With Cult of the Lamb set to receive its massive, free Relics of the Old Faith update soon, we’ve taken the time to sit down with the team behind 2022’s nerdy but sinister roguelike game. is interviewed with developer Jay Armstrong and James Pearmain. Monster at WASD 2023 about the upcoming update, the game’s adorably mystifying art style, accessibility tools, and the importance of Twitch streaming to the success of Cult of the Lamb.
Relics of the Old Faith is Cult of the Lamb’s first major update, and it will be free. Armstrong tells us, “We’ve been so blown away by how many people are loving the game that we’ve never had this before. We’re so happy and grateful.” The team sees this and the planned second free update, loosely planned for later this year, as a way to give back to fans.
“I think it’s really important for us to make this the best game possible,” says Pearmain, pointing to other big names in the roguelike genre for inspiration. “We really want to see games like The Binding of Isaac and Don’t Starve – how the game compares now to what it was at launch, we want Cult of the Lamb to fit into those types of games.”
As for what fans can expect from the update, Pearmain promises “harder versions of all bosses in the game”, as well as “a new resource you can use to spend on a new merchant who can give you rare unlocks”. He describes the new harder mode as “kind of like an improved New Game Plus: instead of having you fight the exact same enemies, we’ve made them harder.”
It’s not just about the combat, though: Pearmain says the lack of depth and variety in dungeons was one of the main criticisms players raised about the base game, so the improvement was a big priority for the team. “From the start of the game, the idea was to create a game on which we can continue to grow.”
Twitch streaming has also played a big part in the game’s success. Pearmain nods to the concept of streamers allowing their viewers to join their cult and make decisions, which he says worked really well. for the game. However, it was important to the team that the tone of the set lean in a fun direction to keep things from getting too grim.
“That could be a pretty heavy topic,” Armstrong notes, “you can nurture (your cult members) other followers… (but) the DNA of the game is just having fun. Although there are all those terrible things you can do.As such, the team had to strike a balance between the inherent horror styles and something a little lighter.
Pearmain explains, “There was a lot of back and forth: we wanted it to be cute, but we didn’t want it to be sickening; and then we wanted it to be horror, but we didn’t want it to be super gross and violent body horror. So it took many iterations to find where those two goal posts were.” As the game’s art director, he notes that “Everything was so cute and they kept telling me to make it more and more more evil.”
“We knew we didn’t want red blood, because we thought some people might not react very well to that,” says Armstrong. Instead, the game has opted for tentacles that trap your villagers and drag them into the mysterious void below. “I think we couldn’t have done it any other way based on the kind of stuff we’re doing,” he explains, “We keep trying to darken it, and that naturally comes back to being fun.”
There’s a lot more in the works for Cult of the Lamb. The Relics of the Old Faith update includes a set of improved accessibility tools, including high-contrast text mode and dyslexic font settings. Pearmain also mentions that the team is working on options to pause the day/night cycle in dungeons, and is considering ways to allow players to independently adjust the difficulty of the combat and base building sides of the game to better adjust. your experience.
Are there any plans to increase the size of the camp area we ask? “Not with this update,” Pearmain replies, “but it’s definitely something I think we’d like to do.” However, he points out that the team wants to “make sure that we don’t expand the world too quickly in a superficial way. because even (with) what we have now, we could add more depth to that.”
“We’re always ready to explore anything that makes the game more fun,” Armstrong concludes. “It was a big deal to get him.”
If you’re just starting out, don’t miss our beginner’s guide to the Cult of the Lamb and our tips for fighting all the Cult of the Lamb bosses. We’ve also rounded up the best indie games for PC, if you’re looking for smaller, more surprising versions to keep you entertained.
Interview by Nat Smith at WASD 2023.