Cultist Simulator is a single-player RPG of Lovecraftian horror from The Weather Factory, a game of beautiful madness where characters fall down a twisted rabbit hole loving every minute of it. If you’re familiar with Lovecraftian horror, you might like this game. If you love the movie The Ninth Gate with Johnny Debb, you’ll probably love this game. You play a cult leader where magic is real and scary eldritch gods are strangely beautiful. You lead a group of followers to greater and greater occult understanding and power while fending off the madness and creeping dread that comes with it. Like The Ninth Gate, characters are drawn into a dark occult world as they research rare books and perform rites calling on otherworldly spirits. Seriously, this game IS that movie. However, we must speak cautiously here as, technically, Cultist Simulator is unaffiliated with it. This is a detailed oriented game. It comes with no instructions or tutorial. (Initially that is. Weather Factory has since written a Beginner’s Guide. Get it for free here) You have to tinker with it, experiment, and take copious notes. If this doesn’t appeal to you, run away as fast as you can. Players place “noun” cards in “verb” boxes to perform actions. Many cards have timers attached allowing them to expire or morph into other cards as the game clock advances. This is an adult game; characters can choose to (and probably will) commit dark deeds, such as sacrifice people to eldritch gods. At the same time, this is a clean game; the cards are cartoon sketches. There are no gory images or graphic depictions.No screams, blood, or moans of pleasure like some other games I could mention. I would have no qualms in recommending this game to 14-year-olds, provided they had a good grasp on reality. Really, go watch The Ninth Gate. You’ll get the idea.
