ve respawned, leave, or finish the Crusade.

Head to the Temple and interact with the Temple Altar. Open the Crown menu and you’ll be shown that The Goat is now a?vailable. Equip it to begin playing as The Lamb’s wicked counterpart. 

Be aware that it does cost 5 Sin to unlock The Goat, which you can obtain by absolving your followers. Sin can be difficult to farm since you risk followers becoming Damned, but if you have? the Violent Extremist trait you can earn Sin from defeating Crusade bosses. 

How to play as The Goat in co-op Cult of the Lamb: Unholy Alliance

If you want to be ???The Goat in co-op while your friend is The Lamb, it's easy. All you need to do is be added to the game by:

• Pausing the game
• Selecting "Add Co-op Player"
• Selecting the device and choosing The Goat

The second player will automatically spawn in the game as The Goat. There's no way to change that the first player is The Lamb and the second is The Goat, but f?eel free to switch controllers if you want??.

How to get The Goat fleece in Cult of the Lamb: Unholy Alliance

These are the only two methods of playing as The Goat available in the game. Playing as The Goat doesn’t give you any bonuses, as it’s merely a cosmetic change. The Lamb will be swapped for The Goat seen in multiplaye??r mode, but nothing else will change about your abilities or skills. ??;

You are able to switch back to The Lamb whenever you want by going back into the Crown menu at the Temple Altar ??and switching to a different fleece while in single-pla?yer mode. This will remove The Goat skin and transform you back into The Lamb. 

The post How to play as The Goat in Cult?? of the Lamb: Unholy ?Alliance appeared first on Destructoid.

The long awaited Cult of the Lamb: Unholy Alliance update launches today. With this massive patch, you’ll finally be able to embark on your quest for indoctrinated followers with a friend. On top of the free co-op update, the Pilgrim Pack has also been released, containing new que?sts and follower for?ms.

I’ve never really been a voice in the push to have multiplayer incorporated into basically every game, but I also don’t care if it is. My preference to play solo is rarely affected by the option to drag someone along. I, personally, have never thought that Cult of the Lamb would be im??proved by the inclusion of another human, but if y??ou did, then I’m happy for you.

Cult of the Lamb: Unholy Alliance introd??uces the Goat as a second player character. While, normally, this is who the second player takes the role of, you can also slip into the skin of capra Luigi by unlocking the Goat Fleece in the crown menu. Otherwise, you can start co-op at seemingly any time through the pause menu.

Note that this is local co-op only.

Aside from the multiplayer, there is also, holy crap, a tonne of new stuff being added. Maybe check out the patch notes here for the whole slate.

Meanwhile, the Pilgrim Pack has a much more easily paste-??able list of features. Here’s the paste:

• The Full Pilgrim Comic Story and Bonus Pages!
• Unique In-Game Questline
• 5 New Follower Forms: Panda, Skunk, Echidna, Anteater, Camel
• 2 New Outfits & 1 New Fleece: Jalala's Coat, Rinor's Robes, Fleece of the Silken Touch
• 5 New Decorations

The post You can now indoctrinate followers with a (local) friend in the Cult of the Lamb: Unholy Allian??ce update, available today appeared first on Destructoid.

Cult of the Lamb has struck gold with its combination of cutesy visuals and a morbid subject matter, leading to awesome post-launch updates. The developer Massive Monster isn't done yet, though, as the new Pilgrim Pack DLC has just been announced, containing something entirely new: an interactive comic?? book.

That's right: Massive Monster has just announced an exciting follow-up to the previous Relics of the Old Faith and Sins of the Flesh updates. In fact, the new Pilgrim Comic Pack DLC is going live alongside the co-op Unholy Alliance update on August 12, and those who splurge on it will get an all-new questline and an interactive comic book to read u??p on. It's a hefty addition to the game, though it might be a bit of a hard sell, as it's a relatively expensive upgrade that comes out alongside the big free-to-own update, but I'm sure it'll find ?its fans (me included).

Cult of the Lamb: The Pilgrim Pack launches on August 12

According to Massive Monster, Cult of the Lamb's exciting new Pilgrim Pack DLC is going to be priced at $6.99 / �.99 / £5.99, and it'll ?include new secret quests featuring the new followers Jalala and Rinor, a bevy of secret quests, new?? follower forms, outfits, Cult hideout decorations, and more.

The highlight, however, is absolutely the new interactive comic book feature, where players ca??n choose between different outcomes depending on how the story of Jalala and Rinor is progressing. Most importantly, this comic is available in-game for all DLC owners to read at their own behest, which means we won't have to dig through our digital bonus reward folders and whatnot to access this content. The comic is written by the Head of Narrative at Massive Monster, Jojo Zhou, and it's been illustrated by the talented Carles Dalmau. A real tr?eat.

Cult of the Lamb's Pilgrim Pack DLC marks the first proper paid mechanical and content u?pgrade the game has received since it first came out. So far, all of its post-launch content has been totally free, with optional cosmetic DLCs ??coming out alongside major updates to mark the occasion. Pilgrim Pack, on the other hand, has a bunch of exclusive content that won't be available for free, making it a must-have for fans of the game.

It's still early to speak about the potential quality of the Pilgrim Pack content, of course, but Cult of the Lamb's post-launch content has been generally very well received, with meaningful updates changing things up every so often. There's no reason to believe why the Pilgrim Pack would be any different, and now the game will even have a local multiplayer option for co-op fans to enjoy.

The post Cult of ?the Lamb is getting an interactive digital comic and a new DLC appeared first on Destructoid.

Devolver Digital kicked off Volvy's 15th Birthday Party by showing off developer Massive Monster's next major update for the popular base-building action roguelike Cult of the Lamb. Titled Unholy Alliance, the update is set to release on August 12, 2024 and will add local co-op to Cult of the Lamb.

Players will have the ability to play as the Lamb ??or the Goat when the free update releases, joining forces to tackle new dungeons, slay heretics, bu??ild their cult, and more.

I haven't played Cult of the Lamb as much as I would like to, but co-??op seems like a great fit for its gameplay loop. Hopefully e??ventually it expands to online co-op as well, for those of us that don't have local friends to play with.

Cult of the Lamb: Unholy Alliance is comi??ng to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC on August 12, 2024?.

The post Cu?lt of the Lamb:? Unholy Alliance free DLC adds local co-op this August appeared first on Destructoid.

Keep your pants on (for now); the free Cult of the Lamb: Sins of the Flesh update will be released on January 16.

The team at Massive Monster has been teasing the Sins of the Flesh update for a while now.?? It’s going to be the biggest update the game has seen so far, but most importantly: sex. As t??he name implies, when two followers get entangled, they might “find an egg,�if you know what I mean. It can then be hatched and be indoctrinated from birth to be a loyal follower of your cult.

Also coming in the update will be a new progression system to add more depth to managing your cult. There will be more rituals and buildings, as well as additional doctrines. You will also be able to level up to make chores faster. They’ve also added an “inner circle of disciples.�Let’s be honest; if you’re like me, you basically already have an inner circle of your favorite followers. You can even dress them up fancy with the tailor building, allowing you to get creative with your cult-wea??r.

In terms of unleashing your wrath, the update will also introduce a blunderbuss? as a weapon. It’s a gun! It lets you cause carn?age at close corners, or you can also snipe enemies from longer ranges.

Cult of the Lamb is available for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The Sins of the Flesh update will release on January 16, 2024.

The post Cult of the Lamb: Sins of the Flesh update goes live ??on January 16 appeared first on Destructoid.

Massive Monster is very slowly lifting the curtain of their upcoming Cult of the Lamb DLC, Sins of the Flesh. They will be showing off a teaser of the expansi??on every week until December 25. So we got one today (the 7th), which means we’re going to get (checks calendar) two more.

The gif animation we got today depicts the nudist? ritual. Here you go, look at it.

That’s all we’ve got. That is the new �a href="//jbsgame.com/cult-of-the-lamb-strips-down-in-the-upcoming-sins-of-the-fle?sh-update/" target="_blank" rel="nore??ferrer noopener">all we know�about Sins of the Flesh.

Actually, no, not quite. On November 28, 2023, the Cult of the Lamb Twit??ter announced that if they passed the 300K follower mark, they would add sex into the game. They almost immediately gained an additional 100K followers, putting them well over the mark.

That means sex, right? Speaking to Polygon, the developers said, “We used games like Pokémon and The Sims when it comes to references, but put our own cult-ish spin on things. The age rating will not change.�So, that means, suggested sex, right? Like WooHoo from The Sims?

Yes! Maybe! Probably somewhat. Or possibly not at all�/p>

Posting on Steam Discussions (you owe me for delving into that cesspool), one of the developers states, “Hello! Here to soothe some worries. 'Sex Update' has become a bit of a meme in the community, one that a lot are really running with! But we have made sure all the new content (which is much more than what the keyart suggests) adheres to guidelines so the age rating should not change.�/p>

So, what’s indicated here is that there will be some reference to sex, but you’ll probably still be able to play the incredibly family-friendly Cult of the Lamb in front of your mom. Unless the developers are just straight-up t??rolling us. It could be both! It’s probably both!

Cult of the Lamb is available for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The Sins of the Flesh update is scheduled for early next year.

The post Cult of the Lamb is unveiling?? Sins of the Flesh? DLC features, one gif at a time appeared first on Destructoid.

Massive Monster has announced that the next major free update for 2022’s Cult of the Lamb will be coming early next year. It’s Sins of the Flesh, and that’s it. That’s all we know so far.

I hate it when this happens, because I feel like it’s important to let everyone know that this update is soon to e?xist, but I also don’t have many ?details to share. They’re teasing that it’s “new features, stories, and more!�We can speculate, so let’s do that.

Hmm. The animals in the key art that was shared are all in the buff. Their alleged special bits are obscured by leaves, and there’s some weird one-eyed tentacle thing in the middle. That’s pretty suggestive. It’s also called Sins of the Flesh, which usually refers to the hor??izontal hustle. Lust. Trading genetics. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, ask your parents.

So, I’m guessing �and this is pure speculation �that you’ll be allowed to take your relationship with your culti??sts? to the next level. Third base. Maybe home plate. Maybe beyond (to the dugout?)

Yep. That must be it. Sins of the Flesh is the nude patch we’ve all been waiting for. The “not rated by the ESRB�update. Because, I mean, what else are cults for? We’ve already got some doomsday stuff rolling around in the base version. The only thing cults are good for, aside from tax evasion, is some questionable sex stuff. This is exactly the sort of DLC that my cult, The Eye of Buttoxx, has been waiting for.

Cult of the Lamb is available for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The Sins of the Flesh update is scheduled for early next year.

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There's a huge fanbase for Massive Monster's 2022 indie hit Cult of the Lamb, so it makes sense that super limited run controllers exist in some f?orm or another. Released on Friday, CptnAlex is now selling a limited number of custom [licensed!] Dua?lSense, Xbox, and Switch controllers that are inspired by the game through their website. However, you'll need quite a lot of cash in the bank to nab one of these custom controllers.

[caption id="attachment_401181" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Images via CptnAlex Designs[/caption]

All custom Cult of the Lamb controllers

The Cult of the Lamb controllers will likely sell fast and become collectible as there are only 125 of each controller. CptnAlex is selling custom DualSenses, Xbox controllers, Joycon, and Pro Controllers. They retail for an expensive $165 a pop. The clashing green and red design showing both the? kind-hearted protagonist on a bed of flowers and their mean side on bones looks gorgeous. The controllers are estimated to ship in October 2023.

The package, if you choos?e to b??uy it, includes the following:

• An officially licensed custom controller
• Premium packaging
• An exclusive two-inch hard enamel spinner pin
• Stainless steel authenticity card signed by artist CptnAlex

As a bit of background, CptnAlex has been a custom controller artist since 2013, and they've made intriguing art based on our favorite franchises like Persona 5, Super Mario Bros, and Hollow Knight among many others.

"By taking some old comic book pages, I created my first ever Comic Controller - a video game controller decoupaged in comic book pages - and started up my Etsy store later that day," says CptnAlex on their website. "The reception was huge." In 2020, the Etsy page turned into a full-on retail store. He says he wants to "find your passion and craft it in?to an incredible controller that changes the way you game and p?uts a smile on your face before your console even boots up."

Maybe you'll find a new passion to play the Don't Starve crossover with Cult of the Lamb with the new controller.

The post New extremely limited edition Cult of the Lamb controllers are availab??le now appeared first on Destructoid.

Join the Lamb today! Or else.

Cult of the Lamb basic??ally sold itself with art and c??oncept, but the game mechanics delivered as well. It's dark, adorable, and undeniably fun.

As much as I loved being a cult leader though, I plateaued before I could beat two of the Old Faith, located in Anchordeep and Silk Cradle. Once I had unlocked all of the buildings, I was milking coins from the housing, shrine, and even the graves. Money was meaningless, my flock self-sufficient, and so I moved on to another game. Thankfully, the latest major update, titled Relics of the Old Faith, has brought fresh air, breathing new life into o??ne ?of my favorite games.

For a completely free update, there is a lot to enjoy here. The overview of the update spells out the truly generous amount of new content added, includi??ng bosses, follower forms, Relics, new structures, heavy attacks, a judgey jellyfish, and more. Post update, I've been playing for hours, finally beating Anchordeep and Silk Cradle as well as adding "The One Who W??aits to my flock". Of course, I have thoughts.

[caption id="attachment_375822" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Time and Space Saving Structures

Seeing Devotion coming out of t?he Shrine again filled me with joy. It unlocks new buildings, and thankfully, the team at Massive Monster understood the assignment: save space. The cult is beaut?iful, but space is pretty limited. With a temple, beds, a kitchen, a growing farm, a shrine, a prison, graves, and more, some common space issues soon pop up.

Where do I put all of these dead people? I chose a combination of graves and Natural Burial, whi??ch turned dead followers into fertilizer. However, it was easy to run out of space placing graves because once someon??e was buried, you couldn't actually get rid of it! The new update fixes this by allowing players to exhume bodies from the grave.

There's also a Morgue, which lets you assign a follower to take care of those bodies that drop while you're out exploring. I watched the little guy actually change his outfit to go pick up the body and drop it into a pit while it waits for me to do something with it. The Morgue just holds the bodies for you, but you can then move them into the brand-new Crypt, where they can be buried. With upgrades, you can eventually inter as many as 12 fo??llowers in it. I would say that's a problem solved.

[caption id="attachment_375813" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The? bed situation is also under control. While I invested in quality housing for my cult, many of them still had to sleep in tents that would occasionally collapse. Plus, as my flock grew, so did this area of bedspace. Now there is? a shared bed where three followers can comfortably sleep. Another space issue solved.

The new kitchen is more of a time saver than a space freer. Cooking for the flock was time-consuming but had to be done. Hungry followers aren't big fans of following anyone anymore, you know? But with Relics of the Old Faith, you can build a full Kitchen, instead of just a Cook Stove,? and then you can assign a follower to do the cooking. You still have to schedule meals though. I didn't realize that until everyone? got super hungry, but if you periodically queue meals, they are always fed.

Relics and Heavy Attack

[caption id="attachment_375857" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The bird doling out Relics is the creepiest character yet, in a room already filled with meat and hanging corpses. It's awesome. The new Relics are a great addition to the arsenal. They aren't so overpowered that you need one to succeed, but it's like adding a second, non-renewabl?e Cur??se. Some Relics are labeled fragile, and can only be used once, while others offer recharge at varying speeds. Some of these unholy weapons do crazy things, like poison everyone on screen, or shrink you down to a tiny, hard-to-hit target.

The new heavy attack maneuver is great! I forget to use it sometimes, ??but it does come in clutch when I do remember. The really heavy hammers that you have to aim now suddenly swing around you, while your one dagger transforms into a line of falling blades. You can also upgrade the strength of your axe, hammer, sw??ord, dagger, or gauntlet by giving sermons.

With plenty of new mini-bosses and additional enemies, c??ombat is fun aga??in.

[caption id="attachment_376076" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Photo Mode

This is by far my favorite part of the update! I absolutely love this feature. While you're doing your cult leader business, you can click to go to your menu where you would maybe Save or Quit. Now you have the Photo Mode option which allows you to take more in-depth pictures of your cult. It's a feature that I didn't know I wanted but now know that I absolutely needed.

One of the very best elements of Cult of the Lamb is the artstyle. It's this crazy mix of cute and demonic, and some of the things the flock does are just so funny. But there's only one viewpoint in the game and screenshots tend to look the same �??not doing the art true justice. Being able to adjust hei??ght, depth, and focus length is such a game-changer.

In fact, I'm actively trying no??t to spam you all with brochure-level marketing material for my own? cult.

[caption id="attachment_375816" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Most of all, I like that the update was designed to pick up right where you left off. Yes, you can start over and still enjoy these benefits, but for all of us who just needed a little push to jump back in, this is perfect. There are four new fleeces to unlock and new ways to gain Holy Talisman pieces that don't involve sacrificing people, and I was able to capture some fantastic moments. There's still more for me to do! There are some minor bugs, but the team is already on top of f??ixing them according to Twitter.

Overall, Cult of the Lamb: Relics of the Old Faith is a big win, making a great title better still.

Relics of the Old Faith is available now as a free update for Cult of the Lamb.

The post Impressi?ons: Relics of the Old Faith adds unholy pleasures to Cult of the Lamb appeared first on Destructoid.

Especially for Ewe

Massive Monster has launched its previously announced update for Satanic Sheep Scarer Cult of the Lamb �The massive update, available now on PC and console platforms, brings a? flockful of bug fixes, balance tweaks, new features, modes, and enemie??s to the award-winning roguelike-cum-cult-simulator.

Titled "Relics of the Old Faith", the update adds a brand new post-game stor??yline, along with new Crusades, additional Sermon upgrades, new "Heavy Attacks", 13 new character encounters, 16 new minibosses, and a whopping 37 new relics. This is just scratching the surface of the additional content, which also tosses in several new enemies, combat room traps, and Followers �all of which look set to provide even the most-hardened cult leaders with newly darkened adventure.

//twitter.com/cultofthe?l?amb/status/1650545386577354754?s=20

In addition to this array of content, Relics of the Old Faith adds a tweaked Dungeon Gauntlet mode known as Purgatory, as well as a delightful Photo Mode, which lets you capture the unique and distinct visuals of Cult of the Lamb fr?om all manner of angles, not just the standard 3/4 top-down view. These photos can also be adjusted with all manner of filters and comical stickers, which will look just darling for? your pamphlets for new disciples.

On the access?ibility front, the update offers a Dark Mode for the menu screens, as well as the option to switch off the blue filter in the build??ing menus. A High Contrast font option is now available, as are fonts that will provide easier reading for Dyslexic players. New lighting controls include the ability to switch off screen flashing, and to switch between day/night visuals on a whim.

Releasing in the summer of last year, Cult of the Lamb won over an army of fans with its cute visuals, ultra-grim undertones, and deep roguelite action. With this new update, the title is perhaps better than ever before, and will not only give The One Who Waits' devotees new reason to return to worship, but will also help to bring those curious players, yet to experience this twisted title, to the??... ahem... flock.

Cult of the Lamb is available ??now on PlayStation, P??C, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms.

The post Cult of the Lamb update now live, bringin??g new modes, features, and more appeared first on Destructoid.

Your fleece is more than a fashion choice.

Cult of the Lamb's adorable cult leader has become iconic in their red fleece, but their wardrobe grows over time. By finishing quests for peri?pheral characters, like Sozo in Spore Grotto, you will receive a piece of the Holy Talisman. Four pieces will unlock a new fleece for the Lamb to wear on crusades.

The Holy Talismans take time and effort to c??ollect, so it's likely that you will be unlocking them one at a?? time. Also, some of these side quests can be unthinkable, such as sacrificing sweet Ratau! Deciding which, if any, of the five bonus fleeces to trade your Holy Talisman for is a personal choice, but I ranked them based on their pros and cons to help.

6. Fleece of the Diseased Heart

[caption id="attachment_358289" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Sadly, the purple fleece doesn't have a strong upside. Dawning the Fleece of the Diseased Heart allows you to gain one Diseased Heart every time you gain a Tarot card. You can only have one on you at? a time, so if you don't lose it by the time you stumble across another room with the Tarot dealer, Clauneck, then you don't gain another one. These creepy black hearts are nice bonuses but shouldn't be relied up??on. They can still be used up and lost, and they only help you if you are hit. The Diseased Heart deals damage to all the enemies in the room every time that you take damage. It's kind of like revenge.

While it's nice to know that every time you're hit, your enemies are a little closer?? to death themselves, it's a tricky balance. Also, the downside of this fleece is a doozy. If you die before completing the r?un, then you lose 100% of the items you picked up along the way. It already sucks losing 25%, so coming out empty-handed is just not a risk I'm willing to take.

5. Fleece of Fragile Fortitude

The Fleece of Fragile Fortitude seemed like a wonderful idea to me?? when I first unlocked it, but in practice, it killed me fast??er. The blue fleece replaces your hearts with matching blue hearts. It's easy to assume that there must be some sort of benefit to this, but it's more of an obstacle. Red hearts have a full health limit, but blue and black hearts can be tacked onto the end for extra health.

With the blue fleece on, your whole health bar is blue, and nothing can be added on except more blue hearts and Diseased Hearts. The only way to replace them is if your enemies drop a half ?or whole blue heart. That makes replacing them way more difficult. If you're up for a challenge, have at it. Otherwise, it may be best to save this one for last.

4. Fleece of the Glass Cannon

[caption id="attachment_358287" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Fleece of the Glass Cannon is perfect for blowing a room up! The green garment will ??make your curses hit twice as hard while costing half as much. Personally, I like using the various curses. While some are more powerful than others, having the ability to hit multiple enemies at once comes in handy, especially in rooms where enemies converge on you at once. With the right timing and solid aim, you can take out most of them without getting too close.

Not gett??ing too close would be ideal since the downsides aren't ideal. Wearing the Fleece of the G?lass Cannon will strengthen your curses but weaken your melee weapon by half. Even more concerning, your health will be halved as well. Since your curse is mostly random and limited, and your weapon is half as powerful, defeating a boss would be incredibly difficult. Combine that with half the health and it may be best to leave this fleece for the post-boss dungeon crawls.

3. Golden Fleece

The Golden Fleece doesn't have a fancy name, sadly. It's perfect for rogue-lite pros and players who have perfected Cult of the Lamb's combat system. While you'?re wearing the gold fleece, your damage dealt increases by 5% with every kill. If you are good enough with the melee ?weapon to go on a spree, your weapon will be supercharged. However, like most of the holy garments, there's a downside. It only takes one hit from an enemy to end your spree, resetting the damage dealt. Also, your enemies will pack twice the punch!

This downside isn't too terrible though. Bec??ause the game's combat isn't designed?? to be extremely difficult, many players can have fun while trying to keep their streak going as long as possible. The more you play, the easier it will be to dodge hits and land more of your own.

2. Fleece of the Lamb

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." That's how I feel about the Fleece of the Lamb. As the original garment of the adorable cult leader, the iconic red fleece doesn't cost anything but also doesn't give you anything. When you begin your dungeon crawl, you won't have extra hearts. You'll draw your Tarot cards o??ne by one. Your weapons and curses are all typical, and you lose 25% of your items if you die. You get the picture.

The reason I rank it so highly then?? is because the Fleece of the Lamb doesn't have any downsides either. You can win the game without ever unlocking or dawning the other fleeces. It's all about balance with your weapons and Tarot card choices??, and I'm a fan of balance. If not for the next fleece, I would probably just wear this one all the time.

1. Fleece of the Fates

[caption id="attachment_358286" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Snow-white with a red pentagram clasp, the Fleece of Fates looks good and is actually helpful. During a n??ormal run through the realms, there are a few opportunities to join Clauneck for a Tarot reading. They will let you choose one of two cards. The maximum number of Ta??rot cards you can have on a run is four. With the white fleece, you get all four before you even grab your weapon.

While getting a bit of choice in your equipped cards allows you to strategize during each dungeon crawl, the Tarot rooms are spread out. You may only have your best card towards the end. Getting all four upfront gives you a chance for a superpowered run through all of the rooms, and you don't have to worry about accidentally skipping the room where Clauneck waits. You can have a fantastic run when the Fates smile on the little lamb. If they don't however, there's really no such thing as a harmful hand. Also, the onl??y downside to the fleece is the lack of choic?e, but it isn't like there were a ton of customization options to begin with.

Cult of the Lamb has been an incredibly fun game for such a wide net of players. Being part rogue-lite and part farming sim, neither is too difficult to learn. There's even a fishing sidequest that will give you a Holy Talisman once you complete it. You can get some tips on how to catch an octopus here! In the meantim??e??, hopefully, this list helps with your decision-making.

Related: Base ??building and design tips guide - Cult of ??the Lamb

The post Every fleece in Cult of the Lamb, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

The Year of the Lamb... like it or not

Devolver Digital has announced that one of the sleeper hits of 2022, Massive Monster's Cult of the Lamb, will receive a free major content update later this year, bringing a selection of new features, options, and a?ccessibility functions to the super-cute, super horrifying anthro roguelike.

While ?details are a li?ttle bit on the thin side, a tweet from the eccentric publisher notes that the update will be bringing a selection of tweaks to add more overall depth to the title, with a short clip teasing an all-new "heavy attack" mechanic. In addition, new difficulty settings will be added to the sacrificial adventure as well as several unspecified accessibility options and "quality-of-life" tweaks. Neat!

//twitter.com/cultoft??helamb/status/1608891710570106884?s=20&t=P8Tt1BpocaS1mmEYZs46xA

Released in the summer of 2022, Cult of the Lamb blends cutesy visuals and ultra-dark humor in its tale of a young lamb who, having seemingly had their life saved by a sinister deity, goes about preaching the word of this supposed savior and building an ever-growing cult around its teachings. Cult of the Lamb would itself amass a huge fan following, eventually making its way onto several Game of the Year nomination lists, (including our own), and even taking home several gongs at the Australian Game D??eveloper Awards.

Cult of the Lamb is ava?ilable n?ow on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

The post Cult of the Lamb will receive a major conte??nt update in 2??023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Can you even buy a PS5 yet?

2022 has been a pretty action-packed year for Sony's premier gaming brand. And while arguably the first year that saw its two-year-old platform, PlayStation 5, accelerate its sales past the 25 million mark, the past 12 months have still seen a wide variety of new releases squeezed onto its best-selling predecessor, PS4, hardware ??that simply refuses to go gently into that good night.

Even visual stunners such as Guerrilla Games' Horizon Forbidden West and Sony Santa Monica's God of War Ragnarok were causing the PS4's modest CPU to sweat away, ensuring that the full transition to the ninth generation remain?s mired in a strange limbo. It's a good situation for the players, as the PS4 has an incredible install base of over 100 million users. But, a?s someone who previously worked retail for many generations, I can't remember a gaming generation that took this long to become mainline.

Still, there were some PS5-only releases, many of which boasted incredible visuals, dazzling effects, and very welcome high-speed load times. All in, it's a pretty good time to be a PlayStation owner. Many new titles are still compatible with PS4, while its bigger brother spearheads the charge into the next half-decade of gaming... Even if the physical console itself is still far, far too large for anybody's TV stand.

Here are the nominees for Destructoid's Best PlayStation Game of 2022:

• Cult of The Lamb
• Elden Ring
• God of War: Ragnarok
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Sifu
• Stranger in Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
• Stray

The post Nominees for Destructoid’s Best PlayStation Game of 2022 appeared first on Destructoid.

Five gongs for The Lands Between

L??ast night saw the arguable start of awards season, with the return of the annual Golden Joystick Awards, an institution that has now run for some four decades. Presented by GamesRadar, the 2022 edition of the veteran UK ceremony saw almost three million votes cast by the gaming public, hoping to shine a spotlight on the many titles that have entertained them over the past 12 months.

And, in what may prove to be something of a portent for things to come, Bandai Namco's challenging fantasy adventure Elden Ring was the big winner on the night, walking away with five awards in total including Ultimate Game of the Year and the Critic's Choice award, (as well as, curiously, Best Multiplayer). Devolver Digital's Cult of the Lamb took home the Best Indie Game gong, while actor Mahon Mage won Best Performer for her memorable turn in FMV mystery Immortality.

Steam hit Vampire Survivors won Best Breakthrough, while Goat Simulator 3 bagged Best Game Trailer for its amusing Dead Island 2 pastiche. Finally, as voted for by the public, the Most Wanted Game for 2023 was won by Nintendo's highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcYAU1c0lMk

Here are the winners for the 2022 Golden Joystick Awards:

Best Storytelling: Horizon Forbidden West

Still Playing Award: Genshin Impact

Best Visual Design: Elden Ring

Studio of the Year: FromSoftware Inc.

Best Game Expansion: Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course

Best Early Access Launch: Slime Rancher 2

Best Indie Game: Cult of the Lamb

Best Multiplayer Game: Elden Ring

Best Audio: Metal: Hellsinger

Best Game Trailer: Goat Simulator 3 Announcement Trailer

Best Game Community: Final Fantasy XIV

Best Gaming Hardware: Steam Deck

Breakthrough Award: Vampire Survivors (critically chosen)

Critics�Choice Award: Elden Ring (critically chosen)

Best Performer: Manon Gage - IMMORTALITY (critically chosen)

Nintendo Game of the Year: Pokemon Legends: Arceus

PC Game of the Year: Return to Monkey Island

PlayStation Game of the Year: Stray

Xbox Game of the Year: Grounded

Most Wanted Game: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Ultimate Game of the Year: Elden Ring

The post Elden Ring wins b??ig at the 2022 Golden Joystick Awards appeared first on Destructoid.

Check out these Halloween pumpkins with a nerdy twist

I'm not much of a pumpkin-carver myself, but one of the my favorite Halloween activities is seeing everyone post their cool jack-o'-lanter?ns online. It's all of the fun of a time-honored tradition with none of the work or mess, so that's a win-win in my book. While there are some pretty impressive carvings out there, obviously the best ones are the gaming-themed gourds, and there are plenty of them out there. This year, I scoured Reddit in search of the best pumpkins so you don't have to, and I have to say that I'm pretty pleased with the selection this year.

Cult of the Lamb

Starting off strong with one of my favorite games of the year, this pumpkin features the titular character of Cult of the Lamb, the adorably twisted roguelike/management sim. This carving is comp??lete with bleeding eyes and his little hat, but the best part is that the back of the pumpkin is carved with the symbols of all four heretic prophets. Major points for the attention to detail!

//www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/yfezqe/w?orship_lamb/

Pac-Man

Pac-Man is one of the most well-loved games of all time, so it's only natural it would pop up on this list more than once. This jack-o'-lantern in particular features one of the game's four ghosts, and has the bottom of the pumpkin carved out to make the little gu?y look like he's floating. I have no idea how they managed to suspend the light inside, but it looks awesome.

//www.reddit.c??om/r/gaming/comments/y997bq/pacman_ghost_m?ade_for_a_work_pumpkin_contest/

Resident Evil Village

It wouldn't be Halloween with a Resident Evil-themed? pumpkin, and this one features the giantess that broke the ??internet: Lady Dimitrescu. I'm honestly surprised at how well her likeness transferred onto a seasonal fruit, but sure enough, it's unmistakably her. Couldn't miss her with that cleavage and that hat.

//www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/yfrezr/la?dy_dimitrescu_pumpkin_i_carved_this_year/

Fallout

This next one isn't so much a pumpkin carving as it is a pumpkin painting, but it's definitely in the spirit of things, so I'm including it. A Fallout fan painted his pumpkin so that it depicted the Vault Boy in his classic thumbs up pose, and he even has the matching t-shirt to boot. A painted design looks ??like a great alternative for so?meone who doesn't want to spend half the night mopping up pumpkin guts, so I might have to follow suit next year.

//www.reddit.com/r/??gaming/comments/y6j8??wx/vault_boy_pumpkin_i_painted/

Portal

Okay, this Portal pumpkin has to be my favorite of the year. Not only is it from one of my favorite game series of all time, but this turret pumpkin carving has to be one of the most creative jack-o'-lantern designs I've ever seen. The creator actually 3D printed all of the plastic pieces featured (and provided the plans for anyone who wants to replicate it), and actually posted a video of the build. This is a triumph, huge success.

//www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments??/yfzhl8/i_made_my_pumpkin_into_a_portal_turret_for/

The Legend of Zelda

//www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/y5xoxe/i_car?ved_lin?k_into_a_pumpkin/

It's great to see another classic game series represented, and this pumpkin was carved with all of the elegance the series deserves. It may be a bit simple compared to some of the other jack-o'-lanterns on this list, but it's got to be one of the cleanest. The simple, cartoony depiction of Breath of the Wild Link is so well carved, I can't imagine? how much time it took to refine.

Half-Life, Pac-Man, and Chess

What's better than a jack-o'-lantern? Four jack-o'-lanterns! An entire family carved their pumpkins together to depict their favorite games, featuring the Half-Life logo, a depiction of Pac-Man chasing a ghost, and what was going to be a chess board, the poster clarified in the comments, but ended up being a cool-looking geometric design. There's also a little mini? pumpkin in the mix, and while I don't think the owl is a nod to any game in particular, it is absolutely adorable.

//www.reddit.com/r/g?aming/comments/yf9s3h/c?heck_out_my_familys_pumpkins_mine_is_the/

Minecraft and Among Us

Pretty much all of the Halloween pumpkin carvings on this list look like they could have been done by a professional, but these pumpkins actually were -- the Minecraft and Among Us pumpkins are part of an event called Carved at the Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge, California. The meticulously detailed jack-o'-lanterns are some of the best I've ever seen, and I understand wh??y people would pay money to see gardens full of pumpkins like these.

//www.reddit.com/r?/gaming/comments/yb8ny8/??gaming_pumpkins_carved_descanso_gardens/

Luigi's Mansion

Luigi's Mansion is a perfect game to represent on a Halloween pumpkin, because what could be more Halloween-y th??an a big spooky house full of ghosts. Not only does the front have a classically-terrified Luigi mid-scream, but also features a boo carved into the back, which illuminates the wall behind with its spooky silhouette. Great idea, even better execution!

//www.reddit.com/r/gam??ing/comments/yfmzvn/my_jack_olantern_this_year/

Well, that's our list of the best gaming Halloween pumpkins of the year. Are there any we missed? Do you carve?? your own gaming jack-o'-lanterns? What's your favorite game you'd want to see carved into the sid?e of a gourd? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Here are the best gaming-themed pumpkin carvings this Hallowee??n appeared first on Destructoid.

For all of the most devout followers

We still have a few months left in the year, but I think it's fair to say that Cult of the Lamb is one of the most memorable games to come out of 2022. It's got the perfect balance of roguelike hack-and-slash action and engaging community sim mechanics, all wrapped up in an adorably twisted art style. I can't speak for anyone else, but I honestly think Cult of the Lamb should be up as a Game of the Year contender, because it managed to blend some of our favorite gameplay mechanics to make one of the most unique titles we've seen in a while. If you haven't gotten around to playing it yet, or you're just a megafan, then you're in luck -- pre-orders for physical copies Cult of the Lamb are now available fo??r pre-order for PS5 and Nintendo Switch.

The pre-orders are open for the US, UK, and AU regions (as well as Spain), and hopefully players in other areas of the world will have access to the Cult of the Lamb physical copies soon. The standard edition of the game comes with special art on the interior of the box, as well as a copy of the original soundtrack (CD for the EU, digital copy for the US), and a soft cover, 104 page art book. Players with the standard physical copy will ?also be able to download the D??LC with their purchase. The price for the retail version of the game is still TBD.

Then there's the next tier up: the Special Reserve Games Single version for Switch and PS5 that comes with reversible cover art, spot UV treatment on the case, and a 32 page instruction manual with full color art. This ve??rsion will g??o for $34.99.

//twitte?r.com/cultofthelamb/status/1585426076851109889

If you really want to spring for something special, there's also the Special Reserves Edition for both the Switch and PS5 for the collectors out there. Because there are only a limited number of this version, each one comes sequentially numbered. It will also have the reversi?ble cover art and UV spot?? treatment from the Single version, as well as a fancy collectible box, the instruction manual, a one-in-a-series art card, a digital download of the soundtrack -- oh, and it's signed by the devs. The Special Reserves Edition will run you $49.99, which I honestly think is a pretty good deal considering what you're getting. The DLC will come on a disk for both of the Special Reserve Games editions.

But wait, there's more! Fans can also grab a Special Reserve Games hardback art book for $59.99, which has 160 pages of full color art, and also comes signed by the developers. That's a whole cornucopia of Cult of the Lamb content for fans to feast on, and that doesn't even include the sold out $224.99 True Believer Edition that came with an adorable lamb plushie.

The post Physical?? pre-orders for Cult of the Lamb are now av??ailable appeared first on Destructoid.

A new ritual to partake in

This year's adorable little cult simulator Cult of the Lamb is getting a festive update for the haunted holidays.  The Blood Moon Festival update is available now through November 10 in Cult of the Lamb.

The update adds several new items t??o acquire for those looking to expand their cult, as well as some new activities for the season. A Blood Moon Ritual, for example, will be available to light up the sky with a crimson lunar presence that illuminates the dead.

Players can also capture ghosts of dead followers??. And there are some nice, fun new decorations to sprinkle around the base. Ring in the season by decking out your hu?mble abode with haunted trees and floral skulls.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr_Lf5y8iGw

Add in a new music track and some new follower forms to unlock, and the Blood Moon update for Cult of the Lamb seems like a good time. Well, maybe b?etter if you're the lamb protagonist running the place.

Best to get the rituals and upgrades underway sooner rather than later, though. The Blood Moon runs through November 10, so you've got until then to get all your unlocks. The team also says it plans on adding more seasonal e??vents throughout the year, each with their ow?n special content.

Cult of personality

Cult of the Lamb is the adorable action RPG-meets-city builder mash-up f?rom the team at Massive Monster, published by Devolver Digital.

Its eye-catching style and intriguing management mechanics looked solid in previews, and seems to have held up in the final game. In our review, Jordan wrote:

"I’m a big fan of roguelite action games and city builders, but even if you’re on the mild side, Cult of the Lamb is a winning combo. It draws many of the b?est aspects of those genres, places them in a one-of-a-kind world, and charts its own condensed course. The result is hard to put down."

It seems like a good time to head back in and get some fresh followers if you've been meaning to boot this back up. Cult of the Lamb is available now on PlayStation 4, PS5, X?box One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

The post Cult of the Lamb gets festive and ghastly with the Blood Moon Fes??tival appeared first on Destructoid.

This lamb got the chops

Devolver Digital's comically unnerving roguelike, Cult of the Lamb, has ironically become something of a cult hit itself, winning over fans with its creepy-cute visuals, anarchic attitude, and engaging gameplay �In fact, Massive Monster's indie hit has already bagged its first Game of the Year award, courtesy of the Australian Game Developer Awards.

The event, which took place on the evening on October 4, recognized the best of interactive entertainment from 2022 to date, focusing mostly on the output of independent studios working within the region. Cult of the Lamb scuttled off with four well-deserved gongs, including Excellence in Art, Excellence in Music, Excellence in Gameplay, and the aforementioned Game of the Year awar??d.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsPtUNB1z-Q

"After experiencing our success overseas, it was an amazing feeling to see our game reall?y resonate with Australians as well," said creative director Julian Wilton of the win. "We received such strong support locally and we love that it’s being enjoyed, not just for the gameplay, but also for the art and music."

I'm not sure quite ho??w many followers had to be sacrificed at the altar of "The One who Waits" to recei??ve these awards, and I'm not sure I want to know.

In addition to Massive Monster's success, the Australian Game Developer Awards committee �which consists of a panel of 70 industry specialists �also rewarded Studio Drydock with the prizes for Excellence in Narrative and Excellence in Mobile Games for its spellbinding farming title, Wylde Flowers. Gameloft, an indust??ry veteran with a catalog packed full of mobile game success �was awarded Studio of the Year.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=68kdOBKCh04

You can check out the full list of winners below.

Game of the Year: Cult of the Lamb

Excellence in Art: Cult of the Lamb

Excellence in Gameplay: Cult of the Lamb

Excellence in Narrative: Wylde Flowers

Excellence in Sound Design: Heavenly Bodies

Excellence in Music: Cult of the Lamb

Excellence in Technical Design: Age of Darkness: Final Stand

Excellence in Accessibility (Presented by VicScreen): Lost and Hound

Excellence in Mobile Games: Wylde Flowers

Excellence in AR/VR: Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown

Excellence in Serious Games (Applied/Impactful): Kinder World

Excellence in Emerging Games (Student or Early Career): Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg

Excellence in Ongoing Games (Games as a Service): The Oregon Trail

Rising Star Award: Raymond Corrigan

Ambition Award: Ryan McMahon

Adam Lancman Award: Clara Reeves

Studio of the Year: Gameloft

The post Cul??t of the Lamb scoops four prizes at Au??stralian Game Developer Awards appeared first on Destructoid.

A game I'll be flocking to for years to come

Before I even started playing Cult of the Lamb, I knew I was g??oing to love it. First off, we've got the cute art style going on, so that box was ticked immediately. Plus the conceit of a simulator about running your own cult is hilarious and fresh in its own way.

I think us roguelike and simulator fans can agree that both genres are having something of a renaissance right now, and Cult of the Lamb manages to hit every note in perfect harmony. Now maybe it's the antidepressants talking, but playing through it has been some of the most? fun I've had with a game all year.

Part of the worry with having a game with so many different elements is that the player could start to feel overwhelmed �the base-building sim, the punchy roguelike gameplay, the fishing, Knucklebones, and a??ll of the side quests could start to fe??el like a lot after a while, but they never did.

Instead, each element fed back into the core gameplay really nicely, like bringing characters items to unlock the different cloaks that gave you power-ups in combat, or powering up your followers to get greater rewards when you sacrifice them. What's more, I found that having so many different types of activit?ies always kept things fresh while still keeping me moving towards to ultimate goal.

Hades' lasting impact

Hades has been an undeniable influence on games over the past few years, especially when it comes to the roguelike genre. The hub world in the Underworld felt so alive, because between each run you could come back and decorate, see what's up with your favorite characters, and see things gradually change over time through the story. Your cult in Cult of the Lamb feels even more alive, in my opinion.

While Cult of the Lamb's combat isn't quite as complex as Hades', it instead throws its weight behind the simulat??ion side of things. Using the "crusades" as a means of gathering materials to then return to the main action of the cult �where you'd often have to put out metaphorical fires that ignited while you wer?e gone �is a genius design choice.

With the different weapon and curse types, there was enough variety to keep things fresh. As much as I love Hades, I also tend to be a creature of habit, which means I stick with the one or two weapons I r?eally like in the post-game and just run with ?those.

I prefer faster weapons like daggers and swords, but I appreciated that the game made me try the axes and hammers, because that's not something I would have gone out of my way to play with if I had the choice. It made me slow down and change my combat style, and it's cool t??hat a simple change like limited weapon choice could open up that half of the game in a whole new way.

Focus on fundamentals

I think what it comes down to for me is that you can feel how much the idea of fun was at the center of Cult of the Lamb's development. There was never a moment in my whole playthrough where I was over what I was doing, and wanted to get back to what was next. I would finish one of my crusades, or catching fish to feed my followers, or earning some extra coins in Knucklebones, and then I would b?e excited to get to do whate??ver was next, every time.

That to me is what makes for a perfect gameplay loop �constant immersion because I'm not only enjoying what I'm doing in the moment, but because I also have somethi??ng to look forward to.

I'm an "out o??f sight out of mind" kind of person, so it was literally like I was constantly re-falling in love with every aspect of the game when I remembered it existed. That feels silly to admit, but it speaks to the game's ability t?o scratch some kind of primal, child-like itch in my brain. That's good game design for you.

Cult of the Lamb isn't a game that's going to revolutionize the games industry, but it will stand out as one of the greats in its respective genres, and can hold its own with the best releases of 2022. It's one of those games?? that I'll be reaching for to replay every few years, and I look forward to trying a new build next time around.

The post Cult of the Lamb has a perfect gameplay loop appeared first on Destructoid.

What a cool physical take on the mini-game

Have you ever become so absorbed in a mini-game or side activity that it starts to overshadow the main game? It can be hard to pull yourself away! The most recent example I can point to is Cult of the Lamb and its snappy dice game, Knucklebones.

This game is compelling enough that players are sticking with it long after they've toppled all of the competitors and no longer need extra money earned from bets. Much like the fishing mini-game, Knucklebones is meant to flesh out the world of Cult of the Lamb and help you pass th??e time when you need a break from dungeon raiding or cult raising.

It's good fun, the kind that sticks with you longer than it should �and f??ans want more.

One Cult of the Lamb fan created a browser version of Knucklebones, and another, who goes by BenY-S on Reddit, whipped up their own physical adaptation of Knucklebones.

[caption id="attachment_342096" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{The Knucklebones mini-game in Cult of the Lamb.}[/caption]

As you can see from this in-game comparison screenshot, ?they nailed i??t.

According to BenY-S, they used a ??Cricut Maker "with a mix of cream card, balsa wood, vinyl, and red/black foam sheets." The slots on the side of the board are for noting wins, and the instruction sheet's numbers ??show what single, double, and triple dice are worth.

To keep everything tidy, they even created a nic?e little Knucklebones box.

[caption id="attachment_342120" align="alignnone" width="1600"] _{[Image Credit: BenY-S]}[/caption]If you haven't tried Cult of the Lamb yet and you're intrigued, here's a probably-too-b?rief breakdown of Knucklebones. Players take turns rolling and placing dice into one of their three columns, with the goal of having the highest point total when there are no moves left to make. By matching dice in a column with a pair or triple, you'll multiply their value �but a player can also wipe out the opponent's dice by matching it in their own column.

As such, there's luck involved, ??but you can smartly hedge your bets.

As others have suggested, it would be awesome to see the ??game developers (or a partner) come out with an official mobile or physical version? of Knucklebones. I'd play it.

The post A C??ult of the Lamb fan made their own Knucklebones dice game appeared first on Destructoid.

The hit indie game reaches an impressive milestone

Devolver Digital's Cult of the Lamb is the biggest craze on the indie scene right now, and for good reason �it pulls from classics like Animal Crossing and Hades to create a unique mix of management sim and hack-and-slash roguelike gameplay. Not to mention the art style is absolutely adorable, because what's better than a cute little lamb as a cult leader? You can see clear influences from other games and genres, but Cult of the Lamb manages to ?forge its own path and create a really unique experience.

It seems that a lot of other players feel the same way I do, because Cult of the Lamb surpassed a million copies sold in its first week alone, according to the game's? Twitter page. "We are eternally grateful for your devotion and our team is committed to improving game tweaks, fixes, and free major content updates," said developer Massive Monster.

It sounds like the game has a lot of room to grow, and the developers have a lot of different ways they could go in the future with new quests, weapons, enemies, decoration items, etc. Whatever th??ey do, though, I have ??faith it'll be just as fun and satisfying as the base game.

//twitter.com/cultofthelamb/status/1560265265589325825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1560265265589325825%7Ctwgr%5E3267a27d667?bc22849f0db78ec7d2cd2f7dcd0e5%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ign.com%2Farticles%2Fdevolvers-cult-of-the-lamb-passes-1-million-players-in-a-week

Kind of ironic that we became fanatics for this game, isn't it? It seems that was their plan all along... But in all seriousness,??? it's always exciting to see a well-deserving indie game get some love, because teams work so hard to bring them to life.

It's also great to hear that they're working on some content updates, as that will really help the community thrive in the long term, and might help bring even more new players. It sounds like we have a lot to look forward to from the team behind Cult of the Lamb. 

The post Cult of the Lamb hits over a?? m??illion players in only a week appeared first on Destructoid.

You can take another crack

Most of the achievements and trophies in Cult of the Lamb are only a matter of time, but I was nervous about needing to topple the main bosses without taking any damage to unlock "Order," "Sate," "Cure," and "Peace." After trading blows with every bishop in my original playthrough, I figured there had to be some way to initiate a rematch �the notion of needing to start a new save seemed out of whack with the rest of the game's player-frie?ndly tendencies. Thankfully, there is a way to replay b?osses, and it's quick.

Early on, you might've destroyed many of the bishop statues that appear in dun?geons since 1) other breakable objects can give you resources for your base and 2) it's inherently fun to smash shit. At a certain point, I st?opped doing this �that was my mistake.

To replay the bishop bosses in Cult of the Lamb, you just need to break a statue in their dun??geon. Normally, you'd absorb some devotion and move on. You can destroy the fi?rst one you see, or you can hold off to potentially power yourself up and break a later statue.

Look for a statue like this and smashy smashy

[caption id="attachment_339699" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Bust open a bishop statue.}[/caption]

A few good hit?s will do the job, at which point a red teleporter? will appear. Hitch a ride and you'll be whisked away to the boss room, complete with the transformation cutscene.

[caption id="attachment_339697" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{And then take the teleporter.}[/caption]

In other words, if you're a completionist, you absolutely do not need to try and beat the bishops without getting hit on you?r first a??ttempt. Phew.

If needed, here's a quick video guide from Realm Space Gaming:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpkIrbyB-WQ

To improve your odds, equip the Golden Fleece

By completing side quests with specific NPCs (not cultists) in Cult of the Lamb, you can unlock alterna?te fleeces at your altar using the "Crown" option. It's up to you on which outfits you unlock ??first �and if you're thorough, you can eventually get them all.

As soon as I got the white fleece, which grants four tarot cards at the start of a run (but prevents you from getting any more), I rolled with that all the way to the end of Cult of the Lamb. That said, another �the golden fleece �is ideal for these take-no-damage boss fight achievements/trophies. With slig?ht prep, it'll make the fights as short as possible.

[caption id="attachment_339698" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{The golden fleece is the best bet for taking no damage in a boss fight.}[/caption]

The golden fleece raises your damage after every kill, but if you get hit, the effect reset??s. You'll also take double the normal damage. It's a classic glass-cannon setup.

With a hard-hitting axe and the golden fleece, I was able to comfortably bring down Leshy (the first boss) on my first no-hit attempt. If you're running with this sort of setup, you'll want to take out as many enemies as you can. It pays to play methodically before teleporting to the bishop. By the time you're ready for a rematch, you'll have a huge damage boost, which means a ??shorter fight and fewer opportunities for ??a stray projectile or creep to smack you. You can get in, take a swipe or two, and safely get out.

I'm glad I used a different fleece my first time throug??h, in order to get a feel for every boss's full moveset �this one i??s almost too powerful. (Please don't nerf it.)

I wasn't sure I'd end up going for 100% completion in Cult of the Lamb, but knowing it's not that monot?onous to replay the bishop bosses, I think I will. Now I just need to sacrifice more of my people (it feels bad!) and find one last hard-to-pin-down tarot card.

The post There’s an easy way to replay Cult of the Lamb bosses (so don’t sweat the no-hit challenges) appeared first on Destructoid.

You won't immediately name it, so there's time

Not far into Cult of the Lamb, you'll be presented with a surprisingly tough decision: what to name your blossoming cult. Coming up with a fitting name for the individual animal cultists is easy enough �let's be honest, they're highly replaceable �but picking out a catchy, long-lasting name for the whole group? Once again, I struggled to decide.

If you aren't feeling original, that's okay �you ca??n stick with "Cult of the Lamb." I?? did.

And if you're just digging into the beginning of the game, you've got a while to think it over. The cult-naming decision doesn't happen until you've successfully run through Cult of the Lamb's first dungeon biome a few times. After you've performed a ritual fo?r your flock and handled some other tutorial tasks, you'll see a quest bubble above a villager's hea?d.

[caption id="attachment_339305" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{"Cult of the Lamb" is the default name.}[/caption]

You can follow the "Cult of the _" pattern ?or name your righteous organization whatever you please. (I just typed those questi??on marks for this screenshot.)

My second time through the game, I... stil??l couldn't think of anything g??ood.

So I took a cue from Destructoid reader Trevlyn. Let's jam.

[caption id="attachment_339309" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Whatever you go with, the cultists have no choice but to love it.}[/caption]

Business as usual. I'm the kind of player who goes with "Red" or "Gold" in Pokémon, and I refuse to rename the EarthBound crew. As funny as it is to see other players call themselves something crass for the sake of funny dial?ogue, I am physically incapable.

Let us know if you have any ideas to spare

Cult of the Lamb is a wacky, not-too-serious game, so you could go in a bunch of different directions with your cult name, whether you draw from the real world, lean into the animal kingdom, take a dirty note from Quiplash, or find inspiration somewhere obscure.

I'm curious to hear what you come up with!

The post What are you calling your cult in Cult o??f the Lamb? appeared first on Destructoid.

A fascinating fusion of bite-sized roguelite action and cozy cult management

Cult of the Lamb is what happens when snappy roguelite dungeon-crawling action meets freaky animal cult base building and management, and it's a wild, intoxicating fusion.

It's challenging to combine two very different genres in a cohesive way, making sure each half feels satisfying on its own while also fitting into the bigger picture, but the risk is often worth taking. ??And the developers at Massive Monster sure pulled it off. Straight away, it's clear this is a tortured, sinister-yet-weirdly-cute world worth getting to know. But I?? was surprised by just how riveting the core "slice and build" loop ended up being.

We've played roguelites that wear out their welcome. We've sunk dozens of hours into town builders. Against the odds, Cult of the Lamb doesn't bite off more than it can chew.

Cult of the Lamb (PC [reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
Developer: Massive Monster
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Released: August 11, 2022
MSRP: $24.99

If you're not careful, this is the kind of game that can make hours suddenly vanish. But on the flip side, Cult of the Lamb?? is also incredibly respectful of your time as a busy?? player.

After a short but impactful intro to set up the stakes and the four major bosses, you're off to start your very own c?ult. P?laying as a literal sacrificial lamb who's brought back to life by an ominous figure known as The One Who Waits, you'll indoctrinate critters as a questionable yet committed leader. Biome by biome, bishop by bishop, you'll get revenge to help your mysterious benefactor. I like that the overall path is established so early.

The core loop is so sastifying

Starting from scratch at your new home base, you'll harvest natural resources, build, farm, cook, clean, bless individuals, give daily sermons to the group, and perform rituals, among other overseer duties. Early on, there's little to manage, but you will have to get your hands dirty chopping trees or mining; further along, with many more cul??tists at your disposal, they'll handle most of the cult's busywork while y??ou focus on the big-picture expansion and seedy decision-making. Above all, just make sure they keep the faith.

Out in the roguelite dungeons �which you can venture to at any time �you'll fight through randomized rooms with plenty of fast sword slicing?? and dodge-rolling, culminating in?? a mini-boss. Each of these "runs" will typically take about 10 minutes.

Further breaking it down, Cult of the Lamb is split up into four different biomes, each led by a conspiring bishop, and?? you'll have to complete three (escalating) runs in each z?one before you can embark on a final fourth run to dethrone the ruler of that land.

Action-wise, that's the basic progression loop. But base-building is how you ultimately grow powerful enough to stand a chance of facing these chall?enges head-on.

In other words, played flawlessly, you're looking at 16 runs, minimum (plus some endgame stuff). As weird as it feels to frame the game this way, I feel like it's worth stressing up front as a ballpark figure for anyone who's got roguelite fatigue. As much as I love games like Hades, Dead Cells, and Rogue Legacy 2, don't come in expecting that kind of run-after-run grind. Cult of the Lamb condenses everything to avoid repetition.

Out in the field, you'll naturally collect gold, food, and followers, all of which funnel into the cult-raising efforts back home. And every so often, you can stumble upon strange folks �some of them will open up areas? on the world map for you to explore, and they're just a fast-travel click away. Whether it's a rapid-fire fishing mini-game, a dice-rolling competition against several NPCs, or a? gold-obsessed maniac's lair, it's a colorful world.

Tending the flock isn't a hassle

Like any smart simulation game, Cult of the Lamb knows to keep things simple at first to avoid flooding you with too much info. That bit-by-bit rollout carries throughout the whole game, keeping things fresh without feeling overwhelming. You'll never be "on the hook" for a concept until it's properly introduced and explained. So while you'll eventually end up managing a dozen or two animal c??ultists, the process of getting there is sm??ooth.

And when it's not �when a bishop curses your flock with sickness and they poop all over town while you're dungeon-running, or someone dies of old age and you forget to take care of the body, or a dissenting snake in the grass emerges and you neglect to imprison and "re-educate them" �well, misfortune is part of the fun. While I had all of those mishaps (and more), my cult never got too derailed. Expect some funny Tamagotchi vibes.

The in-game cycle is just daily (not weekly), and you don't have to eat or sleep like your followers. Generally, before leaving town, it's best to give a sermon, cook some food, clean up messes, fulfill little villager requests, order any construction you want to be done, and collect resources that the group has harvested or generated. (A good portion of them will spend their day praying.) Cult of the Lamb has a few different technology trees.

The main tech tree �the biggest one �is for the town, with lots of unlockable building blueprints fueled by your follower's devotion. This is how you'll increasingly automate your cult. There's also a skill tree for your lamb, opening up new types of randomized weapon?s and rechargeable combat abilities, as well as better starting ?weapon stats.

And then there are unlockable rituals (that run on a cooldown) and doctrines (that are permanent for the playthrough). Rituals can restore everyone's faith in you, raise the?? dead, or satisfy empty stomachs, among many other?? dark "miracles." You can even get married! Multiple times over! Doctrines present interesting conundrums �these are unlockable traits for your villagers, but it's an "either this or that" choice and they can be tough calls with wild pros and cons to consider that lead to memorable situations as the simulation unfolds. If you want to get selfish, you can; the game won't judge you. As I grew to really care for my cultists (which you can individually name), I tried not to be too vile.

Again, for all of the elements that come into play, Cult of the Lamb presents everything in a digestible way. Your screen won't bombard or prester you. And while you do need to pay atte??ntion to what your cult is up to on a more or less daily basis, if you get distracted by the roguelite side of the game �or you decide y??ou want to catch every fish back to back for a whole day �you won't be overly punished. I never once found the base-building sim side to be stressful, even during "oh shit I should probably run home" moments of panic.

The roguelite dungeons have almost no downtime

Instead, the stress tends to manifest in the roguelite action. There are several difficulties �I went with "Medium" �and that's what I'd recommend. (The developers do too.) I made it halfway through Cult of the Lamb before I died on a run, and all told, I think I wiped four or five ti??mes. If you're a planner, you can really set yourself up for success.

Aside from gaining more raw attack power and weapon types in the randomized pool (my favorite is a massive slow-hitting hammer), you can p??reach to get a health boost or finish certain multi-part NPC quests to earn alternate fleeces that suit different playstyles. Instead of finding temporary tarot cards on runs (for things like a higher crit chance or better chests), I preferred?? to wear a tunic that gave me four random cards right at the start (and prevented me from finding any more). Other tunics are risky but powerful.

The game takes a few good cues from The Binding of Isaac, including permanent and non-permanent hearts, as well as optional AI "demons" that follow you into battle with various abilities, but don't expect snowballing item combos or anything crazy. The combat is simple, fast, and effective. If you're not actively attacking an enemy, you're probably dodge-rolling their swipes or projectiles. It's often a race to take out the highest-priority threats and clear some destructible bits of the environment so you have more room to work with; the skeletons, spiders, assassins, and other th?reats can easily overwhelm.

A careful approach is usually the way to go so you don't take too many papercuts along the way. The bosses are the hardest part of Cult of the Lamb, far more than the common fo??es or anything strategy-minded in the base-building gameplay. Even with each area's enemies warming you up to the mini-boss, and the mini-bosses telegraphing what to expect from the actual biome boss, the bishop fights require focus and fast reflexes.

Every single time I failed a run, it was while fighting ?a bishop. That said, the penalty on your collected resources isn't too strict, and there are ways to cheat death �would you trade a cultist's life for your own? It's a?? cruel world, and I honestly still felt guilty.

A dozen hours is just long enough

I appreciate how streamlined the action is, but by the end, especially factoring in extra runs for resources and optional cosmetic unlocks, I had my fill of the combat. It lasted just long enough. If you crave diverse character builds, this might not be your game. On the village simulation side, a constant rollout of new unlocks kept it fresh the entire way through for me. I spent 13 hours finishing the sto??ry, and a few more digging for secrets. Aside from general mop-up, there isn't much of an incentive to stick around after the credits, though you can �and it sounds like post-game content is in the works.

The roguelite action could've had a bit more complexity in terms of distinct enemy, weapon, and ability variety. That said, the design feels pretty intentional. Cult of the Lamb isn't a game meant to be played endlessly, and it is enjoyable as is, especially given how ridiculously fast the runs end up feeling. You can fly through rooms, which keeps the pacing tight. My only notable complaint with the cult-raising is that things can get a little crowded sometimes, which is a ??minor (always temporar??y) problem when you're trying to interact with a specific object or villager. Worst case, I would just hold the meditative fast-forward-time button for a few seconds and the crowd would quickly shuffle along.

I'm a big fan of roguelite action games and city builders, but even if you're on the mild side, Cult of the Lamb is a winning combo. ??It draws many of the best aspects of those genres, places them in a one-of-a-kind world, and charts its own condensed course. The result is hard to put down. Despite the morbid subject matter and potential for player fatigue, this is such an easy game to recommend to a wide audience. Go on, spread the good word.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Cult of the Lamb appeared first on Destructoid.

Sony puts the limelight on some ports and projects

Though big-name games can dominate the discuss??ion, there are some cool ind??ie projects slotted for the coming months. Today, PlayStation showcased seven indie games coming to PlayStation 4 and PS5 in the future.

All of these game?s have either been previously announced, or previously released on other platforms. That said, it's an honestly great collection of rad games worth keeping an eye on, especially if some have slipped you by.

Sea of Stars

First up is Sea of Stars, the classic RPG from Sabotage Studio, which made The Messenger. It recently got delayed into 2023, but today Sabotage showed off some gameplay and mechanics. Actions can build up combos, and timed hits can increase your damag??e and mitigate incoming hits.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMComOd9qP4

Cult of the Lamb

Adorable cult simulator and action game Cult of the Lamb got a feature on some of its base management and farming. Which uh, includes poop. Really no way of sugarcoating that one. Cult of the Lamb is set for August 11.

Signalis

Sci-fi classic survival horror game Signalis showed off its haunting world and atmosphere. This is still one of my most-anticipated indies of the year; the classic Resident Evil setup just meshes so well with the CRT screens and dark world. Signalis arrives on October 27.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFNRihUyo5o

SCHiM

SCHiM made a splash at this year's Day of the Devs presentation, and for good reason. It's a neat exploration game about dipping and hopping between shadows. While it looks great in stills, it's even cooler in motion. Be sure to check out the trailer and keep an eye out for SCHiM sometime next year.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLvChfIFnBs

The Tomorrow Children: Phoenix Edition

Q-Games recently reacquired The Tomorrow Children and revealed its plans to re-launch it as the Phoenix Edition. Today, Q-Games confirms that the phoenix will r?ise on September 6, and it showed off Monoliths, a new mechanic for this version.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1WCCkauZQU

Cursed to Golf

Sports roguelite Cursed to Golf puts an interesting spin on golfing. Well, really any situation in which you need to golf your way out of purgatory is going to be interesting. But the golfing afterlife arrives very soon, it turns out. Cursed to Golf chips its way onto PS4 and PS4 (as well as Xbox consoles and Switch) on August 18.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SPxcFWzf_M

Inscryption

Closing out the day's reveals is an oldie but a goodie. Inscryption, from Daniel Mullins Games, made a big splash on PC last year. Now it's coming to PlayStation, with some PlayStation-exclusive features in tow. The Stoat will talk through the controller, and lighting will come out of the controller too. Seems pretty creepy, especially if haptics are also getting involved. No date yet, but Inscryption is bound for PS4 and Ps5.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAn7OxLub9Y

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If you're looking to try something new, here are a few good options

The Steam Next Fest demo party is currently on, with many studios showcasing their upcoming games. From big to small, solo devs to publisher-backed projects, the?re's a lot to explore.

I took a browse through the selection over the last day or so, and now I'm back with a list of some demos that seem worth checking out. Keep in mind: this is, by no means, an exhaustive list. There are a ton of demos to find, and if you're looking to fill a specific need like "deck-building roguelike" o?r something, Steam's tag system will get you there.

These are just the ones that caught my eye, and might catch yours too. Some I've even alrea????dy played, as you'll see in the writeup, at previous expos and demo fests. But with the selection here, there are plenty of cool upcoming games to try out.

Without further ado, let's start with the spooky.

Metal: Hellsinger

The rhythm-FPS genre is quickly filling up, but Metal: Hellsinger has been garnering some attention for its extremely metal approach. I imagine many people who played Doom (2016) found themselves entering a Zen state of chugging guitars and splattering demons, and Hellsinger is the meeting ?point of the two. It's currently set to launch in f??ull on Sept. 15, 2022.

Find the demo on Steam here.

Signalis

Maybe arena shooters aren't your thing. Maybe you prefer your nostalgic, retro-vibes games more in the vein of Resident Evil, with a twist of existential cosmic dread and cyber-horror. Well, Signalis has it in spades. It's atmospheric, moody, utilizes shifts in perspective and audio pips extremely well, and is easily one of my most-anticipated indies headed into later 2022. And it's slated just in time for Halloween, on Oct. 27, 2022.

Find the demo here.

Cult of the Lamb

Okay, so maybe dark-and-creepy is your vibe, but you want a splash of cute. Maybe some isometric roguelite action, and a surprisingly compelling base management system. You should head over to the Cult of the Lamb, Massive Monster's adorably chaotic game about a cute lil' lamb starting a cult. Slay the false prophets, reclaim the forest, and convert the critters to your belief system so they can work while you're away. Cult of the Lamb arrives on Aug. 11, 2022.

You can find the demo here.

Gloomwood

Okay, dark and grimy, but maybe a little more immersive sim. How about a survival horror game with a heavy heaping of the Thief series in Gloomwood? It's set in a dark Victorian city? where guards with bright, glowing eyes patrol. Plan your route, escape with stealth and ingenui?ty, and deploy all kinds of fun tools along the way. Just don't get caught.

Find the demo here.

Escape Academy

Okay, I get it. Let's lighten the mood a bit, while sticking with the escape theme. Escape-the-room games have always been quite popular, but Escape Academy brings a little something extra to the table. It's got a narrative twist, as you're a new student at the titular school for escape artists, le??arning to get out of any sticky situation and meeting classmates and professors along the way. What I really dug about the demo, which is one of my favorites in the Next Fest lineup, is that it has online co-op. It was remarkably easy to hop into a room with a friend in another state and play through the demo together, and we had a blast. The release date is right around the corner on July 14, but I can't recommend this demo enough for co-op folks looking to try something new.

Find the demo here.

Potion Permit

Sometimes, you just want to hang out, hunt for some ingredients, and brew some potions. Potion Permit is one of the cozier games in the Steam Next Fest, and I really dug its small-town alchemist sim setup. It's definitely one of the slower starts compared to other games on this list, but if you want to just hang out and brew some potions with your dog, who's a very good boy, then Potion Permit seems up your alley.

Find the demo here.

Terra Nil

This city builder that's actually a nature builder has been top of my to-watch list for some time, and for good reason. Free Lives turns terraforming and restoring the scorched earth into an extremely pleasant experience. With each new installment and fixture, you get some gorgeous animations of grass flowing out across the soil, or water filling desolate canyons. Then, when it's all said and done, you pack up and leave. Terra Nil is beautifully seren??e and definitely worth your time.

Find the demo here.

Anger Foot

And now for something completely different from Free Lives, it's Anger Foot. Jordan recently declared this might be Devolver's most unhinged game yet, and after playing the demo, I'm inclined to agree. That's not a bad thing, though. Anger Foot has powerful kicks and speedy runs through brutal, blistering chaos, but its bass-pumping, pulse-pounding pace can really put you in the zone. It's fast ??and bizarre, and might be a bit much for some, but I have to admit I do love how the gators break it down after bringing you down.

Find the demo here.

Naiad

Okay, wheel it back around. Let's go back to the comforts of nature. Naiad is a gorgeous, almost dreamy game about being a river guardian and hanging out with your river pals. HiWarp has crafted some incredible visuals here, and it makes the whole experience wonderfully serene and flowing in a way that really sticks. Naiad was a Day of the Devs standout, and I'm happy to see it's got a demo in the Next?? Fest.

Find the demo here.

Goodbye World

Another Day of the Devs standout for me was Goodbye World, from solo developer Yo Fujii. It is a narrative adventure about the life of two indie developers, who struggle to make their hit? game while juggling part-time jobs. Interspersed throughout, you actually get to play their game, a cute little puzzle platformer. It's a great concept ?with wonderful art and huge potential for drama.

Find the demo here.

Frogun

Another nostalgic surprise is Frogun, a throwback 3D platformer about a girl ??with a frog gun. This seems like it should be on the radar of anyone who dug the Nintendo 64 or PlayStation ?1 era of platformers. But the bonus is now, with modern technology, we've got a frog-themed grappling gun. Molegato's game seems both adorable and pretty interesting for platformer fans.

Check out the demo here.

WrestleQuest

I'm sorry, did you think I'd write a whole Steam Next Fest demo roundup and not include wrestling RPG WrestleQuest? I was pretty surprised and entertained by the demo I played at PAX East 2022. Mega Cat Studios is combining the world of wrestling with action figures and Super Mario RPG-style combat for something that, somehow, works. Works pretty darn we??ll, actually. Pump up the hype and pin some fools (or be pinned, if need-be) in RPG fashion.

Find the demo here.

Those are all the games I'm keeping an eye on and checking out. But? if you've got any cool demos you like from the Steam Next Fest, please shout them out in the comments! Summer showcases are always a landslide of info, but these demo fests are a really great opportunity to test the waters, expand horizons, and add some cool new indie projects to your Steam wishlist.

The post Steam Next Fest: 12 cool demos you should try out appeared first on Destructoid.

A cult in lamb's clothing

This summer, it's finally time to start the cutest lil' cult you ever did see. Cult of the Lamb will launch on Augus??t 11 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch.

The news was part of today's Devolver Digital summer showcase. In between skits about Mecha-Suda51 and the convergence of all video games, Massive Monster's adorable roguelike-meets-management game finally locked in a release date. We also got a new animated trailer here:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI6D2iYCTcU

A demo for Cult of the Lamb is live on Steam today too, ahead of it??s August launch date. That way you can try out taking over the woods before you buy all the way in.

Building up a new following

Cult of the Lamb follows a little lamb, who narrowly avoids being dest?royed only to become beholden to a dark spirit. Paying back your debt means assisting this spirit in taking over the woo??dlands and destroying the other prophets.

Along the way, you can recruit a following of other happy creatures to do your bidding. That means harvesting crops, building new structures, and gradually constructing a quaint hom??e base you can visit between escapades.

It's a cool town-building twist on the usual action-roguelike formula. I got to demo a build at PAX East earl?ier this year, and was really own over both by its style and its compel??ling management.

As the summer?? showcases start to ramp up, it's nice to see a cool project get locked in for a release date, and so soon at that. Looks like I'll be building up?? my own following in just a few months.

Cult of the Lamb arrives on August 11 f??or PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.

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