This PlayStation Plus gem has you sacrifice everything in order to play

Roguelikes are big business and the industry has been capitalising on them over the past few years with varying success. If it isn’t an indie game attempting a new spin on the formula, roguelike modes are being added to AAA games to offer a new way to play. Cult of the Lamb is a recent success in the genre that has landed on PlayStation Plus and I’m here to tell you it deserves your time.

Combining two engaging aspects, Cult of the Lamb is part dungeon-crawling action, and part social cosy game, if cosy can be a applied to a game that sees you building a religious cult and sacrificing your followers for material gains.

When I first played this gem, I spent most of my time cleaning up poop, recruiting followers, and setting up various ways in which they could praise me. I’m a benevolent ruler, except when I need something from my flock, like for them to worship my false Gods so I can absorb their power of praise and turn it into something beneficial for my next turn in the dungeon.

Because when you’re not sermonising, punishing, or forcing your cult into slave labour, you’ll be wandering dungeons looking for big bosses to slay. There are a few big bosses, all of which don’t approve of your new religion and must be thwarted in order for you to spread the seeds of your way of life.

Action comes in a hack and slash style with bold and brash abilities where you’ll be rewarded for your runs, even if you die. Stay alive and defeat the boss though and you’ll reap bigger rewards that you can take back to your camp to further exploit your followers. It sounds cruel, but honestly there’s bags of humour here accompanied by a gorgeous cartoon art style that compliments the horrors nicely.

It’s not overly difficult, and the game has recently received a very nice update adding in co-op play, so if you’re struggling you can call in a mate to help. This also brings in some interesting spins on the minigames and cult management, making it feel like a fresh release filled with things to do, so it’s worth dipping in again if you’ve already played it once.

Whichever side of the genre fence you fall on - preferring the management style, or the combat, you’ll have a great time because they’re invested in equally. There are no power ups for exploring dungeons without the camp of followers, and there are no followers or growth without the items in the dungeons. Imagine Animal Crossing had a demonic baby with The Binding of Isaac and you’re on the right path to worshipping false Gods.