Players that enjoy dungeon-crawling roguelite experiences likeHadesandCurse of the Dead Godsshould feel right at home with Massive Monster’s latest Indie release,Cult of the Lamb. The adorably devilish game is visually stunning and much more in-depth than it appears from the outside. Once players have made their way through the opening cutscenes and combat tutorial, they’ll find themselves smack dab in the middle of an unraveling town management simulator.
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This unique blend of relaxing community simulation and challenging high-action combat creates a rather satisfying gameplay loop that will have players progressing the story while simultaneously building an impressive cult of dedicated followers. There is a lot of information that players will need to learn during the opening hours of Cult of the Lamb, and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the introduced mechanics and tutorials. To better help new players adapt to life as a cult leader, the following guide features some tips and tricks for those that are just starting out inCult of the Lamb.
Focus On Farming
Once players unlock their Shrine, they’ll begin to gain Devotion from their followers. This Devotion can be used to gain Divine Inspiration points, which will allow players to unlock new buildings and structures for their cult. Perhaps the most important, especially in the early game, is the Farm Plot. Players should snag this building recipe as soon as possible and begin laying Farm Plots to help generate food for their needy followers.
Followers that don’t eat will become irritable, sick, or possibly even perish. The Lamb can use Farm Plots to grow Berries and other ingredients to keep their followers fed and happy. There are even quality-of-life farming upgrades via Divine Intervention that can automate the farming process, allowing players to put their cultists to work tending the crops.
Lumber Is Immensely Valuable
When players first arrive in their new would-be village, they’ll find all sorts of trees, rocks, and bushes littering the ground. These items can be interacted with to gather wood, stone, and berries. The gathering points are pivotal to success in the early hours of the game as they provide food and building materials for the player’s growing flock. Unfortunately, Wood quickly becomes scarce, as players will realize that trees must grow back on their land to be harvested for multiple pieces of Lumber. It can take days (in-game time) for trees to grow back, meaning players will be stuck waiting for the precious material.
To make matters worse, Wood isn’t nearly as abundant during dungeon runs and expeditions. Players can break the environment in these areas to receive stone, bones, and grass, but trees aren’t usually found in the early stages. To help combat this lack of Lumber, players can build a Lumber Yard by quickly reaching Tier II of the Divine Inspiration skill tree and unlocking it. Doing so will allow them to conscript a cultist to produce wood by working at the building.
Always Break The Environment During Dungeon Runs
When players are placed into a combat area, they gain access to Curses and Weapons which they can use to dish out damage to their enemies and even break down items found within the rooms of each environment. While this seems like nothing more than mindless destruction at the start, players will soon realize that they’re gaining materials from breaking down these objects to their baser components.
Players should always chop any grass (which can be used to create a grass-based food source in a pinch) they see, as its a great commodity to have in abundance and is used in multiple recipes. The Lamb should also destroy idols, rocks, pots, or anything else they find along the way, as they’ll be rewarded with bones, stone, and other useful crafting materials.
Keep Cultists Happy
Players are free to run their Cult as they see fit, but it’s hard to deny how much easier things are when everyone gets along. A cult in chaos will not produce nearly as much Faith, which is a vital resource for the Lamb and its hungry Crown. To better build Faith, players will want to ensure that their subservient followers are willing and ready to do whatever it takes to please them. This baser level of manipulation means keeping the cultists happy, by providing them with whatever they need to thrive, while simultaneously making sure they’re taking care of and kept out of harm’s way.
Happy cultists will also increase in level, rewarding the player with massive amounts of Devotion, and they’ll be worth more to the Old God if used in sacrifice. Once players progress far enough into the tutorial they can gain the ability to read their followers' minds. This can show what a follower may be struggling with, allowing the Lamb to correct the issue and gain favor from the cultist as a product.
Pick The Right Weapon
Similar to Curse of the Old Gods and The Binding of Isaac, players will find random weapons and curses (which act as abilities) during the start of each dungeon run. During the opening hours, players are forced to use whatever they’re gifted, but those that are lucky enough, or put enough time into the appropriate skills, will find themselves with multiple weapon and curse choices. Each weapon can be downright deadly in the right hands, so players should pick weapons that accentuate their play style.
Some weapons are fast, chaining together multiple low-damage hits to whittle away at enemies, while others slow to swing but dish out some serious DPS when they strike. Once players begin to unlock and use weapons, they should quickly find what works for them to help them progress through dungeon runs easier.
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Don’t Be Afraid To Repeat Bosses
Once players progress far enough through a specific zone, they’ll encounter a large boss that must be slain to progress to new areas. After this boss is defeated, players can still return to their particular zone. Doing so will raise the difficulty in the area, with more aggressive and tankier enemies seeking to destroy the Lamb. Those that make it far enough through these upgraded zones will have the option of destroying a Shrine and engaging in an upgraded boss battle against the previously defeated creature.
These battles can be a great way to unlock new items, find commandment tablet pieces, or gain recipes. It is important to note that as soon as players fell an upgraded boss, they will be immediately returned to their village, ending their dungeon run.
Keep The Cult Clean
Cleanliness is easily overlooked when players first start growing their cult from the ground up. Without Outhouses, cultists will simply relieve themselves wherever they’re standing, and the piles of dung pose a health threat to any cultists in the vicinity. Thankfully, players can clean up the mess (and pocket some useful fertilizer in the process) but once a cult grows large enough, the Lamb will find themselves with some serious sanitation issues.
Thankfully, there are ways to combat the overflow of waste, like Outhouses and Janitorial Stations. These structures can be unlocked via Divine Inspiration and will help keep the village clean from unsanitary conditions. It’s not simply a matter of “looking gross” either, waste and other garbage will actually make cultists Sick, which can lead to all sorts of problems (and even death) if not treated.
Time Is Always Ticking
One mechanic that’s not particularly apparent in the early game is that time keeps on moving, regardless of what players are doing. If the game isn’t paused, the timer will continue to run and days will cycle. Thanks to the aging mechanic (which can see cultists die of old age) and the rate at which hunger can grow, time is another enemy that the Lamb will need to conquer. Players that spend too much time in dungeons may find themselves returning to a village in disarray.
To avoid cultists aging for no reason, becoming hungry, or waste piling up, players should be sure to manage their time (and pause or close the game should they need to do something else).
Enemies Flash Before They Attack
Players that find themselves running through dungeons a lot will start to notice a distinct increase in difficulty when it comes to the enemies they face. Although they’re pretty easy to take down as the adventure starts, they soon become harder to defeat and can dish out many attacks in a short period of time. Because the Lamb isn’t flush with health at the start of the game, players will want to learn to quickly dodge enemy attacks to avoid taking damage.
Thankfully, there is an easy indicator to tell when an enemy is going to attack, as they will flash for a few moments before engaging. Players should always be sure to keep an eye on enemies when trying to clear a room and dodge away from any that are flashing nearby.
Dodging Is Free And Without Consequence
Although there are many souls-like, roguelike, and dungeon-crawling games out there that employ dodging mechanics that have a cooldown, Cult of the Lamb keeps its combat fluid by allowing the player to dodge at any time. Players won’t find much of a cooldown between their dodge rolls, and can spam dodging as much as they need to, to stay out of danger. Because of this, players shouldn’t be afraid to simply dodge away from hordes of enemies or large bosses.
Simply rolling around, sitting back, and watching enemy attack patterns can be incredibly valuable in making it through many combat encounters.
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