Cthulhu Saves the World

About

Cthulhu Saves the World is a single player role playing game with fantasy and comedy themes. It was developed by Zeboyd Digital Entertainment LLC and was released on July 13, 2011. It received positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

In "Cthulhu Saves the World," Cthulhu must become a hero to break a curse and destroy the world. This old-school RPG features six to ten hours of gameplay, with bonus modes and increased difficulty levels for replayability. Unique features include inflicting insanity on enemies, as well as remixed content in "Cthulhu's Angels" mode.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,455 reviews

humor958 positive mentions

grinding94 negative mentions

Fun turn-based RPG that doesn't drag out or pad the story too much with unnecessary battles.
Great, goofy, and just fun to see Lovecraft stuff twisted into silly things.
The writing is sharp, often laugh-out-loud funny, and populated with memorable NPCs who riff on RPG clichés.

Dungeon design can feel repetitive, with long corridors and frequent encounters that occasionally test patience.
The combat system can become repetitive if you grind excessively.
Some players may find the humor hit-or-miss and the overall gameplay lacking depth.

humor
962 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Cthulhu Saves the World" is a standout feature, characterized by sharp, witty dialogue and a plethora of fourth-wall-breaking moments that keep players engaged and entertained. The game cleverly parodies classic RPG tropes while maintaining a light-hearted tone, making it accessible and enjoyable for both newcomers and fans of retro gaming. While some jokes may not land for everyone, the overall comedic writing and absurd premise contribute to a fun and memorable experience.
- “Cthulhu saves the world is a gleefully self-aware love letter to classic Japanese role-playing games wrapped in absurd humor and clever parody.”
- “The writing is witty and sharp, filled with clever jokes and fourth-wall-breaking humor that never feels forced.”
- “The story is hilarious with Cthulhu trying to redeem himself and become a true hero to raise his city of R'lyeh, but his interaction with characters in the world is really funny.”
- “I've never been subjected to a more hideous form of unfunny.”
- “Cthulhu Saves the World plays like a bad copy of a random RPG Maker game; the game is slow, not funny, and badly made overall.”
story
562 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
61%
5%
The story of "Cthulhu Saves the World" is a humorous and satirical take on classic RPG tropes, featuring the iconic character Cthulhu on a quest to regain his powers by performing heroic deeds. While the narrative is light and often absurd, filled with fourth-wall-breaking humor and Lovecraftian references, it lacks depth and complexity, making it more of a comedic vehicle than a profound storytelling experience. Players can enjoy a briskly paced adventure with engaging dialogue and quirky characters, along with additional story modes that enhance replayability.
- “You play as Cthulhu, the great old one himself - stripped of much of his eldritch power and forced to walk the earth in humanoid form - on a surprisingly sincere quest to regain strength by doing heroic deeds.”
- “The story unfolds with a blend of parody and sincerity: while the humor is constant, the characters still manage to develop genuine chemistry.”
- “The story is hilarious with Cthulhu trying to redeem himself and become a true hero to raise his city of R’lyeh, but his interaction with characters in the world is really funny.”
- “The story is mostly a humorous take on the Cthulhu mythos where his powers were stripped and he has to become a hero to get his powers back to destroy the world.”
- “The problem with this game is that it doesn't do anything particularly well to make it stand out from the crowd: generic monster types, humor that doesn't amuse, and a boring plot prevent this game from becoming what it could have been.”
- “The story is linear, and took me about 8 hours with in-depth exploration on my first run.”
gameplay
399 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
59%
4%
The gameplay of "Cthulhu Saves the World" is a nostalgic homage to classic turn-based RPGs, featuring simple mechanics enhanced by innovative systems like the combo and insanity mechanics, which encourage strategic thinking. While the combat can become repetitive and the random encounter system may frustrate some players, the humor and engaging narrative help maintain interest throughout the roughly 8-10 hours of gameplay. Overall, it offers a fun, if not deeply complex, experience that balances retro charm with modern sensibilities.
- “Mechanically, it’s faithfully retro: simple, grid-based progression, tidy menu combat and a steady drip of new abilities and items that keep encounters feeling serviceable rather than stale.”
- “The most notable system is the escalating battle mechanic: each round, enemies grow stronger, which discourages overlong fights and pushes players to think strategically rather than rely on grinding.”
- “The gameplay is a perfect homage to the 16-bit era, featuring a turn-based combat system that's easy to pick up but also introduces some innovative mechanics.”
- “Unfortunately, the pacing is dragged down by its gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is typical RPG Maker style bland turn-based combat, and there isn't enough story or character to really carry you through the repetitive dungeons and encounters.”
- “The jokes, characters, and settings are interesting enough to hold your interest for an hour or two, but eventually the monotony of the gameplay and the frustration of the difficulty curve eat away at your enjoyment.”
music
184 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
27%
2%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its nostalgic chiptune-inspired soundtrack, which effectively complements the retro pixel art and enhances the overall gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the catchy melodies and energetic battle themes, although some have noted issues with repetitive tracks and abrupt transitions during battles. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, adding significant charm and enjoyment to the game.
- “The chiptune-inspired soundtrack complements this design perfectly, with energetic battle themes and melodic town music that pay homage to the era of cartridge-based gaming.”
- “The soundtrack is another highlight, with catchy chiptune melodies that perfectly encapsulate the adventurous spirit of retro games.”
- “The music is amazing with sweeping orchestral scores (in 8-bit midi audio mind you) that really moves you and sounds great.”
- “The music is nothing worth remembering; not even the final boss theme was that catchy.”
- “The game looks decent, but sadly me and many others are having issues with the sound; there is no music playing and only a few sound effects are working.”
- “Also, with the graphics, I was hoping for some chiptune music, but the game has quite disturbing music that comes over and over and sometimes at inappropriate times.”
graphics
179 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
65%
4%
The graphics of the game are intentionally retro, evoking nostalgia with a charming 8-bit to 16-bit pixel art style reminiscent of classic RPGs. While some players appreciate the aesthetic coherence and humor that accompany the visuals, others criticize the graphics as outdated and lacking detail, suggesting that they may not appeal to those seeking modern graphical fidelity. Overall, the visuals are a mixed bag, celebrated for their nostalgic charm but also noted for their simplicity and limitations.
- “The art style is intentionally retro, evoking nostalgia without leaning on imitation alone.”
- “The aesthetic coherence—down to the text boxes and menu layout—feels lovingly handcrafted, as if the developers sought not to modernize old-school design but to refine it for contemporary audiences.”
- “The graphics are beautifully done for a 16-bit game and it reminds me of many RPGs from the SNES!”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “It’s a case where minimal visuals may have worked against the game, because there’s no interesting eye candy to watch.”
- “The graphics leave a little to be desired, not the best sprites or backgrounds I've seen in a well-packed game space at this point, but that's easily forgivable.”
grinding
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The reviews highlight a mixed reception regarding grinding in the game. While some players appreciate the balance between grinding and exploration, noting that the game avoids excessive grinding typical of old-school JRPGs, others find the combat repetitive and tedious, with some sections requiring significant grinding to progress. Overall, the game offers a blend of humor and engaging mechanics that can mitigate the grind for many players, but those averse to grinding may find it less enjoyable.
- “The retro graphics combined with modern conveniences make for a refreshing experience, especially with no grinding and unlimited saves.”
- “As a turn-based RPG, it strikes a great balance and isn't too grindy, allowing for a more enjoyable gameplay experience.”
- “Unfortunately, the combat is honestly pretty mundane and easy to brute force through grinding.”
- “Most JRPG-styled games require countless hours of grinding unless you're incredibly skilled and knowledgeable about upcoming bosses and such, as JRPGs are typically deliberately designed to take up time running around in the same area to trigger more fights, as if extending playtime is a good solution to a shortage of content in terms of number of maps/locations developers bothered to put into the game.”
- “The grinding could be a bit annoying at times but there is enough variety in enemies that it never gets too boring.”
replayability
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
61%
5%
Overall, the game offers significant replayability through various bonus modes, alternate storylines, and challenge options that encourage players to revisit the experience. Many reviewers highlight the engaging combat system and humorous narrative as factors that enhance replay value, while some note that the labyrinthine design of certain areas may detract from it. Despite mixed opinions, the consensus leans towards a strong replayability factor, especially for fans of classic RPGs.
- “The sheer amount of replayability offered through the bonus modes via completing the game once is staggering, and the entire adventure has left me galvanized to play more titles from this developer.”
- “There's also plenty of replay value, if you get into the game enough, including a mode that incentivizes defeating bosses while as underleveled as possible, and an alternate story campaign!”
- “Cthulhu Saves the World does this within each of its campaigns but provides plenty of enjoyable replayability in its multiple game modes, unlockable content, simple on the surface but deep under the skin combat systems and absolutely -awesome- wit and charm.”
- “I don't think there is a lot of replay value in this.”
- “The replay value is low, as the story is a bit bland for a linear game.”
- “While it makes a stab for being replayable with different game modes, I can't say it really stands as a replayable game.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The atmosphere of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising the effective use of music and level design to create a fitting ambiance, particularly in quieter moments and dungeons. However, others note inconsistencies, such as jarring dialogue and a lack of atmosphere as the story progresses. Overall, the game successfully blends nostalgic elements with a humorous tone, though it struggles to maintain a cohesive atmosphere throughout.
- “Fantastic level design with great music and atmosphere.”
- “It has the right atmosphere for each and every part they take in.”
- “I especially liked the male choir chanting inside the dungeons, adding a mysterious atmosphere to them.”
- “Some dialogue can be awkward, since it doesn't fit the atmosphere.”
- “The story kind of stops caring about a quarter of the way through the game and there's no sense of atmosphere at all.”
- “Very tongue-in-cheek and the retro graphics add to the whole atmosphere.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of humor and genuine sentiment, with sharp dialogue and memorable NPCs that provide both laughs and heartfelt moments. While some players appreciate the heart-wrenching story and emotional depth, others find the narrative lacking, leading to mixed feelings about the overall emotional impact. Overall, the game evokes a range of emotions, from laughter to tears, though opinions on its effectiveness vary significantly.
- “Dialogue is sharp, often laugh-out-loud funny and populated with memorable NPCs who riff on RPG clichés while still earning a few genuine emotional beats.”
- “Beneath the jokes, there’s a surprising amount of heart in Cthulhu’s reluctant transformation from destroyer to savior, even if the story ultimately remains a vehicle for humor more than emotional payoff.”
- “+heart-wrenching story leaves you wanting more to the very end.”
- “Boring story, characters, and gameplay. Just stay away and don't spend 20 hours like I did.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Cthulhu is praised for its excellent optimization, ensuring smooth performance without straining system resources. Players also appreciate the ability to select new abilities upon leveling up, enhancing their combat experience.
- “Cthulhu is very well optimized and won’t strain your system at all.”
- “Every time you level up, you get a choice of abilities to select and hopefully improve your combat performance.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is noted for its engaging design and the ability to customize characters to fit desired roles, enhancing combat dynamics. While the storyline is straightforward, it effectively maintains player interest, and early impressions suggest a promising depth in character progression.
- “The character development in terms of combat is interesting because it genuinely does feel like it's possible to have your characters fill the role you wish them to, at least to a certain point.”
- “The character development is decent, and the storyline is simple, but keeps your attention.”
- “The character development is decent, and the storyline is simple, but it keeps your attention.”
- “I've barely gotten into the game, and I see it has some depth in character development.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game is praised for its stability, running smoothly on the Steam Deck, though some users have noted minor glitches. Despite these issues, players find the experience enjoyable and entertaining.
- “Short, funny, and runs great on the Steam Deck.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is generally viewed positively, with users expressing enthusiasm for the game and its ads, suggesting that they enhance the overall experience rather than detract from it.

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85%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

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10h Median play time

10h Average play time

6-10h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 12 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Cthulhu Saves the World is a role playing game with fantasy and comedy themes.

Cthulhu Saves the World is available on PC, Phone, Windows, Xbox 360 and others.

On average players spend around 10 hours playing Cthulhu Saves the World.

Cthulhu Saves the World was released on July 13, 2011.

Cthulhu Saves the World was developed by Zeboyd Digital Entertainment LLC.

Cthulhu Saves the World has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its humor but disliked it for its grinding.

Cthulhu Saves the World is a single player game.

Similar games include Breath of Death VII, Epic Battle Fantasy 4, UnEpic, Cosmic Star Heroine, Skyborn and others.

Cthulhu Saves the World

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