‘Cult of the Lamb’ Mixes ALL the Genres Perfectly
Cult of the Lamb is hard to define. It’s got a little of this, some of that, with a pinch of everything else. And it’s great.
Since Cult of the Lamb was released last week, it’s been making big waves in the video game scene. It didn’t quite come out of nowhere, but no one expected it to be as good as it is.
Cult of the Lamb is, broadly speaking, a farm/colony builder. Sort of like Stardew Valley. But it also has real-time elements and hunger, like Don’t Starve. Then there are also your cultists who follow you and will help out, like Oxygen Not Included. But in order to gather resources, you have to enter dungeons like in Binding of Isaac. But then there’s also a tech tree like in many strategy games, and random item drops like in a lot of roguelikes.
With all of these influences, how does Cult of the Lamb manage it all?
By Working Together
It’s easy to make a game that has a lot of different systems and mechanics. There are plenty of examples out there of games where it’s clear an additional mechanic was added, just as a fun bonus. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but players can tell when it happens.
On the other hand, Cult of the Lamb‘s systems and mechanics all work in tandem so well. Some people will call this game a colony builder (like myself), while others will call it a dungeon crawler. Each side is correct since they are both required in order for the game to function. You can’t just do one and ignore the other.
The Player’s Wants Drive Gameplay
Because your followers get names and faces, and perhaps are based on your Twitch followers, it’s easy to grow attached to them. You want to give them the best colony you can. That gives you the motivation to want to tackle the dungeons and explore for more food and resources so you can finally give your followers that outhouse they’ve been needing.
The tech tree and various side quests always dangle progression in front of the player. This gives a sense of direction more than a pure sandbox game would.
Overall, Cult of the Lamb has something for everybody. However, because it has so much, some gamers may not like it as much, if they don’t really vibe with one side of the gameplay or the other. But, if you’re the sort of person who likes farming sims and dungeon crawling, with a heaping glob of cleansing the non-believers of your dark cult, then you’ll love Cult of the Lamb.
