Cultist Simulator
Weather Factory Developer
Weather Factory Publisher
2018-05-31 Release
Game News Posts:
152
🎹🖱️Keyboard + Mouse
Very Positive
(8911 reviews)
The Game includes VR Support
Public Linux Depots:
- Cultist Simulator Linux [299.36 M]
Available DLCs:
- Cultist Simulator: The Dancer
- Cultist Simulator: The Priest
- Cultist Simulator: The Ghoul
- Cultist Simulator: The Exile
- The Lady Afterwards - Digital Edition
A letter from the Witch of Lagash
[ 2025-04-14 17:04:44 CET ] [ Original post ]
First things first: Cultist Simulator is 50-70% off as part of the Lovecraftian Days sale, so now's a great time to get any DLC you haven't yet tried, or to encourage a would-be cultist to take the plunge into the invisible world. For those of you who are more Grail-aligned, we're also running a 20%-off-almost-everything in the merch shop, just because we can.
Now, some LORE. Be warned: minor spoilers for Travelling at Night, and inconsequentially minor spoilers for BOOK OF HOURS. Don't read on if that concerns you! We are also now switching from Lottie writing (hello!) to Alexis, so good luck.
***
Three years ago, I sat down to write an in-game letter for each Wisdom. The one below was for Hushery. We were going to release it as part of the Book of Hours marketing run-up, but it was a particularly opaque effort. Less opaque if youre steeped in Secret Histories lore and know that Winter-long are immortal only until their specific date of expiry. Or that Winter-long who ascend under the Sun-in-Rags are sometimes dismissive of those who win their immortality from the Elegiast. Or that the actress and painter Nina Lagasse was sometimes identified with Nyn, the Witch of Lagash. Or why Julian Coseley didnt get on with Solomon Husher. A number of these things became clear in Book of Hours, which I recommend you play, if you haint already.
But obviously the letter proposes a couple of new opacities, in particular how Nina Lagasse is still kicking around fifty years after her holy, irrevocable, Hour-enforced time of dissolution:
I spose maybe we should just keep reposting this image with every blog:
I hoped we were going to get to go to Ortucchio in Travelling at Night, but we probably dont have budget for DLC. Were not going to Paris, because Nina has excellent reasons to refuse ever to return there. But our itinerary does include some time in the mountains.
Anyway heres the letter.
[quote]Kerisham
July 1894
Julian, dear:
February the 9th, 1895. There, I have said it. I had long been certain it would be February long, in fact, before anyone had thought of naming that angle of the year as February. But the detail of the year came late. I had hoped for another hundred. The news came from our Patron when I saw you in Paris last. You did remark that I seemed out of sorts at dinner after the recital. Yes, that was because of the news of the year. I think you had guessed as much.
But I think you had not guessed that the news came during the recital. I am sorry, Julian, I have always found Satie pointlessly languid, but I had no wish to upset you; and by my age one has learnt how to nap with ones eyes open. So I dozed through the tinkle tinkle plonkle and I found myself in the Mansus, much quicker than I might have expected. I felt our Patrons chill, and I began at once to fear the worst.
It didnt come in person, of course I didnt even see its light but its emissary was a full Name, a gratifying condescension indeed, and she left no doubt in my mind. The choice of February is an honour, if not a surprise. The choice of the year, well, I would have liked to know sooner. I hope you will excuse my irreverence if I wonder whether our Patron had forgotten the matter, or had at least not made up his mind. He is, as they say, not as he was.
I hope you will excuse my irreverence. Of course you will. Most raggies would have cast my letter into the fire when they saw me share my date they would have found it in very poor taste or even suspected some intrigue. But you have always been irreverent, dear Julian, and as my end grows nearer, I find that my own reverence wanes. Do not surrender yourself to excitement. I have no interest in your great project of cosmic abolition or celestial overthrow or whatever it is you are calling it now. But it is a relief to cast off the pieties.
I am going back East for the end. I dont want to spend my final days alone. Dagmar wanted to accompany me, but I know she will get emotional and Im afraid she will do something foolish. There is a young woman of good family I will call her Gertrude because that is her name, but I shant tell you her surname because I dont want her getting mixed up in your nasty schemes. Gertrude has recent knowledge of the region, as well as an unslakable enthusiasm for alpinism. I will find both very useful. She is quite well-connected and determined enough to want to travel alone, and I think a little suspicious of me, but I have won her with secrets.
Before I go, I will entrust a will to my lawyer here. You will find it aggravating when I tell you that I am going to name you in my will. You will find it more aggravating when I tell you why. I am doing it to win our argument. We have talked before about Solomon Husher, and his aesthetic ideals. You expressed a poor opinion of those ideals very forcefully. The palest painting you said was an ambition for ghouls and not for raggies. You suggested Solomon was no true raggie. Very forcefully, Julian. I found it difficult to get a word in. And in any case I have always found it hard to explain in words what I find in Solomons work.
So instead I am going to paint it. And I am going to leave you the paintings. And although you have little time for his approach, you are going to examine them carefully, and you are going to see my point. You are going to do that firstly because I am your friend and I will be dead and you will feel so obliged. And secondly because I am going to put in them all that I have left of my secrets. Now I will tell you what I mean.
The first painting will be called Abydos Uncrowned. The second, Nix Abolix. The third, Sunset Celia and the Unleashed Flame. Do I perhaps now have your attention?
I will paint the first at Ortucchio. I have long wanted to stop in, and now I learn did you already know? I learn that Duffoure has a little girl. The Line of Antaios you wrote in your silly Letters the Line of Antaios ends not with the Wheel. There are two things you might have meant there, I suppose, but indeed the Line still runs, and she its newest course. Perhaps I will bless her, like a wicked fairy. Back to Abydos. Ill climb one mountain or another with Gertrude, and conceive the ruins of Abydos at its summit.
Husher wrote of the continuity of endings. You scoffed. So I will paint what happened at Abydos after the eight years of Chiones silence after the Shouts. Perhaps I will even paint what was woven from Chiones hair.
The second I will paint in the hills outside Heraklion where the hawthorn blooms. Gertrude will not want to go to Crete, but I will promise her a hidden mountain in the Zagros and I think she will humour me. If I bring the proper offerings, the Horned-Axe might grant me audience in the Mansus. I doubt it. But if the subject matter opens any doors that I cannot close, the Axe will be on hand to close them. She will not be pleased with me, but at this late stage there is little she can do. And if I am going to paint the Cross fate, it is fitting for me to do so beneath her gaze. If they were not her children, they were certainly her servants. Ill paint all the detail I can, Julian: how the Cross passed into Nowhere, and how they did not, and how they met with Worms, and how you may discern them now. Husher argued for the journey of colours. You disagreed. Perhaps I can still change your mind.
The third I will paint in the Shadowless Labyrinth. I dont like the place, but it will be difficult to get the light right anywhere else. Gertrude will be the model for my Celia, if I can convince her. I will find a likely lad to stand in for the Sovereign of the Flame. I will paint the Sun as Celias shadow, and the Forge as the likely lads. I will paint myself as Winter, pining in the shadows or officiating at their union: Hushers own paradox.
You fancy yourself an authority on the Suns Division, and I happen to agree with you. But I was there in every History when it occurred, and you were not. If you think you have nothing more to learn of the Division, then you need not look at my last painting.
In fact I will ensure all three are delivered to you veiled safely in black. If youre afraid you might lose an argument with me, even after I am gone Nowhere, then you can leave them that way. Or you can be rid of them. The last three paintings of the Witch of Lagash I cant guess the price those might fetch at an Oriflammes auction. Although of course, no buyer is likely to understand the work as you might. Sell them, and my last secrets which might have uplifted your anarchies will go with me Nowhere.
Or not; there is one last vulgar alternative to Nowhere that I will investigate on my way East. But I suspect that bird has flown.
May the Patrons ragged rays rest kindly on you, Julian. In all sincerity, when you have decided at last what it is that you want, I hope that you find it.
Nin[/quote]
[ 2025-04-14 17:04:44 CET ] [ Original post ]
All the Phases of the Moon
[ 2025-01-31 10:33:05 CET ] [ Original post ]
[quote]"The language is knotty, poetic, wilful. It'll take some untangling."[/quote] AK and I are currently focused on Travelling At Night, the last of our Secret Histories games. But we still love Cultist Simulator - the one that started it all - and want to support it as much as we can. So I'm delighted to announce that we're bringing two new, full translations of all 160,000 words to the game: French and Spanish are in the works as we speak! We'll release them later this year, and they'll make Cultist and all its DLC fully playable in those languages. The best translations of our games are the ones where actual players were involved. You can be the most wonderful linguist in the world, but if you don't know the history of the Sun-in-Rags or they symbolism of the Dawnbreaker Core, you'll struggle. So we'll be running betas for both languages before releasing them fully to the world, and if you're fluent in either language, we'd be extremely grateful for your involvement then. We'll announce release dates for both languages a little later down the line. French and Spanish are not the only new localisations we're considering. We just can't manage doing lots of languages at once, and, of course, each language is time-consuming and expensive. If you're reading this and speak another language Cultist isn't yet localised into, please know that we're not ignoring you! We're just limited by time and money, like any Aspirant. While you're waiting, you may enjoy a new blog post about how people respond to the Secret Histories on Reddit... or you might want to fling yourself into another Apostle: Entheate run because you are a total masochist. It's your choice.
[ 2025-01-31 10:33:05 CET ] [ Original post ]
Talk Secret Histories with Alexis and Lottie
[ 2024-12-13 17:29:06 CET ] [ Original post ]
Merry Christmas, everyone! We're rounding off the year with a live AMA on the Weather Factory subreddit, starting in about half an hour. Come talk to us about anything Cultist Simulator, Secret Histories, what's really underneath the Weary Detective's helmet, etc.
In case you missed it, we announced our third and final entry into the Secret Histories universe yesterday: Travelling At Night, a dialogue-driven choices-matter combat-free CRPG in the tradition of isometric greats like Disco Elysium, Planescape: Torment and Fallout 1+2. So there will probably be a lot of questions about where the Histories that started in 1920s Cultist Simulator is going to end up. But we would be just as delighted to discuss subjects like our favourite cultists, what goes on behind the scenes of game dev or why Hokobald is such a big pain in the bum. Go nuts.
(We reserve the right not to answer any lore questions, but anything we can answer, we will.)
The AMA starts at 6PM GMT / 10AM PDT. Hope to see you there!
Bring snacks.
[ 2024-12-13 17:29:06 CET ] [ Original post ]
Our next game: TRAVELLING AT NIGHT
[ 2024-12-12 12:07:06 CET ] [ Original post ]
Major news! We're announcing our next game, set in - and probably our last in - the Secret Histories universe. Meet Travelling At Night, a dialogue-driven choices-matter combat-free CRPG in the tradition of isometric greats like Disco Elysium, Planescape: Torment, and Fallout 1+2.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2915730/Travelling_at_Night
[quote]"Europe, 1948: myth-scarred ruins, night-sky abysses. Chitinous cities embrace the Change, or struggle against plagues of leaf and amber. The golden Incorporates of the US wage a cold war against the star-touched Ministries of the USSR. And there you are, guiding a carnival of wry, bold, complex characters through seaside sanitarium, Alpine castle, grave, hive, lignified cityscape."[/quote]
It stars the ex-Suppression Bureau investigator Spencer Hobson, whom you first tried to kill in Cultist Simulator and then fed sandwiches to in BOOK OF HOURS. Spencer has, as you know, been recently hollowed out by the Worms from under the world, and in Travelling he's found himself with an unusual role to play in the reweaving of the Histories after the catastrophe of the Second World War. (There is, as ever, more to it. You could call him Spencer+.)
Expect forty-plus hours of notably replayable noir-myth narrative while you guide an occult carnival on a pilgrimage to locate buried power that could alter the balance of the Cold War. Assign that power as you see fit.
Travelling At Night is *really* early in production, so everything you see on the store page may change. Anyone who saw the Steam page for BOOK OF HOURS back in 2019 knows what I mean. But we think it's indicative of where the game is going: it'll be an isometric narrative-driven Disco-like CRPG. You walk around in it. At some point Alexis makes you make a horrible decision about the true nature of Grail or the origin of the Snub-Nosed Cat or whether to wear a hat given to you by a Ligeian that has a faintly gammony smell. Fascination ensues.
Wishlist the game if you'd like to follow Travelling's progress from nascent pre-alpha to swole full launch, and/or follow our developer page to keep up with all the Secret Histories at once. We're really excited about this one: we think it could be our best work yet. Join us while we attempt this grand ambition! That never went wrong in any game of ours, right?
You can also read a bit more about the thought behind it in a blog post Alexis has just published, and we'd love to see you to talk Travelling - or anything else - at our live AMA tomorrow on the Weather Factory subreddit. See you at 6PM GMT if you're free.
[ 2024-12-12 12:07:06 CET ] [ Original post ]
Light Is Always The Answer
We're still working on BOOK OF HOURS localisation (in case you missed it, HOUSE OF LIGHT's now fully playable in Simplified Chinese) and various important but not terribly scintillating tech and bug support issues. But as AK says above, we took some time to take stock of where the studio is and what we want to do next. We've decided that, while we might come back to BOOK OF HOURS later, we've said what we wanted to say with it through HOUSE OF LIGHT. We'd like to leave it there - for now. Currently, we're Fascinated by an idea for Game Three. We've spent some of the past couple of months prototyping the underlying tech system and art direction so we can share something that's reasonably likely to look like the final game. We need to do a bit more work before we can announce, but here are some tidbits we can share:
We don't have a Steam page we can send you to (YET), but if you like what you see, follow our developer page on Steam and you'll be pinged when we announce it!
In other Secret-Histories-but-not-video-games news, our long awaited Lucid Tarot is finally out now on the Etsy shop.
Check out the store page, or read more about the intent behind the deck - and see a derpy Elegiast sketch - over on the blog.
[ 2024-10-31 18:06:57 CET ] [ Original post ]
[quote]"Chitinous cities embrace the Change, or struggle against plagues of leaf and amber..."[/quote] AK here. It still tickles me how few people realise Weather Factory is literally just two people (plus, ofc, trusted freelancers). I answer support emails every week addressed to 'Dear Support Team'. We get speculative applications from people who want to intern with us and don't realise we work out of a flat. Microstudios composed of couples are more common than they used to be, but it's still mildly unusual. We like it, but it does make it harder to take holidays, and it does mean we don't hire. I mentioned recently that we've been working on BOOK OF HOURS, on and off, for five years now. Some of that was pre-production, some of that was theHOUSE OF LIGHTexpansion, but it's a long old time. A undergraduate degree and a master's degree. A newborn infant grown enough to go to school. If you planted an apple pip five years ago, you could be eating its fruit today. Or to put it another way, I was 47 when we started making BH and I'm 52 now. And it occurred to me that I've made about four games over fifteen years, and in another fifteen years I'll be 67. So Lottie and I had a chat about whether and how we want to spend the next fifteen years doing this - both making games, and making games as a microstudio with just the two of us. If you like our games, you'll be glad to hear that the answer is, broadly speaking, yes. Maybe we'll do more physical goods, maybe I'll take a couple of years out for that MA I keep threatening, but we like working together and we like the artisanal nature of the whole thing. I don't actually get up on a Monday and think, yay, support mails, Lottie doesn't get excited about answering Etsy merch queries, but we do like handling this stuff personally: the people who own the company and make the games are the same people you're talking to, and it also stops us from getting too up ourselves. We've talked about Weather Factory being a bit like a band or an artistic partnership but most days it feels more like a family-run cafe that happens to sell coffee through Steam. And we like making things for you lot - for our audience, I mean. I said as long ago as Fallen London that there is something to be said for making games that work like reading comprehension tests. It brings in a calmer class of customer. We've got ideas, then, for at least another couple of games before we turn in our Dev Guild hat feathers and go off to roast coffee in the hills. Over to Lottie to talk about the next one.
What now?
We're still working on BOOK OF HOURS localisation (in case you missed it, HOUSE OF LIGHT's now fully playable in Simplified Chinese) and various important but not terribly scintillating tech and bug support issues. But as AK says above, we took some time to take stock of where the studio is and what we want to do next. We've decided that, while we might come back to BOOK OF HOURS later, we've said what we wanted to say with it through HOUSE OF LIGHT. We'd like to leave it there - for now. Currently, we're Fascinated by an idea for Game Three. We've spent some of the past couple of months prototyping the underlying tech system and art direction so we can share something that's reasonably likely to look like the final game. We need to do a bit more work before we can announce, but here are some tidbits we can share:
- The game is set in the Secret Histories... but another decade on. The world has changed and keeps on changing.
- It may appeal to AK's older audiences - from Fallen London and Sunless Sea - as well as Cultist Simulator fans.
- It's a new genre we haven't developed before. It's a natural fit for the kind of stuff we do, though.
- It's ambitious. And...
- ...who's this?
We don't have a Steam page we can send you to (YET), but if you like what you see, follow our developer page on Steam and you'll be pinged when we announce it!
The Lucid Tarot
In other Secret-Histories-but-not-video-games news, our long awaited Lucid Tarot is finally out now on the Etsy shop.
Check out the store page, or read more about the intent behind the deck - and see a derpy Elegiast sketch - over on the blog.
[ 2024-10-31 18:06:57 CET ] [ Original post ]
New Secret Histories in HOUSE OF LIGHT
Combine Ingredients, Sustenance, and Kitchenware items at the three Kitchen workstations to create nearly a hundred new dishes.
Once you've received this gift, you can record addresses from the calling-cards left by satisfied visitors; and write to these visitors to invite them back to the House.
Place food and drink in one of the six Salon rooms, and then use the bell to begin a Salon. Do it right and you'll be rewarded with sparkling conversation... and Lessons.
Use Paper, Ink, and a Skill to write a Manuscript based on that skill. These Manuscripts may be necessary to satisfy thirsts for specific knowledge in FURTHER STORIES. Lessons from Salons will help you improve those Skills and write more useful Manuscripts.
Once you've completed an Incident, follow it up in the Tree of Wisdoms. Visitors will need more specific help here - perhaps a book on a specific topic, or a specific book.
Look for the lighthouse, out at sea. When your Visitors are ready, use it to establish the true heirs to the Curia of the Isle.
BOOK OF HOURS is 30% off in a Daily Deal to celebrate, along with a 25% off all merch sale in the Weather Factory shop. I think that's everything that's relevant to Cultist Simulator, so - go forth! Be loreful! And if you don't at all care about any of this, I will now leave you alone! Good luck with the RNG gods in your next Cultist run.
[ 2024-09-26 17:07:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
[quote]"Serena and Azita discuss the exploits and the disappearance of the Diarist, the Lantern-long who as a mortal was named Lars Westergren. 'He was a monster,' Serena acknowledges, 'but he was our monster.'"[/quote] https://store.steampowered.com/app/2834350/BOOK_OF_HOURS_HOUSE_OF_LIGHT/ Just a lil' cross-promo post to let you Cultist players know that we've just launched a major expansion for BOOK OF HOURS, which adds a novel's worth of new stories (and, obvs, new lore ) to the game. It's called HOUSE OF LIGHT and adds all of this to BOOK OF HOURS:
FOOD
Combine Ingredients, Sustenance, and Kitchenware items at the three Kitchen workstations to create nearly a hundred new dishes.
A WRITING-CASE
Once you've received this gift, you can record addresses from the calling-cards left by satisfied visitors; and write to these visitors to invite them back to the House.
SALONS
Place food and drink in one of the six Salon rooms, and then use the bell to begin a Salon. Do it right and you'll be rewarded with sparkling conversation... and Lessons.
MANUSCRIPTS
Use Paper, Ink, and a Skill to write a Manuscript based on that skill. These Manuscripts may be necessary to satisfy thirsts for specific knowledge in FURTHER STORIES. Lessons from Salons will help you improve those Skills and write more useful Manuscripts.
FURTHER STORIES
Once you've completed an Incident, follow it up in the Tree of Wisdoms. Visitors will need more specific help here - perhaps a book on a specific topic, or a specific book.
THE INSTITUTE
Look for the lighthouse, out at sea. When your Visitors are ready, use it to establish the true heirs to the Curia of the Isle.
BOOK OF HOURS is 30% off in a Daily Deal to celebrate, along with a 25% off all merch sale in the Weather Factory shop. I think that's everything that's relevant to Cultist Simulator, so - go forth! Be loreful! And if you don't at all care about any of this, I will now leave you alone! Good luck with the RNG gods in your next Cultist run.
[ 2024-09-26 17:07:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
The New Form
Screenshots from the PlayStation dev kit This is not a drill! Cultist Simulator is coming to Xbox and Playstation on 8th August 2024. We partnered with Polish publishers Klabater because a) they clearly know what's what and b) we love the Poles. (I used to date one and AK used to live there. One winter's day his hair literally froze into icicles.) Cultist Simulator's console UI is heavily based on Playdigious's excellent rework for the Nintendo Switch, which we think is the best way to transform a fundamentally clicky PC-first game to a controller-friendly game. So here are the key details to know:
Perhaps some people reading this have hadenough of beingnice andhomey in BOOK OF HOURS and want to start a new run of hubristic Lovecraftian fun. Maybe you want to go through the game to find something AK wrote that's even more upsetting than Marinette's story. Perhaps you just want the colours beneath the skin of the world. Whatever your motivation, I hope you pick Cultist Simulator up on your platform of choice next month. It's the first time we've ever released any game on console (including any of our work on Fallen London or Sunless Sea) so we are excited! Excite alongside us, if you like. (Also, more news on the Lucid Tarot and BOOK OF HOURS updates on the blog, if you're interested in other Weather Factory news.)
[ 2024-07-26 13:14:35 CET ] [ Original post ]
[quote]"The Wood opens around me, but with my new eyes, I see another path now..."[/quote] OK, this quote from Cultist Simulator is possibly one of the grimmest things AK ever wrote in the game (the 'Marinette ending' from The Dancer DLC. IYKYK). But I am repurposing it to herald to a good thing and that good thing is some secret Cultist Simulator news! Namely:
Cultist Simulator's coming to console!
Screenshots from the PlayStation dev kit This is not a drill! Cultist Simulator is coming to Xbox and Playstation on 8th August 2024. We partnered with Polish publishers Klabater because a) they clearly know what's what and b) we love the Poles. (I used to date one and AK used to live there. One winter's day his hair literally froze into icicles.) Cultist Simulator's console UI is heavily based on Playdigious's excellent rework for the Nintendo Switch, which we think is the best way to transform a fundamentally clicky PC-first game to a controller-friendly game. So here are the key details to know:
- Launch date: Thursday 8th August 2024
- Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Initiate Edition (game plus mini DLC: Cultist Simulator + Dancer, Priest and Ghoul DLC) - $24.99 / 24.99
- The Exile DLC - $9.99 / 9.99
- Anthology Edition (everything together: Cultist Simulator + Dancer, Priest, Ghoul and Exile DLC) - $29.99 / 29.99
Perhaps some people reading this have hadenough of beingnice andhomey in BOOK OF HOURS and want to start a new run of hubristic Lovecraftian fun. Maybe you want to go through the game to find something AK wrote that's even more upsetting than Marinette's story. Perhaps you just want the colours beneath the skin of the world. Whatever your motivation, I hope you pick Cultist Simulator up on your platform of choice next month. It's the first time we've ever released any game on console (including any of our work on Fallen London or Sunless Sea) so we are excited! Excite alongside us, if you like. (Also, more news on the Lucid Tarot and BOOK OF HOURS updates on the blog, if you're interested in other Weather Factory news.)
[ 2024-07-26 13:14:35 CET ] [ Original post ]
2024.A.2 'AGNES' from beta->live
[ 2024-07-01 13:24:38 CET ] [ Original post ]
Chel's patch notes: Fixed an Apostle legacy bug that made it impossible to heal followers wounded by an enemy Long - but only if you were playing a localized (non-English) version of the game. No words enough to convey how hard the Devil worked to make this bug possible. - Some sounds - namely, a card dropping in a slot, and a game speed being changed via a hotkefy - were not playing since god knows when. - Improved performance in Exile when arriving in a new city with a lot of cash. - Fixed a rare bug that broke the main menu if you were mashing buttons too eagerly during the splash screen. - Fixed an erroneous text display in various escaped spirit hauntings. - There was a missing colon in a substantial Edge commission's label. Could this be the very last typo in the entire game ?! Will you be able, oh dear players, to spot more ?! - MODDING: IDs of entities are now completely case-insensitive for all purposes (in-game access, modifying, inheriting, localizing etc). - MODDING: (super nerdy) Console autocomplete suggestions are now only displayed if there's more than 3 characters typed in - this way you aren't presented to choose from every entity in the game that starts with a letter E. - HOTFIX A.2: Translation is correctly applied to verbs' initial slots.
[ 2024-07-01 13:24:38 CET ] [ Original post ]
Cultist Simulator has a Daily Deal!
[ 2024-06-21 17:05:46 CET ] [ Original post ]
First things first: Cultist Simulator is today's Daily Deal, at a deepest-ever (and frankly insane) 75% off. Check it out, and watch the ever-marvellous Systemchalk Broadcasting live on the store page now.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/718670/Cultist_Simulator
Oh! And all our merch is 25% off for the weekend, to celebrate Cultist being culty. Happy Friday, everyone!
In other news, AK posted this to the subreddit last night:
"Celebrating the completion of the Further Visitor Stories in HOUSE OF LIGHT. That means we're at 80% done, which means in turn that I should be sending out a handful of beta keys to the lucky few end of next week (sorry, if you haven't already heard, you didn't get your name drawn from the Clutches). HOUSE OF LIGHT is a chonker: already the same word count that the whole of Cultist Simulator was at launch."
So that means we hope you'll really like the upcoming expansion to BOOK OF HOURS, HOUSE OF LIGHT, and we should have a suitably chonky blog post with updates for you soon!
In the meantime, we're also trying something new. We've just uploaded the first episode of what we hope will become a fortnightly communal attempt to predict the future! This is the Weather Forecast. This is the Weather Forecast. We love games - you love games too, probably. We talk about games all the time - you have actual lives, and maybe only talk about games a bit. So we thought it would be fun to pull back the curtain on professional game development and take a look at the week's top ten most popular upcoming games on Steam. Using publicly accessible data and a bit of Google-fu, we then each try to estimate that game's Week 1 review score, which is a general indicator of a game's 'success' at launch. One developer's success criterion is different from another's, of course - a first-time solo dev could be rightfully delighted by 50 reviews in the first week, but 50 reviews in the first week for an Electronic Arts launch would probably cause heads to roll. So this isn't about judging games as 'good' or 'bad' or even 'successful' or 'unsuccessful' - it's about seeing whether we can reliably predict the fortunes of a game just before launch, because that would be really useful for all our future Weather Factory games. And we happen to think it's pretty interesting, too.
So take a look at the first episode, join in with a YouTube comment if you like, and come back in a fortnight for us to see if we got any of the numbers right!
[previewyoutube=zzsm1Gy9FRU;full][/previewyoutube]
A few things to note:
- All data we're using is publicly available. We don't have any insider knowledge, other than experience making games ourselves!
- The 'Popular Upcoming' list on Steam is region-specific, so if you're not in the UK you may see a different list. There are loads of games in 'Popular Upcoming' that are never mentioned by traditional games press or streamers. Hopefully you'll discover some games you've never heard of that you actually quite fancy playing.
- We'd love you to join in if you'd like to. If you want to guess any Week 1 review numbers, just leave a comment on the video. You can be smug in the next video when we recap what actually happened against our predicted numbers.
- This isn't a value judgement on any of the featured games. We're just looking at data and talking about what it might mean.
[ 2024-06-21 17:05:46 CET ] [ Original post ]
The Mansus Has No Walls
[ 2024-05-31 12:45:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
[quote]In the Mansus, the Hours strive one against another. As the struggles are resolved, they iron out the impossible, exalt the possible, tie the fraying braids of what has been into one golden ribbon of future. Everything is resolved. History becomes the past[/quote]
There are, however, exceptions. Its Cultist Simulators sixth birthday today, so lets make an exception for her. This quote is from a high-level Secret Histories fragment called Unresolved Ambiguity, and it could absolutely be a metaphor for game development in general. Cultist could have been a hundred different games, but it ended up consolidated in the one it became (and the one it evolved into, after years of post-lauch DLC and updates). You may remember that we made Cultist Simulator in 11 months, with a budget of around 150,000. Its now reached somewhere between 850,000 to a million people, making some serious allowances for chaotic data like Humble Bundles and Amazon Prime. So in honour of her birthday heres a whirlwind tour of just under a years game development, starting with the most important part of all: the What Even Is This Javascript Greybox Prototype.
People whove played Cultist Simulator will recognise a surprising amount in these early prototypes. The art direction isnt there AK is definitely theme and mechanics first, colours second but the games Cookie Clicker influence is particularly apparent, as are important other factes of the final game like verbs (Study, Dream, Work), timers (45s countdown for The body has its needs) and resource-based storytelling (Secret Histories 1 + Occult Scrap 1 = Recruit an Aficionado of Conspiracies). Ive worked with AK since 2015, when we met at his previous studio, and he always has a weirdly clear idea of what the game will be at the start. Its just difficult for him to explain it and for anyone else to see inside his head. Im now well-versed in the two to six months of trust where I have no idea what this game is that were apparently making, before it all falls into place. That moment for Cultist was this updated prototype, where you could first see the basic card interface:
I get it now! I see what all those grey buttons on their grey backgrounds represented! This gives me a lot to work with I can now see what needs to be artified while being flexible enough for AK to still be able to play with basic mechanics and the all-important recipes at the heart of the final game. Looks recognisable now, right? But where it really comes to life is when AK and Catherine Unger, our brilliant freelance artist, settled on a suitable art style:
It now looks so much like the real Cultist Simulator, but with enough difference, to trigger a bit of sense of the uncanny valley. I still mourn those stick-timers on the verb tokens, for instance! But this was where people really started to sit up and take notice of the game we were about four months out from completing. So with a bunch of hard game dev, which looks in real terms like this
Cultist Simulator, as we know and love her, was born. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GAME ABOUT PEELING BACK THE SKIN OF THE WORLD! We all really love you.*
*Apart from Dread. Nobody loves Dread.
[ 2024-05-31 12:45:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
2023.12.s.4 "SARCODES"
[ 2024-02-13 14:31:42 CET ] [ Original post ]
- Steam Deck support! A nice excuse to add a QoL/accessibility feature here and there. - Added 150% UI scale. - Added a Font Size setting. May lead to stranger looks on higher ends. - MODDING: 'Sort' property for Elements, a string, the format is 'group.order' - ex. 'a1.z1'. Controls the order of Aspects appearance in card and situation info. Aspects are first sorted by 'group', then by 'order', then, within the same order, by the amount of aspect present, starting with the highest. - Several important Aspects are now sorted. This leaves us fixing such critical bugs such as: - A bug with keybinds showing default values until you loaded the tabletop at least once. - A bug when cancelling a key rebind resulted in keyboard controls not working anymore. - A bug when using ESC key in the main menu would not close an opened dialog. - A few typos in mod loading logs. - 2023.12.s.2: Mouse wheel functionality restored. - 2023.12.s.2: Fixed a bug with Options menu tabs not initializing. - 2023.12.s.2: Several small enhancements in a deck draw preview display. - 2023.12.s.3: A rare greedy slot crash is fixed. - 2023.12.s.3: A safenet against infinite saving loop on new game. - 2023.12.s.3: Contentment now *finally* acts correctly on influence upgrade and subversion. - 2023.12.s.4: Added more belts and braces against a very rare infinite saving chain. - MODDING: Following the arabic font support added in the previous patch, a possibility for right-to-left text display is added too. "rtl": true in culture JSON to enable.
[ 2024-02-13 14:31:42 CET ] [ Original post ]
Advent Calendar 2023
(There are some real-world Weather Factory gifts, and at least one Cultist Simulator-related treat - though the in-game items are all in BOOK OF HOURS.) Each day we'll open a door containing treats in-game or the 'real' world (you'll see it on all of our socials [ Twitter / Facebook / Instagram ], and we'll update our advent megablog daily with What's Behind Today's Door). Most are tasty amuses-bouches. Some are pretty major reveals. A few real world treats will only last for 24hrs, but you'll never miss anything in-game. Playing BOOK OF HOURS any time in December will give you everything the calendar's revealed to date whenever in-game winter rolls around. So there's no stress if you're 'out' having 'fun' with 'friends'. Except, you know. Have a think about your life choices there. To start with today's door as an example, it reveals:
The next time you're playing BOOK OF HOURS and winter comes around, you'll notice some festive cheer sprinkled throughout Brancrug Village and Hush House. For anyone who wants to be left alone like the Weary Detective and his Illustrated London News, there's an option to turn off seasonal art in the Settings menu. For everyone else, take careful note of Reverend Timothy's Christmas tree next to the Rectory...
More like this every day from now until Christmas Day. Check the advent megablog if you're not sure what today's gift is - we'll announce them every day at noon. That's it! Warmth, good cheer and a glass of Chateau Raveline to you and yours. Merry Christmas, friend.
[ 2023-12-01 12:05:11 CET ] [ Original post ]
It's the first of December, and we're trying something NEW this year! BOOK OF HOURS seems such an obvious fit, so starting from today we're running...
...a 25-day advent calendar of Hush House!
(There are some real-world Weather Factory gifts, and at least one Cultist Simulator-related treat - though the in-game items are all in BOOK OF HOURS.) Each day we'll open a door containing treats in-game or the 'real' world (you'll see it on all of our socials [ Twitter / Facebook / Instagram ], and we'll update our advent megablog daily with What's Behind Today's Door). Most are tasty amuses-bouches. Some are pretty major reveals. A few real world treats will only last for 24hrs, but you'll never miss anything in-game. Playing BOOK OF HOURS any time in December will give you everything the calendar's revealed to date whenever in-game winter rolls around. So there's no stress if you're 'out' having 'fun' with 'friends'. Except, you know. Have a think about your life choices there. To start with today's door as an example, it reveals:
Door 1: Seasonal art in BOOK OF HOURS
The next time you're playing BOOK OF HOURS and winter comes around, you'll notice some festive cheer sprinkled throughout Brancrug Village and Hush House. For anyone who wants to be left alone like the Weary Detective and his Illustrated London News, there's an option to turn off seasonal art in the Settings menu. For everyone else, take careful note of Reverend Timothy's Christmas tree next to the Rectory...
More like this every day from now until Christmas Day. Check the advent megablog if you're not sure what today's gift is - we'll announce them every day at noon. That's it! Warmth, good cheer and a glass of Chateau Raveline to you and yours. Merry Christmas, friend.
[ 2023-12-01 12:05:11 CET ] [ Original post ]
2023.10.r.9 RANUNCULUS
[ 2023-11-13 13:05:29 CET ] [ Original post ]
- Fade during an autosave is made gentler and more gradual to prevent the feeling of flickering on high saving speeds. - Dropping cards on other cards while multi-dragging led to unexpected situations. - Fixed a confusion in German localization of Skills' descriptions, and other minor problems in various locs. - Fixed empty description in Starvation verb. - Yet another fix for GOG achievements not unlocking on the storefront side despite being unlocked in the Collection. - Greedy slots don't bug out on low framerates. - When a recipe warmup ends, any card-to-slot travel animation aimed at it completes instead of failing. - Zoom keys (Q/E by default) work sensibly at last - holding results in a continuous zoom instead of having to tap. - HOTFIX: Verb SFXes work once again. - MODDING: new xtrigger morph effect - 'setmutation' - for non-additive mutations. - MODDING/HOTFIX: expulsions for instant recipes work correctly once again. - MODDING: At the request, added Arabic font support (for that, set fontscript to 'arabic' in culture file).
[ 2023-11-13 13:05:29 CET ] [ Original post ]
2023.5.p.12 PEONY
[ 2023-09-13 12:10:30 CET ] [ Original post ]
- Made it more clear that allies can't kill the Foe in Exile. - Fixed 'Our Enemy's Identity' description. - Fixed an assortment of memory leaks. - Cards in verb slots and outputs don't play their decay animation if the verb window is closed. - Small rework of the influences' upgrade and subversion: - Interactions with Contentment are less erratic. - The Lore slot doesn't spoil lore fragments' descriptions. - Verb windows now display text in a consistent size and use scrollbars if it doesn't fit. - Experimental changes in the flow of timers. - Alt recipes correctly display their deck draws (instead of displaying the main recipe's deck draws). - Fixed an incorrect description in the Russian localization of the Younger Sister. - Fixed a verb timer sometimes not assuming the correct colour. - Restored a special audio cue for the Time verb. - Cards in the Mansus disappear dramatically again. - Cards in the Mansus are flipped before vanishing - that was an accidental change, sorry! - Added a description for missing Essential slot requirements. - Escape button does not close an opened verb window while the settings window is open. - Exile cities are properly highlighted and faded once again. - Cards in verbs don't occasionally jump when clicked. - Streamlined the pause behaviour in the Mansus and settings menu. - Fixed the Mansus portal window not closing under mysterious circumstances. - Fix for cards sometimes thinking that they occupy slightly more space than they are in reality, and thus preventing cards to be placed in a space near them, despite it being actually empty. - At some point, cards that were supposed to be invisible - but only inside verbs - became also invisible on the table - but, like, confusingly invisible. Now visible again, as they always were. - MODDING: An order in which element's aspects react to xtriggers is now consistent (by id, alphabetical). - MODDING: Entities now have a '$depends' and '$incompatible' property - a list of mod ids that are required/forbidden for this entity definition to be applied. More specifically, $depends mean 'all listed mods must be enabled', and $incompatible means 'none of listed mods must be enabled'. Mod id is taken from serapeum_catalogue_number.txt in the mod's folder - it is created automatically on first Workshop upload, but can be created manually for non-Steam users. If no file is present, mod id equals its name. - MODDING: Custom input settings now work properly. - MODDING: Aspect xtriggers are significantly reworked - this was an obscure feature and it collected dust for years, but now, hopefully, assumed its final form: - All aspects of a card now react to xtriggering (previously only mutations did). - The 'Transform' morph effect now transforms a card, even when triggered by an aspect. This way, all morph effects work uniformly, regardless of where they are defined. - MODDING: The new 'xexts' property on the elements. A string-string pair, works in a way similar to xtriggers - whenever a card meets a key-catalyst of an xext, it displays the description of this xext in its current verb. - MODDING: Fixed a bug when using an expulsion on an instant additional recipe didn't work. - MODDING: $plus/$minus work again. - MODDING: Levers now can have default values, and you can change default values of vanilla levers. - MODDING: Card labels display rich text correctly.
[ 2023-09-13 12:10:30 CET ] [ Original post ]
THIS UPDATE JUST PUTS A 'BOOK OF HOURS IS OUT NOW' BUTTON IN THE MENU
[ 2023-08-17 17:39:54 CET ] [ Original post ]
THIS UPDATE JUST PUTS A 'BOOK OF HOURS IS OUT NOW' BUTTON IN THE MENU I'M SORRY I CAN ONLY EVER TYPE IN ALL CAPS EVER AGAIN
[ 2023-08-17 17:39:54 CET ] [ Original post ]
Cultist Sim has a new baby sister: enter BOOK OF HOURS
[ 2023-08-17 17:30:44 CET ] [ Original post ]
Our new game in the Secret Histories universe - thats the one Cultist Simulator started, with the Hours and the Principles and the Suppression Bureau and the early twentieth-century occultism played out in text-boxes and cards - is out now. Manage an occult library in BOOK OF HOURS, where you cant be murdered by Dread!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/
You may be interested in the weeklong Perpetual Edition deal, the same deal we offered in Cultist's launch week. This means if you buy BOOK OF HOURS in its first week of sale (thats any time from now to 6PM BST / 10AM PDT on Thursday 24th August) you automatically get Perpetual Edition, meaning all future content expansions are free forever. Theres also a 10% launch discount, and a bundle of free desktop and mobile wallpapers included in it, so its a fantastic deal if I do say so myself! But the choice, as always, is yours.
BOOK OF HOURS is a kinder, less punishing game than Cultist Sim, but I strongly suspect if you like Cultist youll enjoy this new game too. Its three times the size in terms of content; its recipes are more complex; and theres no way to actually die - except sort of, I suppose, if you set fire to your journal or throw it down a well. See how that works out for you.
Cultist Simulator is in a good place right now. Its stable, theres a healthy mod community to keep things fresh, and well still be updating it regularly with bug fixes and QoL improvements. (We might even come back with some larger DLC later down the line, but no promises yet!) So while our focus for the moment is on BOOK OF HOURS, I just wanted to let you know that weve not forgotten about the game that started it all. Its just walking Streets Strange By Moonlight, and dreaming strange sweet dreams.
Thanks for playing, and may you glimpse the Mansus in your dreams tonight.
Love,
Lottie & Alexis
[ 2023-08-17 17:30:44 CET ] [ Original post ]
Cultist Simulator BETA (gateofhorn) patch
[ 2023-08-05 15:53:23 CET ] [ Original post ]
- Black rectangles were appearing briefly instead of card labels in verb slots. - HOTFIX: Verb text scrollbars weren't appearing and/or acting irrationally sometimes. - At some point, cards that were supposed to be invisible - but only inside verbs - became also invisible on the table - but, like, confusingly invisible. Now visible again, as they always were. - Fix for cards sometimes thinking that they occupy slightly more space than they are in reality, and thus preventing cards to be placed in a space near them, despite it being actually empty. - MODDING: $plus/$minus work again. - MODDING: levers now can have default values, and you can change default values of vanilla levers. - MODDING: Card labels display rich text correctly.
[ 2023-08-05 15:53:23 CET ] [ Original post ]
COME HOME
[ 2023-06-28 13:24:44 CET ] [ Original post ]
[quote]"Marksman, detective, renegade. He has always been a quiet man, but since he left the Suppression Bureau, he has grown even quieter, and terribly still - except for his fingers and for his eyes, always in restless motion."[/quote] It's June the 28th, once again. So I thought I'd pop in briefly to share our beautiful, melancholy new trailer for BOOK OF HOURS, the next game in the same universe as Cultist Simulator. (AK says I'm not allowed to call it a spiritual successor because that sets the wrong expectations, so, er, I won't! I'll just say that anyone who likes Cultist will almost certainly like BOOK OF HOURS, and will find out more Secret Histories lore along the way. Praise be to the Chandler.) Hope it tugs at your heart strings! [previewyoutube=KZBXr5V6PUI;full][/previewyoutube] If you want more info, check out our latest blog. Otherwise, back to bringing the Dawn! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310
[ 2023-06-28 13:24:44 CET ] [ Original post ]
"I see those colours still."
[ 2023-05-31 17:04:27 CET ] [ Original post ]
[quote]"I don't recall exactly what occurred, last night, in the beating black between the trunks of the trees, where winged things moved beneath my hands. But now this morning my brain fizzes with fragments: IN GI RUM IMUS NOC TE ET CON SUMI MUR IGNI RUM IMUS NOC TE ET CON SUMI MUR -"[/quote] Game dev, unlike jobs in Cultist Simulator, is not "an arrangement to exchange one's life for money". It's something AK and I spend an embarrassing amount of time doing, thinking about and discussing. We talk about grand things like the Importance of Art and apophenia and the unplumbed depths of a player's heart, and we talk about petty things like what colour the glow effect around an empty slot should be, and whether or not 'Guardian' is the most charming Aspect in the game. (It is.) Cultist Simulator turns five today, which basically makes it the game version of a Long. But it isn't off to Port Noon quite yet: we're still patching and fixing and improving it. We've come a long way since launch - four DLCs, four new languages, mobile and Switch ports, a whole code rewrite, 170 Workshop mods, a TRPG and a certain card placement SNAFU that one really needn't remember - to the point where our launch trailer looks janky compared to the actual game! I have to do the dev thing and mention, loudly, that we're running a 70% off Daily Deal to mark the occasion, that Cultist Sim's follow-up BOOK OF HOURS brings new Secret Histories in August, and that we're delighted to be a husband and wife team hustling to make strange flowers grow in the garden of our lives. But aside from all of that, I wanted to thank you. Thank you to everyone who Kickstarted the game back in 2017. Thank you to everyone who bought a copy in launch week, helping us with Steam's frightening and vital algorithms. Thank you to everyone who bought a copy since, making sure we can still afford Ultra-Nom Jelly Snaxx for our cats, to everyone who joined our mailing list or follows us on social media, to the people who read our blogs and the people who send in nice messages and the people who buy merch and anyone, honestly, who's reading this. Cultist Simulator is a weird, bright pocket universe: I'm so glad you answered the riddle, and are counted among the Know. Here's to the Mansus, the House, and its Seekers. Each flame has its fuel. This is ours. Love, Lottie & Alexis
[ 2023-05-31 17:04:27 CET ] [ Original post ]
CULTIST SIMULATOR 'ORACHE' on beta branch
[ 2023-04-05 15:59:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
ORACHE, aka 'saltbushes', is one of the less interesting-looking plants we've chosen as a version name. So the picture above is atriplex hortensis, aka 'red orache'. Here's the patch on the beta branch now. Shorter update than usual cos I have a beta update for BOOK OF HOURS to get out too! a quick gloss on Chelnoque's update notes below: - Sometimes Biedde's Blade was inflicting a normal wound instead of an unstanchable one. - Opening a verb window on low FPS caused it to disappear. This fiendish little critter took Chel weeks if not months to track down and involved some proper detective work - The options window now scales correctly for various edge-case resolutions. Thank Christ, we can import that into BOOK OF HOURS too - Fixed a false-positive log spam on inspecting the credits window. (codename VARLEY) - The status bar doubled the displayed number of exhausted Passions. - The volume of the SFX for entering and exiting the Mansus is halved. I promised we would do this! Sorry it took a while - Disabled camera's motions on entering and exiting the Mansus. - The legacy selection screen won't suggest you to select from two Exiles anymore. oh pf. EXILE is the best DLC - FEATURE: Multidrag now works properly at last. Select multiple cards while holding the SHIFT key and drag them as a group. I detect a degree of sass, it was my code that didn't work properly, but he's right - MODDING: $plus and $minus now correctly parse values without \"\". You can stop reading unless you're a modder - MODDING: $append and $prepend now correctly work on uninitialized lists. - MODDING: Recipe 'Xpans' property, which runs xtriggers on all cards on the table (as opposed to 'aspects', which applies them inside the current verb only). This is something I added in BOOK OF HOURS to make the day cycle work properly, and you get to enjoy the benefit. ENJOY. benefit. - MODDING: Status bar elements can now be defined more flexibly. Consult with Aspirant legacy in JSONs for an example. A brief rundown of properties: - 'Ids' specifies elements that are tracked by this status bar entry. - 'Format' allows to specify any additional characters that accompay the value display. '({value})' meants the value is displayed in brackets, ''-{value}' means it's preceded by dash/minu, etc. Keep in mind that you can use TextMeshPro rich text tags, same as everywhere else in the texts. - 'Icon', naturally, defines an icon. If not defined, the first entry in 'Ids' is used instead. - 'Styles' allows to modify value's display at certain numbers. Currently, there are only possible two modes, that look like 'colour_red_0' and 'hide_0'. The first makes the display red when it equals 0, and the second hides it under the same conditions. Note that you can use any value instead of 0, and any colour instead of red - defined as a plain string colour name, or a hex code. A simple string definition is still possible too, of course. This makes my eyes cross but it's cool and will find uses elsewhere! yrs ever - AK
[ 2023-04-05 15:59:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
BOOK OF HOURS closed beta
[ 2023-03-29 08:50:23 CET ] [ Original post ]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/ Our next game is BOOK OF HOURS, a spiritual successor to Cultist Sim. We've just started a BoH closed beta, and figured some Cultist Sim players might a) not have heard of it and b) want to join in! (Anyone who enjoys Cultist Sim is likely to enjoy BOOK OF HOURS. AK will probably not approve of my saying this, but It's sort of a holiday for stressed out CS players - it's the same Lovecraftian world, but with new lore and fewer stressors. No dying suddenly of Dread!) If you'd like to get an early look at BOOK OF HOURS and help us make it great, register your interest in being a beta player. We're picking a bunch of people to join each month, so you might not get in. But perhaps the Watchman will favour you...
[ 2023-03-29 08:50:23 CET ] [ Original post ]
"Though much is taken, much abides"
[ 2023-03-17 10:07:19 CET ] [ Original post ]
This is the least interesting patch ever, folks. I've literally just put the beta link for BOOK OF HOURS in the title menu, and moved some stuff about.
[ 2023-03-17 10:07:19 CET ] [ Original post ]
The Path to the Wood
[ 2023-02-01 16:08:22 CET ] [ Original post ]
There is never only one History. We've used the mechanics and the world of Cultist Simulator for our next game, BOOK OF HOURS - but we've added more graphics, more lore and, well, more everything: we think BOOK OF HOURS is going to be about five times the size of Cultist Sim when it's finished. We're releasing the first playable demo next week as part of Steam Next Fest. It'll be available from Monday 6th Feb at 6PM GMT / 10AM PDT, so now's a great time to play the demo and see what you think! We'll also be live streaming the game next Thursday, if anyone wants to drop in and say hi. The chat'll be open, the questions'll be flowing, and hopefully we won't find a really embarrassing bug while we're playing. If you'd like to see behind the game dev curtain and hear AK talk about the world, join us on Thursday 9th Feb at 6PM GMT / 10AM PDT. Hope to see you there! Alexis & Lottie
[ 2023-02-01 16:08:22 CET ] [ Original post ]
NEMESIA update
I talked about this here, but the short version: we're putting some an extra confirmation layer to protect against the _remote but theoretically possible_ risk of malicious mods. If you use any significant mods, you may need to install and enable GHIRBI. On to the other fixes. As usual, Chelnoque's notes, my exegesis: - Ally recruitment action in Exile didn't display its end description properly. Exile continues to be the wild borderlands of Cultist Simulator - Wounded cultists turned into Risen lacked Follower aspect. I think poor Neville should be allowed to rest in dubious peace, bt since everyone's _going_ to drag him from the grave... - Display of verb window is slightly more resilient against lower frame rates. We all want to be more resilient against lower frame rates. - Removed secret stray tech text from ascension rite.
So secret that even I don't know what it was. This means either Chel is embarrassed or he is preserving me from embarrassment.
- THE INVISIBLE SERAPEUM is renamed THE SIXTH HISTORY.
Because of the Sixth History Community license! Last year we opened our IP for wider use (with some caveats and limits, natch). It would be possible now to turn a mod into a complete game in its own right and sell it, if that 's your bag.
- Various enhancements in the mod panel display.
"AK's logging code had a silly performance bug that actually started to matter in edge cases."
- Debug console now opens on ctrl + ~ (instead of just ~). People are now safe from opening it on accident and ruining their playthrough in all kinds of ways.
This was always super on-theme - you accidentally find a key combination that allows you to PIERCE THE VEIL OF THE MUNDANE - but it was one of the few remaining frequent causes of support tickets. Anyway the VEIL OF THE MUNDANE is now a bit more robust.
Incidentally Subnautica introduced the same feature on the same day that we put NEMESIA on the beta branch. Coincidence or conjunction? The Hours know.
- Debug console now can be opened in the main menu, allowing to see the log without starting the game.
- Other various small console improvements.
- Clear console button now works.
- achievements.json file had an incorrect path on Linux.
- MODDING: Levers (cards that are transferred between playthroughs) can now be defined and modified by JSONs.
- MODDING: 'description_long' in mod synopsis can now be left empty in order to preserve current Workshop mod's description. The game no longer crashes if this property isn't set.
Lottie wants me to say 'wishlist Book of Hours', though if you like Cultist Simulator enough to read all the way down you've probably already wishlisted the sequel. It's an open question whether we'll get a short demo in Next Fest - I lean no, cos there are distractions - but there will be a closed beta in the next coupla months. So let's end as we began with flowers:
(Book of Hours: the Physic Garden at Hush House) - AK
[ 2023-01-17 11:32:54 CET ] [ Original post ]
Welcome to the first charming flower pic of 2023. As regulars will know, we're currently naming all our updates after flowers, occult or otherwise. This is the Danish Flag cultivar of nemesia strumosa:
(What would you call that colour? Dark fuchsia? Bloody burgundy? Clarified vermilion? Peaceful Grail?)
Now! here's is the reason I've marked this as a Major Update. It's only relevant if you use mods:
- To work, DLL mods now require the GHIRBI, THE GATEKEEPER core mod installed and enabled. The mod can be found in Steam Workshop, or on Cultist Simulator GOG discussions page. - To avoid confusion, DLL mods can't be enabled at all without GHIRBI, THE GATEKEEPER. Disabling GHIRBI automatically disables all enabled DLL mods.
I talked about this here, but the short version: we're putting some an extra confirmation layer to protect against the _remote but theoretically possible_ risk of malicious mods. If you use any significant mods, you may need to install and enable GHIRBI. On to the other fixes. As usual, Chelnoque's notes, my exegesis: - Ally recruitment action in Exile didn't display its end description properly. Exile continues to be the wild borderlands of Cultist Simulator - Wounded cultists turned into Risen lacked Follower aspect. I think poor Neville should be allowed to rest in dubious peace, bt since everyone's _going_ to drag him from the grave... - Display of verb window is slightly more resilient against lower frame rates. We all want to be more resilient against lower frame rates. - Removed secret stray tech text from
(Book of Hours: the Physic Garden at Hush House) - AK
[ 2023-01-17 11:32:54 CET ] [ Original post ]
GHIRBI, the Gatekeeper
[ 2022-12-13 14:43:05 CET ] [ Original post ]
There are now a hundred and forty mods on the Cultist Simulator Steam workshop. The numbers exploded since we enabled DLL modding that is to say, we allowed modders to run their own code as part of a mod, changing fundamental game behaviour rather than just adding new narrative content and images. Four of the top five mods are DLL mods.
Any time you run someone elses code on your machine, theres a risk. In theory, a modder could include malicious code in a DLL mod. The risk is very low AV programs may notice it, Steam will block malicious modders and the same applies to games anyway theres nothing in principle to stop a game developer from putting malicious functionality in their work.
But there was an incident earlier this year where a modder did include malicious code in a Cities: Skylines mod. It was trivial it just interfered with other mods as part of some sort of community drama, it wasnt ransomware or anything. It was spotted within days. And it only affected about fifty people. But it did happen. (A few months later we got an email from a security researcher pointing this out.)
So from the beginning of next year, were making it slightly harder to enable DLL mods. All youll need to do is install a gatekeeper mod, Ghirbi, and all Ghirbi does is show you a notice making you aware of the theoretical risk. This is basically the same as making the user tick a box to say I am OK with this but most people tick most checkboxes without reading the notice, especially when theyre playing games.
[You wont need to download or install Ghirbi to use DLL mods until after our next patch, NEMESIA, but you can install him now to save hassle. If you dont use Steam, you can download Ghirbi here.]
Honestly I think the risk here isnt traffic-accident low, its hit-by-a-meteorite low. But if someone was hit by a meteorite because theyd installed our game, then even if it was a bizarre accident, wed feel bad about it. So were adding a meteorite warning its impossible to ignore. Happy Christmas.
[ 2022-12-13 14:43:05 CET ] [ Original post ]
MOTHORCHID
The Sixth History Community Licence, which opens up our IP for use by anyone who fancies a pop at a Secret Histories creative work [hr][/hr]
The Secret Histories boxes, limited edition treasures themed around the libraries of the Secret Histories - all sold out but we'll do a wider release for Hush House [hr][/hr]
The Vagabond, an incarnation of a certain Hour - a collaboration with the sculptor Nicola Rigby [hr][/hr]
The Locksmith's Dream - an experimental live event, a collaboration with Ivan Caric of Tricuspid [hr][/hr]
The Lady Afterwards x Mysterious Package Company, a wildly luxurious version of our already luxurious TTRPG pack - a collaboration with the MPC [hr][/hr]
The Snare of the Tree, "Essays on the Dangers of Game Design", my second book, which came out a year ago last week [hr][/hr] We also released a series of free in-universe letters and documents that you really shouldn't miss if the lore has its hooks in you: about the arts of light and war, about the horrible secrets of expansion, about bothering rabbits, about the long peace by the sea. (also we got married, FINALLY, after years of pandemic. That's right, the two halves of Weather Factory are now united in the bonds of etc etc) Next year we have BOOK OF HOURS, the Lucid Tarot ("I'M DRAWING IT AS FAST AS I CAN" says Lottie), a collection of unreleased papers from the Suppression Bureau's archives, and whatever other unlikely ideas occur to us after too much mulled wine at Christmas. PATCH NOTES! Bold is Chelnoque, italics are my exegeses.
A quirk in Bureau's logic made it prosecute the player if the player tried to bail out a rival. Some would say that pre-fix, this was a more accurate simulation of the Bureau's operating procedures. I definitely wouldn't, which is one reason the Bureau hasn't locked *me* up. - An impossible looping Long bug became more impossible. This was a bug that showed up in one case in one legacy save, and should have been theoretically impossible. But it wasn't. Which worried us. So Chelnoque took some time to track it down, and sealed the mouseholes where it might have got in. - Sometimes cards yearned to connect with their relatives inside verbs and spammed the hover sound. "Love, like the Mansus, defies boundaries." - Achievement descriptions were invisible with High Contrast setting on. 'Does anyone really care about cheevos?' I occasionally incredulously ask Lottie, or Chelnoque, or the postman. The answers are approximately 'yes', 'yes duh', and 'wot?' from each. - The deck details window didn't hide when the element details window was opened, and was hanging there awkwardly. Very few people even know the deck details window _exists_, which is why this happened at all - Made it very subtly clearer that taunting the Foe is repeatable. The subtlest problems generate the most complicated conversations: [expand type=details]alexis I remember going back and forth on this one when I was designing it. I can't remember if I took the limit out because I wanted to be generous, or whether I forgot to put the limit in properly if you keep repeating it, you've got to keep spending resources on defending, haven't you? so it's not really a degenerate strategy? oh goodness even worse you get two wounds chelnoque You'll keep getting wounds, so there's a downside, but wounds cure on their own, so no, you aren't forced to spend anything but your time So it can be like "get 3 defiance marks, run away, and return for ascension" It's not terribly broken by all means, and without it the player is softlocked out of ascension if they ever betrayed a rebellion (cause they got -1 defiance mark, and there's only 7 overall) On the other hand, Colonel players are softlocked in the same circumstances without any way of changing it Overall, if there's no certainty, I think it's ok to leave it as it is, it's not like it turns the balance upside down Asked more to check if there's a straightforward answer alexis I agree. I don't think 'too easy' has ever been reported as an Exile issue. the other issue is that if we add the limit, we have to provide meaningful feedback if the player tries to repeat it. I'm reasonably sure this is why I didn't finish implementing it: that it was slightly challenging to write, approximately, 'that trick only impresses the Lionsmith once' in a flavourful way chelnoque Well, slot can just forbid it alexis It can, and that's probably apohenically sufficient, but it can also incite questions as to why only once very much not a big deal, but let's leave it. Can you remove the -1 requirement? just to avoid future reports [/expand] - Cards warn about the nearing expiration by displaying their timer without hover-on. This used to happen, then didn't, did, then didn't... I think I broke it in the notorious March Update - Fixed a couple of typos in Exile. "And still they come." - HOTFIX: Alt recipes with a chance weren't always working correctly. This was a rare, weird issue that would probably have made someone ask me in another month or five "are you sure probabilities are working" and I would have answered grumpily "yes let me tell you about streaks" and I'd have been wrong. Fortunately the issue actually crashed Chel's own mod, so we spotted it. - MODDING: Mutation level can be defined as a reference - { \"mutate\": \"grail\", \"level\": \"heart\" } I needed this for BOOK OF HOURS , so you ladeez and genz and others are getting it for CS - MODDING: Reference-values can use negatives in appropriate contexts - \"effects\": { \"lantern\": \"-forge\" } And this. - MODDING: All verb refences (in slots' and recipes' actionIds) can now use wildcards - \"actionId\": \"verb.*\" This opens up all sorts of really ooohhhh approaches, especially in the context of verbs now having aspects. Did anyone say BOOK OF HOURS workstations? Have a glorious Yule, everyone. May ye neither eat anyone else nor by anyone else be eaten.
pictured: tree + cat infestation
[ 2022-12-06 13:12:13 CET ] [ Original post ]
Phalaenopsis, better known as the moth orchid. It's a flower that looks like a thing with wings. The etymology means the name means literally something like 'mothy'.
Phalaenopsis philippinensis Golamco ex Fowlie & C.Z.Tang, Orchid Digest 51: 92 (1987)
MOTHORCHID is the final release of the year. In all we've had I think forty patches. I often point out that's not bad for a four-year-old game. In turn people occasionally point out that I completely borked the game for a little while back in March, and I have to admit that yes, that was a godawful two weeks followed by a grim month.
What have all those patches done? roughly,
(1) much, much better modding support
(2) various long-standing bugs and save stability issues
(3) quality of life stuff ('a dropbox for verbs finally'!)
Behind the scenes, we've also been prepping the codebase so it can support BOOK OF HOURS, our next game (out in June next year). This means that we can _keep on_ supporting Cultist into the indefinite future.
Ra ra loads of patches ain't we great... sure, but it's also enlightened self-interest. It's so tempting as a small dev to release-and-forget. Support takes time away from the development of new games. The codebase you worked on three years ago is the ugliest thing in the world and the codebase you're working on now is the one where you Get It Right. Same with the design. Fresh start! Green fields! But that means that you forget half the lessons you learnt on the previous project... and it also means your sales will suffer. Cultist hits its fifth anniversary next year, and it looks like we'll pass the million-sales-on-Steam mark around then. There's no way we'd have got there if we'd left the game to languish unpatched after release. We might have got BOOK OF HOURS out sooner, but then we'd have left _that_ to languish too, and ended up chasing the next release. Nasty cycle to get into.
This has been a hell of a lot easier since we brought in Chelnoque, the gentleman behind the Roost Machine, to do freelance work on bughunting and modding support. Chelnoque understands the game systems intimately, he's a lot better at QA than I am, and he's a steady source of thoughtful ideas. A toast to the gentleman behind the sealion avatar!
Anyway thanks for taking a chance on this weird, eternally uninviting, sempiternally janky little piece. We've got a lot more Secret Histories plans. I'll get on to the patch notes in a moment, but first...
WHAT ELSE LOTTIE AND I HAVE DONE THIS YEAR:
The Sixth History Community Licence, which opens up our IP for use by anyone who fancies a pop at a Secret Histories creative work [hr][/hr]
The Secret Histories boxes, limited edition treasures themed around the libraries of the Secret Histories - all sold out but we'll do a wider release for Hush House [hr][/hr]
The Vagabond, an incarnation of a certain Hour - a collaboration with the sculptor Nicola Rigby [hr][/hr]
The Locksmith's Dream - an experimental live event, a collaboration with Ivan Caric of Tricuspid [hr][/hr]
The Lady Afterwards x Mysterious Package Company, a wildly luxurious version of our already luxurious TTRPG pack - a collaboration with the MPC [hr][/hr]
The Snare of the Tree, "Essays on the Dangers of Game Design", my second book, which came out a year ago last week [hr][/hr] We also released a series of free in-universe letters and documents that you really shouldn't miss if the lore has its hooks in you: about the arts of light and war, about the horrible secrets of expansion, about bothering rabbits, about the long peace by the sea. (also we got married, FINALLY, after years of pandemic. That's right, the two halves of Weather Factory are now united in the bonds of etc etc) Next year we have BOOK OF HOURS, the Lucid Tarot ("I'M DRAWING IT AS FAST AS I CAN" says Lottie), a collection of unreleased papers from the Suppression Bureau's archives, and whatever other unlikely ideas occur to us after too much mulled wine at Christmas. PATCH NOTES! Bold is Chelnoque, italics are my exegeses.
MOTHORCHID, v2022.12.m.2
A quirk in Bureau's logic made it prosecute the player if the player tried to bail out a rival. Some would say that pre-fix, this was a more accurate simulation of the Bureau's operating procedures. I definitely wouldn't, which is one reason the Bureau hasn't locked *me* up. - An impossible looping Long bug became more impossible. This was a bug that showed up in one case in one legacy save, and should have been theoretically impossible. But it wasn't. Which worried us. So Chelnoque took some time to track it down, and sealed the mouseholes where it might have got in. - Sometimes cards yearned to connect with their relatives inside verbs and spammed the hover sound. "Love, like the Mansus, defies boundaries." - Achievement descriptions were invisible with High Contrast setting on. 'Does anyone really care about cheevos?' I occasionally incredulously ask Lottie, or Chelnoque, or the postman. The answers are approximately 'yes', 'yes duh', and 'wot?' from each. - The deck details window didn't hide when the element details window was opened, and was hanging there awkwardly. Very few people even know the deck details window _exists_, which is why this happened at all - Made it very subtly clearer that taunting the Foe is repeatable. The subtlest problems generate the most complicated conversations: [expand type=details]alexis I remember going back and forth on this one when I was designing it. I can't remember if I took the limit out because I wanted to be generous, or whether I forgot to put the limit in properly if you keep repeating it, you've got to keep spending resources on defending, haven't you? so it's not really a degenerate strategy? oh goodness even worse you get two wounds chelnoque You'll keep getting wounds, so there's a downside, but wounds cure on their own, so no, you aren't forced to spend anything but your time So it can be like "get 3 defiance marks, run away, and return for ascension" It's not terribly broken by all means, and without it the player is softlocked out of ascension if they ever betrayed a rebellion (cause they got -1 defiance mark, and there's only 7 overall) On the other hand, Colonel players are softlocked in the same circumstances without any way of changing it Overall, if there's no certainty, I think it's ok to leave it as it is, it's not like it turns the balance upside down Asked more to check if there's a straightforward answer alexis I agree. I don't think 'too easy' has ever been reported as an Exile issue. the other issue is that if we add the limit, we have to provide meaningful feedback if the player tries to repeat it. I'm reasonably sure this is why I didn't finish implementing it: that it was slightly challenging to write, approximately, 'that trick only impresses the Lionsmith once' in a flavourful way chelnoque Well, slot can just forbid it alexis It can, and that's probably apohenically sufficient, but it can also incite questions as to why only once very much not a big deal, but let's leave it. Can you remove the -1 requirement? just to avoid future reports [/expand] - Cards warn about the nearing expiration by displaying their timer without hover-on. This used to happen, then didn't, did, then didn't... I think I broke it in the notorious March Update - Fixed a couple of typos in Exile. "And still they come." - HOTFIX: Alt recipes with a chance weren't always working correctly. This was a rare, weird issue that would probably have made someone ask me in another month or five "are you sure probabilities are working" and I would have answered grumpily "yes let me tell you about streaks" and I'd have been wrong. Fortunately the issue actually crashed Chel's own mod, so we spotted it. - MODDING: Mutation level can be defined as a reference - { \"mutate\": \"grail\", \"level\": \"heart\" } I needed this for BOOK OF HOURS , so you ladeez and genz and others are getting it for CS - MODDING: Reference-values can use negatives in appropriate contexts - \"effects\": { \"lantern\": \"-forge\" } And this. - MODDING: All verb refences (in slots' and recipes' actionIds) can now use wildcards - \"actionId\": \"verb.*\" This opens up all sorts of really ooohhhh approaches, especially in the context of verbs now having aspects. Did anyone say BOOK OF HOURS workstations? Have a glorious Yule, everyone. May ye neither eat anyone else nor by anyone else be eaten.
pictured: tree + cat infestation
[ 2022-12-06 13:12:13 CET ] [ Original post ]
Announcing: the Sixth History Community Licence
Something about the Secret Histories enthuses people. Fanworks, fiction, commentary, art; I've lost count of the number of TRPG homebrew rules projects I've seen. For a long time, our take on this was sure, it's nice to see this kind of thing, use our stuff... as long as you're not making any money out of it, because our IP is our livelihood, and we need to protect it. But a few months ago I had a conversation with a smallish YTer who wanted to do actual-play videos with their own Secret Histories-based content. I said, sure, as long as you're not making any money out of it... they said, well, we make a little bit out of ads... but it's literally a couple of dollars a month. Oh lor, said I, that's not a problem, though I guess, like, revisit it if you get rich and famous? Lottie and I realised two things. Firstly, we get a lot of these sort of borderline requests - can I run a LRP based on your work and charge to cover costs, can I use your tarot deck to do professional readings, can I do DeviantArt commissions - and our answer is nearly always yes, but it's often complicated and we have to think about it. And secondly, we really don't mind if a semi-pro or even pro creator pays the rent using our IP, as long as it doesn't hurt our own ability to pay our own rent. And if someone does really well and helps grow the audience, so much the better. But what, people always ask, if Hollywood calls and then their lawyers say the IP situation is too complicated? Bugger Hollywood. We got optioned for TV a few years ago, did I ever mention that? Like most options, it never went into production, and I realised afterwards how relieved I was. Even though the people involved (a) were clearly nice and smart and (b) had actually played Cultist. If the upside of community licensing is that people make interesting things, and the downside is that we damage the remote possibility of a someday deal which would make us, eh, about as much money as a really successful piece of DLC in exchange for titrating away a quarter-soul's worth of our distinctiveness over several subjective years of meetings... I lost my thread. You get the gist.
So we started talking about permissive licensing. This is where we ran into a snag. It's the lore - the background, the story, the mysteries - that most attracts people. A lot of you want to write your own answers to the questions posed by Cultist Simulator et al. But we designed a lot of those gaps and mysteries very carefully, and we need to be sure there's a clean distinction between Weather Factory answers, and everyone else's. Here's what we came up with. There is not only one History, as they say. The known Secret Histories are five in number. So if there were an unsanctioned, unknown, unlawed Sixth History... it would be your playground. We've talked to our lawyers and we're finalising the licence details. We'll release the licence next week but basically: You'll be able to use the Secret Histories setting as a basis for your own TRPG, board game, app, fiction, art commission...and earn money from it, up to a limit of 50K GBP p.a... without needing to check with us... as long as you follow the licence, and in particular use the Sixth History logo to make clear it's not an official Weather Factory project. That's the tl:dr; but for God's sake do read the whole license, don't skip bits, if you're planning a project along these lines. (And of course this is meant for small-scale works. If you're thinking of proposing a serious commercial project that may make more than the revenue limit, or if it needs our direct creative involvement, like The Mysterious Package Company's super-deluxe Lady Afterwards, or the Locksmith's Dream, then you'll still need to talk to us, and we don't usually agree more than one of these a year.) Where's the licence again? We'll link to it here when it goes live on Monday 28th November 2022. And it'll be on our website, and blog, and social media, and lasered onto the moon in Comic Sans font size 8^10... Ha ha no I would never use Comic Sans no one deserves that but if you push me you might get Papyrus. I have other questions! Come ask 'em on r/weatherfactory on Thursday 1st December at 6PM GMT. This is mainly an opportunity to talk Sixth History but we will inevitably end up talking about all things Cultist Sim, BOOK OF HOURS, merch, game dev etc. Bring snacks and a post-work drink! Or if you're in America and it's therefore early in the day, I don't know, bring porridge.
We're full-time on BOOK OF HOURS right now (launching in June 2023! Go wishlist if you haven't already!) but quality of life Cultist Sim updates will continue (see LONGIFLORUM, our most recent update). We also have a Cultist Sim-specific announcement in the new year that you'll like, though I can only tease you for the moment. So I leave you with...
...and hope to see you at the AMA in December!
[ 2022-11-18 10:10:34 CET ] [ Original post ]
We love mods and the people who make 'em. There are 136 mods in the Cultist Sim Workshop (!), someone turned CS's tabletop into Super Mario, and a while back we wrote a how-to guide to help modders get started. The more mods in Steam Workshop the merrier! Apart from that weird one which takes Laidlaw's shirt off. I see you, degenerates. Aaaaanyhoo, all this creativity - not just mods, but all the fanart, writing, tabletop games, tattoos (you would not believe where some people get Moth tattoos) - leads me on to some big news. We're opening up Cultist Simulator's IP to let you use it for creative projects on a much larger scale, and even make money from it. SO READ ON! But in Alexis's voice, 'cause he wrote the next bit.
How It Is
Something about the Secret Histories enthuses people. Fanworks, fiction, commentary, art; I've lost count of the number of TRPG homebrew rules projects I've seen. For a long time, our take on this was sure, it's nice to see this kind of thing, use our stuff... as long as you're not making any money out of it, because our IP is our livelihood, and we need to protect it. But a few months ago I had a conversation with a smallish YTer who wanted to do actual-play videos with their own Secret Histories-based content. I said, sure, as long as you're not making any money out of it... they said, well, we make a little bit out of ads... but it's literally a couple of dollars a month. Oh lor, said I, that's not a problem, though I guess, like, revisit it if you get rich and famous? Lottie and I realised two things. Firstly, we get a lot of these sort of borderline requests - can I run a LRP based on your work and charge to cover costs, can I use your tarot deck to do professional readings, can I do DeviantArt commissions - and our answer is nearly always yes, but it's often complicated and we have to think about it. And secondly, we really don't mind if a semi-pro or even pro creator pays the rent using our IP, as long as it doesn't hurt our own ability to pay our own rent. And if someone does really well and helps grow the audience, so much the better. But what, people always ask, if Hollywood calls and then their lawyers say the IP situation is too complicated? Bugger Hollywood. We got optioned for TV a few years ago, did I ever mention that? Like most options, it never went into production, and I realised afterwards how relieved I was. Even though the people involved (a) were clearly nice and smart and (b) had actually played Cultist. If the upside of community licensing is that people make interesting things, and the downside is that we damage the remote possibility of a someday deal which would make us, eh, about as much money as a really successful piece of DLC in exchange for titrating away a quarter-soul's worth of our distinctiveness over several subjective years of meetings... I lost my thread. You get the gist.
How It's Going To Be
So we started talking about permissive licensing. This is where we ran into a snag. It's the lore - the background, the story, the mysteries - that most attracts people. A lot of you want to write your own answers to the questions posed by Cultist Simulator et al. But we designed a lot of those gaps and mysteries very carefully, and we need to be sure there's a clean distinction between Weather Factory answers, and everyone else's. Here's what we came up with. There is not only one History, as they say. The known Secret Histories are five in number. So if there were an unsanctioned, unknown, unlawed Sixth History... it would be your playground. We've talked to our lawyers and we're finalising the licence details. We'll release the licence next week but basically: You'll be able to use the Secret Histories setting as a basis for your own TRPG, board game, app, fiction, art commission...and earn money from it, up to a limit of 50K GBP p.a... without needing to check with us... as long as you follow the licence, and in particular use the Sixth History logo to make clear it's not an official Weather Factory project. That's the tl:dr; but for God's sake do read the whole license, don't skip bits, if you're planning a project along these lines. (And of course this is meant for small-scale works. If you're thinking of proposing a serious commercial project that may make more than the revenue limit, or if it needs our direct creative involvement, like The Mysterious Package Company's super-deluxe Lady Afterwards, or the Locksmith's Dream, then you'll still need to talk to us, and we don't usually agree more than one of these a year.) Where's the licence again? We'll link to it here when it goes live on Monday 28th November 2022. And it'll be on our website, and blog, and social media, and lasered onto the moon in Comic Sans font size 8^10... Ha ha no I would never use Comic Sans no one deserves that but if you push me you might get Papyrus. I have other questions! Come ask 'em on r/weatherfactory on Thursday 1st December at 6PM GMT. This is mainly an opportunity to talk Sixth History but we will inevitably end up talking about all things Cultist Sim, BOOK OF HOURS, merch, game dev etc. Bring snacks and a post-work drink! Or if you're in America and it's therefore early in the day, I don't know, bring porridge.
Other fun stuff coming up
We're full-time on BOOK OF HOURS right now (launching in June 2023! Go wishlist if you haven't already!) but quality of life Cultist Sim updates will continue (see LONGIFLORUM, our most recent update). We also have a Cultist Sim-specific announcement in the new year that you'll like, though I can only tease you for the moment. So I leave you with...
...and hope to see you at the AMA in December!
[ 2022-11-18 10:10:34 CET ] [ Original post ]
LONGIFLORUM patch
[ 2022-11-16 10:22:09 CET ] [ Original post ]
LONGIFLORUM: the Easter lily, the trumpet lily, the lily Aurelian. "Consider the lilies of the field; they toil not, neither do they spin" - it was longiflorum that chap was talking about, probably. I didn't grow up rich, but I did grow up in Oxford, and my secondary school had a Latin motto, SICUT LILIUM, 'like the lily'. I never really understood why a school has a motto that incited its students not to work. I tried to use this as a philosophical platform for not doing homework. Consequently the secondary school threw me out and I had to go to a weird boarding school for weird kids. On the upside the headmaster of the weird school lent his copy of Gormenghast and changed the course of my life. I've left out some details but this all approximately happened.
Anyway lilium longiflorum is very pretty but also utterly lethal to cats. A couple years back I carelessly brought home a bouquet for Lottie with a couple of longiflora in it. By the time we realised, our hapless cat Chi (aka Chione, like the book in Cultist) had jumped up and coated himself in rust-coloured pollen. Lottie had to wash it off in the bath.
Chi is the same cat who appears in this image...
...which is a good segue to talking about what happened last week. We've been pushing out small releases from beta to live about every two weeks, which is a bloody good pace for a four-year-old game, and we'd got a bit gung-ho because it all went so well. Last week we put out LONGIFLORUM v1 as a reminder of the three basic truths of existence:
1. Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains;
2. Nature is red in tooth and claw;
3 Even well-tested code has bugs.
LONGIFLORUM last week was very well-tested (Chel is thorough)... but there were some changes to save code, which is always a pit of barbed wasps... so it wasn't well-tested enough. Consequently we had to roll it back, which itself caused some hiccups. So here it is again, after another week in the shop getting the dents knocked out.
What's actually in the patch?
- Game no longer crashes when challenged with a corrupted save file. Instead, you are prompted to try restoring a backup.
Almost half of the support requests I get are corrupted saves. I think a good 10% of all those are specifically 'a cat jumped on the power button and turned off my game as it was saving'. I'm serious, though I haven't actually run the numbers. I'm ready to claim that almost 5% of all the support requests over the last few months are caused by cats.
Anyway there was some code (mine) in there which was supposed to revert to backups but it wasn't working properly. There is some new code (Chel's) in there which works better.
- Upon crashing on startup, the game will automatically turn off all enabled mods. If don't want this behaviour (for example, when testing your own mod), add \"knock=1\" to config.ini.
- Additional precautions when loading mod-affected saves.
BOORING... NOT. At least half the support requests I get these days are mod-related. Often this happens because a save becomes addicted to mods and dies when the mods are uninstalled. The most frequent culprit is Genroa's excellent Shelves mod. Anyway the only answers I could give were 'talk to the modder' and 'purge your save' and occasionally 'UGH WHY DID I EVER ADD MODDING'. Many of these problems will now go away.
I can't promise you can now add and remove mods with abandon. There is always a risk to after-market work, as anyone who's tried to fit wings to their car will know. In the near future we're going to make it sliiightly harder to add mods which dramatically change functionality - i.e. DLL mods - by requiring installation of a gatekeeper mod which gives stern warnings. It's probably only a matter of time before some villain tries to slip ransomware into a mod, and we'd rather not feel responsible.
- Rites which consume followers will no longer suggest that they can be used to renew Burgeoning or Shattered Risen. Technically they renewed and consumed the Risen, which was legitimate but not very helpful.
This was hilarious, except when it happened.
- HOTFIX: Occasional save incompatibility with the previous version is fixed.\n
I'm very proud of the fact that you can still load a save from the 2018 version of Cultist in the 2022 version of Cultist. I still wake on winter nights sobbing about the save converter I had to write in 2021. Please don't prove me wrong by crashing the game with an old save.
- HOTFIX: Strange and unexpected card presences - seasons, books, and many more - are fixed. For a moment, you were peeking behind the veil of the game's inner workings - the game decks, and they became visible.
A digression. I can't talk too much about BOOK OF HOURS here, because the Steam admins are a bit sterner about flagging cross-promotion these days. But you know that thing with long runs of bad luck in Cultist? Like, you've got a 10% chance of failing a vault run and getting a curse, and it happens six times in a row?
In Book of Hours I've moved away from (digital) dice rolls to (digital) card draws to manage randomness. In other words the runs of bad luck are limited. There's only one critical failure (or whatever) in the deck to draw. I wish I'd done this years ago.
- HOTFIX: Fixed a crash on lore subversion.
We codename our bugs while we're tracking them down. This was CONSUMMATUM.
- MODDING: Mods with empty synopsis no longer crash the game.
"Silence! Oh, well are Death and Sleep and Thou
Three brethren named, the guardians gloomy-winged,
Of one abyss, where life and truth and joy
Are swallowed up."
Nice bit of Tuesday morning Shelley. You're welcome.
- MODDING: Verbs can now have innate aspects (defined as \"aspects\": { \"something\": 1 }).
- MODDING: Verbs can now react to xtriggers - in particular, to transform into a different verb.
Keep in mind that verbs still can't have mutations.
Sneaking a significant one in at the end. This is actually a bit of functionality I wanted for BOOK OF HOURS, where verbs can be things like desks and houses, and you lucky CS modders are getting the benefit.
Let me end with a question.
[ 2022-11-16 10:22:09 CET ] [ Original post ]
The MPC x Lady Afterwards edition out now!
The Mysterious Package Company's beautifully reimagined edition of The Lady Afterwards is out now!
It builds on our original edition by adding hand-aged clues, a silver cigarette case stuffed with calling cards, an antique magnifying glass and a hardwood "Taurus Express" travelling chest to keep it all in. It's TRULY MAGNIFICENT and includes all of the following:
Only 1,000 sets are available, each costing $199. They're shipped from Canada, so North Americans - you don't have to worry about international shipping fees for once.
Each edition of MPC x TLA comes with a 10% discount for Locksmith's Dream tickets, apart from one lucky box. That box includes a winning ticket for a totally free stay at our Secret Histories scavenger hunt, worth $2,000. (If you can't attend any of the 2022 / 2023 events, you can opt instead for a free MPC experience of your choice.) Good luck! We call upon the Flowermaker that it's someone from the Cultist Sim community who wins.
[ 2022-11-08 17:57:22 CET ] [ Original post ]
MPC x The Lady Afterwards edition now available!
The Mysterious Package Company's beautifully reimagined edition of The Lady Afterwards is out now!
It builds on our original edition by adding hand-aged clues, a silver cigarette case stuffed with calling cards, an antique magnifying glass and a hardwood "Taurus Express" travelling chest to keep it all in. It's TRULY MAGNIFICENT and includes all of the following:
- The Lady Afterwards Game Runners Guide, a ~50 page TRPG scenario set in 1920s Alexandria
- The Secret Histories Rulebook, a ~30 page mechanics primer
- 18 hand-aged clues, including telegrams, lovers notes, photographs and more
- An antique golden magnifying glass, to inspect them all
- The Essential Hours pocket tarot deck of 23 Major Arcana cards
- A full 78-card "Tarot of the Hours" deck
- Eight customisable character sheets with personalised questionnaires and connections
- Eight art deco character pins in silver and gold
- A sterling silver cigarette case, including several in-fiction calling cards and clues
- A Game Runners Journal to keep track of players, game-states and evidence
- A beautifully-scented black opium candle to evoke the Invisible Serapeum
- A full-colour A3 map of contemporary Alexandria with real 1920s photographs
- Two sets of antique TRPG dice in a burlap bag
- A year-long 10% discount token for ourmerch shop and the Locksmith's Dream
- Access to a custom-built mood-music playlist of 1920s songs
- A full digital edition of The Lady Afterwards worth 30
- Housed in a custom hardwood "Taurus Express" travelling chest
Only 1,000 sets are available, each costing $199. They're shipped from Canada, so North Americans - you don't have to worry about international shipping fees for once.
Will you win the Golden Ticket?
Each edition of MPC x TLA comes with a 10% discount for Locksmith's Dream tickets, apart from one lucky box. That box includes a winning ticket for a totally free stay at our Secret Histories scavenger hunt, worth $2,000. (If you can't attend any of the 2022 / 2023 events, you can opt instead for a free MPC experience of your choice.) Good luck! We call upon the Flowermaker that it's someone from the Cultist Sim community who wins.
[ 2022-11-08 17:57:22 CET ] [ Original post ]
Mysterious Package Company x The Lady Afterwards
[quote=The original Lady Afterwards]"Mirrors glitter at the Cecil, Berbers whisper in the El Bab Cafe, and statues keep their secrets in the cold depths of the bay. Somethings in motion, from the Arab Quarter to the Rue des Soeurs. Somewhere, the Serapeum stirs. The Hours have taken an interest. Cherchez la femme, the saying goes. But what does the lady look for?"[/quote] The Lady Afterwards is a Cultist Simulator TRPG for 2-8 players, set in 1920s Alexandria. It takes place in the world of the Secret Histories, where hidden gods watch over a world of apocalypse, yearning and forbidden arts. Its a non-linear, combat-light, story-centric tabletop RPG: an occult Egyptian noir inspired by classics like Chaosiums Horror on the Orient Express. Each MPC x TLA box includes:
The MPC edition costs 180 + shipping and launches at 6PM BST / 10AM PDT on Tuesday 8th November 2022, just under two weeks from now. There's limited stock available, so if the above floats your boat, I highly encourage you to join MPC's Lady Afterwards waitlist to be pinged the moment the game is live. (For the avoidance of doubt, we're still happily selling the original version of The Lady Afterwards. So if you prefer the original 'cottagecore' concept, that's available too! Regardless, it's incredibly cool to see this lil project that grew out of a pretty bad time in my life become something as gorgeous as this. Thank you, MPC, and HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY IT! )
[ 2022-10-26 13:48:40 CET ] [ Original post ]
[quote=The original Lady Afterwards]"Youve been summoned to Alexandria, a city of coloured lights and curious histories. An old friend needs you to track down a woman. Shes probably in trouble. Probably trouble herself. Plus a change..."[/quote]
We're working with the Mysterious Package Company to create a new, extremely high-end Lady Afterwards edition with MPC-level props and accoutrements!
MPC are the absolute top of the pile when it comes to making beautiful antique physical items. They usually specialise in Lovecraftian stuff (AK and I bought their Hastur experience years ago, and it was amazing), so The Lady Afterwards caught their eye. The MPC edition includes everything that's in our original Lady Afterwards box, but adds an extra layer of high-quality artefact...ry: a custom wooden chest, hand-aged clues, and a few extras like an antique magnifying glass and silver case with new business cards inside, a Essential Hours and a full Tarot of the Hours deck...
What's The Lady Afterwards?
[quote=The original Lady Afterwards]"Mirrors glitter at the Cecil, Berbers whisper in the El Bab Cafe, and statues keep their secrets in the cold depths of the bay. Somethings in motion, from the Arab Quarter to the Rue des Soeurs. Somewhere, the Serapeum stirs. The Hours have taken an interest. Cherchez la femme, the saying goes. But what does the lady look for?"[/quote] The Lady Afterwards is a Cultist Simulator TRPG for 2-8 players, set in 1920s Alexandria. It takes place in the world of the Secret Histories, where hidden gods watch over a world of apocalypse, yearning and forbidden arts. Its a non-linear, combat-light, story-centric tabletop RPG: an occult Egyptian noir inspired by classics like Chaosiums Horror on the Orient Express. Each MPC x TLA box includes:
- The Lady Afterwards Game Runners Guide, a ~50 page TRPG scenario set in 1920s Alexandria
- The Secret Histories Rulebook, a ~30 page mechanics primer
- 18 hand-aged clues, including telegrams, lovers notes, photographs and more
- The Essential Hours pocket tarot deck of 23 Major Arcana cards and a full 78-card "Tarot of the Hours"
- Eight customisable character sheets with personalised questionnaires and connections
- Eight art deco character pins in silver and gold
- A Game Runners Journal to keep track of players, game-states and evidence
- A beautifully-scented black opium candle to evoke the Invisible Serapeum
- A full-colour A3 map of contemporary Alexandria with real 1920s photographs
- Two sets of antique TRPG dice in a velvet dice bag
- A year-long 10% discount token for our shop
- Access to a custom-built mood-music playlist of 1920s songs
- A sterling silver cigarette case, incasing several characters' business cards
- An antique 1920s magnifying glass
- A custom wooden carrying case
- A full digital edition of the whole game
How can I get my hands on it?
The MPC edition costs 180 + shipping and launches at 6PM BST / 10AM PDT on Tuesday 8th November 2022, just under two weeks from now. There's limited stock available, so if the above floats your boat, I highly encourage you to join MPC's Lady Afterwards waitlist to be pinged the moment the game is live. (For the avoidance of doubt, we're still happily selling the original version of The Lady Afterwards. So if you prefer the original 'cottagecore' concept, that's available too! Regardless, it's incredibly cool to see this lil project that grew out of a pretty bad time in my life become something as gorgeous as this. Thank you, MPC, and HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY IT! )
[ 2022-10-26 13:48:40 CET ] [ Original post ]
KALMIA: sheep-slayer, cone-bringer
[ 2022-10-24 12:32:34 CET ] [ Original post ]
The expansive gentleman in the picture below is (probably) the naturalist Pehr Kalm:
He was a widely-travelled eighteenth-century Finnish naturalist, and the genus kalmia was named after him:
.
Pehr looks cross in that picture. It might be that his handsome waistcoat is too tight, it might be that the pinecone is spiky, or it might be that the flower named for him was later nicknamed kill-kid. This is less horrible than it sounds, because 'kid' is also a juvenile goat, and kalmia is also nicknamed lamb-kill and sheep-poison. It's stuffed with neurotoxins, is what I'm saying. Don't let your goats near it. Or your kids. If Cultist has taught us anything, it's the unwisdom of putting something in your mouth just cos it looks pretty.
Over to Chelnoque for the patch notes for KALMIA. These are pretty bland, because he's done a lot of work behind the scenes on content import and logging that isn't interesting to write about. We've also just put the LONGIFLORUM release on the beta branch, which is a bit funner, especially in that it makes games more resistant to the notorious Cat Jumped On My Keyboard bug. But I'll post the patch notes for that one when it goes live.
2022.9.k.3 KALMIA
- Several minor typos in slot requirements are fixed.
- Blank credits panel in Russian localisation is fixed.
- HOTFIX: The game started to treat some save files as if they were corrupted. They, in fact, weren't, and this all is now behind us.
- HOTFIX: Newly-spawned verbs no longer snatch a single random card from their birthplace.
- HOTFIX: Newly-spawned verbs no longer snatch a single random card from their birthplace.
- MODDING: Greatly increased the vigilance and informativeness of JSON import logs.
bonus content:
The Monastery of the Fifth Cup box. It's sold out, but there's some lore here that people got excited about.
The Locksmith's Dream. Pictures from the beta!
Have a spooky day, as they say on that one podcast. - AK
[ 2022-10-24 12:32:34 CET ] [ Original post ]
The Orchard of Lights
Bask in the joy of seeing pockets of colour appear out of an inky blackness...
...or enjoy a few close-ups of my favourites below:
...and a final one for those pale-skinned dweebos like myself who pass all signs of melanin and go directly to BURN. We call upon your mercy, Flowermaker!
Each of these cards was designed, drawn and coloured from scratch, because obviously the Hours deserve as much love and attention as they can get. I wanted to put a more human spin on the Hours with this deck, as we already have a lot of gorgeous symbolism in the Tarot of the Hours. But what would you see in the chapel windows of the Church of the Bright Edge, for example? Or what would gaze semi-benevolently down upon the altar of the Temple Unceasing? I'd love for these to actually appear in the windows of Hush House in BOOK OF HOURS, but AK and I spent a lot of time talking production schedules this week and we havequite enough to get on with for that game already... Minor Arcana cards are more numerous than Major Arcana (56 Minor, 22 Major) but they'll deliberately harken back to cards you've mostly already seen in Cultist Sim. We've shared the 10 of Swords already, for example:
The 10 of Swords represents martyrdom, victimhood and 'bottoming out' - so the Incursus seemed like a pretty good touchpoint for that. You can expect to see a Lucid Tarot reimagining of your Cultist cards in the next set of these cards you see - anyone want to guess which Cultist Sim characters I've chosen for the Page, Knight, Queen and King of Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles...?
[ 2022-09-23 13:24:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
Happy Friday, everyone! I hear you like the secret gods known as the Hours, and AK is good at tantalisingly not revealing much about them. So I just wanted to share a quick update on the Lucid Tarot, our upcoming tarot deck for BOOK OF HOURS, whose Major Arcana focuses entirely on the Hours of Cultist Simulator. It's all-new art drawn directly from the saucy, source-y lore of AK's 'CS Design' spreadsheet. You can't get tastier than that.
The Lucid Tarot
Bask in the joy of seeing pockets of colour appear out of an inky blackness...
...or enjoy a few close-ups of my favourites below:
...and a final one for those pale-skinned dweebos like myself who pass all signs of melanin and go directly to BURN. We call upon your mercy, Flowermaker!
Each of these cards was designed, drawn and coloured from scratch, because obviously the Hours deserve as much love and attention as they can get. I wanted to put a more human spin on the Hours with this deck, as we already have a lot of gorgeous symbolism in the Tarot of the Hours. But what would you see in the chapel windows of the Church of the Bright Edge, for example? Or what would gaze semi-benevolently down upon the altar of the Temple Unceasing? I'd love for these to actually appear in the windows of Hush House in BOOK OF HOURS, but AK and I spent a lot of time talking production schedules this week and we havequite enough to get on with for that game already... Minor Arcana cards are more numerous than Major Arcana (56 Minor, 22 Major) but they'll deliberately harken back to cards you've mostly already seen in Cultist Sim. We've shared the 10 of Swords already, for example:
The 10 of Swords represents martyrdom, victimhood and 'bottoming out' - so the Incursus seemed like a pretty good touchpoint for that. You can expect to see a Lucid Tarot reimagining of your Cultist cards in the next set of these cards you see - anyone want to guess which Cultist Sim characters I've chosen for the Page, Knight, Queen and King of Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles...?
[ 2022-09-23 13:24:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
ILEX (and JUNIPER on beta)
[You'll notice there aren't many tags populated here. That's because I didn't realise there's no way for modders to update their own tags via the Steam front end! Anyway, from JUNIPER onwards, they'll be able to set the tags themselves.] Crikey, we're up to 130+ mods now. You're an inventive crowd. Dream furiously, all AK PS ILEX is sponsored by the Thunderskin, JUNIPER by the Grail, but this post is sponsored by cats. This is the SIXTH BUG REPORT of cats corrupting saves that I've received this year.
[ 2022-09-20 13:20:52 CET ] [ Original post ]
ILEX is not a wild goat. That's 'ibex'. Ilex is holly: a glossy, pretty plant that takes no nonsense from anyone, with glossy, pretty berries that occasionally murder people. And it means Christmas. I'm very fond of holly. I'm also very fond of JUNIPER, because it's what makes gin taste like gin. Holly was sacred to thunder gods, and juniper to fertility goddesses. So the Thunderskin is the official sponsor of the ILEX patch, which we released today, and the Red Grail is the official sponsor of JUNIPER, which is now on the beta branch. Let's talk about what you can find in each one. Chelnoque wrote the patch notes, and [my comments are in italic brackets]
ILEX: MAIN BRANCH
- Improved performance and display of card timers
- Aspects were counted twice for cards in the Verb output.
- Upgrading lore sometimes destroyed innocent bystander cards. [So sometimes you might lose a Health when you were trying to upgrade Heart lore. Thanks to Xardis for bringing this one up.]
- Incorrect chance of getting an Exultation when preaching with Passion is fixed. [Apparently this had been there since 2019. Now I think about it, I vaguely remember the bug report, and I vaguely remember fixing it, long ago. Maybe I forgot to commit ]
- Formula: Elixir Zeboim cannot be consumed in a rite. [Elixir Zeboim, as any ghoul kno, is something you consume that helps you get value out of consuming dead bodies. It's not real. Don't eat dead people. Anyway it was getting used up if you put it in the consumption slot of a rite.]
- MODDING: In-game debug panel now allows to manually xtrigger present cards. [When I saw Chelnoque had added this, I grunted appreciatively. If you use the dev console, you might grunt appreciatively too. If it means nothing, think of it as pleasant background noise, like the Shipping Forecast, or a bumblebee in a holly tree.]
JUNIPER: BETA BRANCH
- An inability to interact with certain UI elements that occurred in windowed mode at widescreen resolutions is fixed. [This one was actually a Unity bug, and it's fixed by 'updating to the latest version of Unity']
- In addition, due to a hiccup in update releases, several DLC-related fixes were declared, but weren't properly present. [And this is just a fancy way of saying 'we didn't run the right scripts'. There's an extra step to updating DLC on Steam that's easy to forget, and we forgot it :)]
- When devouring a reckoner, Ligeians no longer consume the content of the Reckoner verb slot. [e.g. if you had just fended off the Reckoner with your Edge lore, the Ligeian would eat the Edge lore too. Ligeians don't play fair, but this was _particularly_ unfair. ]
- The game will no longer suggest you relax or negotiate when you're trying to start an operation in Exile.
- Buying a profane weapon with another profane weapon does not result in mutual annihilation. [This was an unbelievably obscure and complicated bug that only cropped up in a rare exploit where someone tried to buy a loaded gun with an unloaded gun. I would never have noticed it]
- MODDING: Mods now can self-define their tags through \"tags\" property in synopsis.json. Consult with MODDING_README.txt in StreamingAssets folder for the details. [This is also of most interest to modders... but it's important to everyone who uses mods too.]
[You'll notice there aren't many tags populated here. That's because I didn't realise there's no way for modders to update their own tags via the Steam front end! Anyway, from JUNIPER onwards, they'll be able to set the tags themselves.] Crikey, we're up to 130+ mods now. You're an inventive crowd. Dream furiously, all AK PS ILEX is sponsored by the Thunderskin, JUNIPER by the Grail, but this post is sponsored by cats. This is the SIXTH BUG REPORT of cats corrupting saves that I've received this year.
[ 2022-09-20 13:20:52 CET ] [ Original post ]
Patch notes for HELLEBORE! (2022.8.h.3)
[ 2022-09-08 13:22:39 CET ] [ Original post ]
(guest-starring Chelnoque again) - Yet another round of card-handlery tweaks: - Cards put more effort into finding a landing zone as close to the hover position as possible. - Card ghosts sometimes ended up in a wrong position (and generally made no sense). - Cards save their preferred tabletop location between sessions. - Cards should no longer completely overlap each other - or, at least, should do this significantly less often. - Cards correctly replace each other in slots. - Dropzones are now more proficient (and elegant) in their craft. - Verbs occupy a more modest space on the grid. - Verbs go straight to the dropzone when spawned. - Different kinds of camera movement should feel smoother, and are less interruptive towards each other. - Dragged cards follow the camera movement. - When a card is moving into a verb slot, it no longer slows down if said verb's windows opens or closes. - Initial board setup respects the grid. - Interactions with the Mansus are slightly oiled up. And also: - Shattered Risen could sometimes lack Follower aspect. - Buying a profane weapon with another profane weapon does not result in mutual annihilation. - Rare freeze on \"Collect All\" is fixed. - MODDING: Deck effects now support aspect references, as in \"deckeffects\": { \"deckeffects\": \"lantern\" }.",
[ 2022-09-08 13:22:39 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.7.f.5 FRAGRANTOLIVE
[ 2022-08-09 11:20:01 CET ] [ Original post ]
- New modding feature: configurable local achievements - Verb windows display cards, aspects and deck draws more cleanly and more clearly. - Influences are properly removed on a skill upgrade. - Fixed dropzones sometimes blocking interactions with their contents. - Cards more reliably seek the nearest verb on a double-click (and on a right-click). - Purging cards in a completed verb now correctly updates the previewed amount. - Aspect display in a verb window now updates properly on mutations. - Various optimizations to make the game more stable in longer sessions. - Korean text fixes. - HOTFIX: EXILE borkage - HOTFIX: it's again possible to create a seventh-level lore fragment through combination - HOTFIX: a lamentable surplus space in the log was baking Chel's noodle - HOTFIX: more optimisations when lots of cards are created at once - HOTFIX: scrollbar adjustments - HOTFIX: issue with card expulsion to new situations - HOTFIX'S HOTFIX: an expulsion issue that was introduced in the previous hotfix is fixed - HOTFIX'S HOTFIX'S HOTFIX: explulsions are truly really fixed this time - MODDING: mod long description is no longer overwritten on mod re-upload - MODDING: expulsion filters now can have negative requirements\
[ 2022-08-09 11:20:01 CET ] [ Original post ]
ERYNGO and FRAGRANTOLIVE
[ 2022-07-28 16:25:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
If you're wondering what an eryngo is, it's one of these. Handsome things. They have umbels, and they're cousins to the carrot. 
I've seen a handful of reports about crashes that I'm trying to track down, but the game is thank Christ generally stable again, and FRAGRANTOLIVE, om beta, is more stable still.
You might have noticed that one of our long-time modders, Mr Chelnoque, now has [developer] flair on the forums. We'd tried him out on some contract work to add modding features, and we liked his work enough that he's working with us part-time: adding modding and other features, hunting bugs, and doing the QA work that I am so notoriously not great at. We're bloody pleased to have him.
In particular, the COLLECTION feature in FRAGRANTOLIVE was Chel's proposal. It tracks Achievements in the game UI, but it *also* allows modders to add achievements of their own (Not on Steam, because I don't think Cultist would benefit from the inevitable cascade of penis-related achievements, but modder achievements will nestle nicely in the UI alongside the official ones.
FRAGRANTOLIVE also has some more stability features and UI tweaks, and it's stable enough that you can hop over to the beta branch if you're feeling even slightly adventurous. It'll make its way to the main branch around about 9th August unless something goes awry, and you should see GALANTHUS on beta around about then.
BTW, if you're still on the classic_ui branch, then honestly I would suggest you join the rest of us in the future. Card snapping just works now, the newer version's save code is more robust, and you're missing out on a trickle of new QoL and modding things. But I know that everyone has their preference (vodka not gin in martinis??) and I've committed to leaving the classic_ui branch up permanently. This condemns me to a trickle of emails in about 2025 when Windows n+1 finally stops supporting Unity 2019, but I can live with that if you can.
I leave you with something charming from Lottie. If you're wondering what Hush House looks like, or what Ambrose Westcott did in his spare hours, this will enlighten you slightly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVVJ-TjhrrM
Dream furiously
AK
[ 2022-07-28 16:25:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.6.d.1 DAHLIA
https://github.com/weatherfactory/cultistsimulator-visible/issues If you're not technically inclined or don't know what a GitHub is, please keep just mailing us at support@weatherfactory.biz. (Or post on the forums, and I'll probably swing by after a week and say 'yes it's fixed' or 'idk send me your logs'.)
Secondly, here's our modding guide, now expanded with a huge community guide, manual and tutorial, thanks to our stalward modders. The community guide is 100% unofficial and I haven't checked it's all accurate, but it looks really good. [url=https://weatherfactory.biz/modding] https://weatherfactory.biz/modding
Thirdly, The Locksmith's Dream, our live event spin-off, is now live. The beta's long sold out but we still have space in a couple of events later this year. https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/31397842/2e18b0b45a7b63737de0a5df7586520389ee294a.png[/img]
And finally, I mentioned BOOK OF HOURS. Lottie and I have been digging deep into the library's long, long history. I'm tying it into mundane and secret histories; Lottie is putting together the look of the library, in its half-dozen different phases. The place is well over a thousand years old, and has grown like a coral reef.
Those of you who've read my book, 'Against Worldbuilding...', might unkindly remark that this looks a lot like worldbuilding. My response is firstly, in a John Oliver sort of voice, no, no it's not, it's setting design. But more seriously it would be that there's nothing wrong with historical timelines for invented worlds. The problem is inventing a world by starting with a timeline, when what you want is a place at the edge of the world and a dozen centuries of sanctuary, madness, healing, and death. And books.
[ 2022-06-23 12:27:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
Dahlias. The Aztecs ate them. Mexico selected it as the national flower. And PG Wodehouse named Bertie Wooster's favourite aunt after them. Here she is in full cry:
"To look at you, [Bertie], one would think you were just an ordinary sort of amiable idiot - certifiable, perhaps, but quite harmless. Yet, in reality, you are worse a scourge than the Black Death. I tell you, Bertie, when I contemplate you I seem to come up against all the underlying sorrow and horror of life with such a thud that I feel as if I had walked into a lamp post. I thought as much. Well, it needed but this. I don't see how things could possibly be worse than they are, but no doubt you will succeed in making them so. Your genius and insight will find the way. Carry on, Bertie. Yes, carry on. I am past caring now. I shall even find a faint interest in seeing into what darker and profounder abysses of hell you can plunge this home. Go to it, lad... I remember years ago, when you were in your cradle, being left alone with you one day and you nearly swallowed your rubber comforter and started turning purple. And I, ass that I was, took it out and saved your life. Let me tell you, young Bertie, it will go very hard with you if you ever swallow a rubber comforter again when only I am by to aid.
Next time you're playing as the Bright Young Thing and worrying about juggling Dread, remember that at least you don't have a Wooster aunt to worry about. I should probably have put one in.
Dahlia is a stability patch, though for the first time in years, it does include a tiny extra bit of content. (I need to sort out localisations in four languages for that bit of content, which is why I don't often add content any more.)
===
- Hardened against some crashes from less well behaved mods
- Hardened against corrupted config.ini files
- If your save is corrupted and there are valid backups, you won't need to rename manually
- Prisoners can now be freed, murdered, or enlightened.
- Aspect sprites now appear again in Apostle runs and Dancer
- Tidied up options panel
===
You may have noticed the patches have slowed down lately. Those of you who follow the Weather Factory blog will have seen some recent drama. Lottie and I reckon 40% of our time in the last couple of months has been taken up with that drama, and I HOPE it's now resolved. This frees me up, but I also have BOOK OF HOURS to make. So we are going to bring in a little more part-time testing and dev resource (from a name some of you will know). This means more stability, fewer hotfixes. (I HOPE).
Bonus content.
The Book of Issues
https://github.com/weatherfactory/cultistsimulator-visible/issues If you're not technically inclined or don't know what a GitHub is, please keep just mailing us at support@weatherfactory.biz. (Or post on the forums, and I'll probably swing by after a week and say 'yes it's fixed' or 'idk send me your logs'.)
The Books of the New Forge
Secondly, here's our modding guide, now expanded with a huge community guide, manual and tutorial, thanks to our stalward modders. The community guide is 100% unofficial and I haven't checked it's all accurate, but it looks really good. [url=https://weatherfactory.biz/modding] https://weatherfactory.biz/modding
The Locksmith's Dream, Volume ?
Thirdly, The Locksmith's Dream, our live event spin-off, is now live. The beta's long sold out but we still have space in a couple of events later this year. https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/31397842/2e18b0b45a7b63737de0a5df7586520389ee294a.png[/img]
The Book of Hours
And finally, I mentioned BOOK OF HOURS. Lottie and I have been digging deep into the library's long, long history. I'm tying it into mundane and secret histories; Lottie is putting together the look of the library, in its half-dozen different phases. The place is well over a thousand years old, and has grown like a coral reef.
Those of you who've read my book, 'Against Worldbuilding...', might unkindly remark that this looks a lot like worldbuilding. My response is firstly, in a John Oliver sort of voice, no, no it's not, it's setting design. But more seriously it would be that there's nothing wrong with historical timelines for invented worlds. The problem is inventing a world by starting with a timeline, when what you want is a place at the edge of the world and a dozen centuries of sanctuary, madness, healing, and death. And books.
[ 2022-06-23 12:27:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.6.c.1 CROCOSMIA
[ 2022-06-08 17:08:01 CET ] [ Original post ]
- You can now set gridsnap to 'no gridsnap' again. Welcome, children of the Moth - Magnet-grabbed cards now return to their original position afterwards (e.g. when the detective gets lost post-suspicion, he won't) - Weird dropzone ricochet effect no longer occurs when you put a card into a slot where it doesn't fit - Card stacks now place properly - Card stacks no longer open information window when dropped on the desktop (don't even) - Stack badge shader now uses backface cull so it doesn't appear on reversed cards - KEEP SAVE button works again - Perf improvements
[ 2022-06-08 17:08:01 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.6.b.2 BRYONY
[ 2022-06-07 12:39:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
Fixed a gridsnap bias that favoured left/top row. Damn that's better. Fixed a blurry text issue on cards Fixed frequency bug in card shuffle. Particular thanks to Chelnoque and Clocq (no relations) on this Added workaround for crash bug in latest Unity version. This one was, for once, not my fault, folks
[ 2022-06-07 12:39:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
CULTIST SIM'S ANNIVERSARY!
We're running a Midweek Madness sale throughout this week, where you can get everything Cultist Sim-y for basically dust and a broken ha'penny (50-66% off everything, to be exact). So that's
We're not ready to share a vertical slice of the game yet, but here're some updates. We've finalised the design of the Wisdom Page, the occult sort-of skill tree where you can choose which forbidden knowledge to specialise in, and which affects what you can do elsewhere in the game based on your choices. We've hidden the full size of the chart, but you can see the first four levels here:
(Click for a larger image.) Players choose cards or objects to commit to each slot up the chain, pledging allegiance - for example - to Birdsong by committing a skill card for Ramsund, the language of secrets. This will enhance the player's Birdsong affinity and ability, opening up new opportunities elsewhere and unlocking the next tier of the branch. We hope it's also a nice roleplaying opportunity, as you can see that each of the nine Wisdoms is variously associated with several Principles from Cultist Simulator. People have strong feelings about whether they're a Winter-y sort who wants a beautiful end or a Lantern-type who's brilliant but a bit caustic or a Forge-person who really loves hitting things with hammers. The Wisdoms are deliberately broader, drawing from multiple Principles at once, so they should open up new avenues of characterisation. Which is useful in, er, an RPG! Speaking of the Wisdoms, we've uncovered a new letter from a mysterious 'Arthur' to his nephew, discussing the Illumination-affiliated events that took place in a Pyrhhic battle against the Khusgai of Persia, and the bravery - and unmasking of Lieutenant Malcolmson. Most importantly, though, weep for Menander, the bravest steed that ever was! "Nephew, make a fist of your hand. Muscles move beneath the skin. So powers move beneath the skin of the world, at impulses equally invisible, but greater."
Click here for full images + alternative read-friendly text. And finally, we also have a mock-up of Hush House's layout to share. Please note that this is not what the game will actually look like (though mmmm isn't it all nice and neat in a grid), but it is likely to represent the layout of rooms in the final game. We've censored some of the more deep-lore rooms, and you can't see all of it - but here's a first glimpse at the library at the centre of it all!
(Click for a larger image, again.) If you like what you see, please wishlist BOOK OF HOURS to keep updated with our progress! More on that in the next few months.
"Youve been summoned to Alexandria, a city of coloured lights and curious histories. An old friend needs you to track down a woman. Shes probably in trouble. Probably trouble herself. Plus a change." Since launching Cultist Sim in 2018, we made a TRPG based in its occult, Lovecraftian world called The Lady Afterwards. You can buy the digital edition here on Steam (50% off in the Midweek Madness sale!), and we've just re-released our luxury boxed edition in our merch shop too. We're releasing another 100 boxes at noon today, and the boxes will restock every Tuesday.
"Secret gods live beneath the skin of the world. Five of them meet every year to exchange secrets and agree particular notes of history. Their conversations arent for our ears, but even after theyve gone, their gossip still troubles the earth; the air still prickles with doors..."
Cultist Sim also inspired our latest venture, going live today: a series of live, overnight events set in a crumbling aristocratic mansion in Monmouthshire, UK. Each year the Avian Hours - that's the Beach-Crow, the Witch-and-Sister, the Elegiast, the Vagabond and the little-known Name of the Moth, Ferezeref - meet to discuss the topics of the gods. Afterwards, mortals attend the Roostinghall to pick through abandoned tidbits of secret knowledge. This is what we're calling the Locksmith's Dream, and invite you to pick through the snippets of the gods this October and December with us. Full details of the event, and of course tickets for sale, over on the official site. Happy birthday to Iris, the Mansus, all the Histories and most importantly to Cultist Sim, the little game that could. Celebrate in your favourite way for us, Believers! We couldn't have done it without you. <3
[ 2022-06-07 07:30:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CULTIST SIM!
We're running a Midweek Madness sale throughout this week, where you can get everything Cultist Sim-y for basically dust and a broken ha'penny (50-66% off everything, to be exact). So that's
- Cultist Simulator (66% off)
- The Dancer, Priest, Ghoul and Exile DLC (50% off)
- Cultist Simulator's OST (50% off)
- The Anthology Edition bundle, which includes all of the above @ 65% off-ish (bundle maths is hard)
- The Lady Afterwards digital TRPG (50% off)
BOOK OF HOURS
We're not ready to share a vertical slice of the game yet, but here're some updates. We've finalised the design of the Wisdom Page, the occult sort-of skill tree where you can choose which forbidden knowledge to specialise in, and which affects what you can do elsewhere in the game based on your choices. We've hidden the full size of the chart, but you can see the first four levels here:
(Click for a larger image.) Players choose cards or objects to commit to each slot up the chain, pledging allegiance - for example - to Birdsong by committing a skill card for Ramsund, the language of secrets. This will enhance the player's Birdsong affinity and ability, opening up new opportunities elsewhere and unlocking the next tier of the branch. We hope it's also a nice roleplaying opportunity, as you can see that each of the nine Wisdoms is variously associated with several Principles from Cultist Simulator. People have strong feelings about whether they're a Winter-y sort who wants a beautiful end or a Lantern-type who's brilliant but a bit caustic or a Forge-person who really loves hitting things with hammers. The Wisdoms are deliberately broader, drawing from multiple Principles at once, so they should open up new avenues of characterisation. Which is useful in, er, an RPG! Speaking of the Wisdoms, we've uncovered a new letter from a mysterious 'Arthur' to his nephew, discussing the Illumination-affiliated events that took place in a Pyrhhic battle against the Khusgai of Persia, and the bravery - and unmasking of Lieutenant Malcolmson. Most importantly, though, weep for Menander, the bravest steed that ever was! "Nephew, make a fist of your hand. Muscles move beneath the skin. So powers move beneath the skin of the world, at impulses equally invisible, but greater."
Click here for full images + alternative read-friendly text. And finally, we also have a mock-up of Hush House's layout to share. Please note that this is not what the game will actually look like (though mmmm isn't it all nice and neat in a grid), but it is likely to represent the layout of rooms in the final game. We've censored some of the more deep-lore rooms, and you can't see all of it - but here's a first glimpse at the library at the centre of it all!
(Click for a larger image, again.) If you like what you see, please wishlist BOOK OF HOURS to keep updated with our progress! More on that in the next few months.
THE LADY AFTERWARDS
"Youve been summoned to Alexandria, a city of coloured lights and curious histories. An old friend needs you to track down a woman. Shes probably in trouble. Probably trouble herself. Plus a change." Since launching Cultist Sim in 2018, we made a TRPG based in its occult, Lovecraftian world called The Lady Afterwards. You can buy the digital edition here on Steam (50% off in the Midweek Madness sale!), and we've just re-released our luxury boxed edition in our merch shop too. We're releasing another 100 boxes at noon today, and the boxes will restock every Tuesday.
THE LOCKSMITH'S DREAM
"Secret gods live beneath the skin of the world. Five of them meet every year to exchange secrets and agree particular notes of history. Their conversations arent for our ears, but even after theyve gone, their gossip still troubles the earth; the air still prickles with doors..."
Cultist Sim also inspired our latest venture, going live today: a series of live, overnight events set in a crumbling aristocratic mansion in Monmouthshire, UK. Each year the Avian Hours - that's the Beach-Crow, the Witch-and-Sister, the Elegiast, the Vagabond and the little-known Name of the Moth, Ferezeref - meet to discuss the topics of the gods. Afterwards, mortals attend the Roostinghall to pick through abandoned tidbits of secret knowledge. This is what we're calling the Locksmith's Dream, and invite you to pick through the snippets of the gods this October and December with us. Full details of the event, and of course tickets for sale, over on the official site. Happy birthday to Iris, the Mansus, all the Histories and most importantly to Cultist Sim, the little game that could. Celebrate in your favourite way for us, Believers! We couldn't have done it without you. <3
[ 2022-06-07 07:30:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
BETA: 2022.5.a.2 ASPHODEL
[ 2022-05-25 14:51:15 CET ] [ Original post ]
I've put a patch on beta that fixes the two really annoying leftover placement issues.
One was the INSISTENT DROPZONE, where if you dropped the dropzone on top of existing cards, it would want to be picked up before it let you pick them up.
One was the GUTTER ENFORCED, where 1:1 gridsnap meant 1:1 horizontally, but left a vertical gap between rows. I liked the effect. A lot of folk didn't and let me know it, so I've changed it BUT only in new games. (Otherwise it'll screw up everyone's existing layout.)
To repeat this is on only on the beta channel for now - gateofhorn - and it'll stay there until at least next week. The latest Unity update keeps doing this to me in the editor:
and while it doesn't happen in the built version, it's giving me the spiderchills so I'm going to wait for a response to my ticket. Yes devs submit tickets too. Unity presumably submit tickets to OS vendors. I don't know who OS vendors submit tickets to. Maybe they submit petitions to a higher power instead. In Vak probably
Anyway tickets to *me* go to support@weatherfactory.biz. Please let me know about any spiders in the beta.
Alternatively, if you're technically enthusiastic, you can submit it as a Github issue. (In this case you might also be interested to know I make the source code available for the convenience of modders and the curious.)
The full bug list:
- More tweakss to card placement: moved card closer to desk, tidied dropzone grid placement
- Narrowed gridsnap so you can put cards immediately below each other at gridsnap 1. THIS ONLY HAPPENS IN NEW GAMES, so people's card arrangements aren't messed up\n
- Dropzone now reliably stays out of the way behind cards\n
- Stack badge and verb timer also now render behind\n
- Close button on deck details window now works.\n
- Some poor soul kept trying to use Rite Intercalate to baptise a Chosen Compass. People shouldn't do that, but let's not let them try.
- One more round of jp_loc fixes
- Non-Latin messages no longer display as tofu when returning from the Mansus
[ 2022-05-25 14:51:15 CET ] [ Original post ]
v2022.5.y.2 YERMA
[ 2022-05-17 17:07:19 CET ] [ Original post ]
YERMA is an opera based on a really savage play by Federico Garcia Lorca, about childlessness and murder. Lorca was one of the best-known sons of Granada, the very beautiful, very steeply sloping Spanish city where I lived two decades ago. He was murdered under murky circumstances, because a brilliant, gay, left-wing, avant-garde playwright is a bad thing to be under fascism. In another History, he almost certainly visited the Mansus on the night of his death.
Lorca RIP, thanks for ending our run of opera-based patch names. I was going to do one more (ZAUBERFLOTE) but YERMA is the PATCH WHERE CARD PLACEMENT IS FIXED, so I want to end it on a high.
NB that is FIXED, not PERFECT. There's room for further improvement, and I have a list of other QoL issues (yes detective homing) to work through. But card placement has gone from being FSCKED to being SHONKY to being MUCH IMPROVED to being FINE. Thank you all for your patience, bug reports, and feedback.
A quick roundup of the last set of changes:
Fixed a bug where dropping the card while the ghost was moving could leave the card stranded between the grid. - a real head-slap moment, this. A number of people pointed out that sometimes cards ended up off the grid, but it took some debugging time to work out why.
Added some camera angle correction. The game already compensated for the card being above or below the camera when calculating where it drops. (This was the biggest single fix previously.) It also now compensates for the table tilt.
Q. AK, why you tilt table? tilt table look confusing. There even mod to untilt.
A. Dear player, once long ago I agree, but a contract UI designer back in 2018 convince me not so. just make environment look more lively. Four years on I still think he's right. That said:
Turned off lively but confusing card wiggle when dragging cards - there's long been a pseudo-random wiggle on the cards when you move 'em. I did like this but it is needlessly confusing when you're deciding where to put the cards. So I finally turned it off, and I like the cleaner effect.
If I get twenty emails saying the wiggle's disappearance makes the game LITERALLY UNPLAYABLE, I'll put it back in, if I get just one, I'll write a sorrowful reply saying sorry, wiggle dead.
made the grid a bit more insistent - honestly this is too boring to explain
default gridsnap is now 1/2, give it a try - IMO 1/2 gridsnap is the sweet spot. (I haven't forgotten I promised a NO GRIDSNAP option too - still coming.)
Anyway this patch went live on beta yesterday and then again this morning. Then I noticed I'd included the stupidest bug of my entire career. From your side, this was 'GAME CRASHES WHEN I MOVE CARD DROPZONE', which is not a good back of the box feature. From my side this was
which for those of you who don't code means 'not only immediately crash Unity with an infinite loop when this method runs, but do so in a jaw-droppingly obvious way'. My testing is always a little shaky (we're a two-person team and Lottie is busy drawing skill icons) but I don't see how I missed this one. I'm hoping it's some weird build process/source control hiccup and not actual senility. ANYWAY IT'S FIXED NOW SORRY.
Talking of (a) testing (b) Lottie
the Book of Hours Secret Historian's packs are looking good. and Lottie was delighted that she'd found a wide selection of actual 1920s cigarette cards to add to them. but almost too late she realised that not everything that appears on a 1920s cigarette card is appropriate in 2020, and has had to go through them all carefully to make sure we didn't send anyone anything INCREDIBLY RACIST by mistake.
An extra thank you to everyone who suggested naming conventions for subsequent patches. I was tempted by cheese names. I was more tempted by Zulu names. But because of some relevant lorey backgroundy contexty business, I'm going with flowers, and the next patch will be ASPHODEL.
As Dagmar von Nagelburg would say, pip pip, pots of love.
AK
[ 2022-05-17 17:07:19 CET ] [ Original post ]
v2022.5.y.1 YERMA
[ 2022-05-17 10:36:57 CET ] [ Original post ]
- CARD PLACEMENT - fixed a bug where dropping the card while the ghost was moving could leave the card stranded between the grid.
- CARD PLACEMENT - added some camera angle correction. CARD PLACEMENT - made the grid a bit more insistent
- CARD PLACEMENT - default gridsnap is now 1/2, give it a try
- CARD PLACEMENT - turned off lively but confusing card wiggle when dragging cards.
- Console fixes
- Fixed crash when a verb was deleted on the cusp of situation execution
- Trimmed player log spam
[ 2022-05-17 10:36:57 CET ] [ Original post ]
WELCOME, YOU ROGUES
VIOLET and WUTHERING do place us in a slightly tricky position, in that I've nearly run out of alphabetical opera names. The next two updates, whenever they arrive, will be YERMA and ZAIDE but after that I'll need another update name theme. Suggestions welcome, keepitclassyladiesandgents. Anyway in the meantime I really am going back to focus on BOOK OF HOURS now, at least if real life will leave me alone for ten minutes. Lottie will chide me for not giving you a wishlist link, so here it is. [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/]
and here's the Secret Histories / BOOK OF HOURS box we mentioned last month:
Before I go, a couple of rounds of thanks to a couple of contractors whose names you may see in the credits: Clocq,a Japanese-speaker who pointed out that big chunks of our Japanese localisation had been garbled and mixed up. Some of them were bits like the Ghoul memories and Dancer marks, so it took quite a while for our Japanese-speaking players to realise it wasn't just me being weird. Clocq put painstaking work into fixing it. Chelnoque, a long-time modding stalwart who I asked to quote me for a wishlist of the most urgently requested modding framework upgrades - this is where the modding upgrade in TARTUFFE came from. So yes, I am investing actual money in third-party contributions to the modding framework, but Chelnoque then one-upped me by donating his fee to charity. Well done everyone, I guess. Those who've been keeping track of our updates will already know what this picture is, but it's probably already destined to sell out out so I am literally not going to make it a link. I just like the picture.
[ 2022-05-03 09:49:12 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hullo; contrary to unkind opinion, I'm still alive. Proof:
[url=https://weatherfactory.biz/skeleton-songs/]
Any developer knows how important it is to make sure your game is stable going into a major sale, and not to patch it the night before. I'm not any developer, so I dropped two updates yesterday. Fortunately they don't appear to have broken anything important, and they have made some much-requested changes to the card placement mechanism.
Here are the patch notes for both VIOLET and WUTHERING:
- Fix: You no longer need to restart the game to restore CONTINUE to the menu
- Fix: $remove command no longer breaks mods
- Fix: correctly handling extends as well as inheritance in older mods
- Fix: Card ghost no longer disappears when card is removed from an additional slot
- MAJOR CARD PLACEMENT CHANGE: the placement position now corrects for the camera. This means the card ghost goes much closer to the card. Many thanks to Genroa, Dylan and others who managed to get this point across to me.
- A couple of other minor placement tweaks
- Card grid no longer assumes a gap between rows. This may require some fiddling with big existing layouts, sorry, but the feedback over time was clear here.
- Slightly better Mansus exit experience
- Fixed hilarious bug with multi-select. (yes you can shift-drag to multi-select cards, semi-hidden feature)
VIOLET and WUTHERING do place us in a slightly tricky position, in that I've nearly run out of alphabetical opera names. The next two updates, whenever they arrive, will be YERMA and ZAIDE but after that I'll need another update name theme. Suggestions welcome, keepitclassyladiesandgents. Anyway in the meantime I really am going back to focus on BOOK OF HOURS now, at least if real life will leave me alone for ten minutes. Lottie will chide me for not giving you a wishlist link, so here it is. [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/]
and here's the Secret Histories / BOOK OF HOURS box we mentioned last month:
Before I go, a couple of rounds of thanks to a couple of contractors whose names you may see in the credits: Clocq,a Japanese-speaker who pointed out that big chunks of our Japanese localisation had been garbled and mixed up. Some of them were bits like the Ghoul memories and Dancer marks, so it took quite a while for our Japanese-speaking players to realise it wasn't just me being weird. Clocq put painstaking work into fixing it. Chelnoque, a long-time modding stalwart who I asked to quote me for a wishlist of the most urgently requested modding framework upgrades - this is where the modding upgrade in TARTUFFE came from. So yes, I am investing actual money in third-party contributions to the modding framework, but Chelnoque then one-upped me by donating his fee to charity. Well done everyone, I guess. Those who've been keeping track of our updates will already know what this picture is, but it's probably already destined to sell out out so I am literally not going to make it a link. I just like the picture.
[ 2022-05-03 09:49:12 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.5.v.1 VIOLET
[ 2022-05-02 12:50:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
This is a smallish patch with a couple of significant hotfixes. The first is the problem that made people think they were losing their saves: you weren't, they're still there, but you needed to restart the game to get at them, which was extremely not ideal, sorry. The second was an issue with the modding upgrades which were breaking a popular mod; props to Chelnoque for getting back quickly with a hotfix. - Fix: You no longer need to restart the game to restore CONTINUE to the menu - Fix: $remove command no longer breaks mods - Fix: correctly handling extends as well as inheritance in older mods - Fix: Card ghost no longer disappears when card is removed from an additional slot
[ 2022-05-02 12:50:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.4.t.8 TARTUFFE
[ 2022-04-29 12:36:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
- Card ghost uses the mouse cursor, not the centre of a blocking card, to determine direction to seek in. This makes, ah, quite a difference to card placement feel. - Better handling of corrupt save files - More variety in the menu screen promo blocks - Fixed Exile content bugs: Velvet, Medusa, Book of Suns (which I thought had been fixed!)\n - OSX/GOG now works again - Substantial fixed and upgrades for modding. Many thanks to Chelnoque. More details in MODDING_README - Animations and images should work correctly in mods - Options Panel now better supports mod-driven config options (see /testcontent/core/settings/z_mod_config_demo.json) - More stable modding incompatibility / interoperability - More modding commands - see MODDING_README and /testcontent/core/settings/mod_ops_demo.json
[ 2022-04-29 12:36:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.4.s.1 SARGASSO
[ 2022-04-26 14:40:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
- Quick fix for silliness with the starting dropzone alignment - Fixed lots of Japanese loc garbling. Particular thanks to Clocq for their work on this! - Console slot now allows stackables. - Fix for insane bug where game became unresponsive when you alt-tabbed out of the Mansus. (I caused this bug.) - Applied kibble to cat bowl to shut up cat. You don't think that's a bug but then you don't have to listen to this monster.
[ 2022-04-26 14:40:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.3.q.1 RIGOLETTO
[ 2022-04-19 10:40:34 CET ] [ Original post ]
- Notable token snap improvement (position wasn't updating when your pointer was above a ghost) - Tokens now drag from the cursor position where you pick 'em up - Right/double-click to send now goes reliably to closest token, if no window is open - Book of Suns in EXILE can now be assembled again, again. - Medusa now gives pentiments again - Prev and next buttons for notes now show usable usefully again - A once-stacked token returning to its stack after a window is closed will now merge with that stack - Corpses now retain more effects from their previous lives (again)
[ 2022-04-19 10:40:34 CET ] [ Original post ]
v2022.3.q.1 QUIETPLACE (beta->live)
[ 2022-04-04 11:56:59 CET ] [ Original post ]
- EXPERIMENTAL: Hold SHIFT and click multiple cards to drag them at once. - You can now drop cards in drop zones directly. I didn't think anyone would want to, but you do! You mad fools! So now you can! - Restored some visual flair to newly spawned verb tiles. - A little bit more proofing against one save-corruption scenario. - Tweaked zoom factors. - Fixed Sanskrit Text icon
[ 2022-04-04 11:56:59 CET ] [ Original post ]
A Peep Into Futurity
TLDR: it bork, we soz As you may have seen, AK revamped the entire Cultist Simulator code base (to make it more stable, and to prep for BOOK OF HOURS), nearly had a nervous breakdown because coding is not what he likes best, released what we professionals call a 'buggy AF' update in March, and has since pushed a patch a week to put the fires out. [Now I'm doing a patch a week. In the first two weeks I pushed a patch a day. - AK] All while also developing a second game on top and agonising which doublet to wear in Witcher 3. His latest update was Tuesday: read for experimental multi-select and snippet-saving! He's now working on improvements to the new card placement system, which has a few weirdnesses and bugs, and is by far the most annoying thing still going wrong in the live game. We'll update ASAP when that's ready to go out.
Maybe we should implement a 'Chaos' slider that places cards ANYWHERE THE GAME GODDAMN WANTS This is more BOOK OF HOURS-y, really, but as an apology for the trouble, have some lore in the shape of a letter from the mysterious Daymare to a lady named Gwen...
Text-only read-friendly version here!
TLDR: boxed edition for sale from 31st May I took on too much assembling and shipping 500 Lady Afterwards boxes on my own. But lots of people still want one, I'm delighted to say. How to square this circle? BY MAKING YER MUM DO IT FOR YOU! (But, paying her a decent wage to do so, so she can buy tulip bulbs and wine, her two major expenses.) So we're releasing another 1,000 Lady Afterwards: Boxed Edition boxes for sale on Tuesday 31st May 2020 on our Etsy shop. Like we did with the original runs of the Tarot of the Hours, we'll release these boxes in tranches of 50-100 so my mother doesn't totally lose the plot. This means if you go to our shop and don't see any boxes available, don't worry! We'll restock every week - if you miss out one time, there'll be another batch of boxes available very soon. Hopefully this'll allow our teeny studio to provide boxes for everyone who wants one, without us having to stop doing all the other work we're doing on actual games and becoming a physical-first TRPG store. Woot.
TLDR: lots of it Read our latest blog for more news on our next game set in Cultist Simulator's universe, BOOK OF HOURS, and our upcoming series of live events set in the Secret Histories, The Locksmith's Dream. Or sit back and wait for card placement fixes. Enjoy your weekends!
[ 2022-04-01 14:19:39 CET ] [ Original post ]
Happy Friday, peeps! We've stopped doing our fortnightly sprint updates (please tell us in the comments if you'd like us to start doing them again), but we have lots of irons in the fire and I thought it's high time for me to give you an update. So here's what's coming up in the next chapter of Weather Factory: Still Not Doing the Visual Novel We Made Up In 2018.
Cultist Simulator
TLDR: it bork, we soz As you may have seen, AK revamped the entire Cultist Simulator code base (to make it more stable, and to prep for BOOK OF HOURS), nearly had a nervous breakdown because coding is not what he likes best, released what we professionals call a 'buggy AF' update in March, and has since pushed a patch a week to put the fires out. [Now I'm doing a patch a week. In the first two weeks I pushed a patch a day. - AK] All while also developing a second game on top and agonising which doublet to wear in Witcher 3. His latest update was Tuesday: read for experimental multi-select and snippet-saving! He's now working on improvements to the new card placement system, which has a few weirdnesses and bugs, and is by far the most annoying thing still going wrong in the live game. We'll update ASAP when that's ready to go out.
Maybe we should implement a 'Chaos' slider that places cards ANYWHERE THE GAME GODDAMN WANTS This is more BOOK OF HOURS-y, really, but as an apology for the trouble, have some lore in the shape of a letter from the mysterious Daymare to a lady named Gwen...
Text-only read-friendly version here!
The Lady Afterwards
TLDR: boxed edition for sale from 31st May I took on too much assembling and shipping 500 Lady Afterwards boxes on my own. But lots of people still want one, I'm delighted to say. How to square this circle? BY MAKING YER MUM DO IT FOR YOU! (But, paying her a decent wage to do so, so she can buy tulip bulbs and wine, her two major expenses.) So we're releasing another 1,000 Lady Afterwards: Boxed Edition boxes for sale on Tuesday 31st May 2020 on our Etsy shop. Like we did with the original runs of the Tarot of the Hours, we'll release these boxes in tranches of 50-100 so my mother doesn't totally lose the plot. This means if you go to our shop and don't see any boxes available, don't worry! We'll restock every week - if you miss out one time, there'll be another batch of boxes available very soon. Hopefully this'll allow our teeny studio to provide boxes for everyone who wants one, without us having to stop doing all the other work we're doing on actual games and becoming a physical-first TRPG store. Woot.
Other stuff
TLDR: lots of it Read our latest blog for more news on our next game set in Cultist Simulator's universe, BOOK OF HOURS, and our upcoming series of live events set in the Secret Histories, The Locksmith's Dream. Or sit back and wait for card placement fixes. Enjoy your weekends!
[ 2022-04-01 14:19:39 CET ] [ Original post ]
When We Were Many
[ 2022-03-29 17:16:29 CET ] [ Original post ]
Nother week, another patch. My routine at the moment is to push a patch, work on Book of Hours and other things for a few days, and then come back, assess feedback and tweak. I'll keep doing this until I stop seeing any significant complaints about the UI. (At least no significant *reasonable* complaints - there'll always be someone who wants it to be a hexagonal grid or to run on a smart fridge or something.)
BUT this patch is on the beta branch for now, because there've been some significant changes behind the scenes, and there's also an experimental feature in there. I think it's pretty stable now but I bet there'll be some weirdness I've missed.
Ugh, those colours! I'm not sure how that happens, but I usually do it in grayscale now. SHIFT + CLICK selects the extra cards.
There's another experimental feature coming in the next patch or three. This is something that I built for Book of Hours but am considering backporting into Cultist if people find it interesting. Ignore that horrible button, it's super temporary.
While I'm here, how do people feel about a Steam Deck verified version of Cultist? I don't think it needs much work, but it does need some, and it'll sit at the bottom of my priority pile unless Lottie and I think people are really enthusiastic.
-------
v2022.3.q.1 QUIETPLACE
EXPERIMENTAL: Hold SHIFT and click multiple cards to drag them at once.
You can now drop cards in drop zones directly. I didn't think anyone would want to, but you do! You mad fools! So now you can!
Restored some visual flair to newly spawned verb tiles.
A little bit more proofing against one save-corruption scenario.
Tweaked zoom factors.
Fixed Sanskrit Text icon
[ 2022-03-29 17:16:29 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.3.p.1 PORIN
[ 2022-03-22 16:33:50 CET ] [ Original post ]
- card ghosts more appropriately spectral - cursor key pan works again - edge scrolling (again) only works when you're holding a token. - added more flexibility to card placing, again - greedy slots will no longer try to double-grab at the end of their cycle - fixed embarrassingly long-standing but with Dancing for Heart Scars - releasing mouse button after a dragged card has been grabbed should no longer cause weirdness - slightly more robustness when mods are removed (no promises)
[ 2022-03-22 16:33:50 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.3.o.1 ORFEO
[ 2022-03-18 16:03:36 CET ] [ Original post ]
- Fix to prevent exhausted cards trying to stack with their unexhausted cousins\n - Fix to prevent cards returning to the same spot when another card is now there.\n - Basic fix for edge scrolling (I'll refine)\n - Fix (I hope) for Mansus cards getting stuck on return to the waking world.\n - Fix for very old bug in Priest DLC where a useless Refiring card appeared\n",
[ 2022-03-18 16:03:36 CET ] [ Original post ]
v2022.3.n.1 NEWMOON
[ 2022-03-16 18:19:12 CET ] [ Original post ]
Cards at start of new game no longer annoyingly unaligned with grid. Magnet slots now grab from tabletop->outputs->slots, in that order. Cards you're dragging count as 'on the tabletop' for that priority :) When a card decays at the exact moment it reaches a greedy slot, it no longer causes a confusing info popup. Teeny border on elements in situation. Fixes for some obscure save state problems
[ 2022-03-16 18:19:12 CET ] [ Original post ]
THE GRIDSNAP RESTOR'D
[ 2022-03-15 17:51:02 CET ] [ Original post ]
It's ten days since that nasty business with the big update, and I've just released, counting on my fingers since that can't be right, yes it is, the twelfth patch. More if you count hotfixes. There were a lot of bugs. Sorry, all.
I think the vast majority of save-eating evening-ruining bugs are fixed. Maybe even all, though I won't count on it yet. I'm tracking thirty-five remaining issues ranging from 'that really annoying thing where the magnet snatches a card from a slot' through 'DOA on Mac Monterey, sometimes' to 'wrong influence upgrade text in rare circumstance'.
So I'm going back down to yellow alert, bugs-wise. I think that'll last until middle of next week. But you want to know about the snap-to-grid fixes. I'm not done with these, I'll revisit, but we're in a better place. Let me talk about that now.
Okay, this is why everyone was so unhappy. When I was staring at this sort of thing for hours and fixing subtle recipe logic bugs, it didn't really register. The moment I look at it out of context, right, ugh, it's like being punched in the brain. I'm thinking of adding a HORRIBLE option to the gridsnap besides 1, 1/2, 1/4 so people who really want to do hardcore speedruns can do it on boards that look like this.
And this is what it looks like now. The biggest problem was that the cards and the tiles both lived on separate grids. This made sense to me when I was coding it but obviously they should live on the same grid so they can line up with some friendly space around them. Now they do. My thanks to the folks who helped me grok this.
It wasn't the only problem. Here's another thing that attracted what you might call disenthusiasm:
Funds card really, really gets attached to those spots. The fix here was just 'recalculate card ghost position while moving over other tokens, not just over tabletop':
I've tweaked a bunch of other stuff and I'm going to step back and watch the feedback channels. It's not perfect yet. I noticed that the card ghost, at some resolutions/config settings, displays a sort of prankish, playful attitude:
I think it's actually quite charming, like having a tiny goat ambling over your board, but I suspect most will disagree. So I'll fix it, but as ever the main problem will likely be something that didn't occur to me at all, which might make the whole thing irrelevant.
THE DOWNSIDE: if you've got a board setup aligned to the old grid, there'll be some fiddling to tidy it all up. Sorry: the alternative was some sort of automated realignment, which would almost certainly have ruined someone's whole day.
To make it easier, I do have a small surprise in the pipeline that'll make card org easier:
but it's not stable yet, and the last thing I want to do is unleash another wave of bugs.
---
The last ten days have been exhausting but also surprisingly positive. I've been in a bit of a shell since the whole cancellation thing. This has forced me to engage with the community more than I have in years, and by and large you're a good bunch. Apologies again for fscking up the game, and thanks for bearing with me.
Q. Did you post any more of those videos?
A. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvfr83sBAefP3I9hWVfmdrJOD1epq66ay
Q. Hey, you never answered...
A. I've got 50 tickets on the back burner that I'll work through gradually. The answer is usually 'fixed in last patch' but not always.
Q. Didn't you post an influences list about Where You Get Your Ideas?
A. yup, here: http://weatherfactory.biz/influences
Q. Do you want to shill your book again like you did at the big update?
A. That sold a surprising number of copies, and I was tempted to do it again but it looks a bit tacky right now so I'm settling for this casual drive-by. I'll probably put it in the game menu like Tynan does when things have calmed down.
Q. Who is the cat in the error page?
A. His name is Chi and he's frankly a disgrace.
[ 2022-03-15 17:51:02 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.3.m.1 MARSYAS
[ 2022-03-15 16:47:40 CET ] [ Original post ]
Overhaul of card placement and grid snap Cloud save works for new save file format Fixed 'Canterville' crash\n Fixed 'Leucrotta' issue with child slots eating cards on game load Fixed Shattered/Burgeoning Risen summons Experimentally removed experimental post-processing filter Mansus exit portal no longer looks like a coder threw up on it
[ 2022-03-15 16:47:40 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.3.l.1 LAKME
[ 2022-03-14 17:49:23 CET ] [ Original post ]
Fixed 'Esau' card-vanishing bug. Stacks of cards no longer calculate multiples of their aspect when determining if you can put em in a slot. Fixed crash on exiting Mansus. Reduced log spam.
[ 2022-03-14 17:49:23 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.3.k.1 KNOTGARDEN
[ 2022-03-12 13:53:49 CET ] [ Original post ]
- If you visited the Mansus too often, your save would eventually eat your memory and crash. On brand but no fun. Fixed - Fixed another Mansus-related crash. - Fixed another angle on the 'Gryla' bug. - Stacked cards aspects don't show multiplied by stack total in the info window - Double-click or right-click to send will now rememeber the card's original location.
[ 2022-03-12 13:53:49 CET ] [ Original post ]
v2022.3.j.1 JENUFA
[ 2022-03-11 19:33:43 CET ] [ Original post ]
- Fixed that bloody bug where everyone's Glover and Glover job was disappearing, and some similar issues. - Post-Mansus pause now definitely fixed. (It wasn't working if you quite reasonably pressed the space bar instead of N.) - Fixed clipping plane issue at farthest zoom - More consistent fix for 'Glugageggir' bug - Probable fix for game-breaking bug when game is played in English with Turkish regional settings in Windows. fml.
[ 2022-03-11 19:33:43 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.3.i.1 IRIS
[ 2022-03-10 18:15:31 CET ] [ Original post ]
- Missing verb slots restored to verbs. - Increased distance of farthest zoom level - Cards now autostack in preference to dropzone
[ 2022-03-10 18:15:31 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.3.h.1 HAGITH
[ 2022-03-10 13:49:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
-Fixed nasty set of 'Gryla'-related crashes around decaying cards - Game ending no longer crashes with default lorem ipsum text - Better logging for speed changes, so I can work out why pause still sometimes sticks
[ 2022-03-10 13:49:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.3.g.1 GIOCONDA
[ 2022-03-08 18:25:42 CET ] [ Original post ]
- Fixed intermittent Exile crash around halting verbs. - Changing high contrast setting no longer crashes game - Returning from Mansus no longer requires a restart to unpause - Elements shown correctly in status bar in Exile. - Reckoners no longer send an inexplicable corpse to your next destination when you leave. - Fixed issue where it was sometimes possible to start recipes with the hotkey but not a button click. - Likely fix for crash codename 'Gryla' - Likely fix for crash codename 'Gluggagegir' - Likely fix for crash codename 'Stekkjarstaur' - Started naming cause-undetermined crashes after the Yule Lads so I can keep track
[ 2022-03-08 18:25:42 CET ] [ Original post ]
AFTER THE FIRE
[ 2022-03-06 19:47:36 CET ] [ Original post ]
Last Thursday I released a significant update to Cultist Simulator and sat back, feeling pretty pleased with myself. Most of the work was under the hood - a near-total rewrite - but it included some long-requested QOL features that I thought people would like. I reckoned there were a few minor bugs to tidy up the following day (priority 5 on a scale where 1 is 'EVERYTHING IS ON FIRE' and 9 is 'is that even a thing') but it'd been in beta for several months so I was confident it was stable. I spent the evening watching the MLP movie with my kid and didn't think much of it.
The next morning I fired up my PC and found a Steam forum full of cross, bewildered players, about fifty support emails, and the orange text that puts the fear in every indie dev on Steam:
It wasn't even the bugs that were most upsetting people. It was the rework of the card placement UI, which worked, I rather suddenly realised, about as well as trying to fit ice cubes into a cat. And a 'minor' camera navigation issue that I'd long ago stopped noticing.
I'd fucked up royally and I'd never seen it coming.
How? I'd got complacent. Sure, it had been in beta for months, but there was no compelling reason to play a slightly janky beta. It seems plenty of players had seen the problems and assumed they'd be fixed before I went live. One player had written a heartfelt and articulate critique of the camera and UI issues, but it had ended up as one of six links in a bundle of four emails and I'd missed it.
More insidious still, I was getting pages and pages of high quality feedback from one particular modding group, funnelled through one helpful modding rep with screenshots and repro steps:
so since I'd fixed hundreds of bugs over months of testing, and the bugs had slowed to a trickle, it must be fine? Right?
Okay, it wasn't fine. What I really needed to do - what I should have done - is sit down and play the bloody game for a couple of days and take notes. And before that, I should have formalised the beta test, checked in with specific people, taken notes, like I did with the Exile DLC. If I'd done that, I'd have seen all this stuff and fixed it a week later in a much better state. Lesson learnt. Like I said, I got complacent.
SO let me apologise to all you loyal souls for foisting this nasty surprise on you, wrapped up like a Christmas present. And let me say that the community has actually been very nice about the whole thing. I've had some mildly grumpy mails but loads of supportive, helpful, detailed mails which take time out to say how much they love the game.
--
To business. I spent Friday and the weekend trying to sort out this nonsense, and fixed the worst issues and a bunch of nuisance ones. I'm staying on this next week. The card grid snap is going to get another round of love, and I still have a couple of dozen issues in my list.
If you'd still like to roll back to the old version, you can find instructions on doing that here:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/718670/discussions/0/3182361055551113455/
I'm off to drink me tea. Have wildly coloured dreams, everyone.
AK
PS bonus content:
[previewyoutube=X3lMn6Jm2jI;full][/previewyoutube]
[ 2022-03-06 19:47:36 CET ] [ Original post ]
Patch 2022.3.d.1
[ 2022-03-05 18:45:26 CET ] [ Original post ]
CARD PLACEMENT FIXES! - Much more user freedom on card placement. Sorry about the earlier trouble. - 1/8 gridsnap by default. This is as close to no gridsnap as makes no diff, but I may yet add that too. Watching feedback.",
[ 2022-03-05 18:45:26 CET ] [ Original post ]
2022.3.b.1 - Emergency Fixes for Metamorphosed Edition Problems!
[ 2022-03-04 17:23:41 CET ] [ Original post ]
Sorry all! The Metamorphosed Edition broke more than I realised. I'm working on fixes, but if you want to roll back to the old version in the meantime, instructions are here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/718670/discussions/0/3182361055551113455/ Fixes in this patch: - Camera feels smoother (I haven't added the old drift effect back - but I might yet) - Force-set gridsnap to 1/4. This will address a lot of perceived card placement probs. You can change it back tho. - Game no longer crashes when scouting a city in Exile immediately after travelling to that city - Fixed Chinese & Japanese loc - Leaving at Mansus, then reloading, no longer crashes game - Slowed down token travel time for greedy slots and click-to-send, rapid speed was alarming erryone
[ 2022-03-04 17:23:41 CET ] [ Original post ]
CULTIST SIMULATOR: METAMORPHOSED EDITION
It's live. To be clear, 'Metamorphosed Edition' means 'free update', not another thing you need to buy. Yes, this does mean we're still supporting the game four years after launch. Steam Deck version at some point soon. Some highlights: (1) more stable save format. (2) better modding support. (3) A lovely glow to show you where the card's going. (4) Verbs no longer shoulder cards out of the way. I should put exclamation marks after this, shouldn't I, to show how exciting all this is, because that's how people do on Steam updates. (5) Hey folks, welcome to the latest update, I'm excited to announce we've got a dropzone for verbs! (6) Some mildly interesting extra behaviour for when things get consumed!! (7) better font support for Central and Eastern European languages!!! (8) You can combine DECAYING CARDS in a SINGLE STACK under some circumstances!!!!! (9) ***RIGHT-CLICK TO SEND A CARD TO A VERB SLOT***!!!!!!!!!!! (10) An incredibly arcane fix which may resolve a highly specific RNG quirk where the Stag Door wasn't quite random. I can't bring myself to put an exclamation mark after that though. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who's provided patient and detailed feedback over the last few months, and a wry but also heartfelt thank you to everyone who's provided grumpy or vague feedback.
Q. Something's broken what I do A. Mail us at support@weatherfactory.biz. Although if you have a bunch of mods try uninstalling them first, because otherwise my response after a week when I've caught up with all my email may be 'try uninstalling those mods I can see in the player.log' Q. Where are player.log A. If something breaks, you'll probably get the notorious Helpful Kitten Screen. Hit the Log FIles button on that. Or mail us, I have autoreplies for 'where to find log files' on various OSs Q. New Cultist content pls A. All new content has to be localised into four languages now, so there's not likely to be any new Cultist content. On the other hand I am now writing this: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/ Q. BOOK OF HOURS WHEN!!!! A. It still says 2022, it might be 2023. There's been all kinds of fuckery, as some of you know. BUT we'll be announcing a closed alpha soon. Q. Can I have a plug for your books A. No, it's Steam, they frown on that Q. Oh go on A. Oh okay https://secrethistories.net/provocations https://secrethistories.net/snare If you don't like Amazon, or want the funky Suppression Bureau embossed edition, try this: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/weatherfactory Q. What's with those dice in the cover image? A. They're made out of people. Retired medical skeletons, to be precise. Surprisingly beautiful. If you're looking for a Winter-aspected item, that's them, and if you're looking for a reference to end a blog post, Winter's always good. Or 'like and subscribe', I guess. AK
[ 2022-03-03 12:38:49 CET ] [ Original post ]
I'm going to post this for a third and final time, because people always seem to like it: "As you know, holometabolous metamorphosis is one of the most ghastly things in nature. The larva is driven by chemical imperatives to entomb itself alive in its own final skin. Then the absence of a protective juvenile hormone permits the activation of the imaginal discs embedded in its infant flesh. These spew forth a torrent of enzymes which tear apart most of its cells in a sort of quasi-digestive self-immolation, leaving it as basically a shiny bulging sac of goo in which the discs float, spinning new parts and organs round themselves out of the dissolved ex-caterpillar. When theyve finished, the imago will explode out of its old skin like a John Carpenter special effect. Its wings at this point are still soft and soggy, with the consistency of used kitchen paper, so itll have to hang upside down, dry off and pump hemolymph into its wing-veins before it can take off and make innocent humans coo over its beautiful colours. Anyway, so the point were at is that Ive spun a cocoon round Cultist Simulator and Ive pumped enough liquefying enzymes into it that its more goo than game at this point. This is progress." The last paragraph, I'm pleased to report, is now out of date. Cultist Simulator has emerged from its cocoon after its rewrite. After a long period of what I would love to call spectacular buggery, if that didn't mean something else that had nothing to do with bugs, but 'Spectacular Buggery' sounds like a band name or a minor David Foster Wallace novel or perhaps an exhibition at the ICA c.1985, right? Where was I? I've lost my glasses. Here they are. Oh Lottie's bringing me a cup of tea, that's nice. I'm fifty years old now, you know.
CULTIST SIMULATOR REWRITE
It's live. To be clear, 'Metamorphosed Edition' means 'free update', not another thing you need to buy. Yes, this does mean we're still supporting the game four years after launch. Steam Deck version at some point soon. Some highlights: (1) more stable save format. (2) better modding support. (3) A lovely glow to show you where the card's going. (4) Verbs no longer shoulder cards out of the way. I should put exclamation marks after this, shouldn't I, to show how exciting all this is, because that's how people do on Steam updates. (5) Hey folks, welcome to the latest update, I'm excited to announce we've got a dropzone for verbs! (6) Some mildly interesting extra behaviour for when things get consumed!! (7) better font support for Central and Eastern European languages!!! (8) You can combine DECAYING CARDS in a SINGLE STACK under some circumstances!!!!! (9) ***RIGHT-CLICK TO SEND A CARD TO A VERB SLOT***!!!!!!!!!!! (10) An incredibly arcane fix which may resolve a highly specific RNG quirk where the Stag Door wasn't quite random. I can't bring myself to put an exclamation mark after that though. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who's provided patient and detailed feedback over the last few months, and a wry but also heartfelt thank you to everyone who's provided grumpy or vague feedback.
FAQ
Q. Something's broken what I do A. Mail us at support@weatherfactory.biz. Although if you have a bunch of mods try uninstalling them first, because otherwise my response after a week when I've caught up with all my email may be 'try uninstalling those mods I can see in the player.log' Q. Where are player.log A. If something breaks, you'll probably get the notorious Helpful Kitten Screen. Hit the Log FIles button on that. Or mail us, I have autoreplies for 'where to find log files' on various OSs Q. New Cultist content pls A. All new content has to be localised into four languages now, so there's not likely to be any new Cultist content. On the other hand I am now writing this: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/ Q. BOOK OF HOURS WHEN!!!! A. It still says 2022, it might be 2023. There's been all kinds of fuckery, as some of you know. BUT we'll be announcing a closed alpha soon. Q. Can I have a plug for your books A. No, it's Steam, they frown on that Q. Oh go on A. Oh okay https://secrethistories.net/provocations https://secrethistories.net/snare If you don't like Amazon, or want the funky Suppression Bureau embossed edition, try this: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/weatherfactory Q. What's with those dice in the cover image? A. They're made out of people. Retired medical skeletons, to be precise. Surprisingly beautiful. If you're looking for a Winter-aspected item, that's them, and if you're looking for a reference to end a blog post, Winter's always good. Or 'like and subscribe', I guess. AK
[ 2022-03-03 12:38:49 CET ] [ Original post ]
Glimpses through Glass
[ 2022-02-22 13:22:17 CET ] [ Original post ]
Another set of bug fixes and tweaks for the beta rewrite. This is RC2; between you and me, I think we'll go to RC3, i.e. there'll be more one more update before this hits the main branch. I'll tidy up a few immediate bugs and go back to Book of Hours.
I've mentioned before that this code rewrite is because I'm building Book of Hours inside Cultist Simulator. I originally said 'as a Cultist Simulator mod' but that very quickly became unrealistic. Still, it's right in there:
I've said before that a lot of BH will be CS under the skin, albeit with a different UI and a lot more functionality. Like this:
I hope you can see the point through the fog of horrible placeholder gfx. Dropping a book in a bookcase is not unlike dropping a card in a CS verb slot. Indeed, in some senses bookcases (and crafting stations, and your avatar) are the BH version of verbs. Some of the rules are different: it's not all one big tabletop, for example, so you can't drag books into an adjacent room (or, in most cases, unless your avatar is present in the same room). But many of the rules are the same, which makes things easier for me both from a technical and from a game design perspective.
This means that anyone really keen can dig in and see some very early Book of Hours material. Their eagerness will be matched only by their disappointment, because one of the things that build switch does is include/exclude content, so there is no BH content to speak of, and all the code is super-early. But if you see it, that's what it's there for.
And it's a little easier to see it, because of this:
https://github.com/weatherfactory/cultistsimulator-visible
which is a public branch of the source code for Cultist. I haven't open-sourced CS! This is just a convenience for modders and the curious: it's already possible to decompile the source code from the finished Unity build, and people have been doing this for years, but this makes some extra info (like comments) visible.
It also makes it possible to log issues directly on GitHub. There's a handful of modders and other very engaged community members who've been giving extremely helpful, technically detailed feedback and bug reports, and this makes it easier to do that without routing everything through standard support tickets.
But if you're just a player whose game has crashed and this all looks forbiddingly technical and irrelevant, that's cool, support@weatherfactory.biz is still what you want.
To play us out, some recent ethnolinguististorical business that's fed into Book of Hours:
"Too Long Near The Woods To Be Frit By Owls"
[ 2022-02-22 13:22:17 CET ] [ Original post ]
Notes from Beta: the Phaistos Disc and the Yellowstone Zone of Death
[ 2022-01-14 11:05:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
This is another pay-no-attention-to-the-man-behind-the-curtain release. It's largely
1/ code rewrites to support Book of Hours;
2/ teeny extra features which I like or am trying out pre-Book of Hours;
3/ tweaks for which modders have politely pleaded;
4/ bug fixes because 1/ or 2/ or 3/ have broken other things.
I'll talk more vividly about some examples.
The banner feature of this release is that IT'S NOW POSSIBLE TO STACK DECAYING CARDS!!!!! as long as they're all within one second of different remaining lifetime values, so you can put your 21.4s Contentment card on your 20.8s Contentment card and well done, you've extended the lifetime by 0.6 seconds, ekeing out happiness' embers a sliver more effectively. This is possibly a Statement about Life. Did I mention I turned 50? 'Would you like me to stick my head in a bucket of water? I've got one here.'
Anyway this feature is genuinely a feature but the reason it's in is this. One of our more helpful beta-testers pointed out that card stacks split weirdly under two exotic circumstances; one of which is if you tried to drop a whole stack in a slot, and the other was which (deep breath) if a recipe created a stack of 3 or more lifetimed/decaying cards, like Contentment.
The second one doesn't happen at all in the base game! But it does in some mods, so I have to support it, and to be fair I might some day decide to add it to CS DLC (no announcements here, but you never know) or to Book of Hours. And more generally, weird exotic rare case bugs can sometimes come back to wreak havoc if you don't fix them early. (If you need convincing, read about the Yellowstone Zone of Death. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_of_Death_(Yellowstone) It won't really allow anyone to get away with murder, but it will probably give a judge a bad migraine some day. )
'Split weirdly' means that a stack of n cards would split to two stacks of n-1 cards. This doesn't matter with a stack of 2 cards. It matters a lot with a stack of, say, 5 cards:
So I had to fix this. In the process I found that there was no provision in the codebase for splitting (or creating) decaying card stacks. The assumption is you'd never have a stack of decaying cards. And I remember flagging this with Martin, the contractor I got to help with the game back in 2017, and him pointing out quite reasonably that it wouldn't make sense to need to combine them, because you'd never have two decaying cards with the exact same lifetime, right?
And sure, back then it made sense. This is the thing about four-year-old code bases where the designer keeps having more ideas and then modders keep having MORE more ideas. But now I had to fix it. And the fix was easy. So you lucky people have a new feature for free. Sorry it's not a very exciting one.
I am sometimes[1] asked: AK, why all the penny-ante technical releases? Why not more content? That's what everyone's here for. The answer is simple: localisation. Any content I add has to be localised into Chinese, Russian, Japanese and German, now that the game is available in those languages. And the actual translation of a teeny bit of content takes little time, but talking to loc partners, providing translation notes, chasing, finding mistakes, and following up when our fan base find mistakes[2]. And this is probably a good thing. Or I would still be working on adding more material to original CS and Book of Hours would literally never happen.
But localisation continues to be an ongoing Thing, especially now we have people eager to support fan localisations. I've learnt more than I ever expected to about Unicode, fonts, and text in Unity. ('Would you like me to stick my head in a big bucket of Unicode?') I have had plaintive mails over the last year from Polish and Hungarian players asking me to add better Latin-2/Latin-A support for the special characters in those languages, and I kept thinking, I thought I'd added that? It turns out there was a bug in the fontscript selection, and a problem with the font asset I'd set up in Unity, none of which I'd ever have noticed without being hassled about it. Your attention is waning, isn't it. I don't blame you. Let me win it back with this trivium: Unicode has a code page specifically for the (never-deciphered) characters found only on a disc of fired clay dug up in the Minoan palace of Phaistos on Crete. https://unicode-table.com/en/blocks/phaistos-disc/
(By C messier - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38737955)
More in the actual patch notes if you're interested. In theory this is a second release candidate for the main branch: I think it'll go to a third release candidate while I turn up leftover irritations like persistent card ghosts ('oooooo SHUFFLE oooo') and exotic save conversion bugs. But we're almost there.
--
[1] constantly
[2] or just take exception to a particular translation. And then I have to make a call on whether to go with the translator or the player. Because we have unusually engaged and thoughtful players, this is possible, but often quite involved. Here's an example from 2020.
--
[From: redacted]
Hello,
on some occassions the word "Forst" is used for "Wood", like in 'Way: The Wood' (see screenshot).
"Forst" is most of the time used for a managed and/or commercial wood with forestry and foresters and selling trees and such.
Depending on the lore this might or might not be the correct for 'The Wood'. ;-)
...but in case it is not, the normal, common word for Wood is "Wald", (like it is used in the entry screen).
====
[From: me]
Thanks! Can I dig into this a bit? We should pick and stick to one term, and it sounds like 'Wald' is probably better, but
(1) Our cognate in English, 'forest', originally meant an area set aside for hunting; but because these areas were large and uncultivated, 'forest' took on the colloquial meaning of 'especially large, wild woodland area' and that's how most English speakers would now understand it. Do you think the same applies in German with 'Forst', or is it explicitly managed woodland?
(2) I chose 'Wood' because of the connection with 'wildwood', which has a particular resonance in the UK particularly with the mythic and primal, but also with children's stories. Does 'Wald' have any similar connections or overlaps?
I'd welcome your thoughts. (and thanks for all your feedback: I've just added you to the Special Thanks section)
====
[From: redacted]
Sorry for the long answer. Since the answer has potentially big implications if the term is changed everywhere, I did some research and thought about it in detail to be able to give as precise answers as possible.
(1)
"Forst" in the 7th century was unowned, unused land. Later the term was used at times to distinguish large areas of woods from smaller ones ("Forst": larger, "Wald": smaller). But the term changed the meaning again in the Middle Ages, when landlords began restricting free use of the resources of the "Wald", i.e. banned hunting and harvesting wood for everyone but themselves. Such a restricted wood would then be called "Forst".
Today the term "Forst" is generally associated with some kind of management and restriction and is often a less wild, 'cleaner' version of "Wald" because of it's commercial usage.
(2)
I am a little bit older, so unfortunately I cannot say anything about the associations children today have with forests or what stories or myths they know about it.
As an adult I have some direct associations with the term "Wald", which is probably the direction you are looking for:
- forest burials [a] (getting more and more popular here)
- a historical and mythical battle
- germanic paganism [c]
- use in classical fairy tales [d] (where the forest is dangerous/mythical/a place for transformation)
- home of mythical creatures like forest ghosts, forest goblins, fairies, elves, trolls
Long story short:
Yes, I think there are mythical and primeval connections to the word "Wald".
[a] https://www.dw.com/en/the-green-way-of-death/a-19527764
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Teutoburg_Forest
[c] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_trees_and_groves_in_Germanic_paganism_and_mythology
[d] Brothers Grimm: Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Town Musicians of Bremen, Snow White
(3)
Another theoretical option:
If you really want to emphasize that the forest is untouched by humans, you could also use the word "Urwald" ('primeval forest'). However, "Urwald" is often associated with the Amazon rainforest or any jungle in german. So aside from the artistic choice, the less ambiguous variant would be "Wald".
====
From: [me]
Thank you very much for this lengthy and thoughtful response!
I've made the change and I'll roll it into the next patch.
[ 2022-01-14 11:05:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
A Dropzone For Verbs, and Other Stories
[ 2021-12-02 16:26:43 CET ] [ Original post ]
Verb dropzone, smoother animation, a bunch of fixes to positioning logic. If the beta version featured your cards fleeing the board, this will discourage 'em.
[ 2021-12-02 16:26:43 CET ] [ Original post ]
Meet the new Tabletop Bundle!
The Lady Afterwards: Digital Edition includes everything you need to play this Cultist Simulator tabletop RPG, all in PDF form. Specifically, that's: The Secret Histories Rule Book, a ~50 page TRPG scenario set in 1920s Alexandria The Lady Afterwards Game Runners Guide, a ~30 page mechanics primer 18 clues, including telegrams, lovers' notes, photographs and more 8 customisable character sheets with personalised questionnaires and Egyptian connections A Game Runner's Journal to keep track of players, game-states and evidence A full-colour A3 map of contemporary Alexandria with real 1920s photographs Access to a custom-built mood-music playlist of 1920s songs
A lot of love went into making this - we hope you like it!
AK wrote a recent update on Cultist Simulator's new gateofhorn beta branch update, and we've been quietly revamping the BOOK OF HOURS roadmap to give an accurate idea of what development you can expect in 2022. We'll release that roadmap in the next few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled...
[ 2021-11-18 18:02:26 CET ] [ Original post ]
The Lady Afterwards is our Cultist Simulator-inspired TRPG set in the Secret Histories, a 1920s world of apocalypse, yearning and the Hours. The boxed edition sold out in 60 seconds - and then the pre-orders we hastily put up for sale sold out in 72 hours. But the unlimited digital edition is out now, and everyone can get their hands on it with our shiny new Steam bundle!
The Lady Afterwards: Digital Edition is available as a 'Complete the set' bundle with Cultist Simulator, giving you 15% off both games. If you already own Cultist Sim, you'll just be charged for The Lady Afterwards. This is the first time a developer has ever released a digital TRPG like this on Steam, we think!
What's included?
The Lady Afterwards: Digital Edition includes everything you need to play this Cultist Simulator tabletop RPG, all in PDF form. Specifically, that's: The Secret Histories Rule Book, a ~50 page TRPG scenario set in 1920s Alexandria The Lady Afterwards Game Runners Guide, a ~30 page mechanics primer 18 clues, including telegrams, lovers' notes, photographs and more 8 customisable character sheets with personalised questionnaires and Egyptian connections A Game Runner's Journal to keep track of players, game-states and evidence A full-colour A3 map of contemporary Alexandria with real 1920s photographs Access to a custom-built mood-music playlist of 1920s songs
A lot of love went into making this - we hope you like it!
The other Secret Histories
AK wrote a recent update on Cultist Simulator's new gateofhorn beta branch update, and we've been quietly revamping the BOOK OF HOURS roadmap to give an accurate idea of what development you can expect in 2022. We'll release that roadmap in the next few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled...
[ 2021-11-18 18:02:26 CET ] [ Original post ]
Cultist Alpha graduates to Cultist Beta
The card placing system is completely reworked. Tokens now have a shadow that shows you where they'll go. Verbs won't move cards out of the way. There are some graphical rough edges which I still need to smooth out.
there's a new, more robust save format that should be resistant to the very occasional save corruption in the older version. It should transparently import your old save at game start. It will keep your old save, renamed, so you can always revert to the main branch.
there's an improved console and some new modding features, in particular the ability to load your own custom binaries. Which is very exciting for those into that sort of thing, and will sound so much blah to everyone else, I know.
Bugs. The usual beta health warning. There'll be all kinds of oddness with localisation updates until I merge everything back in.
[/olist]
any questions? one at the back there? is there any new content? no, sorry! This is the big disadvantage of loc: the content is basically frozen unless we want to annoy China, Germany, Japan and Russia by not translating new content, or go through a four-strand loc process every time. Hang on for BOOK OF HOURS, which is all new content.
It would also be remiss of me not to mention that Lottie's extraordinary one-shot Cultist Simulator RPG, [i[The Lady Afterwards, sold out in physical form almost instantly but that the digital/pdf version will be available from November 18th... in the usual TRPG PDF places but also here on Steam. There'll be a Tabletop Bundle with Cultist Simulator - a complete-the-set bundle, so if you already own CS, you can pick up a copy of TLA without paying for CS twice.
Dream furiously, all of you -
AK
[ 2021-11-05 16:32:18 CET ] [ Original post ]
I've been reworking the whole Cultist Simulator codebase so I can use it in BOOK OF HOURS too. And also so that I can provide some additional modder support, and fix a rare but nasty bug in the old save system.
If you've been paying close attention, you'll have seen updates being released on to the alpha branch (aka gateofivory), very quietly, like a semi-retired widower-spy releasing messenger-bats at twilight. These updates are now on the beta branch (gateofhorn). Here's what you should know if you want to go in there:
[olist]
[ 2021-11-05 16:32:18 CET ] [ Original post ]
The Lady Afterwards is OUT NOW!
Celebrating The Lady Afterwards' release, Cultist Simulator is 40% off in the Tabletop Fest! This includes all DLC, and means the Anthology Edition is currently an alarmingly good deal at 55% off. Cult your hearts out! To celebrate The Lady Afterwards and Tabletop Fest, we're releasing some freebie character sheets for D&D and 1920s Call of Cthulthu games. Download 'em here!
Steam also invited us to create a whole Cultist Simulator Game Profile, which we've designed around being actually in the House Without Walls. Check it out - and maybe buy it with your Steam points! - in the Steam Points Shop.
Were running a developer AMA on the Weather Factory subreddit today from 6.30PM BST / 10.30AM PDT. Join us to celebrate The Lady Afterwards release, ask us about That Damned Library Game and wonder at AKs ability to avoid answering lore questions! Well keep the AMA ticking over the whole weekend, so if you cant make it today, feel free to leave a question and well answer as and when. Well be back in person on the subreddit on Monday 25th October at 4PM BST / 8AM PDT to wrap the AMA up. Hope to see you there!
[ 2021-10-21 17:40:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
In line with Steam's Tabletop Fest 2021, Cultist Simulator's TRPG The Lady Afterwards is OUT NOW! But it sold out in 60s so we're offering 500 pre-orders via our website here.
The Lady Afterwards is a luxury boxed tabletop game inspired by classics like Chaosium's Horror on the Orient Express. It's a non-linear, combat-light, story-centric tabletop RPG for 2 - 8 players set in the Secret Histories - the world of Cultist Simulator - where hidden gods watch over a Lovecraftian world of apocalypse and yearning. It's been designed to offer an accessible experience to people who've hesitated to played TRPGs before, but to offer plenty of meat to tabletop aficionados too.
Each box includes everything you need for an evening of occult Egyptian noir, such as a full scenario and rulebook, 18 hand-stamped clues, a pocket tarot deck, full character sheets and pins, a large map, two sets of antique dice, and more!
See a full list of contents and see all our beautiful photos on our shop, and watch us chat through a very chill, candle-lit unboxing session here. We're only releasing 100 boxes in this first run, though if it sells out in a trice we have contingency plans ready!
For anyone who misses out - or for anyone who prefers their TRPGs digital - we're releasing a digital-only version on Thursday 18th November, on our shop, Steam, and various online RPG sites like DriveThruRPG. If you want to be notified when that's available, make sure you're signed up to our mailing list!
(The boxed edition includes the digital edition, so you can play with friends who live close and friends who live on the other side of the world.)
Tabletop Fest
Celebrating The Lady Afterwards' release, Cultist Simulator is 40% off in the Tabletop Fest! This includes all DLC, and means the Anthology Edition is currently an alarmingly good deal at 55% off. Cult your hearts out! To celebrate The Lady Afterwards and Tabletop Fest, we're releasing some freebie character sheets for D&D and 1920s Call of Cthulthu games. Download 'em here!
Steam also invited us to create a whole Cultist Simulator Game Profile, which we've designed around being actually in the House Without Walls. Check it out - and maybe buy it with your Steam points! - in the Steam Points Shop.
Developer AMA
Were running a developer AMA on the Weather Factory subreddit today from 6.30PM BST / 10.30AM PDT. Join us to celebrate The Lady Afterwards release, ask us about That Damned Library Game and wonder at AKs ability to avoid answering lore questions! Well keep the AMA ticking over the whole weekend, so if you cant make it today, feel free to leave a question and well answer as and when. Well be back in person on the subreddit on Monday 25th October at 4PM BST / 8AM PDT to wrap the AMA up. Hope to see you there!
[ 2021-10-21 17:40:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
Chat to the developers!
[ 2021-10-20 14:45:47 CET ] [ Original post ]
Happy Tabletop Fest! We'll have a lot of things to reveal tomorrow which we can't talk about now. But we can invite you to chat to us live on our subreddit, for a celebratory weekend AMA!
- Starts: Thursday 21st Oct @ 6.30PM BST / 10.30AM PDT
- Ends: Monday 25th Oct @ 6PM BST / 10AM PDT
[ 2021-10-20 14:45:47 CET ] [ Original post ]
Systemchalk streaming Cultist Simulator!
[ 2021-10-20 12:49:48 CET ] [ Original post ]
Veteran player Systemchalk - one of our earliest adopters, the man with the velvet voice, and possibly the only person who's actually beaten New Game+ - is once again tackling Cultist Simulator as part of Steam's Tabletop Fest. We'll have a bunch of exciting things to announce at the start of his stream, so hope to see you there!
[ 2021-10-20 12:49:48 CET ] [ Original post ]
The Lady Afterwards COMING SOON!
[quote]"Youve been summoned to Alexandria, a city of coloured lights and curious histories. An old friend needs you to track down a woman. Shes probably in trouble. Probably trouble herself. Plus a change. Mirrors glitter at the Cecil, Berbers whisper in the El Bab Cafe, and statues keep their secrets in the cold depths of the bay. Somethings in motion, from the Arab Quarter to the Rue des Soeurs. Somewhere, the Serapeum stirs. The Hours have taken an interest. Cherchez la femme, the saying goes. But what does the lady look for?"[/quote] Cultist Simulator's long-awaited tabletop RPG is finally here, in physical and digital form!
[table noborder=1 equalcells=1 align=top] [tr] [th]The Lady Afterwards Boxed Edition[/th] [th]The Lady Afterwards Digital Edition[/th] [/tr] [tr] [td]Copies: 100[/td] [td]Copies: [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Price: 150[/td] [td]Price: 30[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Available: Thursday 21st October[/td] [td]Available: Thursday 18th November[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Store: Our Etsy shop[/td] [td]Store: Our Etsy shop, Steam, DriveThruRPG, OpenGamingStore, Indie Press Revolution, Amazon[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Includes: The Secret Histories Rule Book, The Lady Afterwards Game Runners Guide, character sheets, character badges, Essential Hours tarot deck, Serapeum candle, artefacts, map, two dice sets in velvet dice bag, merchandise coupon, Cultist Simulator Steam key, Spotify playlist, full digital edition of the game[/td] [td]Includes: The Secret Histories Rule Book, The Lady Afterwards Game Runners Guide, character sheets, artefacts, map, Spotify playlist (PLEASE NOTE ALL OF THE ABOVE WILL BE DELIVERED IN DIGITAL / PDF FORM. NO PHYSICAL ITEMS INCLUDED!)[/td] [/tr] [/table] The limited physical edition launches on Thursday 21st October at 6PM BST / 10AM PDT. We're only making 100 boxes, so keep a sharp look out! (Though we have contingency plans if they sell out in an instant.) We can't share many photos without spoiling the game, but here's a smattering of non-spoilery previews:
You can play (almost!) all of Cultist Simulator's characters: the Aspirant, the Bright Young Thing, the Dancer, the Detective, the Exile, the Medium, the Physician and the Priest. Every character has a unique character sheet and questionnaire, helping you flesh out your creations. The above is the Exile's questionnaire. DOES CRIME PAY?
Each box also contains eight unique character pins in silver and gold.
The events of The Lady Afterwards take place in Alexandria, Egypt in 1920-something. You'll need a detailed map of the city, its main attractions and some genuine photos from the era to get you in the zone.
Finally, about 70% of the contents of the box! I can't wait to photograph the whole thing together. For now, you can read more about The Lady Afterwards here.
Were running an AMA on the Weather Factory subreddit on Thursday 21st October at 6.30PM BST / 10.30AM PDT. Join us to celebrate The Lady Afterwards release, ask us about That Damned Library Game and wonder at AKs ability to avoid answering lore questions! Well keep the AMA ticking over the whole weekend, so if you cant make it on Friday feel free to leave a question and well answer as and when. Well be back in person on the subreddit on Monday 25th October at 4PM BST / 8AM PDT to wrap the weekend up. A weekend-long AMA!!!! No, we dont have anything better to do with our lives.
Steebies? Freams? Whatever their name, we're releasing a bunch of fun free things on Steam to celebrate Cultist's evolution into a tabletop game. Right now they're a mix of freebies, semi-freebies, a special Skeleton Songs and some news so keep your eyes on our Steam page, developer page and/or social media. If youre signed up to our mailing list, youll get it all direct to your inbox.
We've uploaded a new and only slightly borked build of Cultist Simulator, reflecting months of back-end work we've been doing to prepare the codebase for BOOK OF HOURS. It's about an 80% complete rewrite, but there are a couple of important things to note:
Finally, we're big on mental health (cf. Everything is remembered somewhere or Living with depression that isnt yours). Today is World Mental Health Day, so were donating 100% of our revenue to mental health charity Mind. If youd like to donate by buying Cultist Simulator for a friend, todays a good opportunity to make a difference! Now... GET HYPE FOR THE LADY AFTERWARDS!
[ 2021-10-10 09:58:20 CET ] [ Original post ]
The Lady Afterwards
[quote]"Youve been summoned to Alexandria, a city of coloured lights and curious histories. An old friend needs you to track down a woman. Shes probably in trouble. Probably trouble herself. Plus a change. Mirrors glitter at the Cecil, Berbers whisper in the El Bab Cafe, and statues keep their secrets in the cold depths of the bay. Somethings in motion, from the Arab Quarter to the Rue des Soeurs. Somewhere, the Serapeum stirs. The Hours have taken an interest. Cherchez la femme, the saying goes. But what does the lady look for?"[/quote] Cultist Simulator's long-awaited tabletop RPG is finally here, in physical and digital form!
[table noborder=1 equalcells=1 align=top] [tr] [th]The Lady Afterwards Boxed Edition[/th] [th]The Lady Afterwards Digital Edition[/th] [/tr] [tr] [td]Copies: 100[/td] [td]Copies: [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Price: 150[/td] [td]Price: 30[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Available: Thursday 21st October[/td] [td]Available: Thursday 18th November[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Store: Our Etsy shop[/td] [td]Store: Our Etsy shop, Steam, DriveThruRPG, OpenGamingStore, Indie Press Revolution, Amazon[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Includes: The Secret Histories Rule Book, The Lady Afterwards Game Runners Guide, character sheets, character badges, Essential Hours tarot deck, Serapeum candle, artefacts, map, two dice sets in velvet dice bag, merchandise coupon, Cultist Simulator Steam key, Spotify playlist, full digital edition of the game[/td] [td]Includes: The Secret Histories Rule Book, The Lady Afterwards Game Runners Guide, character sheets, artefacts, map, Spotify playlist (PLEASE NOTE ALL OF THE ABOVE WILL BE DELIVERED IN DIGITAL / PDF FORM. NO PHYSICAL ITEMS INCLUDED!)[/td] [/tr] [/table] The limited physical edition launches on Thursday 21st October at 6PM BST / 10AM PDT. We're only making 100 boxes, so keep a sharp look out! (Though we have contingency plans if they sell out in an instant.) We can't share many photos without spoiling the game, but here's a smattering of non-spoilery previews:
You can play (almost!) all of Cultist Simulator's characters: the Aspirant, the Bright Young Thing, the Dancer, the Detective, the Exile, the Medium, the Physician and the Priest. Every character has a unique character sheet and questionnaire, helping you flesh out your creations. The above is the Exile's questionnaire. DOES CRIME PAY?
Each box also contains eight unique character pins in silver and gold.
The events of The Lady Afterwards take place in Alexandria, Egypt in 1920-something. You'll need a detailed map of the city, its main attractions and some genuine photos from the era to get you in the zone.
Finally, about 70% of the contents of the box! I can't wait to photograph the whole thing together. For now, you can read more about The Lady Afterwards here.
Developer AMA
Were running an AMA on the Weather Factory subreddit on Thursday 21st October at 6.30PM BST / 10.30AM PDT. Join us to celebrate The Lady Afterwards release, ask us about That Damned Library Game and wonder at AKs ability to avoid answering lore questions! Well keep the AMA ticking over the whole weekend, so if you cant make it on Friday feel free to leave a question and well answer as and when. Well be back in person on the subreddit on Monday 25th October at 4PM BST / 8AM PDT to wrap the weekend up. A weekend-long AMA!!!! No, we dont have anything better to do with our lives.
Steam Freebies
Steebies? Freams? Whatever their name, we're releasing a bunch of fun free things on Steam to celebrate Cultist's evolution into a tabletop game. Right now they're a mix of freebies, semi-freebies, a special Skeleton Songs and some news so keep your eyes on our Steam page, developer page and/or social media. If youre signed up to our mailing list, youll get it all direct to your inbox.
Cultist Simulator alpha build
We've uploaded a new and only slightly borked build of Cultist Simulator, reflecting months of back-end work we've been doing to prepare the codebase for BOOK OF HOURS. It's about an 80% complete rewrite, but there are a couple of important things to note:
- The modding community has been asking for a DLL loading hook, for a long time. Its in there, and it might even work. Check MODDING_README.TXT for details.
- There's no backwards save compatibility right now. To fix some horrible, stubborn save bugs that have been in there from the beginning, we needed to change the format completely. We'll (95% certainty) write a save format converter before it gets to the beta branch.
World Mental Health Day
Finally, we're big on mental health (cf. Everything is remembered somewhere or Living with depression that isnt yours). Today is World Mental Health Day, so were donating 100% of our revenue to mental health charity Mind. If youd like to donate by buying Cultist Simulator for a friend, todays a good opportunity to make a difference! Now... GET HYPE FOR THE LADY AFTERWARDS!
[ 2021-10-10 09:58:20 CET ] [ Original post ]
Lovecraftday giveaway!
Cultist Simulator's indebted to weird fiction, and weird fiction's indebted to H.P. Lovecraft. So we're celebrating his birthday with a Lovecraftday giveaway! The prizes are: GRAND PRIZE: Illopoly's Pack and Sibyl's Leaves fortune-telling deck (worth 80 / $110!)
2 RUNNERS UP: Adept's Bequest (worth 50 / $70!)
10 WILDCARDS: Cultist Simulator Steam keys (worth 15 / $20!)
There's 10% off everything in our shop, too, for the duration of the giveaway. Enter via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, with full details and FAQ here. Good luck!
In case you missed our recent updates, Lady Afterwards development continues apace. We shared a lot of Lantern-lore, which may change the way you feel about Cultist's Diarist. PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT MANSUS-SPOILERS, DON'T HOVER OVER THE BELOW! For everyone else, Lantern-long... [spoiler]can send dreams to trouble an enemy. The better idea the fulgent has of the enemys nature and real-world location, the more likely they are to find them. [Each of these is a bonus from Trivial to Major.] If the fulgent knows what city the target is in, thatll help. If they know their address, thats much better. If the fulgent has visited the address, thats best. If the fulgent knows what the target might dream of their hopes and fears thatll help. If the fulgent knows what the target has been doing recently, who theyve met or what theyve eaten, thats better. If the fulgent has met the target recently, in dreams or in the world, thats best. If the target has fulfilled potential requirements for entering the Mansus e.g. someones been murdered in the room recently, or if theyre a Know then theyre more vulnerable. If theyre in the Mansus, theyre most vulnerable. However, if the target has fulfilled requirements for entering the Wood, theyre safer. These include cutting a lock of hair; wounding the sole of the foot; or sleeping in the presence of as few colours as possible other than white and black (including hair and clothes). The more light there is in the place the target sleeps, the more likely the fulgents sendings are to find them. Fulgents can enter a mirror, lens or light-source in the physical world: a process that has been called transinhabitatation by the Church of the Unconquered Sun, alighting by the Tragulari, and scrining by the Obliviates. An inhabited item of this kind, then, is a scrine[/spoiler] +10 Fascination. Here're some WIP photos of The Lady Afterwards limited boxed edition, as it comes together:
We'll announce an official release date for The Lady Afterwards soon. Keep your eyes peeled, and make sure you're signed up to the mailing list! Happy culting, Believers.
[ 2021-08-20 09:03:49 CET ] [ Original post ]
Win free, forbidden things
Cultist Simulator's indebted to weird fiction, and weird fiction's indebted to H.P. Lovecraft. So we're celebrating his birthday with a Lovecraftday giveaway! The prizes are: GRAND PRIZE: Illopoly's Pack and Sibyl's Leaves fortune-telling deck (worth 80 / $110!)
2 RUNNERS UP: Adept's Bequest (worth 50 / $70!)
10 WILDCARDS: Cultist Simulator Steam keys (worth 15 / $20!)
There's 10% off everything in our shop, too, for the duration of the giveaway. Enter via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, with full details and FAQ here. Good luck!
The Lady Afterwards
In case you missed our recent updates, Lady Afterwards development continues apace. We shared a lot of Lantern-lore, which may change the way you feel about Cultist's Diarist. PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT MANSUS-SPOILERS, DON'T HOVER OVER THE BELOW! For everyone else, Lantern-long... [spoiler]can send dreams to trouble an enemy. The better idea the fulgent has of the enemys nature and real-world location, the more likely they are to find them. [Each of these is a bonus from Trivial to Major.] If the fulgent knows what city the target is in, thatll help. If they know their address, thats much better. If the fulgent has visited the address, thats best. If the fulgent knows what the target might dream of their hopes and fears thatll help. If the fulgent knows what the target has been doing recently, who theyve met or what theyve eaten, thats better. If the fulgent has met the target recently, in dreams or in the world, thats best. If the target has fulfilled potential requirements for entering the Mansus e.g. someones been murdered in the room recently, or if theyre a Know then theyre more vulnerable. If theyre in the Mansus, theyre most vulnerable. However, if the target has fulfilled requirements for entering the Wood, theyre safer. These include cutting a lock of hair; wounding the sole of the foot; or sleeping in the presence of as few colours as possible other than white and black (including hair and clothes). The more light there is in the place the target sleeps, the more likely the fulgents sendings are to find them. Fulgents can enter a mirror, lens or light-source in the physical world: a process that has been called transinhabitatation by the Church of the Unconquered Sun, alighting by the Tragulari, and scrining by the Obliviates. An inhabited item of this kind, then, is a scrine[/spoiler] +10 Fascination. Here're some WIP photos of The Lady Afterwards limited boxed edition, as it comes together:
We'll announce an official release date for The Lady Afterwards soon. Keep your eyes peeled, and make sure you're signed up to the mailing list! Happy culting, Believers.
[ 2021-08-20 09:03:49 CET ] [ Original post ]
JULY #1: NO PLACE
[ 2021-07-16 10:48:48 CET ] [ Original post ]
Want more Cultist Sim? Well..... SO DO WE but we're busy making BOOK OF HOURS. But we *do* have updates on the upcoming The Lady Afterwards, our Cultist Simulator TRPG, which we hope will feed your Fascination.
We mentioned that part of the mechanics the Regard of the Hours, specifically require a tarot deck, so in case anyone doesnt have one were including a mini pocket-deck called the Essential Hours. Heres a mock-up!
Each decks a portable A7 size and includes the 23 Hours we know and, possibly, love, from the Moth to the Mare-in-the-Tree. No minor arcana, no messing about, and the only way you can currently get a God-from-Nowhere on a card. Who wouldnt want a God-from-Nowhere in their pocket?
Ive also been working with a new supplier on our character pins and have a test run in the works. Theyve told me we have to change the design slightly to cater to reality pfft but it should still maintain the 1920s feel. Ill share pictures of the real things when they arrive!
And the biggest part of my sprints been on writing the whole Game Runners Guide, which I cant show you at all yet. So in the meantime, as everyone seemed to enjoy the Dancers, have another character questionnaire! This time for the BYT.
If you still want more, there's a deep-dive into BOOK OF HOURS's Wisdom tree and a new Skeleton Songs episode on D&D and TRPGs' enduring legacy over on the blog. Enjoy!
[ 2021-07-16 10:48:48 CET ] [ Original post ]
NEW GAME, NEW BOOK, NEW TAROT
You've been summoned to Alexandria, a city of coloured lights and curious histories. An old friend needs you to track down a woman. She's probably in trouble. Probably trouble herself. Plus a change. Mirrors glitter at the Cecil, Berbers whisper in the El Bab Cafe, and statues keep their secrets in the cold depths of the bay. Something's in motion, from the Arab Quarter to the Rue des Soeurs. Somewhere, the Serapeum stirs. The Hours have taken an interest. Cherchez la femme, the saying goes. But what does the lady look for?
The Lady Afterwards is a limited edition Cultist Simulator TRPG, based on Chaosiums Basic Role-Playing system - think Call of Cthulhu or story-driven DnD, without us getting sued. Weve streamlined the experience so you dont have to be a TRPG aficionado to play, and weve filled it with Dread, Fascination and the invisible arts. Track down Audrey Leigh Howard, a woman of high standing and dubious morals. Seek the Serapeum. Investigate the Society of the Noble Endeavour. Abort a plan. Avert a crisis. Protect the heart of the House Without Walls - or let the blow fall.
The Lady Afterwards is a boxed physical edition, containing everything you need for several evenings occult entertainment with friends (and/or cultists). Each edition includes:
Alexis has spent over a decade making games, from Fallen London to Sunless Sea to Cultist Simulator, with a lot of other work in between. Hes finally releasing a book on it all, compiling 200+ pages of the best of his pieces on narrative, design, development and why worldbuilding busts his nut. [quote]"There are sentences in Fallen London and Cultist Simulator that make me freeze in my seat. This collection of essays is generally not Alexis in freeze mode... It's Alexis being funny, pragmatic, charitable and humane. It's like getting to sit down over a plate of enigmatically-sourced goat goujons and a cup of Thracian wine, and be told a bunch of good stories." - Introduction, Matt Hosty[/quote] Against Worldbuilding is available now in Kindle and paperback format, costing 5.65 and 7.77 respectively. Enjoy!
We announced were making a second tarot deck, after The Tarot of the Hours proved so popular. This time its a world-first: were making a stained-glass-window-inspired deck, opaquely printed on transparent PVC. This means light (candlelight; moonlight; King Crucible) shines through some parts of each card, but they have an opaque back so you cant see the image on the other side. The deck features new, custom-made art of the Hours and Cultist Simulator cards that draws on existing lore but follows traditional systems like the Rider-Waite much more closely than the Hours deck did. Were calling it The Lucid Tarot. People seemed to get excited about it when we teased it last time, so the cards above are all never-before-seen, to whet your appetite! The Hours have been around for centuries in every History. Theyre a syncretic pantheon, like the loa of Haitian Vodou or the weirder Greco-Roman deities, and they change over time to reflect the current world. Youll notice that the art style as well as the depiction of the Hours in The Lucid Tarot is sometimes quite different from their original depictions. For example, heres Justice / The Meniscate from both decks:
These differences are deliberate, and we hope itll shed some more lore-y light on things. The new images also suit the abbey-like stained-glass aesthetic, which youll see more of in BOOK OF HOURS... We cant specify a release date yet, because it turns out making a tarot deck from scratch is a lot of work. But itll be sometime this year! Sign up to the mailing list for news, and/or keep your culty eyes peeled here for news. Happy birthday to Cultist Sim, and have a lovely weekend, everyone! Stay culty, stay classy, stay cool. <3
[ 2021-05-29 17:02:10 CET ] [ Original post ]
Its Cultist Simulators anniversary weekend, so we have some big things to announce! Were running a mega Daily Deal on Steam, with the honey-voiced Systemchalk broadcasting the game for the uninitiated. Go watch him try not to die!
Were also running a half-price sale on the Nintendo Switch port, and have a new game, a new book and updates on our stained-glass tarot deck to share. Read on...
The Lady Afterwards: a Cultist Simulator TRPG
You've been summoned to Alexandria, a city of coloured lights and curious histories. An old friend needs you to track down a woman. She's probably in trouble. Probably trouble herself. Plus a change. Mirrors glitter at the Cecil, Berbers whisper in the El Bab Cafe, and statues keep their secrets in the cold depths of the bay. Something's in motion, from the Arab Quarter to the Rue des Soeurs. Somewhere, the Serapeum stirs. The Hours have taken an interest. Cherchez la femme, the saying goes. But what does the lady look for?
The Lady Afterwards is a limited edition Cultist Simulator TRPG, based on Chaosiums Basic Role-Playing system - think Call of Cthulhu or story-driven DnD, without us getting sued. Weve streamlined the experience so you dont have to be a TRPG aficionado to play, and weve filled it with Dread, Fascination and the invisible arts. Track down Audrey Leigh Howard, a woman of high standing and dubious morals. Seek the Serapeum. Investigate the Society of the Noble Endeavour. Abort a plan. Avert a crisis. Protect the heart of the House Without Walls - or let the blow fall.
The Lady Afterwards is a boxed physical edition, containing everything you need for several evenings occult entertainment with friends (and/or cultists). Each edition includes:
- The Lady Afterwards, a Cultist Simulator TRPG scenario set in 1920s Alexandria
- A game-runners handbook, incorporating all story, locations, lore and mechanics
- An exultation* of clues, curiosities, clippings and collectibles
- "The Essential Hours", 23-card pocket tarot
- Eight customisable character sheets, complete with secret agendas
- Eight art deco character pins in silver, brass, copper and gold
- A scented Serapeum candle, to evoke that which cannot be seen
- Three Mansus candles, for important plot points
- A full-colour map of contemporary Alexandria
- A set of seven antique TRPG dice in a velvet dice bag
- A Steam key for Cultist Simulator, in the unspeakable instance where someone hasnt played it yet
- A 50% discount token for the Church o Merch
- Access to a custom-built mood-music playlist, to further SET THE TONE
Against Worldbuilding, and Other Provocations
Alexis has spent over a decade making games, from Fallen London to Sunless Sea to Cultist Simulator, with a lot of other work in between. Hes finally releasing a book on it all, compiling 200+ pages of the best of his pieces on narrative, design, development and why worldbuilding busts his nut. [quote]"There are sentences in Fallen London and Cultist Simulator that make me freeze in my seat. This collection of essays is generally not Alexis in freeze mode... It's Alexis being funny, pragmatic, charitable and humane. It's like getting to sit down over a plate of enigmatically-sourced goat goujons and a cup of Thracian wine, and be told a bunch of good stories." - Introduction, Matt Hosty[/quote] Against Worldbuilding is available now in Kindle and paperback format, costing 5.65 and 7.77 respectively. Enjoy!
The Lucid Tarot
We announced were making a second tarot deck, after The Tarot of the Hours proved so popular. This time its a world-first: were making a stained-glass-window-inspired deck, opaquely printed on transparent PVC. This means light (candlelight; moonlight; King Crucible) shines through some parts of each card, but they have an opaque back so you cant see the image on the other side. The deck features new, custom-made art of the Hours and Cultist Simulator cards that draws on existing lore but follows traditional systems like the Rider-Waite much more closely than the Hours deck did. Were calling it The Lucid Tarot. People seemed to get excited about it when we teased it last time, so the cards above are all never-before-seen, to whet your appetite! The Hours have been around for centuries in every History. Theyre a syncretic pantheon, like the loa of Haitian Vodou or the weirder Greco-Roman deities, and they change over time to reflect the current world. Youll notice that the art style as well as the depiction of the Hours in The Lucid Tarot is sometimes quite different from their original depictions. For example, heres Justice / The Meniscate from both decks:
These differences are deliberate, and we hope itll shed some more lore-y light on things. The new images also suit the abbey-like stained-glass aesthetic, which youll see more of in BOOK OF HOURS... We cant specify a release date yet, because it turns out making a tarot deck from scratch is a lot of work. But itll be sometime this year! Sign up to the mailing list for news, and/or keep your culty eyes peeled here for news. Happy birthday to Cultist Sim, and have a lovely weekend, everyone! Stay culty, stay classy, stay cool. <3
[ 2021-05-29 17:02:10 CET ] [ Original post ]
Announcing new stained glass tarot!
Today we announced we're making another tarot deck, with a twist! The Tarot of the Hours was so popular it gave me the tarot bug, so I'm developing an entirely new 78-card tarot deck designed around medieval stained glass windows. The key thing about this deck is it's printed on transparent PVC, so it should actually look quite stained-glass-window-y in real life! As far as we know this hasn't been done before, so that's exciting. Here's what it'll look like!
The big Mansus-y image is the back of all 78 cards. Flip it over and you'll see the minor and major arcana. All art is hand-drawn by me and will feature the Hours and some reimagined images from Cultist Simulator. It may also end up in the windows of Hush House in BOOK OF HOURS, but that's in the lap of the gods... The tarot's in-progress, obviously, so let us all take a moment to appreciate how Vagabond it is that the current sketch for the seventeenth major arcana card, The Star - corresponding to the seventeenth Hour, the Vagabond - looks exactly like the mad 2007 Ukranian entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. This is exactly the sort of whimsical accident the Laughingthrush likes...
More info over on the blog!
Our focus as a studio is on BOOK OF HOURS, as you probably all know! But while that project's in its early stages - and a producer/artist/marketer is not as in-demand as she is later on - I'm working on a secret second project we indend to announce at the end of May on Cultist Simulator's anniversary. It's of particular interest to Cultist fans. Here's what we've teased so far...
ANY GUESSES? Sign up to the mailing list to keep updated on the tarot and this secret second project. <3
Those of you waiting for Japanese and German on mobile, it's launching on Tuesday 27th April - that's this Tuesday! So look out for an update on the App Store and the Google Play Store then. :)
[ 2021-04-23 10:30:55 CET ] [ Original post ]
Stained glass tarot
Today we announced we're making another tarot deck, with a twist! The Tarot of the Hours was so popular it gave me the tarot bug, so I'm developing an entirely new 78-card tarot deck designed around medieval stained glass windows. The key thing about this deck is it's printed on transparent PVC, so it should actually look quite stained-glass-window-y in real life! As far as we know this hasn't been done before, so that's exciting. Here's what it'll look like!
The big Mansus-y image is the back of all 78 cards. Flip it over and you'll see the minor and major arcana. All art is hand-drawn by me and will feature the Hours and some reimagined images from Cultist Simulator. It may also end up in the windows of Hush House in BOOK OF HOURS, but that's in the lap of the gods... The tarot's in-progress, obviously, so let us all take a moment to appreciate how Vagabond it is that the current sketch for the seventeenth major arcana card, The Star - corresponding to the seventeenth Hour, the Vagabond - looks exactly like the mad 2007 Ukranian entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. This is exactly the sort of whimsical accident the Laughingthrush likes...
More info over on the blog!
Secret second project
Our focus as a studio is on BOOK OF HOURS, as you probably all know! But while that project's in its early stages - and a producer/artist/marketer is not as in-demand as she is later on - I'm working on a secret second project we indend to announce at the end of May on Cultist Simulator's anniversary. It's of particular interest to Cultist fans. Here's what we've teased so far...
ANY GUESSES? Sign up to the mailing list to keep updated on the tarot and this secret second project. <3
PS
Those of you waiting for Japanese and German on mobile, it's launching on Tuesday 27th April - that's this Tuesday! So look out for an update on the App Store and the Google Play Store then. :)
[ 2021-04-23 10:30:55 CET ] [ Original post ]
Points Shop exclusives + NEW TRAILER!
Happy February, everyone! We're celebrating Cultist Simulator coming out on the Nintendo Switch by releasing a bunch of new Points Shop collectibles. We might add more in future if you like 'em. For now, here're the new recruits! New animated avatars...
...new animated profile frames (one of which took nearly 300 hand-animated frames, because I am a derp)...
...and a subtle animated profile background!
Check 'em out in the Points Shop!
We've also released a shiny new trailer! It focuses on the Switch, but it works for all Cultist. It's also a totally different approach to our very gameplay-focused trailers before. And, it doesn't say the phrase 'PENETRATE THE HOUSE' and get itself banned on Facebook. Watch on our YouTube, and enjoy being talked to by our very first voice actor who totally sounds like a wizard.
We've started Skeleton Songs season two, this time actually about GAMES! In episode one, Alexis and I talk genre: what it means, how useful it is, and how this relates to games like Cultist Simulator and Cyberpunk 2077. You can listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube or basically anywhere you listen to podcasts normally. Enjoy!
Due to what can only be described as an omnishambles, the latest Russian localisation for Cultist Simulator is a bit of a mess. It looks like the translations got mixed up somehow so they're all in the wrong place - leaving things like 'Funds' translated as ' ' - which means 'Old Headquarters'. What?! We're working with our localisation team to get an updated translation up ASAP.
Anyway. We're featuring a fun library each day over on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, in honour of National Library Lovers' Month and BOOK OF HOURS, so come choose your fave if you like. Wish us luck with the Switch, and hope you're hanging in there. <3
[ 2021-02-02 10:20:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
POINTS SHOP EXCLUSIVES
Happy February, everyone! We're celebrating Cultist Simulator coming out on the Nintendo Switch by releasing a bunch of new Points Shop collectibles. We might add more in future if you like 'em. For now, here're the new recruits! New animated avatars...
...new animated profile frames (one of which took nearly 300 hand-animated frames, because I am a derp)...
...and a subtle animated profile background!
Check 'em out in the Points Shop!
SOMETHING IS COMING...
We've also released a shiny new trailer! It focuses on the Switch, but it works for all Cultist. It's also a totally different approach to our very gameplay-focused trailers before. And, it doesn't say the phrase 'PENETRATE THE HOUSE' and get itself banned on Facebook. Watch on our YouTube, and enjoy being talked to by our very first voice actor who totally sounds like a wizard.
SKELETON SONGS IS BACK
We've started Skeleton Songs season two, this time actually about GAMES! In episode one, Alexis and I talk genre: what it means, how useful it is, and how this relates to games like Cultist Simulator and Cyberpunk 2077. You can listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube or basically anywhere you listen to podcasts normally. Enjoy!
RUSSIAN TRANSLATION
Due to what can only be described as an omnishambles, the latest Russian localisation for Cultist Simulator is a bit of a mess. It looks like the translations got mixed up somehow so they're all in the wrong place - leaving things like 'Funds' translated as ' ' - which means 'Old Headquarters'. What?! We're working with our localisation team to get an updated translation up ASAP.
Anyway. We're featuring a fun library each day over on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, in honour of National Library Lovers' Month and BOOK OF HOURS, so come choose your fave if you like. Wish us luck with the Switch, and hope you're hanging in there. <3
[ 2021-02-02 10:20:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
2021.b.1 Beta->Live
[ 2021-01-29 12:00:44 CET ] [ Original post ]
Good afternoon, everyone. Here's the latest beta->live patch: - fixes legacy-carryover issues, e.g. the wrong cult showing up in Apostle runs - more localisation fixes and tweaks.
[ 2021-01-29 12:00:44 CET ] [ Original post ]
The Sibyl's Leaves: Playing Cards for Divination, Fortune-Telling and Augury
[ 2020-11-20 11:16:30 CET ] [ Original post ]
Just a quick update, Believers! We've just released a new 52-card deck in the Church o' Merch which finally lets you buy something with Neville's face on it. Meet The Sibyl's Leaves: a gold-embellished Cultist-style future-telling card deck based on 19th-century cartomancy!
The deck uses the usual 52-card system - Aces through Kings for Diamonds, Hearts, Spades and Clubs - but each card also includes a unique meaning. When dealt in the proper way, these meanings combine to give you an idea of your future! And don't worry, there's an instruction manual inside each pack.
Alternatively, you can just use this deck for any normal card game you'd play with a 52-card pack. The only difference is occasionally you'll run into Saliba. Won't that jazz up your next game of solitaire?!
I can't promise international adepts that this'll reach you by Christmas, but I'll be filling orders more quickly than usual to give you the best chance.
More info and a bit of historical cartomancy over on the blog. Enjoy!
[ 2020-11-20 11:16:30 CET ] [ Original post ]
Japanese and German out now!
Well, we have two biggies to share. Firstly:
CULTIST'S COMING TO THE NINTENDO SWITCH! I can't talk too much about it here in case Valve shout at me. But if you'd like more info or to be notified when it's out to buy, sign up below! As Ezeem might say...
Secondly, we finally announced that the EXILE DLC is coming to mobile on Tuesday 3rd November, along with the Forbidden Bundle, a one-stop pack of all DLC at a reduced price. You can nab the mobile versions on the App Store or the Google Play Store if you ain't got them already!
Anyway. Happy Halloween weekend! HAVE A SPOOKY DAY.
[ 2020-10-29 14:07:38 CET ] [ Original post ]
Happy nearly-Halloween, believers! Its Alexiss and my anniversary today, so what better way to celebrate than, er, to release Cultist Simulator to Steam, GOG and Humble in Japanese and German! Theyre now out! YAY! Please tell all your Japanese- and German-speaking friends about it!
Thank you to everyone who helped us with beta testing this month. Were extremely grateful! Please feel free to continue sending any bugs you find any of our translations to support@weatherfactory.biz.
Its really weird not being able to read your own game, so we need your help to make sure that Cultist Simulator reads and plays well in different languages. Blessings of the Velvet will fall upon anyone who helps. Probably.
If Japanese and German do well, we may translate into other languages in future. For now, have a look in Cultists Workshop if your language is missing. A few trail-blazing linguists have uploaded fan mods for other languages (French, Italian, Korean), so your language might be there if it isnt in-game already. Enjoy!
Other news!
Well, we have two biggies to share. Firstly:
CULTIST'S COMING TO THE NINTENDO SWITCH! I can't talk too much about it here in case Valve shout at me. But if you'd like more info or to be notified when it's out to buy, sign up below! As Ezeem might say...
Secondly, we finally announced that the EXILE DLC is coming to mobile on Tuesday 3rd November, along with the Forbidden Bundle, a one-stop pack of all DLC at a reduced price. You can nab the mobile versions on the App Store or the Google Play Store if you ain't got them already!
Anyway. Happy Halloween weekend! HAVE A SPOOKY DAY.
[ 2020-10-29 14:07:38 CET ] [ Original post ]
Black, Red, Gold, and the Rising Sun
Some Russian-speaking players have objected to some of the choices the translator made. It's impossible for us as non-Russian speakers to judge quality, so we need to be careful with feedback from the Internet (there's always the possibility a stranger is mischievous or wrong). Please keep sending us specific details of specific problems, and we'll run them by the loc company, who generally say 'yes that was a mistake' or 'oh that makes more sense'.
I think the Exile translation suffered particularly because this was the first bit of Cultist that the translator had worked on (the main Russian translation was by two other providers that we don't use any more). This meant (a) they had a *lot* to digest, because the Exile lore builds on the Cultist lore (b) there were inconsistencies with translation choices in the original game. This is more generally a problem Lottie and I are wrestling with for future localisations of Cultist and of BOOK OF HOURS. My writing is notoriously full of arcane references and stupid quasi-puns that you only get after forty hours of play or whatever. Most professional translators don't have the grounding in Cultist lore, but we need to keep working with professional translators because fan translations are hard to wrangle to deadlines and production plans. We'll find a middle way.
Talking of fan translations... our Chinese translation of the original game was the only one done by volunteers, but by professionally organised volunteers working through Indienova. This meant the translation was actually very high quality, because it was performed by fans of the game who knew and cared about the lore. Last night Lottie and I happened to look at the Exile page and found we'd dropped into Mixed reviews, because a number of Chinese volunteers are cross that they haven't been credited. Lottie and I are really sorry about this - we feel strongly about crediting people fairly. We're waiting on a final credits list from Indienova now. If you're a volunteer and you're missing from the credits, please please get in touch with them to make sure you're included. (There's another issue, where the translation was apparently not polished to the volunteers' satisfaction, which I don't completely understand - I've had conflicting emails about this - but I can say we're talking to Indienova about it now and we'll update it as it comes.)
We've had people asking for Brazilian Portuguese, French, Italian and Spanish translations, among others. This really depends on how well German and Japanese do. It costs us tens of thousands of Euros and probably three person-weeks of my and Lottie's time to translate into a new language (in case you missed it, Weather Factory is only two people) so we have a really narrow pipeline. But it might happen!
I recently updated the modding framework so that community translation mods are much more practical, and we've currently got four community translations on the Steam Workshop. Thank you to the creators for putting the time and effort into this. I've added Workshop tags so translations should be easier to find now. Portugus Brasil French Italiano
[ 2020-10-16 12:36:24 CET ] [ Original post ]
I'm going to talk about where we are with Cultist Simulator localisation. Throughout this post, I've embedded thumbnails of some of the Q&As I've had with translators. Click on 'em if you want to know why translating this game is such a total pain in the bum.
ON THE MATTER OF THE GERMAN AND JAPANESE TRANSLATIONS: We've moved the German and Japanese localisations from the beta to the main branch. We had dozens of extremely detailed and helpful bug reports - particularly for Japanese, where the culture gap from English is much bigger - and the localisation is in much better shape now.
There will still be issues we've missed. Please let us know at support@weatherfactory.biz; and please include a screenshot, it's worth a thousand Google-translated words. Thanks for all your help.
ON THE MATTER OF THE RUSSIAN TRANSLATION OF EXILE:
Some Russian-speaking players have objected to some of the choices the translator made. It's impossible for us as non-Russian speakers to judge quality, so we need to be careful with feedback from the Internet (there's always the possibility a stranger is mischievous or wrong). Please keep sending us specific details of specific problems, and we'll run them by the loc company, who generally say 'yes that was a mistake' or 'oh that makes more sense'.
I think the Exile translation suffered particularly because this was the first bit of Cultist that the translator had worked on (the main Russian translation was by two other providers that we don't use any more). This meant (a) they had a *lot* to digest, because the Exile lore builds on the Cultist lore (b) there were inconsistencies with translation choices in the original game. This is more generally a problem Lottie and I are wrestling with for future localisations of Cultist and of BOOK OF HOURS. My writing is notoriously full of arcane references and stupid quasi-puns that you only get after forty hours of play or whatever. Most professional translators don't have the grounding in Cultist lore, but we need to keep working with professional translators because fan translations are hard to wrangle to deadlines and production plans. We'll find a middle way.
ON THE MATTER OF THE CHINESE TRANSLATION OF EXILE:
Talking of fan translations... our Chinese translation of the original game was the only one done by volunteers, but by professionally organised volunteers working through Indienova. This meant the translation was actually very high quality, because it was performed by fans of the game who knew and cared about the lore. Last night Lottie and I happened to look at the Exile page and found we'd dropped into Mixed reviews, because a number of Chinese volunteers are cross that they haven't been credited. Lottie and I are really sorry about this - we feel strongly about crediting people fairly. We're waiting on a final credits list from Indienova now. If you're a volunteer and you're missing from the credits, please please get in touch with them to make sure you're included. (There's another issue, where the translation was apparently not polished to the volunteers' satisfaction, which I don't completely understand - I've had conflicting emails about this - but I can say we're talking to Indienova about it now and we'll update it as it comes.)
ON THE MATTER OF FUTURE LOCALISATIONS:
We've had people asking for Brazilian Portuguese, French, Italian and Spanish translations, among others. This really depends on how well German and Japanese do. It costs us tens of thousands of Euros and probably three person-weeks of my and Lottie's time to translate into a new language (in case you missed it, Weather Factory is only two people) so we have a really narrow pipeline. But it might happen!
ON THE MATTER OF COMMUNITY TRANSLATIONS:
I recently updated the modding framework so that community translation mods are much more practical, and we've currently got four community translations on the Steam Workshop. Thank you to the creators for putting the time and effort into this. I've added Workshop tags so translations should be easier to find now. Portugus Brasil French Italiano
[ 2020-10-16 12:36:24 CET ] [ Original post ]
Willkommen! ! German and Japanese beta is HERE!
If you werent on the beta branch already, you should see Cultist Simulator begin to update. When its finished, open the game. You should see Japanese and German in the Languages menu. Please remember to start a new game when you change language. If you change languages in the middle of a run well. I hope you brought a top-tier rite and a bucket of luck.
Please email any bugs you find to support@weatherfactory.biz. Feel free to submit bugs of any kind (visual, mechanical, language, etc), though we ask that you only include one bug per email. If you find lots of bugs, send us lots of different emails! Please include a screenshot of the issue if you can, so we can see the problem just as you do. Thank you!
There are likely to be problems with key-mapping in Japanese (we dont actually know what keyboards Japanese players use), and of course there are likely to be the occasional missed reference or janky translation in both languages.
Were releasing final Japanese and German to Steam, GOG and Humble on Thursday 29th October. So please: tell your friends and help us make Cultist Simulator shiny and joyous in time for Halloween!
[ 2020-10-08 13:43:00 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! Today were launching our Japanese and German beta. Thats over 160,000 forbidden words localised into two totally new languages, probably with a few typos and mis-translations at least. So please: help us make these translations shiny and great!
How to join the beta
- Navigate to your Steam library and find Cultist Simulator
- Right click and select Properties
- Select the BETAS tab in the top of the pop-up window and choose gateofhorn from the drop-down menu
- Click CLOSE
If you werent on the beta branch already, you should see Cultist Simulator begin to update. When its finished, open the game. You should see Japanese and German in the Languages menu. Please remember to start a new game when you change language. If you change languages in the middle of a run well. I hope you brought a top-tier rite and a bucket of luck.
How to submit a bug
Please email any bugs you find to support@weatherfactory.biz. Feel free to submit bugs of any kind (visual, mechanical, language, etc), though we ask that you only include one bug per email. If you find lots of bugs, send us lots of different emails! Please include a screenshot of the issue if you can, so we can see the problem just as you do. Thank you!
Particular things to look out for
There are likely to be problems with key-mapping in Japanese (we dont actually know what keyboards Japanese players use), and of course there are likely to be the occasional missed reference or janky translation in both languages.
How long does the beta last?
Were releasing final Japanese and German to Steam, GOG and Humble on Thursday 29th October. So please: tell your friends and help us make Cultist Simulator shiny and joyous in time for Halloween!
[ 2020-10-08 13:43:00 CET ] [ Original post ]
EXILE now live in Russian and simplified Chinese!
[ 2020-10-01 10:03:16 CET ] [ Original post ]
Happy October, everyone! This is the month of ghosts, ghouls and gruesome things, so what better time to release the EXILE DLC in simplified Chinese and Russian?!
Thank you for being so patient while we finished translating. The latest update of Cultist Simulator now includes full simplified Chinese and Russian, so you can play the whole game start to finish in either language.
To start an EXILE legacy immediately, simply click on the DLC & Mods menu on the title screen and select The Exile. If you dont see The Exile as an option, check that youve purchased The EXILE DLC or that you own Perpetual Edition. If you still have problems, email support@weatherfactory.biz.
If you find any bugs in the Chinese or Russian versions, please email them to support@weatherfactory.biz. And remember: start a new game after changing languages. If you change languages in the middle of a game, things might explode.
Finally, tell us your favourite Chinese and Russian streamers so we can offer them Cultist Simulator keys! Wed love to grow our communities in those languages, but need your help to do it. So tell us your favourite streamers, and tell your Chinese and Russian friends that Cultist Simulator is now 100% translated and ready for them to play!
Thank you, and dream furiously.
[ 2020-10-01 10:03:16 CET ] [ Original post ]
WELCOME TO THE INVISIBLE SERAPEUM
[ 2020-09-18 10:53:05 CET ] [ Original post ]
I've just rolled out STEAM WORKSSHOP INTEGRATION to the main branch... along with all the other beta changes since August. This means: - improved modding framework - Unity version update, which will probably fix various niggling technical issues - perf improvements - custom keybindings Also I attached a picture of a cat to this update, because I can, and because it's his birthday.
[ 2020-09-18 10:53:05 CET ] [ Original post ]
Beta patch: 2020.9.b.5, "Sight, Sound, Clarity, Keys"
[ 2020-09-11 19:30:39 CET ] [ Original post ]
I now have just a couple of features to add and a medium-sized list of bugs to fix before this can go to the live branch. The list of bugs will probably grow over the weekend, of course. Thanks, all, for your help so far.
[ 2020-09-11 19:30:39 CET ] [ Original post ]
AUG #3: REDCROSSE
We're pushing Steam Workshop from beta to the main branch next week, on Thursday 10th September. Hold on to your modded hats, everyone! We're also finally ready to release EXILE in simplified Chinese and Russian. That'll go live on Thursday 1st October. Annnnnnd, we're also rolling out full-game Japanese and German. We're going to run a beta first to catch as many loc bugs as possible - that'll launch on Thursday 8th October. If you know anyone who speaks Japanese or German, please encourage them to pick up the game in October and help us make Cultist's translations top notch! We'll then release full, shiny Japanese and German on Thursday 29th October, just in time for some other Halloweeny fun.
They're now all designed and ready to go - just waiting on a test deck. Here are some final mock-ups, and a teaser for how the 100% definitely accurate system for predicting the future with them actually works!
They'll be up on the Church o' Merch ASAP, and I'll let you know the release date as soon as I know it.
Next sprint is the Weather Factory cats' birthday, so that's obviously the most important thing. Sulo and Chi will be TWO which is the same age as Cultist Simulator. What non-Euclidean coincidence is that?
[ 2020-09-04 10:29:37 CET ] [ Original post ]
A quick update for y'all from today's sprint round-up.
Coming up soon
We're pushing Steam Workshop from beta to the main branch next week, on Thursday 10th September. Hold on to your modded hats, everyone! We're also finally ready to release EXILE in simplified Chinese and Russian. That'll go live on Thursday 1st October. Annnnnnd, we're also rolling out full-game Japanese and German. We're going to run a beta first to catch as many loc bugs as possible - that'll launch on Thursday 8th October. If you know anyone who speaks Japanese or German, please encourage them to pick up the game in October and help us make Cultist's translations top notch! We'll then release full, shiny Japanese and German on Thursday 29th October, just in time for some other Halloweeny fun.
Zingara fortune-telling cards
They're now all designed and ready to go - just waiting on a test deck. Here are some final mock-ups, and a teaser for how the 100% definitely accurate system for predicting the future with them actually works!
They'll be up on the Church o' Merch ASAP, and I'll let you know the release date as soon as I know it.
Cats
Next sprint is the Weather Factory cats' birthday, so that's obviously the most important thing. Sulo and Chi will be TWO which is the same age as Cultist Simulator. What non-Euclidean coincidence is that?
[ 2020-09-04 10:29:37 CET ] [ Original post ]
Beta Patch v2020.8.a.4; "The Mirror and the Lime"
[ 2020-08-26 09:18:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
Thanks for everyone who submitted bug reports to our old friend support@weatherfactory.biz. It's been enormously helpful. Issues addressed in this patch: - images weren't working in some mod /images subfolders. They should now. - merge-overwriting entities didn't quite work as advertised (property operations failed when merge-overwriting). This is fixed. - fixed a subtle and horrible bug with expulsion filers, which now work again. I've also done a lot more in the way of under-the-hood rewriting. The ideal situation is that you won't notice the difference at all. The likely situation is that I've introduced a handful of extra bugs (e.g., I just noticed the end game animation isn't firing properly). Why am I bothering, then? Because back when I started building Cultist, I hadn't done any real coding for at least five years, and I was learning Unity from scratch. So there's a lot of nonsense in there at the foundations. Then I got four different freelancers in at various stages to write code- all of them extremely competent, but all with their own styles and quirks and all working independently. So the effect right now is that of a big house built in the architectural styles of five different eras, mostly by one novice in a tearing hurry who's only read about houses in books, who's had seasoned craftsmen dropping by to help him with the windows and the plumbing and the electrics. The kind of place you'd love to go round with a knowledgeable guide who can explain why the builder saw fit to leave a hole in the ceiling above the kitchen table ('so guests can pass down mugs for washing') and put the front door on upside down ('just too much trouble to change back'). But not the kind of place you'd want to live in, in case you visit the bathroom in the small hours and plummet through a hole to crash into the kitchen table. And definitely not the kind of place you'd want to use as a basis for a larger, more ambitious house... a library, for example. So I'm taking some time to tidy it up. Bear with me. It'll stay on the beta branch until I'm fairly confident I'm not going to put a pickaxe through the wrong wall and release a gush of undesired spiders.
[ 2020-08-26 09:18:53 CET ] [ Original post ]
AUG #2: THE QUEENE
Alexis has been updating Cultist's modding framework, so there's new loc options, better UI and a better loading system overall. Full deets here! We now have 22 mods (!), even if one of them is just about taking off Laidlaw's shirt.
Our long-awaited Travelling at Night case is now live on the Church o' Merch! It fits almost all branded 6" / 7" Kindles, eReaders and tablets and will make its author, Christopher Illopoly, very proud.
Alexis waxes lyrical about 'art' and why he gets so cross about the term 'world-building'. If you're interested in Cultist's narrative design or the world of the Hours, this is a good ep to listen to!
Finally, in case you enjoy seeing the merch process live, an update on our fortune-telling playing cards...
More on mods, BOOK OF HOURS and those cards soon!
[ 2020-08-21 10:07:10 CET ] [ Original post ]
Workshop updates
Alexis has been updating Cultist's modding framework, so there's new loc options, better UI and a better loading system overall. Full deets here! We now have 22 mods (!), even if one of them is just about taking off Laidlaw's shirt.
Travelling at Night Kindle / eReader cases now live!
Our long-awaited Travelling at Night case is now live on the Church o' Merch! It fits almost all branded 6" / 7" Kindles, eReaders and tablets and will make its author, Christopher Illopoly, very proud.
Skeleton Songs ep 8: "An Inheritance of Stones"
Alexis waxes lyrical about 'art' and why he gets so cross about the term 'world-building'. If you're interested in Cultist's narrative design or the world of the Hours, this is a good ep to listen to!
Cards in progress...
Finally, in case you enjoy seeing the merch process live, an update on our fortune-telling playing cards...
More on mods, BOOK OF HOURS and those cards soon!
[ 2020-08-21 10:07:10 CET ] [ Original post ]
Modding framework updates
[ 2020-08-18 14:31:26 CET ] [ Original post ]
In case you missed it, as of 7th August we now have an improved modding framework and also STEAM WORKSHOP INTEGRATION - on the beta branch only. It's on the beta branch because I'm still adding features and fixing bugs. There have been a couple more patches since the 7th, mostly to improve localisation support. There's a couple of other bits, though... v2020.8.a.3; 'The Bottled Ink' - available languages are now specified by the 'culture' entity in /core/cultures - which you can mod by adding a culture entity to your json. - 'culture' also specifies UI labels, so you can add them for a given localisation - you can also specify which base font script a mod will use - Latin, cyrillic, or 'cjk' for a font which should support Simplified Chinese, Japanese and Korean. This is pretty primitive and you're out of luck if you want to localise into e.g. Arabic. I'll update if there's any demand for that. - in response to modder pleas: it is now possible to have the same entity id specified twice in two different mods (or in the same mod, if you're being weird). Specifying an entity id in a mod for an existing entity will merge-overwrite the two, with the mod values taking precedence. This is also how mods will now affect existing entities. NB, then (a) if you want to remove existing values from a core entity, specify an empty string or dictionary [I'm much happier with this, because it makes altered behaviour explicit] (b) you no longer want or need to use 'extends' to build on an entity with the same id - just merge-overwrite it. v2020.8.a.2; 'The Correspondence of Origin' - updated to latest major version of Unity - /images/ui added to modding framework. You can now use tablecoverimage:, tablesurfaceimage:, and tableedgeimage: on Legacies to customise table appearance. - Fixed Chinese loc - Fixed Chinese and Russian slot labels, which were showing in English - loc files renamed to loc_[culture] - loc files are now loaded *after* mods - so if you've extended an entity in your mod, any relevant loc will still apply to it - you can now add loc files to a mod (or create a mod consisting only of loc files) - just add loc json files to loc/loc_[culture] v2020.8.a.1; 'The Solution of Memory' - substantial code rewrite; there may be odd bugs. - mod framework rework and upgrade - Steam Workshop integration, styled as 'The Invisible Serapeum'. (GOG players: the mods will work if you install them locally.)", -- More on modding Cultist: https://weatherfactory.biz/daybreak-in-the-invisible-serapeum/ https://steamcommunity.com/app/718670/discussions/1/2800629075194099834/
[ 2020-08-18 14:31:26 CET ] [ Original post ]
#lovecraftday giveaway!
[ 2020-08-13 12:49:37 CET ] [ Original post ]
If you couldn't tell, Cultist Simulator is heavily influenced by weird fiction, and weird fiction by H. P. Lovecraft. He turns 130 next Thursday, so we're running a week-long merch giveaway to say YAY to his ghost.
You could win any of the following...
All you need to enter are any social media account on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Pick your poison, then check out the relevant post!
- Twitter - retweet this tweet and follow @factoryweather
- Facebook - like the Cultist Simulator page and comment on this post
- Instagram - tag a friend on this post and follow @weatherfactory
[ 2020-08-13 12:49:37 CET ] [ Original post ]
AUG #1: PROTEUS
Alexis just published our new Steam Workshop - AKA the Invisible Serapeum - to beta. If you're on the gateofhorn beta branch, this means you can now use the Workshop to upload, browse and use mods for Cultist Simulator. Lots more info on the particular set-up here. It's pretty bare at the moment, for obvious reasons! But we know there're a lot of mods out there already - and I hope to have 'em corralled in Steam Workshop soon.
I also announced on the blog that I'm working on a new deck of occult cards, similar in magic but not motif to the Tarot of the Hours. They'll be a standard 52-card deck of poker-sized playing cards, which you can use for all normal card games, but they'll also double as a fortune-telling deck, a la early 20th-century carnival magicians and gypsy oracles. Also I'm planning to have them gold-foiled, so they'll be exceedingly shiny. I leave you with news that we're running a fun giveaway competition next week, in the run up to #lovecraftday - so keep your eyes peeled for the announcement, and a chance to win a bunch of delectable merch. More info on localisation soon, but for now, happy weekend.
[ 2020-08-07 11:10:20 CET ] [ Original post ]
Happy Friday! I come bearing two bits of info.
Steam Workshop
Alexis just published our new Steam Workshop - AKA the Invisible Serapeum - to beta. If you're on the gateofhorn beta branch, this means you can now use the Workshop to upload, browse and use mods for Cultist Simulator. Lots more info on the particular set-up here. It's pretty bare at the moment, for obvious reasons! But we know there're a lot of mods out there already - and I hope to have 'em corralled in Steam Workshop soon.
Zingara fortune-telling cards
I also announced on the blog that I'm working on a new deck of occult cards, similar in magic but not motif to the Tarot of the Hours. They'll be a standard 52-card deck of poker-sized playing cards, which you can use for all normal card games, but they'll also double as a fortune-telling deck, a la early 20th-century carnival magicians and gypsy oracles. Also I'm planning to have them gold-foiled, so they'll be exceedingly shiny. I leave you with news that we're running a fun giveaway competition next week, in the run up to #lovecraftday - so keep your eyes peeled for the announcement, and a chance to win a bunch of delectable merch. More info on localisation soon, but for now, happy weekend.
[ 2020-08-07 11:10:20 CET ] [ Original post ]
JUL #1: NIGHT
Each month, we give 10% of our profits to charity. June was a bumper month for us because of Cultist Simulator's free weekend and the release of EXILE, so we've given away our largest ever charity donation of nearly 10,000! We shared it across two charities, 'cause 10k seemed huge: Cybersmile (against the internet being horrible) and the Arthur Ashe Institute (for equal healthcare and racial equality in the US).
Not bad for a two-person team who work out of their flat. Woohoo! As ever, it's the Cultist community that enables us to do this, so thank you very much.
We mentioned a while back on the blog that I'm working on a host of new pins which you'll be able to buy individually or in the mega BEACH-CROW'S TREASURE bundle. The last pin finally arrived - take your time, Marinette - so they and the whole bundle will go live at the end of this month. Keep your eye on the Church o' Merch for this!
I also received our first Kindle cases, which I teased last update. We've made Christopher Illopoly's Travelling at Night into a universal eReader case which should fit almost all eReaders and Kindles. Here's what they look like IRL, now with added cat.
I'll probably put these live at the end of next month, so again, keep yo' eyes on our Etsy.
Finally, I leave you with a new Skeleton Songs episode on Alexis's and my weird, gothic family tales. A heroic great-uncle? A poisonous hat? Listen on, sweet summer child. And if this is the first time you're hearing about our podcast, you can listen on all the usual podcasty places, all listed here. Enjoy! [previewyoutube=cLrzaIeTaZ8;full][/previewyoutube]
[ 2020-07-10 12:33:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey cultists! A quick update from us on what we've been up to recently.
10,000 of charity
Each month, we give 10% of our profits to charity. June was a bumper month for us because of Cultist Simulator's free weekend and the release of EXILE, so we've given away our largest ever charity donation of nearly 10,000! We shared it across two charities, 'cause 10k seemed huge: Cybersmile (against the internet being horrible) and the Arthur Ashe Institute (for equal healthcare and racial equality in the US).
Not bad for a two-person team who work out of their flat. Woohoo! As ever, it's the Cultist community that enables us to do this, so thank you very much.
New merch: pins, bundles and Kindle cases
We mentioned a while back on the blog that I'm working on a host of new pins which you'll be able to buy individually or in the mega BEACH-CROW'S TREASURE bundle. The last pin finally arrived - take your time, Marinette - so they and the whole bundle will go live at the end of this month. Keep your eye on the Church o' Merch for this!
I also received our first Kindle cases, which I teased last update. We've made Christopher Illopoly's Travelling at Night into a universal eReader case which should fit almost all eReaders and Kindles. Here's what they look like IRL, now with added cat.
I'll probably put these live at the end of next month, so again, keep yo' eyes on our Etsy.
Skeleton Songs #7: Top Hat, Flight Guy & Tales
Finally, I leave you with a new Skeleton Songs episode on Alexis's and my weird, gothic family tales. A heroic great-uncle? A poisonous hat? Listen on, sweet summer child. And if this is the first time you're hearing about our podcast, you can listen on all the usual podcasty places, all listed here. Enjoy! [previewyoutube=cLrzaIeTaZ8;full][/previewyoutube]
[ 2020-07-10 12:33:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
JUN #2: MARINELL
Yesterday, out of the blue, we received this flush bundle of goodies from TapTap, one of China's largest mobile communities. Cultist Simulator's mobile port was nominated for Best Gameplay, Best Indie Game and Best Game in 2019's awards! ...............We totally didn't win any of them but HEY it's really nice to be singled out anyway. If you haven't already, check out the port on the App Store or the Google Play Store and never venture far from the Mansus again.
As you probably know, we run a small merch shop which we regularly stock with weird, occult things I happen to think of at the time. Our latest offering will be Kindle and eReader covers, in the style of one of Cultist's best know texts: Travelling at Night, by the 'only readable occultist' Christopher Illopoly. "Illopoly describes how he came to make repeated visits to a dream-Wood via what he calls silver dreams. 'Trying to think your way to the Wood,' he explains, 'is like thinking your way to being in love. But I did find a Secret that helped.'" CxT forever.
Finally, we're at a crossroads in development! We've finished EXILE, we're refactoring and tidying and finishing up localisation and yadda yadda yadda, so we want to know which thing we're thinking of working on excites you the most. Vote for what you want most on the blog!
[ 2020-06-26 09:44:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! Happy Steam summer sale! Just a quick update for y'all about what we're up to at the moment.
TapTap's Game Awards 2019
Yesterday, out of the blue, we received this flush bundle of goodies from TapTap, one of China's largest mobile communities. Cultist Simulator's mobile port was nominated for Best Gameplay, Best Indie Game and Best Game in 2019's awards! ...............We totally didn't win any of them but HEY it's really nice to be singled out anyway. If you haven't already, check out the port on the App Store or the Google Play Store and never venture far from the Mansus again.
Forbidden Kindles
As you probably know, we run a small merch shop which we regularly stock with weird, occult things I happen to think of at the time. Our latest offering will be Kindle and eReader covers, in the style of one of Cultist's best know texts: Travelling at Night, by the 'only readable occultist' Christopher Illopoly. "Illopoly describes how he came to make repeated visits to a dream-Wood via what he calls silver dreams. 'Trying to think your way to the Wood,' he explains, 'is like thinking your way to being in love. But I did find a Secret that helped.'" CxT forever.
Vote for your favourite Weather Factory project!
Finally, we're at a crossroads in development! We've finished EXILE, we're refactoring and tidying and finishing up localisation and yadda yadda yadda, so we want to know which thing we're thinking of working on excites you the most. Vote for what you want most on the blog!
[ 2020-06-26 09:44:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
EXILE OUT NOW
THE EXILE DLC IS NOW LIVE! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1259930/Cultist_Simulator_The_Exile/ At 32,000 words, the EXILE DLC is almost as large as Cultist Simulator was at launch. Step into the dangerous world of 1920s Europe where you must choose: do you fight your way through countries and cut-throats until your inevitable showdown with your Foe? Or do you slip away into the mists, to make nice with the Nameless Name of the Velvet? Alternatively, you can chuck a cat at someone and run away. EXILE includes a new map, new enemies, new friends and an entirely new set of rules to figure out. Some there are who will not yield. We'll release EXILE on mobile later this year, along with simplified Chinese and Russian versions. I should have some more translation news for you too, in the not too distant future...
Cultist Simulator launched on the 31st May 2018, so it turns two this Sunday! We're throwing a frankly not terribly spooky party all weekend, starting with a totally free weekend. Anyone and their undergoer mum can play Cultist absolutely free until 6PM GMT / 10AM PDT on Monday 1st June. Woohoo!
While the free weekend's live, we're also running some mega discounts on the whole of the Cultist Sim franchise. Cultist itself is half price, while the Dancer, Priest, Ghoul and OST are all 33% off. These deals will end when the free weekend does, on Monday 1st June at 6PM GMT / 10AM PDT. Thanks for coming with us these last two years! Whether you backed the Kickstarter, found us on Steam or saw a streamer say 'what the hell is this piece of nonsense', you're a vital member of this cult. We will in no way sacrifice you to the Foe. We love you! Thank you! Spooky mwah! Love, Alexis and Lottie
[ 2020-05-27 17:05:03 CET ] [ Original post ]
EXILE
THE EXILE DLC IS NOW LIVE! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1259930/Cultist_Simulator_The_Exile/ At 32,000 words, the EXILE DLC is almost as large as Cultist Simulator was at launch. Step into the dangerous world of 1920s Europe where you must choose: do you fight your way through countries and cut-throats until your inevitable showdown with your Foe? Or do you slip away into the mists, to make nice with the Nameless Name of the Velvet? Alternatively, you can chuck a cat at someone and run away. EXILE includes a new map, new enemies, new friends and an entirely new set of rules to figure out. Some there are who will not yield. We'll release EXILE on mobile later this year, along with simplified Chinese and Russian versions. I should have some more translation news for you too, in the not too distant future...
FREE WEEKEND
Cultist Simulator launched on the 31st May 2018, so it turns two this Sunday! We're throwing a frankly not terribly spooky party all weekend, starting with a totally free weekend. Anyone and their undergoer mum can play Cultist absolutely free until 6PM GMT / 10AM PDT on Monday 1st June. Woohoo!
DISCOUNTS GALORE
While the free weekend's live, we're also running some mega discounts on the whole of the Cultist Sim franchise. Cultist itself is half price, while the Dancer, Priest, Ghoul and OST are all 33% off. These deals will end when the free weekend does, on Monday 1st June at 6PM GMT / 10AM PDT. Thanks for coming with us these last two years! Whether you backed the Kickstarter, found us on Steam or saw a streamer say 'what the hell is this piece of nonsense', you're a vital member of this cult. We will in no way sacrifice you to the Foe. We love you! Thank you! Spooky mwah! Love, Alexis and Lottie
[ 2020-05-27 17:05:03 CET ] [ Original post ]
MAY #1: JUSTICE
...while Alexis has been dropping little beads of lore into things like cherries into cream. [quote]The eyes of the owls in the hawthorn tree glimmer pale gold. Theres a flare of light, too, beneath the tree. A tall man in a snakeskin jacket has just lit a cigarette. In the match-light, his face is lean, dark, and familiar. Hello again, he says. This is a surprise. I suppose the Double-Edged brought you here to make a point? She wont want any new Edge dyads in the world do you have something to show me?'[/quote] Aside from just being a really big bunch of new content, EXILE adds two very different things to Cultist Sim. One is a brand new system of mechanics: there's no Mansus; you don't grind your way through Glover & Glover; you don't spend all your hard-earned Funds at Morland's. The other is an interactive map on your tabletop, giving you a few subtle hints and keeping a record of your travels. The map's hand-drawn and historically accurate for Europe in the mid 1920s, which was, I now know, insane.
More info on the above and some updated merchandise - restocked Iris pins, new Tarot of the Hours drop later today, etc - on the blog. Wish us luck in the final countdown. NOT LONG TO WAIT NOW! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1259930/Cultist_Simulator_The_Exile/
[ 2020-05-15 10:42:35 CET ] [ Original post ]
EXILE'S NEARLY READY, BELIEVERS! We're almost finished with content and art in the run-up to launch at the end of this month. It's releasing on Cultist's second birthday, so spooky cake for all. EXILE is now the same size as the entire of Cultist Simulator was at launch. Here's the most important info to know:
- Releasing on Wednesday 27th May at 6PM GMT / 10AM PDT
- Available on Steam, GOG and Humble
- Itll cost 7.99 / $9.99 / 8.99. Its really big.
- If youre a Perpetual Edition owner, its FREE
- Only English at launch did we mention its really big? Simplified Chinese and Russian loc coming ASAP!
- Will be coming to mobile, but no release date yet!
...while Alexis has been dropping little beads of lore into things like cherries into cream. [quote]The eyes of the owls in the hawthorn tree glimmer pale gold. Theres a flare of light, too, beneath the tree. A tall man in a snakeskin jacket has just lit a cigarette. In the match-light, his face is lean, dark, and familiar. Hello again, he says. This is a surprise. I suppose the Double-Edged brought you here to make a point? She wont want any new Edge dyads in the world do you have something to show me?'[/quote] Aside from just being a really big bunch of new content, EXILE adds two very different things to Cultist Sim. One is a brand new system of mechanics: there's no Mansus; you don't grind your way through Glover & Glover; you don't spend all your hard-earned Funds at Morland's. The other is an interactive map on your tabletop, giving you a few subtle hints and keeping a record of your travels. The map's hand-drawn and historically accurate for Europe in the mid 1920s, which was, I now know, insane.
More info on the above and some updated merchandise - restocked Iris pins, new Tarot of the Hours drop later today, etc - on the blog. Wish us luck in the final countdown. NOT LONG TO WAIT NOW! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1259930/Cultist_Simulator_The_Exile/
[ 2020-05-15 10:42:35 CET ] [ Original post ]
APR #2: IMMORALITY
First and foremost, Exile's Steam page is now live! You can wishlist it and make sure you don't miss nuffink on the day. We're launching on Wednesday 27th May a 6PM GMT / 10AM PDT. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1259930/Cultist_Simulator_The_Exile/ Its release coincides with Cultist Simulator's second anniversary, so keep a beady eye out for more fun culty stuff around then. :) The key thing to note about Exile is that it's really big. Alexis is busy finishing off all the content for his thirty-three city epic, where you're chased through an occult, alternative 1920s world by your past. And your Foe. And the Madrugad if you don't literally play your cards well. BUT HEY HOW WRONG CAN IT GO? I drew up a map to show you roughly what the world looks like:
We've also been working our way through an intimidatingly long list of art assets, revolving around cats, phobias, weapons, intangible metahpors and, of course, a truckload of cities. Here's some of the art we finished this sprint, as a taster!
Watch out for the gentleman in red. His name is Vasil, and I think you'll like him. More info and a few snippets o' text in our latest sprint update.
If you missed our announcements about it, we're now releasing 200 decks of the Tarot of the Hours every few weeks so I have time to post everything but also do my day job. The next batch goes live on Etsy in a few hours, so GOOD LUCK to anyone who's hoping to nab a deck! To help keep people in the loop, you can now join our specific tarot mailing list that'll ping you the moment a new batch goes live. Sign up here if you're interested.
We've pledged to donate 10% of our profits each month to admirable charities fighting the good fight against coronavirus. Last month we raised 1,030 for . This month, you helped us raise 2,552 for Mdecins Sans Frontires' coronavirus appeal. I'm really chuffed with that number! If you bought anything from us or shared anything online or even just told one of your friends about something funny we said, you contributed. Thank you!
And just to end the week on a high, why not listen to Alexis and me talk about menstruation? This sprint's Skeleton Songs is all about MADNESS and BLOOD and the fact that gothic writers really couldn't bring themselves to talk to ladies. Listen on all your usual podcast places (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc), or on our YouTube channel. All links here on the blog.
[ 2020-05-01 13:14:07 CET ] [ Original post ]
Happy May, Believers! I come bearing EXILE updates, new tarot, charity donations and podcasts about blood. Yum!
EXILE
First and foremost, Exile's Steam page is now live! You can wishlist it and make sure you don't miss nuffink on the day. We're launching on Wednesday 27th May a 6PM GMT / 10AM PDT. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1259930/Cultist_Simulator_The_Exile/ Its release coincides with Cultist Simulator's second anniversary, so keep a beady eye out for more fun culty stuff around then. :) The key thing to note about Exile is that it's really big. Alexis is busy finishing off all the content for his thirty-three city epic, where you're chased through an occult, alternative 1920s world by your past. And your Foe. And the Madrugad if you don't literally play your cards well. BUT HEY HOW WRONG CAN IT GO? I drew up a map to show you roughly what the world looks like:
We've also been working our way through an intimidatingly long list of art assets, revolving around cats, phobias, weapons, intangible metahpors and, of course, a truckload of cities. Here's some of the art we finished this sprint, as a taster!
Watch out for the gentleman in red. His name is Vasil, and I think you'll like him. More info and a few snippets o' text in our latest sprint update.
TAROT OF THE HOURS
If you missed our announcements about it, we're now releasing 200 decks of the Tarot of the Hours every few weeks so I have time to post everything but also do my day job. The next batch goes live on Etsy in a few hours, so GOOD LUCK to anyone who's hoping to nab a deck! To help keep people in the loop, you can now join our specific tarot mailing list that'll ping you the moment a new batch goes live. Sign up here if you're interested.
CHARITY
We've pledged to donate 10% of our profits each month to admirable charities fighting the good fight against coronavirus. Last month we raised 1,030 for . This month, you helped us raise 2,552 for Mdecins Sans Frontires' coronavirus appeal. I'm really chuffed with that number! If you bought anything from us or shared anything online or even just told one of your friends about something funny we said, you contributed. Thank you!
SKELETON SONGS
And just to end the week on a high, why not listen to Alexis and me talk about menstruation? This sprint's Skeleton Songs is all about MADNESS and BLOOD and the fact that gothic writers really couldn't bring themselves to talk to ladies. Listen on all your usual podcast places (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc), or on our YouTube channel. All links here on the blog.
[ 2020-05-01 13:14:07 CET ] [ Original post ]
APR #1: THE HERMIT
[ 2020-04-17 10:51:06 CET ] [ Original post ]
A quick update from the blog!
Firstly, the EXILE beta is now live. Keys are going out to everyone today after a bit of delay - sorry!
If you weren't randomly picked for the first test, don't worry. We'll add some more testers later down the line. We're launching EXILE on Wednesday 27th May so we expect to be in beta for a month or so.
Secondly, the Tarot of the Hours is back in stock on Etsy! We're capping it to 200-deck bursts, so I (the sole person who manages this shop) don't get snowed under with orders. But don't worry: if you find the deck's sold out again, I'll renew the listing on a weekly cycle so you'll be able to get it SOME time. :)
Thirdly, we have MORE merch on the way. I'm designing four new pins - the Marinette, Hint, Lunatic and Maid pins - which will be sold individually, but also go into the Beach-Comber's Treasures bundle along with our original Iris pin and our glitter witch pin.
And next week, we're launching an Hours postcard set of seven randomly-chosen postcards, so we can all keep in spooky touch with one another during this isolating pandemic.
Finally, here is a picture of Sulochana the cat. May she keep you safe in lockdown and stop eating my plants.
[ 2020-04-17 10:51:06 CET ] [ Original post ]
MAR #3: GUYON
Yesterday we launched the Priest and Ghoul DLC on mobile! You can finally devour the dreams of the dead and/or self-flagellate on the go. You can get 'em on the App Store or the Google Play Store as 1.99 / $1.99 IAPs.
Cultist Simulator was launched one year ago on mobile, so it's 50% off for the rest of the week in birthday celebration. Enjoy!
Cultist is a deceptively big game, and writing DLC for it had got really difficult. Alexis needed to find interesting mechanics each time, and those mechanics needed to interlock meaningfully with the mechanics that were out there. Its even harder now that weve localised the whole game, because its very difficult for Alexis to go back and change existing content. Then he watched a couple of seasons of Ozark. The protagonist is burdened with an extraordinary sum of extremely illegally obtained money that they need to dispose of quickly and safely. It was the total opposite of the usual Cultist Funds tension. What if, in Cultist, you had as much money as you needed, but you were in constant danger and had to think hard about how you could safely spend it and stay ahead of your pursuers?
It didnt sound practical as a DLC theme, because it would mean completely re-inventing half the game. If you were on the run, you couldnt send out expeditions or built up books in the same way. The Suspicion mechanics would have to work very differently. You probably wouldnt even have a cult. Then it occurred to Alexis that this was also an opportunity. If he blew up all the mechanics the player was used to, then he wouldnt have to integrate all my new systems with them, and theyd have the fun of rediscovering how everything works from scratch. It might just take too long to build, but it might also take less time starting over without worrying about fitting everything that already existed.
He spent a week prototyping. He got enough working to be confident that it would be a big chunk of work, but not a crazy big chunk of work. The core loop was this: youd land in a city, youd set up capers and operations with your contacts, youd convert the stolen goods into cash, and then youd pick your moment to run. Run too early, and youd lose opportunities. Run too late, and your pursuers might catch up with you. He had an idea for the stolen goods and the pursuers, too, something hed wanted to get into the game for a while: the reckoner mobs, the illicit dealers in years who existed uneasily alongside the taxonomy of Know and Long. Your final goal would be to disappear, with as much luxury as you could arrange for a comfortable retirement. Your other final goal would be an Edge ascension something our players had long hungered for but that would come in an unexpected way. Exiles got seven different shades of the victory conditions at the moment. Its a big one right now, it looks like it might be as big as the Dancer, Priest and Ghoul DLCs put together. () Lets hope it works out! At least and he didnt expect this at all when he started in January after a couple of months of lockdown, people might be more in the mood for a dramatic flight across Europe and beyond.
We'll be randomly selecting a pool of people to help test Exile next week, so now's your last chance to register your interest in the beta. Help us make Exile................................ exilent.
In case anybody missed it, we sold out of our 500 limited edition Tarot of the Hours in less than two days. But DON'T FRET! We've ordered 1,000 more, and while they won't be hand-numbered, they'll otherwise be exactly the same.
These'll be back in the Church of Merch in mid-April, so keep an eye on our Etsy shop or wait for me to shout about it here when they're back in stock.
We promised to donate 10% of our company profits each month to a charity which'll help people in these difficult COVID-y times. First up was the National Emergencies Trust, and with your help, we raised 1,030. That's a significant sum that may actually save lives in its own right - so thank you! <3
Next month is Mdecins Sans Frontires' turn. Spread the word if you can, and see you then!
[ 2020-04-03 13:29:33 CET ] [ Original post ]
Priest + Ghoul DLC now live on mobile!
Yesterday we launched the Priest and Ghoul DLC on mobile! You can finally devour the dreams of the dead and/or self-flagellate on the go. You can get 'em on the App Store or the Google Play Store as 1.99 / $1.99 IAPs.
Cultist Simulator was launched one year ago on mobile, so it's 50% off for the rest of the week in birthday celebration. Enjoy!
Exile DLC update
Cultist is a deceptively big game, and writing DLC for it had got really difficult. Alexis needed to find interesting mechanics each time, and those mechanics needed to interlock meaningfully with the mechanics that were out there. Its even harder now that weve localised the whole game, because its very difficult for Alexis to go back and change existing content. Then he watched a couple of seasons of Ozark. The protagonist is burdened with an extraordinary sum of extremely illegally obtained money that they need to dispose of quickly and safely. It was the total opposite of the usual Cultist Funds tension. What if, in Cultist, you had as much money as you needed, but you were in constant danger and had to think hard about how you could safely spend it and stay ahead of your pursuers?
It didnt sound practical as a DLC theme, because it would mean completely re-inventing half the game. If you were on the run, you couldnt send out expeditions or built up books in the same way. The Suspicion mechanics would have to work very differently. You probably wouldnt even have a cult. Then it occurred to Alexis that this was also an opportunity. If he blew up all the mechanics the player was used to, then he wouldnt have to integrate all my new systems with them, and theyd have the fun of rediscovering how everything works from scratch. It might just take too long to build, but it might also take less time starting over without worrying about fitting everything that already existed.
He spent a week prototyping. He got enough working to be confident that it would be a big chunk of work, but not a crazy big chunk of work. The core loop was this: youd land in a city, youd set up capers and operations with your contacts, youd convert the stolen goods into cash, and then youd pick your moment to run. Run too early, and youd lose opportunities. Run too late, and your pursuers might catch up with you. He had an idea for the stolen goods and the pursuers, too, something hed wanted to get into the game for a while: the reckoner mobs, the illicit dealers in years who existed uneasily alongside the taxonomy of Know and Long. Your final goal would be to disappear, with as much luxury as you could arrange for a comfortable retirement. Your other final goal would be an Edge ascension something our players had long hungered for but that would come in an unexpected way. Exiles got seven different shades of the victory conditions at the moment. Its a big one right now, it looks like it might be as big as the Dancer, Priest and Ghoul DLCs put together. () Lets hope it works out! At least and he didnt expect this at all when he started in January after a couple of months of lockdown, people might be more in the mood for a dramatic flight across Europe and beyond.
We'll be randomly selecting a pool of people to help test Exile next week, so now's your last chance to register your interest in the beta. Help us make Exile................................ exilent.
Tarot of the Hours
In case anybody missed it, we sold out of our 500 limited edition Tarot of the Hours in less than two days. But DON'T FRET! We've ordered 1,000 more, and while they won't be hand-numbered, they'll otherwise be exactly the same.
These'll be back in the Church of Merch in mid-April, so keep an eye on our Etsy shop or wait for me to shout about it here when they're back in stock.
1,030 for the National Emergencies Trust
We promised to donate 10% of our company profits each month to a charity which'll help people in these difficult COVID-y times. First up was the National Emergencies Trust, and with your help, we raised 1,030. That's a significant sum that may actually save lives in its own right - so thank you! <3
Next month is Mdecins Sans Frontires' turn. Spread the word if you can, and see you then!
[ 2020-04-03 13:29:33 CET ] [ Original post ]
MOAR HOURS + CORONAVIRUS BE DAMNED
Demand for this waaaaaaaaaaay exceeded my expectations (thanks, everyone!), and COVID-19 means lots of people don't have money to play with at the moment. So we've ordered another 1,000 decks so everyone can have a deck if they want one, and people don't need to spend money they don't have right now to get one. If you don't know what the hell I'm on about, you can see the secret de-listed Etsy page here. I'll shout about it on our Twitter, Facebook, reddit and in the forums here when the tarot's back in stock. <3
The games industry is unusually insulated from COVID-19 effects, so we've committed to giving 10% of our profits for the next three months to useful charities who can help people in worse situations. We've chosen the National Emergencies Trust, Mdecins Sans Frontires and The Trussell Trust for now, but we may extend this scheme for longer if the virus continues to wreak havoc. Full info on the new tarot and our charity plans here. In short, any money we make - from digital stores, or from our Etsy merch - means money we give to these charities. Yay! Hope you're all dealing okay with our new, strange world. As any student of Histories knows, the Mansus has no coronavirus.
[ 2020-03-23 12:22:33 CET ] [ Original post ]
TAROT OF THE HOURS
Demand for this waaaaaaaaaaay exceeded my expectations (thanks, everyone!), and COVID-19 means lots of people don't have money to play with at the moment. So we've ordered another 1,000 decks so everyone can have a deck if they want one, and people don't need to spend money they don't have right now to get one. If you don't know what the hell I'm on about, you can see the secret de-listed Etsy page here. I'll shout about it on our Twitter, Facebook, reddit and in the forums here when the tarot's back in stock. <3
CHARITY
The games industry is unusually insulated from COVID-19 effects, so we've committed to giving 10% of our profits for the next three months to useful charities who can help people in worse situations. We've chosen the National Emergencies Trust, Mdecins Sans Frontires and The Trussell Trust for now, but we may extend this scheme for longer if the virus continues to wreak havoc. Full info on the new tarot and our charity plans here. In short, any money we make - from digital stores, or from our Etsy merch - means money we give to these charities. Yay! Hope you're all dealing okay with our new, strange world. As any student of Histories knows, the Mansus has no coronavirus.
[ 2020-03-23 12:22:33 CET ] [ Original post ]
Tarot of the Hours now available!
[ 2020-03-20 11:09:55 CET ] [ Original post ]
A quick update to let all you occult enthusiasts know that our long-awaited Tarot of the Hours is now live on our Etsy store!
Cultist Simulator's tricksy pantheon of semi-gods can now be yours in a lovely 78-card deck that's so goth I went through about eight producers before I found one who could print 'em black enough.
Alexis and I are hard at work on Exile, which is shaping up to totally rework Cultist Simulator's mechanics and provide an entirely new mode of play. It'll be our largest bit of DLC to date, with multiple endings - some of which will be (relatively!) attainable like the main Forge, Grail and Lantern ascensions, and some of which will be as hard as winning New Game+.
Edge is the power of struggle and conquest, after all.
To confirm a few details:
- Exile launches on Weds 27th May at 6PM GMT / 10AM PDT
- Itll release in English, simplified Chinese and Russian at the same time
- Itll cost more than other DLCs, though we havent confirmed how much yet
- Perpetual Edition owners get it FREE
[ 2020-03-20 11:09:55 CET ] [ Original post ]
Exile DLC releasing this May!
We've just announced that - as you smart people worked out - the content we teased last sprint is indeed the Exile DLC, an upcoming new bit of content granting the long-awaited Edge Ascension of your dreams! Or nightmares. But pointy and fun?
The Exile DLC will launch on Wednesday 27th May, just in time for Cultist's second anniversary! Perpetual Edition owners will get it absolutely free, and we'll add it into the Anthology Edition for future newbie cultists. We've opened sign-ups for Exile's closed beta, so if anyone fancies helping us with bug reports and feedback...
More info, screenshots and updates ASAP. I'm doing all the art next week. :D
If anyone here takes Cultist Sim with them with the mobile version, we've just been nominated for the IMGA Awards! Vote for us for the People's Choice Award, if you would like the blessing of the Lionsmith upon you. (Not to be confused with the Loinsmith, who's fun at parties but not particularly useful.)
We also announced that the Priest and Ghoul DLCs will come to mobile on Thursday 2nd April, so FINALLY you can paint in the colours of night and, er, self-flagellate via the App Store and Google Play. *** Finally, we have updates on the Tarot of the Hours (shipping soon!), Alexis Kennedy's new book (game dev be cray!), new Skeleton Songs (doppelgngers!) and more, all over on the blog. Enjoy!
[ 2020-03-06 11:24:33 CET ] [ Original post ]
Happy Friday! Some new announcements from our latest blog.
The Exile DLC
We've just announced that - as you smart people worked out - the content we teased last sprint is indeed the Exile DLC, an upcoming new bit of content granting the long-awaited Edge Ascension of your dreams! Or nightmares. But pointy and fun?
The Exile DLC will launch on Wednesday 27th May, just in time for Cultist's second anniversary! Perpetual Edition owners will get it absolutely free, and we'll add it into the Anthology Edition for future newbie cultists. We've opened sign-ups for Exile's closed beta, so if anyone fancies helping us with bug reports and feedback...
More info, screenshots and updates ASAP. I'm doing all the art next week. :D
IMGA Awards
If anyone here takes Cultist Sim with them with the mobile version, we've just been nominated for the IMGA Awards! Vote for us for the People's Choice Award, if you would like the blessing of the Lionsmith upon you. (Not to be confused with the Loinsmith, who's fun at parties but not particularly useful.)
We also announced that the Priest and Ghoul DLCs will come to mobile on Thursday 2nd April, so FINALLY you can paint in the colours of night and, er, self-flagellate via the App Store and Google Play. *** Finally, we have updates on the Tarot of the Hours (shipping soon!), Alexis Kennedy's new book (game dev be cray!), new Skeleton Songs (doppelgngers!) and more, all over on the blog. Enjoy!
[ 2020-03-06 11:24:33 CET ] [ Original post ]
Announcing EXILE, and many other things
I can't go into details right now, but we've confirmed we're working on a new bit of Cultist Simulator content currently titled 'Exile'. I'll talk more about the specifics in a couple of weeks, but prepare for some new, tasty ways to die horribly in the bowels of the Mansus. HYPE!
We've revamped our upcoming game, BOOK OF HOURS, quite significantly. We've moved away from Cultist's minimalist tabletop, much though we love the baize. Think gentle sim with an occult twist, written by Alexis Kennedy and, er, with a dash of Wes Anderson?! Or just wishlist it here and be my hero. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/
I've been battling tedious reality on this one, bouncing between different printers like a flea on a space hopper. But while I work out exactly how to print black ink on white cards without them looking dreadful (SOUNDS EASY, DOENS'T IT? WELL IT ISN'T), we've released all artwork for the 78-card deck. See if you can follow our thinking on face cards' hierarchies! All this and more - medieval Skeleton Songs, class-4 laser printers, and biz deep-dives - over on the blog. :)
[ 2020-02-21 10:58:11 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey, Believers! We've just released a hefty sprint update with a couple of KEY CULTY THINGS I'd like to highlight.
WELCOME TO EXILE.
I can't go into details right now, but we've confirmed we're working on a new bit of Cultist Simulator content currently titled 'Exile'. I'll talk more about the specifics in a couple of weeks, but prepare for some new, tasty ways to die horribly in the bowels of the Mansus. HYPE!
REWORKED BOOK OF HOURS DESIGN
We've revamped our upcoming game, BOOK OF HOURS, quite significantly. We've moved away from Cultist's minimalist tabletop, much though we love the baize. Think gentle sim with an occult twist, written by Alexis Kennedy and, er, with a dash of Wes Anderson?! Or just wishlist it here and be my hero. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/
FULL TAROT OF THE HOURS REVEAL
I've been battling tedious reality on this one, bouncing between different printers like a flea on a space hopper. But while I work out exactly how to print black ink on white cards without them looking dreadful (SOUNDS EASY, DOENS'T IT? WELL IT ISN'T), we've released all artwork for the 78-card deck. See if you can follow our thinking on face cards' hierarchies! All this and more - medieval Skeleton Songs, class-4 laser printers, and biz deep-dives - over on the blog. :)
[ 2020-02-21 10:58:11 CET ] [ Original post ]
The Sweet Bones, Brancrug, June 28th, 1929
[ 2020-01-31 10:47:14 CET ] [ Original post ]
[quote]"I know the ink that you describe. It exists. I shouldnt tell you even that, and for the sake of our friendship I ask you to burn this letter after reading. The ink is called here 'encaustum terminale' and it is a great treasure of the House."[/quote]
A brand new letter has come to light, from a mysterious 'F.' to Christopher Illopoly. It sheds light not only on the 'secrets of inks' but on the Hours, the Librarian and Christopher's own heart, too.
Check out the originals and their transcript on the blog.
[ 2020-01-31 10:47:14 CET ] [ Original post ]
JAN #2: BRITOMART UPDATE
Happy Year of the Rat, everyone! Everything culty is on sale right now, including the base game, the OST and all DLC. If there's anyone considering buying for the first time, the Anthology Edition is an excruciatingly great deal in a sale!
The Dancer DLC is now also available on the App Store and Google Play, along with all the latest PC updates and Russian localisation. So if you fancy taking your cult on the go, now's a very good time indeed.
In other Cultist news, we've made a pretty exciting decision in-studio that I'm not able to disclose right now. Not even to you, double-Douglas! But maybe the following will give you a clue.
Today we've also released our VERY FIRST podcast episode, in our new series called Skeleton Songs. Featuring Alexis Kennedy and myself on a variety of gothic topics in games and literature, all revolving around the weird stories and little-known facts that fell through the cracks, and we discovered while ferretting about making Cultist Simulator. Search for 'Skeleton Songs' on all the usual places - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc - or listen to the first episode on our website here.
Finally, I've teased the new direction we're taking BOOK OF HOURS in our first work-in-progress GIF, which you can see over on the blog. Any guesses what this means for the redesign...? https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/
[ 2020-01-24 17:31:24 CET ] [ Original post ]
CHINESE LUNAR SALE
Happy Year of the Rat, everyone! Everything culty is on sale right now, including the base game, the OST and all DLC. If there's anyone considering buying for the first time, the Anthology Edition is an excruciatingly great deal in a sale!
MOBILE UPDATE: THE DANCER
The Dancer DLC is now also available on the App Store and Google Play, along with all the latest PC updates and Russian localisation. So if you fancy taking your cult on the go, now's a very good time indeed.
MAYBE SOMETHING FUN
In other Cultist news, we've made a pretty exciting decision in-studio that I'm not able to disclose right now. Not even to you, double-Douglas! But maybe the following will give you a clue.
SKELETON SONGS
Today we've also released our VERY FIRST podcast episode, in our new series called Skeleton Songs. Featuring Alexis Kennedy and myself on a variety of gothic topics in games and literature, all revolving around the weird stories and little-known facts that fell through the cracks, and we discovered while ferretting about making Cultist Simulator. Search for 'Skeleton Songs' on all the usual places - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc - or listen to the first episode on our website here.
BOOK OF HOURS UPDATE, SORT OF
Finally, I've teased the new direction we're taking BOOK OF HOURS in our first work-in-progress GIF, which you can see over on the blog. Any guesses what this means for the redesign...? https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/
[ 2020-01-24 17:31:24 CET ] [ Original post ]
JAN #1: ACRASIA
We finally announced a release date for the Dancer DLC on mobile - it's coming NEXT WEEK on Wednesday 22nd January 2020. It'll cost 1.99 / $1.99 and come alongside a free update containing all the latest PC updates for the game and our recent Russian localisation. If you don't own Cultist yet on mobile, get 'em below so you're ALL READY to peel off your skin next week.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/ After a brief hiatus, I'm delighted to confirm BOOK OF HOURS is back! We're doing some initial prototyping before we have more we can say about the specific features you can expect, BUT we're still expecting to release in 2021 and you'll be able to follow open dev on our Twitters (@factoryweather, @tronbevan, @alexiskennedy) in the meantime. There'll also definitely be some form of early beta / playtesting, so keep your ears to the ground if that's your sort of thing.
Excitingly, we're starting a new podcast this year! In the next week or so you'll be able to listen to Skeleton Songs, a story-focused gothic-y podcast of forgotten narratives and forbidden tales that we may or may not have made up. It'll focus on games and literary stuff, so if you're the kinda eloquent player who likes a game like Cultist Sim, you're likely to enjoy Skeleton Songs too. I'll share a link to it when our first episode is live. :D
Indie games be cray! Alexis has been in them for a decade now, through two companies, three significant indie successes (Fallen London, Sunless Sea, and now Cultist Sim) and some mad, dark parts of it too. The industry is often a bit of a black box to people not inside it, so Alexis is writing a book on his experiences with all his best anecdotes thrown in. More on that when we have release dates for ya.
There's a lot in the above, but you can always check out our ongoing roadmap for a sprint-by-sprint plan of what's coming, when. It's fairly bare right now because we're so early in BOOK OF HOURS' development, but it'll get juicier and juicier over the coming months. :)
[ 2020-01-17 11:09:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
Happy 2020, everyone! Here's a quick update on Weather Factory's plans this year.
MOBILE DLC
We finally announced a release date for the Dancer DLC on mobile - it's coming NEXT WEEK on Wednesday 22nd January 2020. It'll cost 1.99 / $1.99 and come alongside a free update containing all the latest PC updates for the game and our recent Russian localisation. If you don't own Cultist yet on mobile, get 'em below so you're ALL READY to peel off your skin next week.
BOOK OF HOURS CONFIRMATION
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/ After a brief hiatus, I'm delighted to confirm BOOK OF HOURS is back! We're doing some initial prototyping before we have more we can say about the specific features you can expect, BUT we're still expecting to release in 2021 and you'll be able to follow open dev on our Twitters (@factoryweather, @tronbevan, @alexiskennedy) in the meantime. There'll also definitely be some form of early beta / playtesting, so keep your ears to the ground if that's your sort of thing.
NEW PODCAST
Excitingly, we're starting a new podcast this year! In the next week or so you'll be able to listen to Skeleton Songs, a story-focused gothic-y podcast of forgotten narratives and forbidden tales that we may or may not have made up. It'll focus on games and literary stuff, so if you're the kinda eloquent player who likes a game like Cultist Sim, you're likely to enjoy Skeleton Songs too. I'll share a link to it when our first episode is live. :D
NEW BOOK BY ALEXIS KENNEDY
Indie games be cray! Alexis has been in them for a decade now, through two companies, three significant indie successes (Fallen London, Sunless Sea, and now Cultist Sim) and some mad, dark parts of it too. The industry is often a bit of a black box to people not inside it, so Alexis is writing a book on his experiences with all his best anecdotes thrown in. More on that when we have release dates for ya.
ROADMAP
There's a lot in the above, but you can always check out our ongoing roadmap for a sprint-by-sprint plan of what's coming, when. It's fairly bare right now because we're so early in BOOK OF HOURS' development, but it'll get juicier and juicier over the coming months. :)
[ 2020-01-17 11:09:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
RUSSIAN LANGUAGE + CYBER WEEK SALE!
For those of you who dont speak Russian and dont care too much about this release, DONT FEAR! Anyone who has a smartphone may be interested to hear were part of Google Plays Cyber Week sale, which means we have dropped to an extremely insane price of 1.99 for the duration of the sale. Thats around 0.0018p per word which is game developer for oh my God, what am I doing. But hey, its a great deal nonetheless! Weve matched this sale on the App Store too, so iOS users, get in on that sweet, sweet under-priced action.
[ 2019-11-26 09:52:10 CET ] [ Original post ]
Today we're releasing Russian to the whole of Cultist Simulator. The base game and all its DLC - adding up to over 140,000 words - is now playable entirely in Russian, on Steam, GOG and Humble, with no need to faff around with beta branches anymore.
Once youve downloaded the latest update, you'll be able to switch between English and Russian via the 'Languages' button in the top right-hand of the title screen. We recommend starting a new game after switching languages, as switching mid-game can cause some text to display oddly. AND NOBODY WANTS THAT, DO THEY.
If youre a first timer, take a look at our Beginners Guide to give you a bit of a head start.
If you run into any problems, email support@weatherfactory.biz and Ill reply in English - or, if you force me, in terrible automatically translated Russian.
And I will love you forever if you spread the word amongst any Russian-speakers you know that Cultist Simulator is now extremely Russia-friendly. Thank you!
MOBILE PLAYERS, LOOK OVER HERE
For those of you who dont speak Russian and dont care too much about this release, DONT FEAR! Anyone who has a smartphone may be interested to hear were part of Google Plays Cyber Week sale, which means we have dropped to an extremely insane price of 1.99 for the duration of the sale. Thats around 0.0018p per word which is game developer for oh my God, what am I doing. But hey, its a great deal nonetheless! Weve matched this sale on the App Store too, so iOS users, get in on that sweet, sweet under-priced action.
[ 2019-11-26 09:52:10 CET ] [ Original post ]
Tarot of the Hours + a letter from Hush House
[ 2019-11-15 12:50:47 CET ] [ Original post ]
Happy Friday, Believers! I'm just cross-posting a few lore-ful drops from the Weather Factory blog.
Firstly, we've announced a new item we'll soon be selling on the Church of Merch shop: a TAROT OF THE HOURS. A tarot deck is probably the most requested item of merchandise so far, so hope you like it! It's currently at the test-print stage, but we'll shout as soon as it's available to buy. We haven't yet revealed who the Pages, Knights, Queens and Kings are, but I'll be publishing any correct guesses I see here or on the blog in our next update...
We also discovered a letter from a mysterious Ms D, to one of the curators of Hush House. Thought the deeper lore-hounds amongst you might be interested.
You can take a look at photographs of the originals, OR read a slightly more accessible transcript of the letter, over on our blog.
(This letter includes a lot of Cultist Simulator lore, but is specifically part of the BOOK OF HOURS world. So if you're not following that already, do!)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/
[ 2019-11-15 12:50:47 CET ] [ Original post ]
Russian beta now live!
[ 2019-11-04 09:48:38 CET ] [ Original post ]
Happy Unity Day, everyone! Im not sure how unified everyone is about wanting to play Cultist Simulator in Cyrillic, but HEY, NOW YOU CAN. Cultist Simulators 140,000 words can now all be turned into RUSSIAN by switching over to the Steam beta branch called 'gateofhorn'.
You can access this beta branch by:
- right clicking on 'Cultist Simulator' in your Steam library
- clicking Properties
- clicking on the 'Betas' tab
- selecting 'gateofhorn' from the drop-down menu
- clicking 'Close'
[ 2019-11-04 09:48:38 CET ] [ Original post ]
RUSSIAN COMES TO THE MANSUS
[ 2019-10-18 10:17:25 CET ] [ Original post ]
Russian is finally here! Well be releasing a Russian language option to a Steam beta branch on Monday 4th November, to say YAY UNITY DAY.
You'll be able to access this beta branch by:
- right clicking on 'Cultist Simulator' in your Steam library
- clicking on the 'Betas' tab
- selecting 'gateofhorn' from the drop-down menu
- clicking 'Close'
[ 2019-10-18 10:17:25 CET ] [ Original post ]
Daily Deal - Cultist Simulator, 40% Off
[ 2019-10-02 17:15:00 CET ] [ Original post ]
Today's Deal: Save 40% on Cultist Simulator!*
Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!
*Offer ends Friday 10/4 at 10AM Pacific Time
[ 2019-10-02 17:15:00 CET ] [ Original post ]
40% off, full Chinese release, and Russian on the horizon
[ 2019-10-02 17:03:36 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey all! Today we're finally releasing full simplified Chinese, after a successful month of beta testing. Cultist Simulator and all its DLC - adding up to over 140,000 words - is now fully playable in gleaming, delectable simplified Chinese.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/718670/Cultist_Simulator/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/871650/Cultist_Simulator_The_Dancer/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/871651/Cultist_Simulator_The_Priest/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/871900/Cultist_Simulator_The_Ghoul/
If you're new to Cultist Simulator, now is a very, very good time to nab the full Anthology Edition, which'll give you an extra 15% off everything anyway. GOSH.
With the latest update, you'll now see a new 'Languages' button in the top right-hand of the title screen where you can switch between English and simplified Chinese. We'll be adding a Russian language option in there soon, too - we'll announce a specific date for Russian release as soon as possible.
One thing to note: we recommend starting a new game after switching languages. Switching mid-game can cause some text to display weirdly, and Cultist Simulator's text is WEIRD ENOUGH ALREADY. :)
Anyway, to celebrate our long-awaited full Chinese release, Cultist Simulator is now 40% off on a Steam Daily Deal, so get this extremely good deal while you can! I hope to have more news about Russian - and possibly even some NEW CONTENT - for you soon. <3
[ 2019-10-02 17:03:36 CET ] [ Original post ]
Simplified Chinese now live! Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
[ 2019-09-12 08:43:57 CET ] [ Original post ]
It's here! Simplified Chinese is now live on Steam, via the beta branch 'gateofhorn'. You can access this beta branch by:
- right clicking on 'Cultist Simulator' in your Steam library
- clicking on the 'Betas' tab
- selecting 'gateofhorn' from the drop-down menu
- clicking 'Close'
[ 2019-09-12 08:43:57 CET ] [ Original post ]
AUG #1: PERCIVAL
It's not super detailed right now, because we're in pre-production on our upcoming culty game BOOK OF HOURS. But if you're interested in what we're doing next, and when you can expect things for Cultist Simulator, check out our roadmap. Ask us on Twitter (@factoryweather) if you have special requests!
Firstly, we're finally ready to bring simplified Chinese to Steam! This'll launch in beta on Thursday 12th September, just in time for Mid-Autumn Festival. You'll be able to find it on the usual beta branch, 'gateofhorn', by right-clicking Cultist Simulator in your library, clicking on the 'Betas' tab and selecting 'gateofhorn' from the drop-down menu. Russian's coming ASAP afterwards, and we may even have some news later down the line on other languages, too...
We're also launching a Kickstarter for our next game, BOOK OF HOURS. Set in the same dreamy, merciless alternate 1920s as Cultist Simulator - a world we call the Secret Histories - you'll be able to nab BOOK OF HOURS' Perpetual Edition, your name in the game, pet statuettes and a bunch of occult library goodness should you so choose. The Kickstarter's launching at noon on Tuesday 3rd September, so if you want to be kept in the loop, sign up to our mailing list and/or wishlist the game below. Hope to see you there! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/?curator_clanid=33119457
[ 2019-08-09 15:06:41 CET ] [ Original post ]
Afternoon, Believers! We've just posted a production round-up of what we're up to on our blog, so thought I'd crosspost a quick update on a couple of culty things. :)
1. DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP
It's not super detailed right now, because we're in pre-production on our upcoming culty game BOOK OF HOURS. But if you're interested in what we're doing next, and when you can expect things for Cultist Simulator, check out our roadmap. Ask us on Twitter (@factoryweather) if you have special requests!
2. SIMPLIFIED CHINESE
Firstly, we're finally ready to bring simplified Chinese to Steam! This'll launch in beta on Thursday 12th September, just in time for Mid-Autumn Festival. You'll be able to find it on the usual beta branch, 'gateofhorn', by right-clicking Cultist Simulator in your library, clicking on the 'Betas' tab and selecting 'gateofhorn' from the drop-down menu. Russian's coming ASAP afterwards, and we may even have some news later down the line on other languages, too...
3. BOOK OF HOURS KICKSTARTER
We're also launching a Kickstarter for our next game, BOOK OF HOURS. Set in the same dreamy, merciless alternate 1920s as Cultist Simulator - a world we call the Secret Histories - you'll be able to nab BOOK OF HOURS' Perpetual Edition, your name in the game, pet statuettes and a bunch of occult library goodness should you so choose. The Kickstarter's launching at noon on Tuesday 3rd September, so if you want to be kept in the loop, sign up to our mailing list and/or wishlist the game below. Hope to see you there! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/?curator_clanid=33119457
[ 2019-08-09 15:06:41 CET ] [ Original post ]
PRIEST + GHOUL NOW OUT!
One particularly for new players! Today we also released our new Anthology Edition of the game, which includes:
Now that Cultist Simulator's coming to a close (apart from localisation!), we announced the next game we'll be working on: BOOK OF HOURS. Sign up to our mailing list to be kept up to date with development, and wishlist it below. We'll be running a Kickstarter for it later this year, so Librarians, Lovers of Text and Long-children, keep a sharp lookout! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/
[ 2019-05-30 17:13:15 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey Beloveds! I'm delighted to announce that our new and final planned pieces of DLC - the PRIEST and the GHOUL - are now live!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/871651/Cultist_Simulator_The_Priest/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/871900/Cultist_Simulator_The_Ghoul/
Just like The Dancer, these are story-packs that investigate some previously untapped areas of Cultist Simulator.
The Priest is all Knock, adding one new Legacy, two new Ascensions and the truly gruesome story of the Martyr of the Keys.
The Ghoul is all Winter, adding another new Legacy, two other new Ascensions and a suitably beautiful end of paintings, digging up and eating the dead, and the Elegiast in all his Wintry glory.
Perpetual Edition owners get both automatically and for free, of course! Everyone else, they're only 2.50 / $2.99 each, so pretend you're buying a really occult cup of tea...?
[quote]FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT: TRANSLATION
Now that we have the full English content of Cultist Simulator, we'll be able to finish off our in-progress Russian and simplified Chinese localisations of the game.
We'll announce their release dates as soon as we can. Keep your eyes peeled![/quote]
ANTHOLOGY EDITION
One particularly for new players! Today we also released our new Anthology Edition of the game, which includes:
- Cultist Simulator (all 110,000+ words of it)
- all three DLC packages (Dancer, Priest and Ghoul, adding another ~30,000 words)
- the delectable 15-track soundtrack
NEW GAME: BOOK OF HOURS
Now that Cultist Simulator's coming to a close (apart from localisation!), we announced the next game we'll be working on: BOOK OF HOURS. Sign up to our mailing list to be kept up to date with development, and wishlist it below. We'll be running a Kickstarter for it later this year, so Librarians, Lovers of Text and Long-children, keep a sharp lookout! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1028310/BOOK_OF_HOURS/
[ 2019-05-30 17:13:15 CET ] [ Original post ]
Ludonarracon, DLC, demos and more
Firstly, Cultist is part of a big ol' narrative shindig on Steam this weekend! Look out for Ludonarracon on the front page of the store from 6PM BST / 10AM PDT today, running all the way through the weekend. As part of LNC, we're going to be broadcasting our upcoming Priest DLC with the help of the delightful JimtheEternal and Systemchalk, both seasoned Cultist veterans who are able to
Alexis and I are also being our big ol' goth selves and are on a live broadcast LNC panel on DEATH IN GAMES, along with the creators of The Stillness of the Wind and Little Red Lie. Find us on today! 11.45 PDT / 7.45PM BST LNC broadcast + store page
If you missed our news last week, we've announced release dates for our upcoming DLC and a new Anthology Edition to mark Cultist's one year anniversary of sweet and fleeting life. There're more details in last week's sprint update, but the key points are: everything's launching on Thursday 30th May 2019, at 10AM PDT / 6PM BST new stuff includes our Priest DLC, where you take on a long-awaited Knock ascension to become the Martyr of the Keys & also there are sneks also our Ghoul DLC, where a disgraced medium goes all Dorian Gray, hangs out in graveyards and develops gourmet, sepulchral tastes
Don't tell Alexis that's how I summarised his stories, and hope to see you in our LNC stream and/or on the 30th May!
[ 2019-05-10 16:49:21 CET ] [ Original post ]
Happy Friday, Believers! I come with NEWS.
LUDONARRACON
Firstly, Cultist is part of a big ol' narrative shindig on Steam this weekend! Look out for Ludonarracon on the front page of the store from 6PM BST / 10AM PDT today, running all the way through the weekend. As part of LNC, we're going to be broadcasting our upcoming Priest DLC with the help of the delightful JimtheEternal and Systemchalk, both seasoned Cultist veterans who are able to
- play arguably the most horrible CS content Alexis has written to date
- not die immediately
- explain what's going on to people in chat at the same time
DEATH IN GAMES
Alexis and I are also being our big ol' goth selves and are on a live broadcast LNC panel on DEATH IN GAMES, along with the creators of The Stillness of the Wind and Little Red Lie. Find us on today! 11.45 PDT / 7.45PM BST LNC broadcast + store page
ANTHOLOGY EDITION + NEW DLC
If you missed our news last week, we've announced release dates for our upcoming DLC and a new Anthology Edition to mark Cultist's one year anniversary of sweet and fleeting life. There're more details in last week's sprint update, but the key points are: everything's launching on Thursday 30th May 2019, at 10AM PDT / 6PM BST new stuff includes our Priest DLC, where you take on a long-awaited Knock ascension to become the Martyr of the Keys & also there are sneks also our Ghoul DLC, where a disgraced medium goes all Dorian Gray, hangs out in graveyards and develops gourmet, sepulchral tastes
Don't tell Alexis that's how I summarised his stories, and hope to see you in our LNC stream and/or on the 30th May!
[ 2019-05-10 16:49:21 CET ] [ Original post ]
Now live on mobile!
Hey everyone! Ever wished you could bring the apocalypse on the bus? Or murder your micromanaging boss without getting out of bed? Now - hooplah! - you can, as Cultist Simulator's live on the App Store and Google Play today! For a week we're also offering a 30% off discount, so if you wanna bring your cult with you on the go, now's the time.
You can also read a little about us from the front page of the App Store, as we're part of a feature on 'cool' Brits doing cool things in games. Check it out, iOS people!
(Apologies to Google Play-ers. Apple do not make App Store pages readable online, to our eternal regret.)
Fiiiinally, you may have noticed that we now have a simplified Chinese version of Cultist's Steam store page, and we offer a simplified Chinese version of the whole game on iOS! (We're unfortunately not able to offer Chinese via Google Play until the Chinese government reopens applications for foreign games publishing.) I know a lot of you have been waiting patiently for Chinese to hit, so this will either allow you to play now or at least show you that we're working hard on translating everything to a high standard for PC. I'll release an estimated release date for both Chinese and Russian on PC in the near future. In the meantime, hope you enjoy! :)
[ 2019-04-02 13:48:12 CET ] [ Original post ]
CULTIST HAS LAUNCHED ON MOBILE
Hey everyone! Ever wished you could bring the apocalypse on the bus? Or murder your micromanaging boss without getting out of bed? Now - hooplah! - you can, as Cultist Simulator's live on the App Store and Google Play today! For a week we're also offering a 30% off discount, so if you wanna bring your cult with you on the go, now's the time.
WHAT NEXT FOR WEATHER FACTORY?
You can also read a little about us from the front page of the App Store, as we're part of a feature on 'cool' Brits doing cool things in games. Check it out, iOS people!
(Apologies to Google Play-ers. Apple do not make App Store pages readable online, to our eternal regret.)
WHAT'S THIS, TRANSLATION?!
Fiiiinally, you may have noticed that we now have a simplified Chinese version of Cultist's Steam store page, and we offer a simplified Chinese version of the whole game on iOS! (We're unfortunately not able to offer Chinese via Google Play until the Chinese government reopens applications for foreign games publishing.) I know a lot of you have been waiting patiently for Chinese to hit, so this will either allow you to play now or at least show you that we're working hard on translating everything to a high standard for PC. I'll release an estimated release date for both Chinese and Russian on PC in the near future. In the meantime, hope you enjoy! :)
[ 2019-04-02 13:48:12 CET ] [ Original post ]
2 BAFTA GAMES AWARD NOMINATIONS!
We're up for both Debut Game and Game Innovation and both Alexis and myself were practically sick yesterday when the nominations were announced. Check out the full list of nominations here!
Thank you to all of you who took a chance on a weird indie game about a lady pulling off her own face. Cultist has been in active development since launch, and the feedback you've given us - along with the love you showed along the way - somehow got us to the point where we have to dress up fancy and go to a BAFTA Games awards show to find out if we win. You are the best cult. <3 <3 <3 Now, more info shortly on mobile launch, localisation and other Weather Factory projects. Check out our roadmap if you're interested in what's next for Cultist, and we'll see you soon!
[ 2019-03-15 15:58:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
I can't believe I'm writing this, but... Cultist Simulator's been nominated for not one, but
TWO BAFTA GAMES AWARDS!
We're up for both Debut Game and Game Innovation and both Alexis and myself were practically sick yesterday when the nominations were announced. Check out the full list of nominations here!
Thank you to all of you who took a chance on a weird indie game about a lady pulling off her own face. Cultist has been in active development since launch, and the feedback you've given us - along with the love you showed along the way - somehow got us to the point where we have to dress up fancy and go to a BAFTA Games awards show to find out if we win. You are the best cult. <3 <3 <3 Now, more info shortly on mobile launch, localisation and other Weather Factory projects. Check out our roadmap if you're interested in what's next for Cultist, and we'll see you soon!
[ 2019-03-15 15:58:04 CET ] [ Original post ]
Mobile, HQs and future DLC
We announced yesterday that we're releasing an iOS and Android port of Cultist Simulator! We've not revealed the date of launch yet (though it's SOON), but in the near future you'll be able to manage your cults, murder your bosses and muster monstrous servants on your phone and/or tablet. You can pre-register for a discounted price on Android phones below...
...and all you iOS users, sign up here to be kept in the loop with mobile news! You'll get the same discount as the Android peeps for a short while at launch.
You might have noticed a rather, er, placeholder-looking card called your 'Temporary HQ'. You couldn't do much with it and it wasn't much fun. Yesterday we updated the main branch with a few new cult headquarters, as well as tweaks to the way HQs work in-game. The new HQs to look out for are:
Our next release will be Franklin's Build, comprising two bits of paid DLC. These'll add new Legacies to the game (just like the Dancer DLC), will be similarly priced to the Dancer DLC, and are:
[ 2019-03-01 16:17:59 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey believers! Just a quick update on where Cultist's heading over the next couple of months.
THE MANSUS ON MOBILE
We announced yesterday that we're releasing an iOS and Android port of Cultist Simulator! We've not revealed the date of launch yet (though it's SOON), but in the near future you'll be able to manage your cults, murder your bosses and muster monstrous servants on your phone and/or tablet. You can pre-register for a discounted price on Android phones below...
...and all you iOS users, sign up here to be kept in the loop with mobile news! You'll get the same discount as the Android peeps for a short while at launch.
SMOL UPDATE IS SMOL
You might have noticed a rather, er, placeholder-looking card called your 'Temporary HQ'. You couldn't do much with it and it wasn't much fun. Yesterday we updated the main branch with a few new cult headquarters, as well as tweaks to the way HQs work in-game. The new HQs to look out for are:
- Rooms Behind a Bookshop
- House Violet
- the Opulent Townhouse
- the Heterodox Church
- the Candle-lit Mithraem
- a Darkened Warehouse
WHAT'S NEXT FOR CULTIST SIMULATOR
Our next release will be Franklin's Build, comprising two bits of paid DLC. These'll add new Legacies to the game (just like the Dancer DLC), will be similarly priced to the Dancer DLC, and are:
- the Priest Legacy, introducing a new Knock ascension
- the Ghoul Legacy, introducing a new Winter ascension
[ 2019-03-01 16:17:59 CET ] [ Original post ]
NOW AVAILABLE: NEW CONTENT, PREPOSTEROUSLY DIFFICULT NEW GAME+ AND OUR SOUNDTRACK
MAJOR VICTORIES: You achieved immortality? Well done. Now, the hard bit. Play as your own Apostle, executing a doomsday plan to make your immortal character something like a god. Pursue the path of Grail, Lantern or Forge. Assemble the Great Feast; open a door into light; or Bring the Dawn. MOAR LORE: Delve even further into the rich lore of the Cultist Simulator world. What is the Dawnbreaker Device? Where is the flaw in the world to be found? What is the Third Mode of the Tricuspid Gate? Who are the avid, ancient, brilliant women who call themselves the Ligeians... and why are they helping you? IMMORTAL ENEMIES: Theyre here to prevent your greater ascension, and add challenge and replay value while they're at it. These powerful NPCs make Detectives and Rivals look like playground bullies. See your loved ones kidnapped; your finances shredded; your affairs exposed to the public; your dreams become a battleground. Confront them in person, if you dare. If you haven't already, now might be a good time to refresh your memory of the basics with our Beginner's Guide to Cultist Simulator. Downloadable in lovely PDF form, here! <3
All you have to do to unlock this hideous New Game+ mode is beat the game. Achieving any standard victory will unlock three new Apostle Legacies, one each for Lantern, Forge and Grail.
Weve also just released Cultist Simulators 15-track OST from the same delectable composer as Fallen London and Sunless Sea. It's 7.99 / $9.99, and you can find the store page here! (Though if you'd like to buy it via more traditional means, you can find it on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Bandcamp and a host of other places... just search for 'Cultist Simulator' in your music store of choice.)
If you want to take a look at the new game+ before you dive in, Systemchalk is broadcasting the game now on our store page (and hopefully, with enough views, the front page of Steam too!). Just go to Cultist Simulator's store page to view - Alexis and myself will be in the chat too, so come ask us all your questions!
[ 2019-01-22 19:11:27 CET ] [ Original post ]
It's finally here! Christopher's Build - comprising an advanced player-versus-demigod mode where you help a previous character ascend while muzzling (or murdering) one of four displeased immortals - is here! All 20,000 extra words of it.
It's free for all players, and you should see an update queued in Steam. It puts the 'cult' back into........... 'difficult'. A ha ha ha. Ha. :)
KEY FEATURES
MAJOR VICTORIES: You achieved immortality? Well done. Now, the hard bit. Play as your own Apostle, executing a doomsday plan to make your immortal character something like a god. Pursue the path of Grail, Lantern or Forge. Assemble the Great Feast; open a door into light; or Bring the Dawn. MOAR LORE: Delve even further into the rich lore of the Cultist Simulator world. What is the Dawnbreaker Device? Where is the flaw in the world to be found? What is the Third Mode of the Tricuspid Gate? Who are the avid, ancient, brilliant women who call themselves the Ligeians... and why are they helping you? IMMORTAL ENEMIES: Theyre here to prevent your greater ascension, and add challenge and replay value while they're at it. These powerful NPCs make Detectives and Rivals look like playground bullies. See your loved ones kidnapped; your finances shredded; your affairs exposed to the public; your dreams become a battleground. Confront them in person, if you dare. If you haven't already, now might be a good time to refresh your memory of the basics with our Beginner's Guide to Cultist Simulator. Downloadable in lovely PDF form, here! <3
WHERE'S THE NEW CONTENT IN-GAME?
All you have to do to unlock this hideous New Game+ mode is beat the game. Achieving any standard victory will unlock three new Apostle Legacies, one each for Lantern, Forge and Grail.
SOUNDTRACK
Weve also just released Cultist Simulators 15-track OST from the same delectable composer as Fallen London and Sunless Sea. It's 7.99 / $9.99, and you can find the store page here! (Though if you'd like to buy it via more traditional means, you can find it on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Bandcamp and a host of other places... just search for 'Cultist Simulator' in your music store of choice.)
LIVE BROADCAST
If you want to take a look at the new game+ before you dive in, Systemchalk is broadcasting the game now on our store page (and hopefully, with enough views, the front page of Steam too!). Just go to Cultist Simulator's store page to view - Alexis and myself will be in the chat too, so come ask us all your questions!
[ 2019-01-22 19:11:27 CET ] [ Original post ]
Sprint update - JAN #1: ANCIENT MARINER
Beating the game will unlock three new and nearly impossible Legacies. You'll play as the acolyte of your previous character, working to help them ascend to the House. Unfortunately, the House can only hold so many demigods. There are a number of near-immortal Long who aren't, er, very happy about new blood among the ascended. They'll work against you, actively sabotaging your efforts, and perhaps attempting to snuff you out entirely.
There's a bunch of new content being introduced at the end of the month, so there'll be a host of new cards, Aspects and individuals to accompany you on your ill-advised descent into madness.
[ 2019-01-11 18:00:49 CET ] [ Original post ]
Happy 2019, Believers! In case you missed it, we recently announced a release date for our big update coming at the end of this month: new game plus with a load of new content will launch on Tuesday 22nd January at 11AM PDT / 7PM GMT. It's free for all players, and will drop alongside our bootiful soundtrack (which is sadly not free, but only costs 7.99 / $9.99 and will haunt your dreams for life). Full deets on our blog, but the highlights are...
NEW GAME PLUS
Beating the game will unlock three new and nearly impossible Legacies. You'll play as the acolyte of your previous character, working to help them ascend to the House. Unfortunately, the House can only hold so many demigods. There are a number of near-immortal Long who aren't, er, very happy about new blood among the ascended. They'll work against you, actively sabotaging your efforts, and perhaps attempting to snuff you out entirely.
NEW ART
There's a bunch of new content being introduced at the end of the month, so there'll be a host of new cards, Aspects and individuals to accompany you on your ill-advised descent into madness.
UPCOMING THINGS
- Monthly design stream - we'll be hosting another live design session with Alexis Kennedy, on Thursday 17th January @ 4PM GMT (if you miss it, these design streams go up on our YouTube channel later).
- Launch-day Steam broadcast - Systemchalk, a good streamy friend of ours, will be streaming these impossible new Legacies when they release, live on our Steam page. If you're not quite sure whether hardcore mode's for you, come watch a Cultist master be, er, probably horribly killed.
[ 2019-01-11 18:00:49 CET ] [ Original post ]
Sprint update - DEC #1: YOG-SOTHOTH
We do these every month, and this month's was all about ASCENSIONS: upcoming new, harder-than-ever-before ways to win the game by fighting off AN ACTUAL ADVERSARY LONG. Because Cultist was too easy before, obviously.
For the new, free content we're releasing at the end of January. These are but a select few of the new content and art you'll see in the game next year. We'll be announcing the release date shortly - stay tuned!
If you're not already, follow our Twitter to play the creepiest, festive-ist choose-your-own adventure next week when we run our inaugural OPALIA event. More info on release dates, new content, localisation and something that's so secret I may not even mention it by name in the new year. Have a lovely new year's, all!
[ 2018-12-14 13:52:33 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey all, and merry merry Christmas! Just a quick update on what we've been up to, seeing as everyone is about to scatter to the winds like festive moles running for cover from beglittered hawks.
Full details on our blog, but the highlights are:
New design vid!
We do these every month, and this month's was all about ASCENSIONS: upcoming new, harder-than-ever-before ways to win the game by fighting off AN ACTUAL ADVERSARY LONG. Because Cultist was too easy before, obviously.
New icons!
For the new, free content we're releasing at the end of January. These are but a select few of the new content and art you'll see in the game next year. We'll be announcing the release date shortly - stay tuned!
Opalia
If you're not already, follow our Twitter to play the creepiest, festive-ist choose-your-own adventure next week when we run our inaugural OPALIA event. More info on release dates, new content, localisation and something that's so secret I may not even mention it by name in the new year. Have a lovely new year's, all!
[ 2018-12-14 13:52:33 CET ] [ Original post ]
Main branch update: Expeditions rework (and six new expeditions)
[ 2018-12-10 11:46:25 CET ] [ Original post ]
The Expeditions update has spent a few weeks baking on the beta branch, and is now live on main. The big change here is to reduce the amount of RNG in the midgame. Each expedition now has a set (and thematically consistent) set of rewards. This means *much* less grinding away at expeditions waiting for the ONE ITEM YOU STILL NEED FOR YOUR VICTORY to drop. Exceptions: the last expedition in each area (Forsaken Reach, Kerisham, etc.) now give intentionally repeatable rewards, and will allow you to get rewards from earlier expeditions if a Rival snaffled that expedition. There are also six new Expeditions with some significant snippets of lore (yes this is all a free update, I don't know what I was thinking). All in all, this will make the game much more playable the first few times through, though less ultimately replayable.... but the Apostle legacies / Major Victories coming in January should provide a lot more playability. More about those here: http://weatherfactory.biz/christophers-build/
[ 2018-12-10 11:46:25 CET ] [ Original post ]
beta branch update: Expeditions rework (and six new expeditions)
[ 2018-11-19 14:35:41 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hullo folks I normally just post beta patch notes on the patch thread, but this is significant enough that I wanted it on the front page. One of the (IMO more justifiable) complaints I hear about CS is that the mid-game gets grindy. I've reworked how Expeditions operate to make it easier and quicker to get the treasures you want. The effect of this kind of change is all about player experience not specific balance... so it may have unintended effects, and I'm very interested in your feedback. This is on the gateofhorn branch now. v2018.11.e.1: - Major Expeditions rework to reduce midgame grind, including six new Expeditions. Expeditions now give fixed, more thematically suitable, and usually more impressive, rewards. Default expeditions give you a chance to scoop up books from any Expeditions consumed by Rivals, and also can be repeated to gain Ingredients. (Details of which items show up in which Expeditions may shuffle around further). - Fixed a rare issue where it was still sometimes possible to put a stack of >1 card in a slot (if you swapped out one card of that type for a stack of identical cards) - Fixed an even rarer issue where saving the game with two funds in unstarted Expedition slots would leave you with only 1 Funds on reloading. - 30% of the time, failing to use a Favour to save a Follower would leave you under suspicion instead. This should no longer happen. - Removed Bloodshed, for now. - Reduced Fleeting Reminiscence duration to make it more Fleeting.
[ 2018-11-19 14:35:41 CET ] [ Original post ]
Sprint update - Nov #1: WHARTON
We spent a bunch of this sprint planning Cultist's future, and have updated our roadmap accordingly. We've also confirmed what's gonna be in the next big update, Christopher's Build, coming out in the second half of January 2019. Here's what it'll be!
Free updates:
There're also some changes to our Church of Merch store (plain paper notebooks, cheaper/tracked shipping, new freebies). Check the update out, and watch out for Christopher in the new year! Finally, if you haven't yet left us a Steam review, please do! I feature some of 'em on our Twitter, and they make a real difference to us devs. Fanx, beloveds!
[ 2018-11-16 15:31:48 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey all! I've a sprint update for ya. You can read the whole thing over on our blog, but the headline points are:
Christopher's Build
We spent a bunch of this sprint planning Cultist's future, and have updated our roadmap accordingly. We've also confirmed what's gonna be in the next big update, Christopher's Build, coming out in the second half of January 2019. Here's what it'll be!
Free updates:
- Apostle victories, which are three new 'tier 2' victories evolving the current Forge, Grail and Enlightenment victories. You'll only unlock these Apostle victories once you've won the game with one of the original three lore victories. Beware: Apostle victories are much harder than the basic victories, and will pit you against your very own Long nemesis...
- New Expeditions, fixing issues with mid-game grind and item collection, as well as adding in a few new places to definitely not send Followers out to die in. We're talking the well-stocked Key-Hunter's Garret, spooky Forman House with definitely not a ghost, and deeply unsettling mass at St Felix of Schuren...
- New HQs, partly replacing your current Temporary HQ, and partly making HQs more involved in the game.
- Cultist Simulator's OST: from the wonderful Mickymar Productions, nab the 15 remastered in-game tracks along with nice artwork + a world-leading Erhu master. Because obvs we needed that.
There're also some changes to our Church of Merch store (plain paper notebooks, cheaper/tracked shipping, new freebies). Check the update out, and watch out for Christopher in the new year! Finally, if you haven't yet left us a Steam review, please do! I feature some of 'em on our Twitter, and they make a real difference to us devs. Fanx, beloveds!
[ 2018-11-16 15:31:48 CET ] [ Original post ]
DANCER DLC NOW LIVE!
In the occult cabaret that calls itself the Ecdysis Club, the distinction between pleasure and pain is as delicate and essential as the human skin. It is all that keeps us from making the very worst mistakes. Pursue a career as a Dancer at the Club. Determine which parts of yourself to surrender. Cross oceans in pursuit of the ancient rites that beat in the Wood. Consider the ascensions that open to you. Choose carefully.
The DLC includes:
Rise to unearthly fame as the Dancer, employed at the infamous Gaiety Theatre, Ecdysis Club or in some of the more exclusive city parlours.
Explore a trinity of insights into the powers of Heart, Moth, and those who came before. Realise your true form, and perhaps even tempt one of the enigmatic Ligeians to the Dance.
Some dances can only be performed in far places, and some cannot be performed in human shape. It also brings with it a host of new achievements and lore, of course. But NO SPOILERS!
There are a few ways! Firstly, to check if you have the Dancer DLC installed, check if you have the DLC_DANCER_dancer_legacy.json file. On Windows, it'll be in
All righty! Weve added:
Followers now learn from their mistakes. Its much safer to send them on Expeditions, and though theyll still die if they injured enough.
What could go wrong with workplace relationships when your office is an occult society dedicated to bringing the apocalypse? Court your cultists and date your disciples. It probably wont end disastrously.
Mistreating NPCs now risks turning them against you and attempting to win the game faster than you can.
A smorgasbord of UI/UX improvements based on feedback since launch. Snap-to-grid cards, double-click card placement, intelligent card stacking now nobody should get RSI. Yay!
Yes! Firstly, you can download A Beginners Guide to Cultist Simulator, a glimpse into the notebook of an occultist figuring their own way through to the House. Its absolutely not comprehensive: its just fun, and I updated it to include info on the Dancer now thats live. Finally, were also on SALE for 48 hours on Steam, Humble and GOG as part of release! The base games now 25% off, if you know any would-be acolytes who just havent quite gotten around to buying the game yet. Hope you like all the new updates! We feel its a much fuller, sparkly game now, so fingers crossed you agree. If you want to help us, shout about this DLC/the updates/the sale, and stay tuned for more DLC later down the line. In the meantime, you can follow our plans and progress via our roadmap.
[ 2018-10-16 17:59:37 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey BELOVEDS! Our Dancer DLC is now LIVE!
Weve released it with a whole bunch of free updates to the main game, so all in all the update adds an extra ~30% content (from ~72k words to ~95k words, now). So, er, its quite a big release.
Anyone who owns Perpetual Edition gets the update automatically and for free. Anyone who owns the normal edition of the game, dont fret! It only costs a measly $2.99 / 2.50 / 2.39.
DANCER DLC: WHATS IT ALL ABOUT, EH
In the occult cabaret that calls itself the Ecdysis Club, the distinction between pleasure and pain is as delicate and essential as the human skin. It is all that keeps us from making the very worst mistakes. Pursue a career as a Dancer at the Club. Determine which parts of yourself to surrender. Cross oceans in pursuit of the ancient rites that beat in the Wood. Consider the ascensions that open to you. Choose carefully.
The DLC includes:
Rise to unearthly fame as the Dancer, employed at the infamous Gaiety Theatre, Ecdysis Club or in some of the more exclusive city parlours.
Explore a trinity of insights into the powers of Heart, Moth, and those who came before. Realise your true form, and perhaps even tempt one of the enigmatic Ligeians to the Dance.
Some dances can only be performed in far places, and some cannot be performed in human shape. It also brings with it a host of new achievements and lore, of course. But NO SPOILERS!
HOW DO I ACTUALLY FIND THE DANCER CONTENT IN-GAME?
There are a few ways! Firstly, to check if you have the Dancer DLC installed, check if you have the DLC_DANCER_dancer_legacy.json file. On Windows, it'll be in
[install folder]\cultistsimulator_Data\StreamingAssets\content\core\legacies
On Macs, it'll be in
[install folder]\Contents\Resources\Data\StreamingAssets\content\core\legacies
On Linux, it'll be in
[install folder]CS_Data\StreamingAssets\content\core\legacies
Once you know youve got it, you have two ways to find your new content in-game:
Begin the game with the Dancer legacy. This will always be available if you win a minor work victory at Glover and Glover, and sometimes be available otherwise anyway.
Pursue the new Ascensions without being a Dancer, by finding Sulochana and speaking with her at the Ecdysis Club about your current Desire.
GIMME THAT SWEET, SWEET FREE STUFF
All righty! Weve added:
Followers now learn from their mistakes. Its much safer to send them on Expeditions, and though theyll still die if they injured enough.
What could go wrong with workplace relationships when your office is an occult society dedicated to bringing the apocalypse? Court your cultists and date your disciples. It probably wont end disastrously.
Mistreating NPCs now risks turning them against you and attempting to win the game faster than you can.
A smorgasbord of UI/UX improvements based on feedback since launch. Snap-to-grid cards, double-click card placement, intelligent card stacking now nobody should get RSI. Yay!
ANYTHING ELSE THATS FUN?
Yes! Firstly, you can download A Beginners Guide to Cultist Simulator, a glimpse into the notebook of an occultist figuring their own way through to the House. Its absolutely not comprehensive: its just fun, and I updated it to include info on the Dancer now thats live. Finally, were also on SALE for 48 hours on Steam, Humble and GOG as part of release! The base games now 25% off, if you know any would-be acolytes who just havent quite gotten around to buying the game yet. Hope you like all the new updates! We feel its a much fuller, sparkly game now, so fingers crossed you agree. If you want to help us, shout about this DLC/the updates/the sale, and stay tuned for more DLC later down the line. In the meantime, you can follow our plans and progress via our roadmap.
[ 2018-10-16 17:59:37 CET ] [ Original post ]
Dancer DLC release date announced!
[ 2018-10-05 13:13:07 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! In case you didn't see it in the press, we announced that we're releasing our Dancer DLC on...
Apart from the particularly classy GIF, it includes:
★ One new Legacy! Rise to unearthly fame as the Dancer, employed at the infamous Gaiety Theatre, Ecdysis Club or in some of the more exclusive city parlours.
★ Two new Ascensions! Explore a trinity of insights into the powers of Heart, Moth, and those who came before. Realise your true form, and perhaps even tempt one of the enigmatic Ligeians to the Dance…
★ Animal spirit-selves! Some dances can only be performed in far places, and some cannot be performed in human shape.
If you own Perpetual Edition, you'll get the Dancer DLC automatically for free. For everyone else, don't worry! It only costs $2.99 / £2.50 / €2.39, so fingers crossed that everyone has enough Funds.
The DLC will come with a clutch of new updates for everyone, including Follower wounds/scars, romance, rebellion and a bunch of UI/UX improvements to make running your cult that bit more fun.
We go into this in a bit more detail in our latest sprint update. Keep your eyes on 16th October, and back soon with more news. :)
[ 2018-10-05 13:13:07 CET ] [ Original post ]
Sprint update - Sept #2: SHELLEY
We've recently opened an Etsy merch shop, so if you haven't already, have a look at our shiny, forbidden things.
One of the free updates being released along with the paid Dancer DLC is being able to date (most of) your Followers.
We've not confirmed a specific release date for the Dancer DLC, but we have said it'll come around the middle of next month, and provide some design diagrams as teasers while you wait...
Stay tuned next week for a release date for the Dancer DLC. Alexis and I have been working on betrayal and spurned lovers and animal familiars and all that delectable stuff, so I hope you'll like it! Remember, anyone who owns Perpetual Edition will get the DLC for free. However, we're making sure the DLC won't break anybody's bank if you weren't quick enough to nab Perpetual, so don't worry either way. More news soon! If you have any questions, leave 'em here or tweet us (@factoryweather / @alexiskennedy / @tronbevan).
[ 2018-09-27 16:31:17 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey everyone! Just a short post to keep you up to date with Cultist's development. We posted our latest sprint review over on the blog. The major points are:
Church of merch!
We've recently opened an Etsy merch shop, so if you haven't already, have a look at our shiny, forbidden things.
Romance!
One of the free updates being released along with the paid Dancer DLC is being able to date (most of) your Followers.
Dancer DLC
We've not confirmed a specific release date for the Dancer DLC, but we have said it'll come around the middle of next month, and provide some design diagrams as teasers while you wait...
Stay tuned next week for a release date for the Dancer DLC. Alexis and I have been working on betrayal and spurned lovers and animal familiars and all that delectable stuff, so I hope you'll like it! Remember, anyone who owns Perpetual Edition will get the DLC for free. However, we're making sure the DLC won't break anybody's bank if you weren't quick enough to nab Perpetual, so don't worry either way. More news soon! If you have any questions, leave 'em here or tweet us (@factoryweather / @alexiskennedy / @tronbevan).
[ 2018-09-27 16:31:17 CET ] [ Original post ]
Sprint update: September #1 - ROSSETTI
[ 2018-09-07 13:56:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hullo everyone. Lottie's escaped to Italy for a couple of days but she's still working even in a haunted villa: https://twitter.com/tronbevan/status/1036954807418933248
so she wrote this
and now I am posting it. Enjoy.
http://weatherfactory.biz/september-1-rossetti/
[ 2018-09-07 13:56:51 CET ] [ Original post ]
Sprint update - August #2: QUO VADIS
[ 2018-08-24 14:11:36 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey all! Just a quick post to link you to our sprint review for August #2, which you can read over at our blog. We've also just announced the winners of our Lovecraftday competition, so have a look in our blogpost or on our Twitter, Instagram or Facebook to see if you've won.
More updates coming soon, and to everyone who's sent in bug reports, we are ON 'em like a very hungry mouse on Époisses.
[ 2018-08-24 14:11:36 CET ] [ Original post ]
Daily Deal - Cultist Simulator, 25% Off
[ 2018-08-20 17:05:00 CET ] [ Original post ]
Today's Deal: Save 25% on Cultist Simulator!*
Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!
*Offer ends Wednesday at 10AM Pacific Time
[ 2018-08-20 17:05:00 CET ] [ Original post ]
Trading cards, badges, emoticons backgrounds!
Eight delightful cultists up for grabs! I appear to have unlocked all of the male cultists, so I guess I'm a Grail cult leader?
Trade up yo card sets until you have the ultimate, glistening Tricuspid Badge!
I would love to see a chatlog which used only these to communicate.
Three profile backgrounds to unlock! Two Mansus, one special. Cultist's next big update will be coming at the end of September with our first paid DLC release, Teresa's Build. More on that soon, and you can track progress on our roadmap while you wait. Thanks for sticking with us!
[ 2018-08-20 15:56:03 CET ] [ Original post ]
Happy Lovecraftday, believers!
It's HP Lovecraft's 128th birthday today, so we're doing a bunch of FUN THINGS. Our giveaway competition ends tonight at midnight, we released a 'Which cult are you?' quiz to Scientifically Discern which one you should found, and we've just introduced a full suite of necronomnomnoms to the game...
Look away now if you don't want your game drops spoilered!
Trading cards
Eight delightful cultists up for grabs! I appear to have unlocked all of the male cultists, so I guess I'm a Grail cult leader?
Badges
Trade up yo card sets until you have the ultimate, glistening Tricuspid Badge!
Emoticons
I would love to see a chatlog which used only these to communicate.
Backgrounds
Three profile backgrounds to unlock! Two Mansus, one special. Cultist's next big update will be coming at the end of September with our first paid DLC release, Teresa's Build. More on that soon, and you can track progress on our roadmap while you wait. Thanks for sticking with us!
[ 2018-08-20 15:56:03 CET ] [ Original post ]
#Lovecraftday giveaway
[ 2018-08-16 13:24:11 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey believers! If anyone missed us shouting about it on our various social media, we're running a Cultist Simulator giveaway for Lovecraft's birthday on Monday 20th August, where you can win free copies of the game, Orchid Transfiguration USBs or even your very own Beach-Crow statuette.
Take a look at the full competition breakdown here, and/or enter on any social platform you fancy!
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Instagram
Good luck, and happy birthday HP/Cthulhu.
[ 2018-08-16 13:24:11 CET ] [ Original post ]
Cultist Simulator post-launch roadmap
Continued quality of life updates! The focus is on UI improvements & usability, so think text resizing, card placement tweaks, improved controls, that sort of thing. Ongoing work for Teresa’s Build. ☽★☾
Lovecraft’s birthday, for which SOMETHING EXCITING I CANNOT DISCLOSE MAY OCCUR! Also, our new monthly design stream (Thurs 16th)! Alexis and Lottie talk Cultist design, answer questions, and host special guest Nikhil Murthy (The Quiet Sleep), one of Weather Factory’s mentees. Ongoing work for Teresa’s Build. ☽★☾
Steam trading cards in-game! Another EXCITING THING I can’t talk about yet! Ongoing work on Teresa’s Build. ☽★☾
Our monthly design stream (Thurs 13th)! Final polish/content for Teresa’s Build. ☽★☾
Teresa’s Build! This will include a bunch of free updates (wounded/missing Followers, rebellious Followers, romanceable Followers, new Talk interactions, ‘Tainted Blood’ advanced Grail victory, huntable Long, improved Detective Legacy) and one paid bit of DLC (Dancer Legacy). Perpetual Edition owners, of course, get this ALL for free! ☽★☾
There definitely won’t be any bugs with Teresa, so we definitely haven’t left this sprint loose for fixing them. Work starts on Christopher’s Build, and our monthly design stream (Thurs 18th). ☽★☾
Release of the Cultist Simulator soundtrack! Also, HALLOWEEN! Ongoing work on Christopher’s Build. ☽★☾
Our monthly design stream (Thurs 15th)! Ongoing work on Christopher’s Build. ☽★☾
Ongoing work on Christopher’s Build, and prep for our Christmas seasonal, OPALIA. ☽★☾
Ongoing Christopher’s Build work, and our pre-Christmas design stream (Thurs 13th)! ☽★☾
Christmas is the best time of the year. We shall be stuffing ourselves with mince pies and putting tinsel on cats, if you’re not too then what are you even doing with your life
Christopher’s Build! A lot of free updates (new Skill: Scholarship uses, improved research mechanics, improved expedition goals, new player-written tomes, ‘Shaped’ advanced Forge victory) and a number of paid ones, too (new expeditions, Apostle Legacy, Priest Legacy). Again, anyone with Perpetual Edition gets the lot of ’em for free! ☽★☾
Our monthly design stream (Thurs 17th), and Christopher’s Build support! Work begins on Franklin’s Build. ☽★☾
Ongoing work on Franklin’s Build. ☽★☾
Ongoing work on Franklin’s Build, and our monthly design stream (Thurs 21st). ☽★☾
Franklin’s Build release! As usual, this will include a lot of free updates (luxurious lifestyles, ageing, infamy, improved painting, new seasons) and some paid ones (new Patron stories, Familiar Legacy, Survivor Legacy, omg PETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!11!1!!!). Perpetual Edition owners get the whole lot for free, of course. ☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾
[ 2018-07-27 11:45:58 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hey believers! We've finalised the roadmap for the next eight months or so, so here's what's coming up for Cultist Simulator.
The TLDR version, for those of you who just want the juicy bits, are:
- Teresa's Build out at the end of September 2018
- Christopher's Build out at the start of January 2019
- Franklin's Build out at the start of March 2019
August #1: PORPHYRIA
Continued quality of life updates! The focus is on UI improvements & usability, so think text resizing, card placement tweaks, improved controls, that sort of thing. Ongoing work for Teresa’s Build. ☽★☾
August #2: QUO VADIS
Lovecraft’s birthday, for which SOMETHING EXCITING I CANNOT DISCLOSE MAY OCCUR! Also, our new monthly design stream (Thurs 16th)! Alexis and Lottie talk Cultist design, answer questions, and host special guest Nikhil Murthy (The Quiet Sleep), one of Weather Factory’s mentees. Ongoing work for Teresa’s Build. ☽★☾
September #1: ROSSETTI
Steam trading cards in-game! Another EXCITING THING I can’t talk about yet! Ongoing work on Teresa’s Build. ☽★☾
September #2: SHELLEY
Our monthly design stream (Thurs 13th)! Final polish/content for Teresa’s Build. ☽★☾
September #3: TENNYSON (Teresa’s Build release!)
Teresa’s Build! This will include a bunch of free updates (wounded/missing Followers, rebellious Followers, romanceable Followers, new Talk interactions, ‘Tainted Blood’ advanced Grail victory, huntable Long, improved Detective Legacy) and one paid bit of DLC (Dancer Legacy). Perpetual Edition owners, of course, get this ALL for free! ☽★☾
October #1: UNDINE
There definitely won’t be any bugs with Teresa, so we definitely haven’t left this sprint loose for fixing them. Work starts on Christopher’s Build, and our monthly design stream (Thurs 18th). ☽★☾
October #2: VERNE
Release of the Cultist Simulator soundtrack! Also, HALLOWEEN! Ongoing work on Christopher’s Build. ☽★☾
November #1: WHARTON
Our monthly design stream (Thurs 15th)! Ongoing work on Christopher’s Build. ☽★☾
November #2: XEXANOTH
Ongoing work on Christopher’s Build, and prep for our Christmas seasonal, OPALIA. ☽★☾
December #1: YOG-SOTHOTH
Ongoing Christopher’s Build work, and our pre-Christmas design stream (Thurs 13th)! ☽★☾
December #2: ZOLA
Christmas is the best time of the year. We shall be stuffing ourselves with mince pies and putting tinsel on cats, if you’re not too then what are you even doing with your life
January #1 (Christopher’s Build release!)
Christopher’s Build! A lot of free updates (new Skill: Scholarship uses, improved research mechanics, improved expedition goals, new player-written tomes, ‘Shaped’ advanced Forge victory) and a number of paid ones, too (new expeditions, Apostle Legacy, Priest Legacy). Again, anyone with Perpetual Edition gets the lot of ’em for free! ☽★☾
January #2
Our monthly design stream (Thurs 17th), and Christopher’s Build support! Work begins on Franklin’s Build. ☽★☾
February #1
Ongoing work on Franklin’s Build. ☽★☾
February #2
Ongoing work on Franklin’s Build, and our monthly design stream (Thurs 21st). ☽★☾
March #1 (Franklin’s Build release!)
Franklin’s Build release! As usual, this will include a lot of free updates (luxurious lifestyles, ageing, infamy, improved painting, new seasons) and some paid ones (new Patron stories, Familiar Legacy, Survivor Legacy, omg PETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!11!1!!!). Perpetual Edition owners get the whole lot for free, of course. ☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾☽★☾
[ 2018-07-27 11:45:58 CET ] [ Original post ]
2018 UPDATE ROADMAP
[ 2018-07-02 19:27:37 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hello all We’ve got all the post-launch hotfixes out the door, we’ve been to Brazil and back, and now we’re making some more Cultist Simulator. Here are the three updates you can expect to see next. You’ll notice it says ‘probably roughly’. What’s this? Weather Factory not committing to deadlines? Why not? Well, firstly, I have one last bit of potential just-when-I-thought-I-was-out-they-pull-me-back-in part-time freelance design/writing work. I said I wasn’t doing any more freelancing, but this is something that’s been on the cards since 2016, and I’m keen to be involved with it. It’s still under discussion, but if I do get involved, it will affect the CS schedule a bit. But secondly, we really hustled to get CS out, as Lottie discussed in the retrospective. So we’re making a point of taking things a little easier in the back half of this year. Maybe a proper holiday even! Anyway, here’s the plans! THIS PLAN IS NOT FINAL AND ANY AND ALL OF THE POINTS BELOW MAY CHANGE UNDER WHIM OR WEATHER. I’ve included our current thinking on what’ll be a free update and what’ll be paid DLC. TERESA’S BUILD (probably roughly end August) ‘The finest artisans all dream of the White Door in the end. I’m no artisan, only a scholar. I think there’s a Secret that all these artisans know, but I think that Secret is only half the story.’ Focus on followers: Wounded and Missing conditions [free] Rebellion [free] Romance [free] More uses for Talk, finally [free] The Tainted Blood advanced victory, and the Long Hunt [free] Enhancements to the Detective Legacy [free] The Dancer Legacy: hone your flesh and spirit at the Ecdysis Club [paid] CHRISTOPHER’S BUILD (probably roughly end October) ‘To reach the Stag Door, I believe that all you really need is to want something enough. But I’ve never wanted anything that much, except of course [Teresa], and I’m very much afraid that the knot in the story is this: what [Teresa] wants is the Stag Door.’ Focus on scholarship and expeditions: a use for the Scholarship skill! [free] enhanced Research mechanics [free] more specific goals for expeditions [free] player-written tomes [free] The Shaped advanced victory [free] Expedition stories [free and/or paid] Apostle Legacy: take up the mantle of a fallen cult leader [paid] Priest Legacy: when your faith fails, where will you turn? [paid] MY LORD FRANKLIN BANCROFT’S BUILD (probably roughly end January 2019) ‘Bancroft seems to have been a talented adept, but devoted his energies to frustratingly whimsical projects: arranging ‘grape-fetching races’ between Mansus-spirits, teaching Percussigants to juggle, and conjuring storms of imaginary blossoms for the rose-witch [Fionna] Ayrshire, who resolutely refused ever to couple with him. Bancroft spends twenty pages bemoaning this last.’ Focus on earthly pleasures, and their consequences: Luxuries! The Delights of High Living [free] The Ravages of Age! Which May Yet Be Averted [free] Beyond Notoriety: Infamy! [free] Painting: A Bouquet of Engrandisements [free] Hard Times: Seasons of Wretchedly Straitened Resource [free] Golden Days: Occasions of Munificence [free] Pets and Familiars: (We May Count At Least On These Little Souls When All Humankind Proves Both Cruel And Faithless: Ah, Fionna) [free] Patron Stories: Opportunities for Close and Warm Acquaintance [free and/or paid] Familiar Legacy: Less than Human, and More [paid] Survivor Legacy: What Have Ye Done [paid] We’ve got some other stuff on the boil as well, but when I pre-announce things Lottie looks disappointed at me, so please imagine a vaudeville hook has appeared stage left at this point to hook me off – Here’s our mailing list Here’s our subreddit Here’s Lottie, me and Weather Factory on Twitter.
[ 2018-07-02 19:27:37 CET ] [ Original post ]
'GATEOFHORN' BETA BRANCH AND BUG FIXES
[ 2018-06-04 20:04:27 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hello everyone! Well the launch went *much* better than expected. Thank you for that! I've caught up with the worst of the outstanding bugs, but I'm testing the fixes on the beta branch first, because we have a *lot* of new players. (Welcome!) If you'd like to help test - or just generally see new content and bug fixes as soon as possible - you can switch to the beta branch like this: - right-click Cultist Simulator in your library - Properties - Betas - 'gateofhorn' Here's what the beta branch currently contains: v2018.6.b.2 - Lots of crash-on-startup issues fixed - Dragging Scholarship skill to Work no longer crashes on OSX - Subverting Winter lore to Heart now consumes Winter - Cater and Hero can no longer be started with zero funds and end leaving Treacherous Ground in play - Unnumbered Stones have an ending message. - Audio and music no longer default to 10% volume. - Logo visible on Linux - Added someone to the credits page who was incognito as House Skintwister.
[ 2018-06-04 20:04:27 CET ] [ Original post ]
TODAY
[ 2018-05-31 10:10:35 CET ] [ Original post ]
Cultist Simulator is out today at 7PM UK time, May 31st. Seize the day. Here are some super valuable early hints: https://steamcommunity.com/app/718670/discussions/0/1697174779842844716/
[ 2018-05-31 10:10:35 CET ] [ Original post ]
One week to release, and the GATE OF HORN beta branch
[ 2018-05-23 13:42:45 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hello all. We've been updating the game at a furious pace, but from here on in, the pace of updates on the main branch will slow right down. From 31st May, Cultist Simulator will be in full release, and we will want to keep the game stable. BUT! if you like life in the fast dark lane at the edge of the midnight river, you can opt into our beta branch to get the newest, most thrilling and least reliable updates. To do this - right-click Cultist Simulator in your library - click PROPERTIES - go to the BETAS tab - choose 'gateofhorn' from the drop-down. Thank you very much. You can have your eyes back now.
[ 2018-05-23 13:42:45 CET ] [ Original post ]
HARBINGER + DETECTIVE
[ 2018-05-14 16:48:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
Good evening, beloveds! An update as we enter the FINAL STAGES of development. We released our last major build before launch last week (the Harbinger's Build), which'll be the last time you find yourselves with incompatible save files. It includes a bunch of bug fixes and UI/UX improvements, as well as a whole host of breadcrumbs which lead you better through the game.
It also includes the Detective legacy for the first time, too! So enjoy the tables being turned, briefly, before you inevitably die.
Full patch notes on the blog as usual, and hope you're all ticking down with us in our daily Hours countdown from now until release...!
[ 2018-05-14 16:48:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
Explorer's Build: Expedition Mechanics Preview
[ 2018-03-14 19:30:22 CET ] [ Original post ]
In case you missed it, here's a walkthrough of the Expedition mechanics as an announcement! http://weatherfactory.biz/the-explorers-build-expeditions-preview/
[ 2018-03-14 19:30:22 CET ] [ Original post ]
THE WINGED WORM
[ 2018-03-09 14:31:45 CET ] [ Original post ]
As is our wont, we've just posted our latest sprint update on our blog. It focuses on locations, the next and final big batch of content to go into Cultist Simulator ahead of the Explorer's Build.
(NB: the Explorer's Build won't be out until the first week of April or so, so please don't hold your breath quite yet.)
Happy Friday!
[ 2018-03-09 14:31:45 CET ] [ Original post ]
Adept's Build: Hotfixes
[ 2018-02-27 17:54:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
We’ve put three hotfixes live in the Adept’s Build since yesterday! Here’s what’s been hotly fixed: It is no longer possible for a detective to arrest you while he’s locked in your cupboard. premature ascension no longer occurs (it’s safe to use Notions with rites) major fix to how research works to make it more generous and less quirky. Researching two duplicate lores together now just levels up one of the lores and leaves the other; various odd combos no longer eat lore and leave you confused. I hope. Honestly, I’m kicking myself for not using the current implementation earlier. Let me know how it goes. adding Reason to a research process no longer has bewildering effects. (Look closely and you’ll see why.) Burglarising Strathcoyne’s library no longer causes explosions (though the library will still catch fire) it is now possible to answer *all* the Stag Door riddles, although it may require a lot of hard work or luck, and if you have a saved game where you’ve already burned through the bookshop inventory, you’ll need to restart. (dev builds, eh, sorry.) Mac build now works (Linux build is still broken, sorry!) fixed an issue where Hangers-on could not be promoted to Pawns fixed an issue where the Society of St Hydra wouldn’t accept reputation, so couldn’t be used to recruit fixed two issues that often prevented Rites from being found/created (still working on this tho) clarifying fix to options panel text Ecdysis Club has slightly happier endings (edited) Serpent’s Way can no longer be mistaken for the Thyrsine Way tiny edit to the text for sending out a cultist to seduce a stranger home restored WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? to credits, because people said they missed it Good luck. We’ll probably put out another patch later this week.
[ 2018-02-27 17:54:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
THE ADEPT'S BUILD
[ 2018-02-26 14:45:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
Today we release: THE ADEPT'S BUILD!
This is a long-awaited magic-focused build of the game, introducing all ten possible Rites in-game (the Rite of the Sea's Feasting; the Rite of the Beast's Division; the unholy, cataclysmic Intercalate Rite...). It also introduces Tools, Ingredients and Influences to help with your rituals, as well as a number of new summonables and dastardly culty deeds. And a whale's belly of associated Lore, Followers, NPCs, art, UI improvements, bug fixes...
. . ✨
[ 2018-02-26 14:45:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
THE MAPSUS
[ 2018-02-12 10:41:50 CET ] [ Original post ]
For anyone who missed last sprint's update on the Weather Factory blog, we announced something we'd previously kept secret: the inclusion of an exquisite, fully-navigable map of the Mansus in-game, accessible via Dream.
Focus your unconsciousness correctly and you'll be able to enter the Mansus in several places, pulling through a smidgen of unfiltered Glory back with you to the world of the awake.
This isn't yet implemented in-game, but it will be present in the release version (and probably in the Explorer's Build, but NO PROMISES).
Full update on last sprint here, for those who're interested!
[ 2018-02-12 10:41:50 CET ] [ Original post ]
NEVILLE'S BUILD
[ 2018-01-29 15:57:26 CET ] [ Original post ]
I come bearing the gift of Neville, pale and pensive and delightful. We've a new update for Cultist Simulator in the form of Neville's Build, bridging the gap between the Scholar's Build and the upcoming Adept's Build later on.
We've posted a bit of an update about Neville here on our blog, or you can simply read the full patch notes below.
This build was supposed to mark the fluid, effortless distribution of Steam keys to all Perpetual Edition owners, and thus enable all current owners of Cultist Simulator to play via Steam. We've, er, run into some issues with itch.io's system, so currently Kickstarter backers are still waiting on their keys. But we're on this, promise!
Backers, we shall come back to you with a solution anon. <3
PATCH NOTES (29/01/2018)
- tutoring now possible, meaning you are no longer entirely at the mercy of Chance when learning languages;
- individual named detectives will now investigate you, and unchecked Dread or Fascination may end your career;
- updated card images and placeholder assets, replacing big blank cards;
- version number is now included in save file, to prevent accidentally loading incompatible saves
- you can now zoom in up to 200%, addressing text size issues on high resolutions;
- no more blank legacy images on loading;
- no more issues recruiting for your society (even for the prissy Children of Silence);
- a single click will now allow you to collect all cards when a recipe is completed;
- you can now drop cards directly on to verb tokens, without opening them manually first;
- minor save/load issues resolved;
- improvements to pause functionality (e.g. shouldn’t lose cards already placed in slots anymore);
- you can no longer generate infinite patrons, sadface;
- no more incorrect text in Verb window titles after loading;
- no more borked progression at Glover & Glover;
- improvements to UI (e.g. issues with interacting through notifications/options menu buttons should now be resolved);
- tragically, you are no longer able to do this;
- we’ve improved burn images, so they fit in better (WIP!);
- new cards will glow slightly, to address feedback that new players didn’t realise they were clickable;
- the camera will now zoom to the culpable Verb when you die;
- you shouldn’t see any more blurry buttons in options menu.
[ 2018-01-29 15:57:26 CET ] [ Original post ]
THE SCHOLAR'S BUILD
[ 2017-12-15 14:16:43 CET ] [ Original post ]
Today our unspeakable baby hits BETA! The Scholar's Build is now out and available for purchase on itch.io. Unless you're a backer, in which case you own
- our firstborn (not feeling maternal though, I'm sorry)
- an itch.io key, which has been emailed to you.
There's an update on what's in the build here.
We may be incorporating Steam builds into the equation in the new year, so keep your eyes peeled for updates here. For now, Mansus be with you. And behind you. And in your eyes at night.
[ 2017-12-15 14:16:43 CET ] [ Original post ]
Steam page now live!
[ 2017-12-07 13:13:14 CET ] [ Original post ]
AFTER MANY BATTLES WITH FRIGHTENING THINGS (well, after politely asking Valve to review this page, in accordance with their clear submission guidelines), the Cultist Simulator Steam page is now live. Woohoo! We posted our production schedule to the Weather Factory blog earlier in the week, so take a look there for our major milestones from now until launch. We're aiming to release on Windows, Mac and Linux in May 2018, and will update you all with a specific date nearer the time. Let us know if you have any questions here, or follow us on @factoryweather for updates, occult ramblings and occasionally GIFs of, like, really cute cats.
[ 2017-12-07 13:13:14 CET ] [ Original post ]
Seize forbidden treasures. Summon alien gods. Feed on your disciples.
Cultist Simulator is a game of apocalypse and yearning from Alexis Kennedy, creator of Fallen London and Sunless Sea. Play as a seeker after unholy mysteries, in a 1920s-themed setting of hidden gods and secret histories. Perhaps you're looking for knowledge, or power, or beauty, or revenge. Perhaps you just want the colours beneath the skin of the world.
In this roguelike narrative card game, what you find may transform you forever. Every choice you make, from moment to moment, doesn't just advance the narrative - it also shapes it.
Become a scholar of the unseen arts. Search your dreams for sanity-twisting rituals. Craft tools and summon spirits. Indoctrinate innocents. Seize your place as the herald of a new age.
Key features:
Cultist Simulator is a game of apocalypse and yearning from Alexis Kennedy, creator of Fallen London and Sunless Sea. Play as a seeker after unholy mysteries, in a 1920s-themed setting of hidden gods and secret histories. Perhaps you're looking for knowledge, or power, or beauty, or revenge. Perhaps you just want the colours beneath the skin of the world.
In this roguelike narrative card game, what you find may transform you forever. Every choice you make, from moment to moment, doesn't just advance the narrative - it also shapes it.
Become a scholar of the unseen arts. Search your dreams for sanity-twisting rituals. Craft tools and summon spirits. Indoctrinate innocents. Seize your place as the herald of a new age.
Key features:
- Combine cards to tell your own story in a rich, Lovecraftian world of ambition, appetite and abomination. Corrupt your friends. Consume your enemies. There is never only one history.
- Found a cult, dedicated to the Red Grail, or the Witch-and-Sister, or the Forge of Days. Recruit Believers and promote them to Disciples to serve as burglars, researchers, cat's-paws. Use your disciples to keep you fed - or feed on your disciples.
- Unravel arcane, unacknowledged mysteries. Translate grimoires and glean their lore. Locate and pillage the Star Shattered Fane. Penetrate the realm of the Hours, and win a place in their service. Perhaps - if you are very cunning - you may even glimpse the Mansus.
- Outwit rivals, investigators and the increasingly suspicious Authorities. Your own altered Appetites may force you to act abominably, but your Cause must not be stopped.
- Transcend death with a story-driven legacy system. Perhaps your inheritors will complete the Rite of the Crucible Soul. Perhaps they'll find peace in a pleasing career. Perhaps they'll bring the Dawn.
MINIMAL SETUP
- OS: 64-bit system; Ubuntu 20.04. Ubuntu 18.04. and CentOS 7
- Processor: 2GHz or betterMemory: 1 GB RAM
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Graphics: 1280x768 minimum resolution. OpenGL Core. post-2012 integrated graphics
- Storage: 500 MB available space
GAMEBILLET
[ 6081 ]
GAMERSGATE
[ 1294 ]
MacGamestore
[ 4061 ]
FANATICAL BUNDLES
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356361 days, 16 hours, 51 minutes
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HUMBLE BUNDLES
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