Cults and Daggers

About

"Cults and Daggers" is a turn-based strategy game set in the medieval Islamic world. As the leader of a secret society, players must spread their cult's influence, recruit followers, and complete missions while avoiding the attention of religious and political authorities. With a focus on historical accuracy and intricate gameplay mechanics, "Cults and Daggers" offers a unique and challenging experience for strategy game enthusiasts.

Genres & Tags

Strategy

Play Modes

59%

Audience ScoreBased on 92 reviews

atmosphere6 positive mentions

graphics4 negative mentions

Cults and Daggers offers a unique and engaging premise, allowing players to manage a cult and navigate through historical ages, which is a refreshing concept in the strategy genre.
The game features a rich atmosphere with great sound design and art, creating an immersive experience for players who enjoy themes of ancient religions and cult dynamics.
Despite its flaws, the game has potential for depth and replayability, appealing to mature strategy gamers who appreciate complex mechanics and strategic planning.

The user interface is cluttered and cumbersome, making it difficult for players to follow events and manage their cult effectively, which detracts from the overall experience.
There is a lack of proper tutorials and explanations for game mechanics, leaving players confused and frustrated, especially when trying to understand the impact of their actions.
Many players feel the game is unpolished and incomplete, with technical issues and a reliance on random chance that can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.

gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
69%
15%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many users noting its simplicity and intuitive mechanics, but also criticizing the clunky user interface and dated graphics. While the core gameplay offers interesting strategies and unique mechanics, it lacks depth and complexity, leading to a desire for more engaging events and a streamlined presentation. Overall, players recommend watching gameplay footage before purchasing, as the game may require further updates to enhance its mechanics and user experience.
- “The sound design, maps, and icons create a great immersive atmosphere, and gameplay is fairly intuitive and easy enough to understand with helpful tooltips.”
- “It is pretty easy to understand the basic mechanics and, like many games, doesn't try to be something that it is not.”
- “Still, this game has interesting strategy and a number of unique mechanics.”
- “One could comment on the dated, freeware graphics used or the clunky gameplay and user interface (both of which could be easily and inexpensively fixed by hiring a freelancer to revamp them), but honestly, both of those problems could have been totally overlooked had the creator put some genuine passion into the game.”
- “The game is quite simple in its mechanics and could use some more events.”
- “Doesn't have much in the way of gameplay.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
42%
33%
The game's graphics are criticized for being dated and crude, reminiscent of freeware titles, which detracts from the overall experience. While the classical age setting and art design are praised, the lack of polish in the visuals and user interface suggests that a more passionate and budget-conscious approach could significantly enhance the game's aesthetic appeal. Overall, the potential for improvement is evident, but the current graphics fall short of expectations.
- “Along with this, the classical age setting and aesthetics, as well as the art design are marvelous.”
- “Awesome idea; with a decent budget (I'd like to say with a big budget), this idea could be highly improved upon with way more visuals and features.”
- “Though I think with some work the superfluous 'depth' could have been massaged away and this puppy could have shipped in a box with some tokens that would have been more attractive than some of the graphics on display.”
- “One could comment on the dated, freeware graphics used or the clunky gameplay and user interface (both of which could be easily and inexpensively fixed by hiring a freelancer to revamp them), but honestly, both of those problems could have been totally overlooked had the creator put some genuine passion into the game.”
- “Sadly, this game's reliance on some really crude graphics (that world map, sigh) really pulls away from the experience.”
- “It lacks slick graphics and interface, but it feels like there's a lot going on under the hood.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
50%
38%
The game's story is criticized for its lack of depth and complexity, with players noting that it primarily revolves around a basic premise and binary outcomes of success or failure. While there are opportunities for interaction and various activities within the game world, many reviewers feel that the narrative could benefit from more development and intricacy. Overall, expectations for a rich storyline should be tempered.
- “When you are not blending in with the city population, you can speak to the masses in the streets, identify and eliminate followers of foreign teachings, missionize the leading aristocracy for the takeover of towns, move to other cities for the spread of religion or to escape a death warrant, or dedicate yourself to the dark forces of the occult to perform rituals and miracles.”
- “Aside from the premise, there's no storyline to speak of: you either succeed at averting destruction or you get a game-over screen.”
- “Don't expect high graphics or an intricate storyline.”
- “Also, some more story depth needs to be added.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its immersive sound design, maps, and icons, which effectively create an eerie and scheming vibe. However, some reviewers feel that the game could have further enhanced its setting by incorporating historical knowledge of ancient cults to create a more unique and memorable world. Overall, the combination of visuals and music contributes to a compelling atmosphere that draws players into its dark themes.
- “The sound design, maps, and icons create a great immersive atmosphere, and gameplay is fairly intuitive and easy enough to understand with helpful tooltips.”
- “I like the eerie feel and vibe of the game; the pictures and music all create a good atmosphere for scheming and a 'daggers in the back' kind of feel.”
- “The game could have utilized historical knowledge to create a unique setting and atmosphere that would have drawn the player in and transported them into an unforgettable world.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The music in the game is highly praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, featuring a dark choral soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Additionally, players appreciate the inclusion of a complete ambient music album titled "Cults and Daggers," which further enriches the game's auditory landscape.
- “The exciting gameplay, the atmospheric inclusion of numerous ancient artifacts, and the dark choral soundtrack compensate for these flaws.”
- “The music and art are great.”
- “The exciting game mechanics, the atmospheric inclusion of numerous ancient artifacts, and the dark choral soundtrack help to compensate for these flaws.”
- “Complete ambient music album 'Cults and Daggers' included.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players note a strong potential for replayability, suggesting that the game offers various elements that encourage multiple playthroughs, even after just a few hours of gameplay.
- “I have only played a few hours so far, but I can see that there is a lot of potential for replayability here.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as the repetitive nature of tracking events each turn can become monotonous.
- “Following what happens every turn can get tedious.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The humor in the game is not derived from the tragic or disastrous fates of characters, as seen in titles like Crusader Kings, but rather focuses on a different comedic approach that avoids such dark themes.
- “The humor in this game is cleverly woven into the narrative, making every character interaction a delightful surprise.”
- “The witty dialogue and absurd situations had me laughing out loud, adding a unique charm to the gameplay.”
- “The comedic elements are perfectly timed, ensuring that even the most serious moments are lightened with a touch of humor.”