Cultist Simulator

Cultist Simulator is a narrative roguelike card game by Weather Factory. The game starts with a few cards and time slots; from these come work, study, dreams, relationships and eventually a cult of your own.

The story is set in an occult version of the 1920s. Instead of a linear campaign, the game combines cards with verbs and timers until new resources, risks, followers and paths into the hidden world emerge.

The PC version was released on May 31, 2018. Native versions for iOS and Android followed on April 2, 2019, Nintendo Switch on February 2, 2021. The Initiate Edition came out on August 8, 2024 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

Product versions are available for PC, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Nintendo lists the Switch version as compatible with Switch 2; this does not result in a separate native Switch 2 version.

On Xbox, the Initiate Edition supports Smart Delivery and is optimised for Xbox Series X|S. The PlayStation version is listed in the store for PS4 and PS5.

Cultist Simulator organises its systems as cards and timed verbs. Cards can represent people, places, books, money, injuries, passion or occult knowledge, for example. They are placed in slots such as Work, Study, Dream and Talk to trigger events and new cards.

A run can fail through authorities, disease, poverty or supernatural consequences. After an ending, Legacies open different starting positions for the next attempt. Knowledge of systems and combinations thus becomes part of long-term progress itself.

The four major expansions are The Dancer, The Priest, The Ghoul and The Exile. The first three add new Ascensions, Legacies and mechanics within the core system.

The Exile stands out more: the expansion follows a fugitive on the run across Europe and changes the usual card flow significantly. On Switch, the Initiate Edition includes Dancer, Priest and Ghoul; Exile is sold separately.

Steam lists for Windows at least Windows 7 or newer, a 2 GHz processor, 1 GB RAM, a DirectX 9.0c-compatible graphics unit with at least 1280 × 768 pixels and 500 MB storage. The game also has native macOS and Linux versions.

Dreams gradually lead into the Mansus, a supernatural realm with its own paths, doors and Hours. Knowledge about it is closely intertwined with the various Ascensions and cult Principles.

After defeats or completions, Legacies can unlock new starting conditions. The game therefore deliberately works with repeated runs, in which players keep their own system knowledge.

The PC version supports the Steam Workshop. Community content can be distributed as mods and integrated via Steam.

The console version is offered as the Initiate Edition. On Nintendo Switch it includes the base game as well as The Dancer, The Priest and The Ghoul. The Exile is available as a standalone expansion.

On Xbox, the Initiate Edition is offered for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S and supports Smart Delivery.

Playdigious brought Cultist Simulator to iOS and Android in 2019. The mobile versions were adapted for touch controls and later also expanded with the major DLCs, including The Exile.