When I play Cult of the Lamb I feel all of these other games inside it. I feel Hades, I feel Undermine (an underrated gem), I feel Slay the Spire, the Binding of Isaac. Maybe I even feel Animal Crossing, if Tom Nook were the devil and the whole island locked in a cult – oh so it is Animal Crossing! But even with all of that swirling around, Cult of the Lamb manages to emerge as itself, feeling unforgettably and irrepressibly unique. Whisper it but this could be great.
It’s a Roguelite action RPG, in essence. You’ve got one shot at fighting through a series of rooms, many with enemies, until eventually you reach a boss to complete the mission. There’s a lot of slashing and dodge-rolling, and the pace is fast.
But the different bit is the in-between, which is where the theme of the game really comes through. You’re a lamb saved by the devil as a blade hits your neck to sacrifice you. In return, though, the devil wants you to create a cult for them.