Worshippers of Cthulhu

About

"Worshippers of Cthulhu" is a city-building game where you lead the Cult of Cthulhu, performing eldritch rituals and deciding the fate of your followers. Your ultimate goal is to awaken Cthulhu, transcending human existence and reshaping the cosmos, while facing numerous challenges along the way. The game blurs the line between sanity and madness, testing your endurance against the horrors you unleash.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 704 reviews

gameplay62 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game combines city-building mechanics with a unique Lovecraftian theme, providing a fresh and engaging experience.
The atmosphere is immersive, with dark and eerie visuals that enhance the gameplay, making it enjoyable for fans of cosmic horror.
The developers are responsive to community feedback and actively work on updates, showing a commitment to improving the game.

The game suffers from some quality-of-life issues, particularly in managing cultists and their specializations, which can become tedious.
There are long cooldowns for certain rituals and actions, which can slow down gameplay and lead to frustration.
Some mechanics feel disconnected from the Lovecraftian theme, making it seem like a typical city builder rather than a true cult management experience.

gameplay
164 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
55%
7%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a blend of city-building and cult management mechanics, offering a unique atmosphere and engaging themes inspired by Lovecraftian horror. While many players appreciate the innovative mechanics and immersive setting, there are concerns about the simplicity and repetitiveness of certain gameplay elements, particularly in managing settlers and the overall pacing. With ongoing updates, there is potential for deeper mechanics and improved quality of life features, but current frustrations with micromanagement and balance issues may detract from the overall experience.
- “It's a blend of genres that works together beautifully, creating an unforgettable gameplay experience.”
- “Fantastic atmosphere and pleasant graphics finally do justice to this universe, combined with really great gameplay, similar to Anno but more simplified.”
- “Having good fun so far, very surprised by how many tiny minigames it has in it and they all tie in perfectly with the theme and gameplay.”
- “The atmosphere is perfect, but the gameplay is painfully simple and repetitive.”
- “Even the underlying base mechanic of the game is not well designed, and it only stitches together a bunch of gameplay from other popular colony simulation games.”
- “So ultimately, if you’re a huge fan of the setting, it might be a good purchase, bearing in mind that most of the mid-to-end game will be frustrating due to poorly designed settlers mechanics.”
story
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
63%
4%
The game's story is generally praised for its intriguing eldritch themes and captivating cult elements, providing an atmospheric experience that resonates with fans of dark narratives. However, several reviewers noted significant plot holes and gaps, which detracted from immersion, alongside a desire for more content and updates as the game is still in early access. Overall, while the storyline is engaging and offers substantial playtime, it requires further development to address its current shortcomings.
- “The cult aspect and dark story options are intriguing and captivating.”
- “The eldritch theme is very well made, the atmosphere is eerie, the story is very intriguing, the minigames between the building phases are very entertaining and unique, and the island design is absolutely gorgeous.”
- “Compelling storyline, surprising graphics.”
- “The story has big plot holes in it and gaps.”
- “The only problem that put me out of immersion were episodic story animations.”
- “One major departure from that expectation is that the game seems very quest driven, at least at the start.”
atmosphere
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
20%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating and eerie Lovecraftian elements, effectively immersing players in a dark and intriguing world. Reviewers highlight the impressive graphics, sound design, and thematic depth, noting that the atmosphere significantly enhances the overall gameplay experience. While some mention that the gameplay can be simplistic, the rich atmosphere and unique design choices keep players engaged and entertained.
- “The Lovecraft atmosphere has been captured incredibly well.”
- “The eldritch theme is very well made, the atmosphere is eerie, the story is very intriguing, the 'minigames' between the building phases are very entertaining and unique, the islands design is absolutely gorgeous.”
- “The atmosphere is well done, from the dreary constant rains to the color choices.”
- “The general aesthetic and atmosphere of the game is captivating and feels appropriately Lovecraftian.”
- “The atmosphere really adds to the gameplay experience.”
graphics
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
38%
6%
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, featuring a captivating Lovecraftian aesthetic with dark, mysterious landscapes and beautiful artwork that enhances the atmosphere. While some players note that certain elements appear dated or glitchy, the overall visual experience is considered pleasant and fitting for the genre. The game runs smoothly on high settings, delivering a solid graphical performance that complements its engaging gameplay.
- “The visuals are fantastic.”
- “The graphics deliver a good experience, enhancing the overall gameplay.”
- “The visuals are stunning, with dark, mysterious landscapes that pull you into its world, while the haunting soundtrack perfectly complements the ominous tone of the game.”
- “Whilst the graphics look like something from a remastered game, so not really good.”
- “The only thing I can think of is the helper guy looks a lot like PS2 graphics, but it isn't really that important overall.”
- “The graphics look a little dated, but I'd argue that those are secondary in a game of this particular genre.”
humor
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of lighthearted silliness and dark, macabre elements, creating an enjoyable experience for players who appreciate quirky tasks and bizarre interactions. While some moments are genuinely funny, others can be gruesome, contributing to a unique atmosphere that balances casual fun with a darker tone. Overall, the game's humor is immersive and often hilarious, appealing to those who enjoy a mix of the absurd and the sinister.
- “Its charm lies in its casual approach and dark tone, making it an enjoyable experience for those looking for a more relaxed and humorous take on city-building.”
- “The mechanics are simple, the devs are very nice and do pay attention to what the players point out, and the interactions with the cultists are hilarious.”
- “It’s immersive, bizarre, and ridiculously funny.”
optimization
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
69%
19%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some improvements have been noted since the demo, many players still experience issues, particularly with menu navigation and controller support. The game is in early access, and while it shows potential, further polishing and optimization are necessary to enhance the overall experience.
- “Optimization is much improved from the demo.”
- “Hopefully they can make some balancing changes and work on their optimization.”
- “Overall, it's got a lot of potential and there is plenty there already to keep you playing for a while, but it does need some optimization and polishing as well.”
- “It's still in early access, but the game has extremely poor optimization.”
- “Edit: I initially tried to play it with an Xbox controller because I like to play sprawled on my bed, and while technically optimized, it was an absolute nightmare.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, particularly in managing settlers and their specializations across multiple islands. The lack of quality-of-life features, such as the inability to control resident placement or efficiently manage housing, contributes to a frustrating experience as the game progresses. Overall, the grind for building tiers and resource management feels overwhelming and detracts from the enjoyment of gameplay.
- “The management of settlers is incredibly tedious; the player has no way to control who enters the city or view a report about what specializations are present, and can only change the destination of one house at a time, for hundreds of houses… no, it’s not a good mechanic.”
- “You can swap the occupants of a house and eventually specialize neighborhoods, but since you can’t prevent new residents from settling in empty houses, everything becomes extremely tedious and annoying once the island reaches a medium size.”
- “Sooooooooooooo grindy, the tiers of buildings take forever, and there was no way to know how to relocate followers to other islands.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
25%
8%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with a haunting and foreboding soundtrack that complements the dark visuals and themes of sacrificial management. Reviewers highlight the effective mix of subtle chants and immersive soundscapes, which together create a captivating and ominous experience. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's engaging and eerie ambiance.
- “The visuals are stunning, with dark, mysterious landscapes that pull you into its world, while the haunting soundtrack perfectly complements the ominous tone of the game.”
- “+++ soundtrack (really sinks you into the proper mood for sacrificial management)”
- “The music is dark and foreboding, the graphics are awesome, and the voice acting seems okay to me.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits notable stability issues, particularly with frequent bugs and glitches, especially in the user interface. Players report that it struggles to run smoothly for extended periods, often requiring a hard restart to resolve the problems. Despite these stability concerns, many find the overall experience enjoyable and visually appealing.
- “The most aggravating issue so far is that the game really does not like to be running for more than an hour; some weird buggy behavior all around that only goes away with a hard restart.”
- “Obviously very buggy because of early release, but a lot of fun!”
- “Some small bugs, mostly UI glitches.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for leveraging well-known intellectual properties primarily for advertising, resulting in low-quality games that fail to deliver on the promise of their source material. However, there are positive mentions regarding the effective representation of Lovecraft's universe within the game.