Cultist Simulator

That’s the real beauty of Weather Factor’s debut title — the world feels so large and full of possibilities, even though everything is mainly told through small snippets of text. It’s filled with poetry, like descriptions of a vial of Greydawn Oil that’s “the precise color of the hours when one cannot sleep,” and it makes you want to explore and unravel its mysteries. And it makes you work for it, reading between the lines and imagining a realm unseen.

A dark, engrossing, and challenging narrative card and crafting game.

At first glance Cultist Simulator looks like a card game, but in fact it’s a fusion of a puzzle game with a text adventure game. With its extraordinarily atmospheric writing, ability to merge simplicity with depth, and different paths it’s fun for hours. It’s a shame the later stage relies on grinding too much and can become tedious. [07/2018, p.80]

The end result is a glittering construct of stunningly good prose.

If you already enjoyed previous Fallen London escapades like Sunless Seas, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy Cultist Simulator as well. It’s certainly not the easiest game to break into, but then again it was never really meant to be either. Cultist Simulator isn’t afraid to keep its greatest rewards locked away for only the most patient and clever players to find, and there’s a lot of potential enjoyment to be had for players who relish the journey as much as the destination.

An engrossing dabble into otherworldly forces. [July 2018, p.72]

Cultist Simulator is intriguing and full of potential, but even flawed and frustrating.

Cultist Simulator is the kind of game where “Just one more turn,” easily becomes “Four hours later…” It’s addicting even when it’s difficult and frustrating, and extremely satisfying when things finally start going right for you. If you’re even slightly interested in it, the price is right to try something that’s completely original and unlike anything else out right now.

The mood, the setting, and the pedigree of the writing are all perfectly in line with my interests, but I found the combination of the card playing and having to sit at a PC never truly gelled.

At its best, Cultist Simulator is quietly riveting, conjuring a palpable atmosphere of intrigue and danger as you juggle the risk and reward of harnessing otherworldly powers. During a bad run, however, it can feel like a rather inefficient way of telling a fairly miserable story. [July 2018, p.118]

The quality of Cultist Simulator‘s writing and intriguing setting coupled with its arduous gameplay made me wish I was reading a surrealist novel rather than grasping at some sort of narrative with all these disparate cards. While I can appreciate the game’s own attempt at experimentation with its indefinite gameplay, tabletop format, and fragmented story, I could not find much enjoyment in constantly wondering what I was doing and asking myself why I was still playing.

Fascinating but alienating. [July 2018, p.83]

An inaccessible and difficult-to-use card game that hides a genius core underneath the questionable design decisions. It reveals the its unexpected depths and can keep the attention of only the most patient players. [Issue#287]

Lovecraft-inspired, one-of-a-kind, original-looking… boring grindfest.

Cultist Simulator is a laboratory of bizarre ideas and that corresponds with conflicting gaming experience. The story of a cult was squeezed into a pack of cards, but originality alone doesn’t provide fun.