It’s been 2 years since indie action roguelite/sim game Cult of the Lamb graced us with its unholy presence. Even up until now, the indie darling has been getting periodic updates and even a comic book to keep the following going.

Kakuchopurei’s Australian correspondent Dhayana “MissDeusGeek” Sena is doing the lord’s work (or lords’) in finding out what makes Massive Monster tick, at least via co-founder/game design director Jay Armstrong. Also, they happen to be at this year’s PAX Australia 2024 expo.

Dhayana: Cult of the Lamb has gained quite a following. What inspired this unique concept, especially given it’s one of your most notable games?
Jay Armstrong: The idea actually came from the lessons we learned from our previous games, which didn’t do as well. For instance, we realized we needed darker visuals, as our previous brighter games were often mistaken for kids’ games. We also needed reusable content to keep players engaged, rather than single-use levels and conversations. Around that time, roguelikes and games like Stardew Valley and Rimworld were trending, so we thought, why not combine the ideas? That’s how Cult of the Lamb began to take shape.

Dhayana: Now that the game is out and has seen updates, do you have more content planned?
Jay Armstrong: I can’t give specifics, but there’s definitely more lamb coming in the future!

Dhayana: Which cult leaders or bosses did you and your team have the most fun creating, and why?
Jay Armstrong: Great question! The game was highly iterative, so we went through many character designs that were cut and reintroduced later. For instance, we originally had a goat as the main antagonist but eventually replaced it with a large cat character. The bishops were a lot of fun to make, and we have a good mix on the team; some of us lean toward the darker characters, while others prefer to make the sillier NPCs.

Dhayana: It sounds like the team had a blast making the game! Were there any moments that made development particularly challenging?
Jay Armstrong: It was tough. We had a lot of fun mixing darkness and humour, but finding the right gameplay loop was hard. We knew players would want the experience of being a leader, performing rituals, and sacrifices, but translating that into compelling mechanics was challenging. We didn’t have existing games to reference for this unique combo, so it was all trial and error. We didn’t really nail it down until about six months before launch.

Dhayana: What about the followers in the game? Did you add any personal touches when customizing your cult?
Jay Armstrong: Oh, definitely! I like to add people I know, like friends and family, so that when bad things happen to them in the game, it’s oddly entertaining. For example, I had my co-founder and my wife as followers, and it just added a funny twist to see how they interacted and how things played out.

Dhayana: That’s a fun approach! Was there any real-life inspiration or cult-like elements you pulled from to shape the cult aspect of the game?
Jay Armstrong: I’m a big fan of horror movies like Midsommar, and we actually referenced an article on “How to Start a Cult.” It provided a list of essential cult traits—charismatic leader, follower exploitation, etc. So, we just went down the list, checking off items to add to the game!

Dhayana: Why did you choose a lamb as the cult leader?
Jay Armstrong: Early on, the game was called Sacrificial Lamb, and we immediately thought of a lamb as a symbol. It plays off the “Lamb of God” imagery and some subtle religious themes, without directly referencing specific religions. We knew a lamb would be the perfect fit.

Dhayana: Would you consider expanding Cult of the Lamb into other formats, like a spin-off or even an animated series?
Jay Armstrong: Absolutely! The concept and characters have become larger than the game itself. We’ve had cosplay competitions and fans who are deeply attached to the world. So, we’d love to see this evolve into board games, RPGs, maybe even an animated series. The sky’s the limit!

Dhayana: Live-action seems to be a trend lately. Could you ever see Cult of the Lamb transitioning into a live-action format?
Jay Armstrong: That’s an interesting thought! We get away with a lot of dark humor because of the cute aesthetic. In live-action, it might come across as too gritty or disturbing. But if we could find a quirky, comedic tone—maybe with Danny DeVito as the lamb?—it could work!

Cult of the Lamb is out right now for PC and consoles, and has a ton of updates, DLC, and expansions loaded onto the base game.