Разработчик: Chaphat
Описание
You create your own religion and fight a secret war for the soul of the world. With your disciples you spread your faith throughout the Mediterranean world by preaching to the people and converting noble families. You and the other cults are the hidden powers behind history, you secretly manipulate the rise and fall of great city states to further your ambitions.
But the Old Gods are also stirring, taking advantage of the time between Buddha and Christ to try and destroy the world they can no longer rule. You must stop them by sending your disciples to their places of power and defeating their evil.
A sprawling, deep and complex game which covers over 400 years of history, spies, assassinations, double dealing, occult forces , martyrs , prophets and blasphemers.
Write your own myths. Single player against the AI or upto 4 player Multiplayer.
Cults and Daggers. Faith, Hope and Conspiracy.
- Turn based Strategy over 400 years of history.
- Create and customise your own Faith
- Procedurally generated technology tree and adventure system
- In depth modelled spying system allows for deep subterfuge
- Complete ambient music Album "Cults and Daggers" included
- Single player. Hotseat multiplayer
Поддерживаемые языки: english
Системные требования
Windows
- OS *: Windows XP SP2 or later
- Processor: 1.5 Ghz CPU
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: OpenGL 2.0 compatible 3D graphics card with at least 256MB of addressable memory. Must support 1024 by 720 or better
- Storage: 1 GB available space
Mac
- OS: Mac OSX Intel CPU and "Leopard" 10.5 or later
- Processor: 1.5 Ghz CPU
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: Must support 1024 by 720 or better
- Storage: 1 GB available space
Отзывы пользователей
I really don't like writing negative reviews because I consider games a form of art and I believe artists should generally be respected, even if we don't particularly like the art made, because it's an expression or even extension of the artist's soul. Well, since there's none of that here I don't mind criticizing this game.
"Cults and Daggers" could have been a great game—maybe even a masterpiece—had it been made by, say, Paradox and not a single person who seems to have lost his passion for making games. That person is Rod Humble, a veteran game developer so there is no excuse for such a massive disappointment. This is somewhat infuriating given how unique the idea behind it was: control the destiny of a cult over a span of 7 ages, between the death of Buddha and the birth of Christ, to prevent the vengeful Elder Gods (angry over their worshipers' waning faith) from destroying the world. There's no other game on the market like that!
So, what went wrong, you ask? One could comment on the dated, freeware graphics used or the clunky gameplay and user interface (both of which could be easily and inexpensively fixed by hiring a freelancer to revamp them) but, honestly, both of those problems could have been totally overlooked had the creator put some genuine passion into the game. What I mean is that this is not a game as much as it's the skeleton of a game, a beta or proof-of-concept basically. Aside from the premise, there's no storyline to speak of: you either succeed at averting destruction or you get a game-over screen. Considering how much information is available both on the net and in any public library about the various types of cults of antiquity or earlier (e.g. the antediluvian fertility cults of prehistory that produced Venus figurines, Roman military cults like Mithraism, mystery cults like Orphism or those that worshipped the "mother goddess" Cybele, syncretistic Greco-Egyptian cults like that of Serapis or the Thracian/Phrygian/Greek cult of Sabazios, fertility cults known for their alleged sexual excesses like that of the "Good Goddess" mentioned by Juvenal, etc.), the game could have utilized that historical knowledge or been inspired by it to create a unique setting and atmosphere that would have drawn the player in and transported him or her into an unforgettable world. Instead, everything in this game—from the cults to the cult leaders to cities—is generic and absolutely lifeless. The only difference between the cult that you've created versus the others is the profile pic you select and the minor bonus you get from picking your power (e.g. more likely to convert nobles, more likely to convert peasants, better hiding ability for your disciples, etc.).
You then spend the rest of the tiresome game taking turns in which you send disciples to various cities and take actions in order to boost your presence or hurt the presence of other cults in order to accumulate a certain number of points and win the epoch. You can proselytize, set up a temple, assassinate rival disciples, commit blasphemy and try to blame another cult for it, engage in occult rituals (which is one of the few cool things in the game but even that gets tiring after the novelty wears off), etc. However, because there's no flavor text or anything special about your cult or your rivals' cults, you don't really feel all that immersed or invested in the outcome. "Oh, I lost this epoch?" "Ah, looks like I won this epoch. Great..." The best way to explain how it feels to play this game is to imagine playing a fantasy-themed children's board-game, but completely alone. That's the level of enjoyment you'll get from this game, if not immediately then certainly after a few hours of repeating the same actions over and over. Just try watching more than 20 minutes of game-play on YouTube, if you're skeptical about any of my claims. You'll probably want to give up after a few minutes.
That said, if you really want to try this game out for yourself, I'd normally say, "Wait for a sale"—but the developer doesn't believe in sales. This game is $30 and will likely always be $30. (Many years ago someone on the forums asked if he'd ever put "Cults & Daggers" on sale but, although he promised he would do so, it looks like he changed his mind because, aside from never having done so since the game's release in 2015, he also deleted the post where he said he would!) Do I think this game can be salvaged and become worth its price? Yes, with a lot of work and inspiration, definitely. Do I think it will be? Sadly, I don't, especially considering its last update was in 2016.
Luckily, for you, I bought this game so you don't have to.
Zeitlich zwischen dem Tode des Buddha und der Geburt von Christus angesiedelt, ist Cults and Daggers eine Religions- und Bekehrungssimulation. Unsere Aufgabe besteht darin, unseren kleinen Kult zu einem weltweit gepriesenen Glauben auszuweiten und dabei die Verbreitung der Lehren unserer Konkurrenten zu verhindern. Das dergestalt nie dagewesene Spielprinzip (wenn man von Billigspielen mit Lovecraft-Bezug wie Evil Cult und Elder Chaos absieht) ist freilich hochfaszinierend, verbirgt sich jedoch hinter einem sperrigen Gameplay und einer unübersichtlichen Präsentation.
Mir sagte einmal eine unvergessene Frau, nachdem wir uns erkannt (bibl.) hatten, sie habe bei unserer ersten Begegnung gedacht, ich sei "eine harte Nuss". Dergestalt verhält es sich mit Cults and Daggers. Das In-Game-Tutorial, bestehend aus simplen Grafikeinblendungen, ist jedenfalls vollkommen unzureichend. Mittlerweile hat der Entwickler auf der Shopseite selbst einen erklärenden Spielmitschnitt hochgeladen, der neben dem dreißigseitigen Handbuch offene Fragen beantwortet.
Zu Beginn des Spiels erschafft man seine Religion mit Namen und Emblem und wählt einen der drei zufällig zur Verfügung stehenden Glaubensjünger sowie eines der vierzehn möglichen Bonusattribute aus. Letztere erhöhen etwa unser Geschick, neue Anhänger zu rekrutieren oder das gemeine Volk auf den Marktplätzen zu überzeugen, führen zu erfolgreicheren Bekehrungsmaßnahmen bei den adligen Statthaltern, perfektionieren die Ermordung feindlicher Propheten oder machen die eigenen Verstorbenen zu Märtyrern, so dass sogar ihr Ableben zur Glaubensverbreitung beiträgt. Daraufhin befinden wir uns auf der Karte mit den Städten der hellenistischen Welt.
Hier vertrauen wir unserer Handvoll Propheten mit ihren individuellen Charakteristika attributverbessernde Aufgaben an. Wenn sie nicht gerade unerkannt mit der Stadtbevölkerung verschmelzen müssen, können sie in den Straßen zu den Massen sprechen, Anhänger fremder Lehren ausfindig machen und gewaltsam beseitigen, zur Übernahme von Ortschaften die führende Aristokratie missionieren, sich zur Religionsausbreitung oder zur Flucht vor einem Hinrichtungsbefehl in andere Städte bewegen oder sich den dunklen Kräften des Okkulten widmen, um Rituale und Wundertaten zu vollziehen. Kommen unsere Jünger bei ihrer Pflichterfüllung um, müssen überdies neue Glaubenslehrer rekrutiert werden, die zu den vorgenannten Handlungen befähigt sind. In den Städten lassen sich unsere Getreuen ferner dazu anleiten, heimlich Zersetzungsmaßnahmen oder blasphemische Aktionen durchzuführen, um andere Kulte bei Machthabern und beim gemeinen Volk anzuschwärzen, oder durch den Bau von Tempeln und das Ausrichten religiöser Feste den Pöbel auf unsere Seite zu ziehen. Notfalls geben wir gar den Befehl, feindliche Weihestätten zu überfallen und auszurauben.
Wir durchleben sieben, den historischen Gegebenheiten nachempfundene Epochen aus jeweils einigen Dutzend Runden, bevor die Geburt Jesu die europäische Zeitenwende einläutet. Uns und unserer Konkurrenz stehen im Laufe des Spiels dabei immer mehr, maximal jedoch zwölf Apostel zur Verfügung, was den Glaubenskrieg fortlaufend komplexer gestaltet. In jeder Ära ist es unser Bestreben, im weltumspannenden Attribut "Hoffnung" die höchste Punktzahl zu erreichen, welche sich wiederum aus dem Wert "Glaube" speist. Jene Partei, welche die meisten Zeitalter für sich gewinnt, geht als Sieger hervor.
Darüber hinaus gibt es auch eine böse Energie der alten Götter, welche langsam die sogenannte "Seele der Welt" verschlingt und sich in unheiligen Stätten auf der Karte manifestiert. Gegen diese Orte der Prüfung können unsere Getreuen ebenfalls ziehen, wobei ihre spirituellen Fähigkeiten anhand ihrer Attributzahlen getestet werden. Bewähren sie sich, schwächen sie das Böse und verhelfen unserem Kult zu mehr Macht. Dieser Aspekt führt das Spiel freilich in übernatürliche Gefilde, ist jedoch angesichts des generellen Religions- und Glaubensmotivs vertretbar.
Cults and Daggers behandelt zweifellos eine nischige special-interest-Thematik. Wer sich nicht für frühe (und inoffizielle) Religionsgeschichte interessiert, sollte Abstand nehmen und vielleicht zu einem anderen versteckten Juwel greifen. Außerdem muss die grobschlächtige Präsentation und die zuweilen hakelige Bedienung, vor allem aber die äußerst unübersichtliche Rundenrückschau kritisiert werden. Das spannende Spielprinzip, der atmosphärische Einbezug zahlreicher antiker Bildzeugnisse und der düster-chorale Soundtrack trösten jedoch über diese Makel hinweg. Man sollte sich freilich im Klaren sein, worauf man sich einlässt - oder im Fall eines Fehlkaufs die rechtzeitige Opferung auf dem Refund-Altar vollziehen.
It's difficult to thumbs-down this.
But for the price... I expected not quite the level of wonkiness in the game. Basically the game says "please put up with my quirks and strange behaviors, and you'll enjoy playing me." And if the game-play was really that good, I would have enjoyed it. But I'm afraid that balance is right on the teetering edge - so some people will enjoy the game and forgive the technical issues, and others like me will not.
"Okay Frank -- what's so bad?"
- I can't select a better resolution in the game options, so I can read the teensie-tiny fonts that show what events happened on the last turn. "Go change your Windows resolution." Yeah ... well... okay I did that. No I'm not going to do that every time I play. I'm sorry. Please fix your UI. Were you waiting for a bad review before fixing it? Consider yourself served. Not everyone has the eye-sight to read tiny text - and this game makes me squint.
- There is no history of events for each turn - so I can't look back in time and see what happened to my cult over time - what turn some character died, etc. If this history existed it would let me read it whenever I liked, and remember happenings and add more attachment to the characters.
- The map jumps around at the beginning of the turn - apparently to show events that happened. But the animation doesn't freeze the mouse. So when I'm trying to move around the map, I get it tugged away from me. If there's going to be a "this is the animation sequence of the new turn start" - make it more obvious that it's a little mini-movie and don't let the player do anything with the mouse while the animation plays. As it is, I feel like I'm battling some bug in the mouse control as I wrestle with it.
So what's to like?
- The music and art are great.
- The city names are shown in large print when you hover over them - which seems a bit like a geography lesson "remember where the cities are" mini-game. If that was the intent (to make it a mini-game) then that is not bad.
- There are a lot of options - enough to inspire the courage to try certain strategies.
Generally this game seems to be hiding a sophisticated and interesting rule-set and game-play mechanism. It would be a pity - but it seems like an inevitability - if new players are prevented from adopting and exploring this game due to technical issues and a not well thought-out learning curve.
This is a great game! Cults and Daggers is a rare example of this sort of game being designed well, where it is actually engaging, fun to play, and true to the themes it involves. There are not many games of this genre of "Cult Simulation" around. I can only think of one other, called "Evil Cult" which is a free browser game that is also very fun and well designed, but much simpler than this. I highly recommend this game, especially if you ever wanted a good strategy game that simulates cult management and the religious, occult and supernatural themes involved. Along with this, the Classical Age setting and aesthetics, as well as the art design are marvellous.
I really like this game and it has great potential to be expanded upon. I hope with future updates, the game mechanics are made more complex and fine-tuned. I also would love to see an expansion with a campaign setting in contemporary times.
I finished the game recently. I saw from this that the game needs further development. Regardless, this programme is the kernel of a great game that needs more development for the game to properly flourish.
This game has so much potential! It's a great game that will keep you playing for hours, until you realize that it's a strategic clicker, and I found that the depth that I thought was there evaporates after you get past winning the first couple of ages. I want there to be more about developing your cult as the ages progress, and elimination of the randomness of of the times inbetween the ages.
The game is flawed but really original and clever. Not enough developers have a singular vision for a game and stick to it despite pressure from a vocal minority. Ignore the MIXED review rating. Most indie strategy games have 50-60% positive reviews because they are niche genres, have complex and new concepts and many people buy games on sale without reading the store info and just gather expectations by looking at images. 8/10 times that will result in a negative review.
This is a slow and meticulous game where you will plan your strategy a dozen moves ahead. Still you won't feel overwhelmed at any point. The game's slower pace allows you to adjust to evolving scenarios with the opposition. The game is considered finished but the developer continues to occasionally update the game based on reasonable feedback. It was last updated in March and April(now June). I recommend the game to those who have an interest in historical secret societies, rising religious powers and intelligence(spies) warfare.
Support original game designers or we will be playing the same old boring FPS Survival games or MOBAS. YUCK! Let's spend $20-40/month supporting clever developers, especially in the Strategy/Tycoon/Sim genre which is ignored by mainstream mostly(except for a few stragglers). It's up to us
I can't recommend this game as it is. The idea is good but the UI and gameplay needs more work. Even some simple enhancements like a more user friendly event report would lift this game a lot. The occult powers are bizarre and seem to have no attempt to balance out effort vs reward yet they could have been a really fun element of a game like this.
I hope the developer would spend more time working on this game but reading his recent online post, he feels the game is complete. Shame because the idea of the game is great.
Although this game has a good concept, the Cluttered user interface and no tutorial or instructions make this difficult to learn and enjoy.
Will come back to this in a couple of updates to see how it goes but for now its $30 that I wish I hadnt wasted.
I just can't recommend it now and that's a shame because this game has all the foundations to be a classic. The concept is fresh and the potential is almost limitless but the UI makes it just about unplayable. A simple single screen summary of what happens to each cult for each turn would really help. It's silly to be getting reports slowly scrolling by about disciples you've already been told have kicked the bucket. Even setting up the game is a bit of a mess.
This is a perfect Game for me it breaks down each turn moves at a nice steady pace for the first couple ages then the word is populated enough the news really slows the games down but for me it is not a big deal. I do not enjoy haveing to rebuild my cult because of the time in between ages but I understand it. If you enjoy games that move slow ( if you keep the news on and like turn-based stratedgy games then I highly recommend this game or if you like a faster pace shut the news off and it is just as fun.
EDITED
I'm going to be frank and say this game is not perfect. It's far from it, and it really should be labelled as Early Access. Putting this game on an arbitrary ten point scale, I'd score it around a 3. I originally gave this game a down vote, and I do strongly urge potential buyers to do their own research and know what you're getting in to.
However, the concept alone is something fresh and is a breath of fresh air on Steam. The developer also keeps a close ear on the forums and is taking the criticism and suggestions offered to heart. As long as the developer keeps putting in the effort to fix things, they'll have my confidence.
For all its faults, Cults & Daggers is an interesting and fun take on turn-based 4X games. It's got a great premise, multiple roads to victory, and a rule set that isn't crazy tough to learn. It's surprisingly fun managing the operations of your pet religion, sending marching orders to your disciples, and preaching to or manipulating cities, and quashing the Old Gods.
It's not perfect. In fact, the events summary at the beginning of each turn is particularly horrible for such a critical part of the game's interface. It could have used a nice scrollable and easily digestible format of events that you can read through. Still, just on uniqueness of premise and solid, challenging strategic play, I'd say it's a good buy for fans of turn-based menu-driven strategy games looking for something different.
I haven't enjoyed a turn based strategy game this much since playing the original Civilization on my Commodore Amiga; I am once again in the grips of 'just one more turn' fervour!
The sound design, maps, icons create a great immersive atmosphere and gameplay is fairly intutitive and easy enough to understand with helpful tooltips. Contrary to some comments there is not too much reading in this game. I am sure some people would like more explanation as to what all the words and numbers mean, and yes the game needs polish, and yes the UI could be improved, but I am honestly having far too much fun to care or notice.
I never comment on games, but , I feel compelled to comment on this one--- If you enjoy ancient history or ancient religion, or espionage based risk style gaming, you will love this game.
I am a huge fan of crusader kings 2 and all paradox games, I think this is a title that would fit well with that company. It is very interesting and original, and really fun for people like me who enjoy these subjects.
I would like to personally thank the creator of this game for making something so particularly interesting to me!
It's a simple TBS with some RPG elements. What makes it so interesting is the setting and the focus(expanding your new founded cult).
The game is quite simple in its mechanics and could use some more events. On the plus side, it's really easy to get into it. You don't need two hours of preparation to begin playing at a decent level.
I recommend you check the playthrough video posted on Steam. If it looks like something you'd like then the game is for you(I haven't had trouble with game breaking bugs or missing features).
An enjoyable strategy game that tries something different, and largely succeeds. It lacks slick graphics and interface, but it feels like there's a lot going on under the hood. There's a slower pace to it not often met these days... younger impatient players may not understand and react accordingly.
The developer seems ready to react to any problems found.
It remains to be seen how interestingly the later stages of the game can develop, as I haven't got that far yet.
Recommended for the more mature, patient and thoughtful gamer....
Overall the game feels very unpolished, with event notifications scattered all over the world map, messes of text piling up in one spot, and a lack of any sort of in game tutorial or instructions.
While I found the idea interesting, the game was frusturating to follow, and also nearly pre-emptively decided who would win any age (the seven rounds the game is divided into) after the first, as it would play through what looked like thirty turns with no input or control on behalf of the player. Often another cult would end up with enormous amounts of faith (one of the two types of tech points) , and on on occassion my cult seemed to be wiped out during those turns. One session of the autoplay ended with several notices that I could not recruit more disciples, indicating that the AI in control of the player's side was simply spamming the recruit action for no good reason. The flipside is that the game might wind up crippling all the other cults and leave yours dominant at the beginning of the age.
My main complaint is that this is a strategy game in which a significant portion of the strategy is conducted by a remarkably clumsy AI, rather than the player.
Really hoping this game's interface is gonna get a reboot soon as it kinda killed the hype when the game itself performed in a rather sluggish manner + clunky camera issues. Worth it for its price? hell no. Im gonna have to grind in a few more hours to even understand what is going but hey thats what I paid for.
However, I can tell this is pretty different from anything I've played and it feels fresh. Sadly, this game's reliance on some really crude graphics (that world map sigh) really pulls away from the experience. I can only hope they go for a minimalist approach to the interace as well as provide short & simple tutorial in order for noobs like me to understand some of the intricacies the gameplay has to offer.
I fear that all of this use of crude art and equally crude interface is part of the developer's vision to make a rustic looking game in line with its 'theme' but I must say that idea has completely missed its mark.
It looks like there could be a great game hidden in this however hidden is the key word. The most basic problem is that the UI is a mess and it is hard to figure out what happens each turn. This is a shame because following the results of what your disciples do each turn is the coolness that should drive this game. Also, lots of basic things like no way of figuring out what the special abilities of your disciples actually do and a manual that is incomplete in this and many other respects. For a strategy game, you need facts (for example, how many disciples you can have in each age after the 1st, etc.)
There is another big reason why you should not buy this game, though. Some people like early access games. That's cool. But releasing a game without disclosing that it is in early access state is dishonest. Don't feed the liars. Don't buy this game.
Interesting and different. Easy to pick up and thematic. Seems to be a satisfying mix of depth and ease of use, though some of the controls are a bit clunky. I havn't played enough to give a full review, but the initial impression is quite positive. It can be difficult to find a genuinely unique game these days, but this seems to be one.
Edit: Played through the first age, game has a number of bugs, though I havn't encountered any crashes yet or anything game breaking. My main issue is with the fact that many things are not explained very well, if at all. An icon that might mean something to the dev would be worlds more useful to me if it had a mouse-over explanation, for example.
Still, this game has interesting strategy, and a number of unique mechanics. I'm satisfied.
Дополнительная информация
| Разработчик | Chaphat |
| Платформы | Windows |
| Ограничение возраста | Нет |
| Дата релиза | 19.01.2025 |
| Отзывы пользователей | 59% положительных (46) |