It has never felt more satisfying to beat a route in a game before. I wanted to say "beat the game", but after finally completing one route, a new expanded one based off the previous one with what so far seems to be harder mechanics opened up. And just like the first route, I'm determined to beat it. Even if I pull out fist fulls of hair in the process.

The pleasure in this game is finally figuring things out. The irritation is also figuring those things out. You fail, and you start anew. And then in the very next profession - if you choose another - things have changed. So there's more to figure out. In this it becomes very time consuming. It also brings a ton of replayability along with it as well. You either find it relaxing, or frustrating, or both - just like me.

It's hard for me to compare it to another game I've played. It's a solo-card-table-top-RPG-of-trial-and-error, filled with riddles, and lore that honestly seems like it doesn't make sense half the time. And recipe memorization, only you're cooking up an alien God. Lives up to being Lovecraftian at least. I'd say if you like in depth card games, you'll love it. If you like puzzles in a riddle sense, you might like it. No guarantees there. Story driven games? Also a big maybe. All of these things? Then you'll probably enjoy it, or at the very least appreciate it for what it is.

If I have any words of caution, it's that there is no tutorial. You're on your own. The Wiki and other online searches even after a basic understanding of the game may just serve to confuse you more. I think it took me a good 5-6 hours to get what I consider to be the basics of surviving and manifesting cards down at that. So if you buy this game, be prepared to honestly figure things out for yourself, with the occasional Google, that a quarter of the time may not help anyway. If I was able to figure it out though, so can you.

And one last thing, never purge your save. Just don't do it. To say why is a spoiler, and Cultist Simulator is not about spoilers.

It has never felt more satisfying to beat a route in a game before. I wanted to say "beat the game", but after finally completing one route, a new expanded one based off the previous one with what so far seems to be harder mechanics opened up. And just like the first route, I'm determined to beat it. Even if I pull out fist fulls of hair in the process. The pleasure in this game is finally figuring things out. The irritation is also figuring those things out. You fail, and you start anew. And then in the very next profession - if you choose another - things have changed. So there's more to figure out. In this it becomes very time consuming. It also brings a ton of replayability along with it as well. You either find it relaxing, or frustrating, or both - just like me. It's hard for me to compare it to another game I've played. It's a solo-card-table-top-RPG-of-trial-and-error, filled with riddles, and lore that honestly seems like it doesn't make sense half the time. And recipe memorization, only you're cooking up an alien God. Lives up to being Lovecraftian at least. I'd say if you like in depth card games, you'll love it. If you like puzzles in a riddle sense, you might like it. No guarantees there. Story driven games? Also a big maybe. All of these things? Then you'll probably enjoy it, or at the very least appreciate it for what it is. If I have any words of caution, it's that there is no tutorial. You're on your own. The Wiki and other online searches even after a basic understanding of the game may just serve to confuse you more. I think it took me a good 5-6 hours to get what I consider to be the basics of surviving and manifesting cards down at that. So if you buy this game, be prepared to honestly figure things out for yourself, with the occasional Google, that a quarter of the time may not help anyway. If I was able to figure it out though, so can you. And one last thing, never purge your save. Just don't do it. To say why is a spoiler, and Cultist Simulator is not about spoilers.