Grab Cult of the Lamb and other Steam Deck games at up to 90% off

Cult of the Lamb is just one of many fantastic games in the Handheld Friendly sale over at Humble. But, if a fast-paced, and admittedly, very addictive game with wild twists and turns like Cult of the Lamb isn’t your thing, don’t worry, the sale has other classic titles like Resident Evil, The Great Ace Attorney, and The Plucky Squire. Now is certainly the time to fill that backlog.

Cult of the Lamb was once described to me as Hades meets Animal Crossing, but with a sinister twist, and I’d have to agree. It takes elements of the best roguelike games, folds in management mechanics, elements from the best hack and slash games, adds a pinch of coziness with cutesy artwork, and then turns everything up to 11. It’s adorably dark with a morbid charm, and I love it.

Cult of the Lamb is a compelling tale of divine rebellion and corrupted faith. You play as a lamb sent to the slaughter in a sacrificial gambit by the Four Bishops of the Old Faith to prevent a prophecy. Fortunately, you don’t stay dead very long (that would be a very short game) as you are resurrected by an imprisoned deity, The One Who Waits. They also gift you the Red Crown, which grants immortality and the ability to wield magic. In return, you’ll need to build a cult in their name to gain strength to defeat the Four Bishops and free your patron from imprisonment. To build your cult, the game is split into two sections: dungeon crawling and base building, both of which work very well as far as Steam Deck games go.

You’ll explore four procedurally generated dungeons, each with one of the Four Bishops at the end. You’ll need to do several runs of a dungeon before you can fight them, but between the randomly generated maps and the satisfying combat system, dungeon playability is high, so you won’t get bored. This is just one of many reasons I count it as one of the best indie games.

Each dungeon has a different biome. For instance, one is forresty with pumpkins and mushrooms, while another is set underwater with coral and aquatic plants. But remember, each run is different. You’ll encounter different monsters and loot, even if the theme is the same. Dungeons are a great place to forage for lumber, stone, food, and followers. I love this because it makes resource gathering less of a grind and more of an exploration.

In between exploring dungeons, you’ll need to manage your cult. You can name your cultists, and each members have different traits. Unlike actual cults, you’ll need to keep your cultists content by cooking meals, keeping the camp clean, adding decorations, holding daily sermons, or doing favors. I would have loved to see a cultist ask Jim Jones for a favor.

That being said, you can decide what kind of leader you want to be. You could strategically go down the nice route and then sacrifice a bunch to remind them who’s boss. Just keep your goal in mind: maintain your followers’ faith in you, because every action has a consequence, albeit positive or negative. The more faith, the more they’ll pray at your altar, which will allow you to unlock new abilities and rituals.

Since its original release in 2022, the Unholy Alliance update has been released, which introduces local co-op mode. You can now play alongside a goat pal, and it converts the indie title into one of the best games for couples. New buildings have also been released, like a nursery, as well as a bunch of new character traits and co-op exclusive items.

Honestly, there are so many layers to this game that I could talk all day. But don’t just take my word for it, check it out yourself. Head over to Humble and get Cult of the Lamb Unholy Alliance Edition for $12.49/£9.74. You’ve got until Thursday, July 17, to take advantage of the Handheld Friendly Sale.

Other games in the sale that I recommend include:

• Resident Evil 7 – $7.99/ £6.39
• The Plucky Squire- $22.49/ £18.74
• Devil May Cry 5 Deluxe Edition- $9.99/£7.99
• Monster Hunter Rise- $9.59/ £7.91
• The Great Ace Attorney- $15.99/ £12.79
• Return to Monkey Island- $9.99/ £7.79

If you like Cult of the Lamb and would like to explore similar genres, check out our lists on the best dungeon crawlers and best cozy games. There are so many great games to explore!