Recent reviews by Adamantius

I really don't like writing negative reviews because I consider games a form of art and I believe artists should generally be respected, even if we don't particularly like the art made, because it's an expression or even extension of the artist's soul. Well, since there's none of that here I don't mind criticizing this game.

"Cults and Daggers" could have been a great game—maybe even a masterpiece—had it been made by, say, Paradox and not a single person who seems to have lost his passion for making games. That person is Rod Humble, a veteran game developer so there is no excuse for such a massive disappointment. This is somewhat infuriating given how unique the idea behind it was: control the destiny of a cult over a span of 7 ages, between the death of Buddha and the birth of Christ, to prevent the vengeful Elder Gods (angry over their worshipers' waning faith) from destroying the world. There's no other game on the market like that!

So, what went wrong, you ask? 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. What I mean is that this is not a game as much as it's the skeleton of a game, a beta or proof-of-concept basically. Aside from the premise, there's no storyline to speak of: you either succeed at averting destruction or you get a game-over screen. Considering how much information is available both on the net and in any public library about the various types of cults of antiquity or earlier (e.g. the antediluvian fertility cults of prehistory that produced Venus figurines, Roman military cults like Mithraism, mystery cults like Orphism or those that worshipped the "mother goddess" Cybele, syncretistic Greco-Egyptian cults like that of Serapis or the Thracian/Phrygian/Greek cult of Sabazios, fertility cults known for their alleged sexual excesses like that of the "Good Goddess" mentioned by Juvenal, etc.), the game could have utilized that historical knowledge or been inspired by it to create a unique setting and atmosphere that would have drawn the player in and transported him or her into an unforgettable world. Instead, everything in this game—from the cults to the cult leaders to cities—is generic and absolutely lifeless. The only difference between the cult that you've created versus the others is the profile pic you select and the minor bonus you get from picking your power (e.g. more likely to convert nobles, more likely to convert peasants, better hiding ability for your disciples, etc.).

You then spend the rest of the tiresome game taking turns in which you send disciples to various cities and take actions in order to boost your presence or hurt the presence of other cults in order to accumulate a certain number of points and win the epoch. You can proselytize, set up a temple, assassinate rival disciples, commit blasphemy and try to blame another cult for it, engage in occult rituals (which is one of the few cool things in the game but even that gets tiring after the novelty wears off), etc. However, because there's no flavor text or anything special about your cult or your rivals' cults, you don't really feel all that immersed or invested in the outcome. "Oh, I lost this epoch?" "Ah, looks like I won this epoch. Great..." The best way to explain how it feels to play this game is to imagine playing a fantasy-themed children's board-game, but completely alone. That's the level of enjoyment you'll get from this game, if not immediately then certainly after a few hours of repeating the same actions over and over. Just try watching more than 20 minutes of game-play on YouTube, if you're skeptical about any of my claims. You'll probably want to give up after a few minutes.

That said, if you really want to try this game out for yourself, I'd normally say, "Wait for a sale"—but the developer doesn't believe in sales. This game is $30 and will likely always be $30. (Many years ago someone on the forums asked if he'd ever put "Cults & Daggers" on sale but, although he promised he would do so, it looks like he changed his mind because, aside from never having done so since the game's release in 2015, he also deleted the post where he said he would!) Do I think this game can be salvaged and become worth its price? Yes, with a lot of work and inspiration, definitely. Do I think it will be? Sadly, I don't, especially considering its last update was in 2016.

Luckily, for you, I bought this game so you don't have to.

Very fun word game