Indie · May 31, 2018

Cultist Simulator (2018)

trophy83 achievementsextension6 DLClocal_offer-70% current discountgroup1M–10M ownerstrending_up582 peak concurrentrecommend10.2k recommendations
Cultist Simulator is a game of apocalypse and yearning from Alexis Kennedy, creator of Fallen London and Sunless Sea . Play as a seeker after unholy mysteries, in a 1920s-themed setting of hidden gods and secret histories. Perhaps you're looking for knowledge, or power, or beauty, or revenge. Perhaps you just want the colours beneath the skin of the world. In this roguelike narrative card game, what you find may transform you forever. Every choice you make, from moment to moment, doesn't just advance the narrative - it also shapes it. Become a scholar of the unseen arts. Search your dreams for sanity-twisting rituals. Craft tools and summon spirits. Indoctrinate innocents. Seize your place as the herald of a new age. In this 20-40 hour game, you'll: Combine cards to tell your own story in a rich, Lovecraftian world of ambition, appetite and abomination. Corrupt your friends. Consume your enemies. There is never only one history. Found a cult, dedicated to the Red Grail, or the Witch-and-Sister, or the Forge of Days . Recruit Believers and promote them to Disciples to serve as burglars, researchers, cat's-paws. Use your disciples to keep you fed - or feed on your disciples. Unravel arcane, unacknowledged mysteries. Translate grimoires and glean their lore. Locate and pillage the Star Shattered Fane. Penetrate the realm of the Hours, and win a place in their service. Perhaps - if you are very cunning - you may even glimpse the Mansus. Outwit rivals, investigators and the increasingly suspicious Authorities. Your own altered Appetites may force you to act abominably, but your Cause must not be stopped. Transcend death with a story-driven legacy system. Perhaps your inheritors will complete the Rite of the Crucible Soul. Perhaps they'll find peace in a pleasing career. Perhaps they'll bring the Dawn.

Indie releases from 2018

40 Indie titles launched in 2018 — top 6 by review volume.

Peer Indie titles

Comparable titles in the same genre and review-volume band — ranked by Steam positive percentage.

Position in Indie

MetricThis titleGenre position
Review volume13.0k Steam reviewsTop 22% in Indie
Positive rating79% positiveGenre average: 87% — this title sits in top 84%
Metacritic71/100Genre average 77 — top 82% of Indie titles
Concurrent peak582 playersTop 11% in Indie by live player count
Engagement hours13 h averageTop 49% for session depth among Indie

Community Tag Signals

Tag weights reflect how many Steam users voted each descriptor — larger pills = stronger consensus.

  • Simulation · 816
  • Choices Matter · 813
  • Strategy · 790
  • Dark Fantasy · 708
  • Dark · 667
  • Card Game · 643
  • Singleplayer · 637
  • Lovecraftian · 629
  • Strategy RPG · 626
  • Lore-Rich · 624
  • Resource Management · 614
  • Story Rich · 608
  • Narrative · 607
  • Replay Value · 605
  • Rogue-lite · 600

Reception Metrics

Steam community

79%Mostly Positive · 13.0k reviews

10.3k positive · 2.7k negative

Metacritic

71/100 critic aggregate

Open Metacritic page

Metacritic user score

6.6/10

Curator recommendations

10.2k

Peak concurrent players

582

Features & Capabilities

Community

  • Steam Achievements
  • Steam Trading Cards
  • Steam Workshop
  • Steam Cloud
  • Remote Play on Tablet

Accessibility

  • Adjustable Text Size
  • Color Alternatives
  • Playable without Timed Input

Input & Comfort

  • Custom Volume Controls

Other

  • Single-player
  • Mouse Only Option
  • Family Sharing

Press Quotes

“A magnificent nightmare, for those with the stamina to master the gruelling card game that houses it.” Recommended – Eurogamer “Cultist Simulator is something else. It’s seductive. It captures the looming threat of utter annihilation played against the transcendent bliss of unravelling mysteries wrapped in enigmas wrapped in other really, really weird shit. It’s excellent, put simply. The cosmic horror and occult subject matter isn’t just set dressing here – it’s expertly woven into the core of play, and the…

Engagement Profile

All-time avg

13h

short (5–15 hours)

Median

4h

Typical completion time

2-week avg

5h

Current engagement

Achievements

83

Steam unlocks available

Localization Coverage

Interface / Subtitles (7)

  • English
  • Simplified Chinese
  • Russian
  • German
  • Japanese
  • French
  • Spanish - Spain

Release & Availability

Release dateMay 31, 2018
DeveloperWeather Factory
Base price$5.99 -70%
DLC / Add-ons6 released
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux
Estimated owners1M–10M
External linksOfficial site · Metacritic page · Support · [email protected]

Editions & Packages

  • Buy Cultist Simulator