After all the lambs have been slaughtered to prevent a prophecy from coming to pass, the very last one is resurrected in Cult of the Lamb in order to do The One Who Wait's bidding. This is the story of Massive Monster's indie darling hit - one that's easy to overlook against the roguelite adventuring and village-building players have to do - that will take the focus in an upcoming Cult of the Lamb comic mini-series. Aiming to be supplementary material to the game itself, these four issues will expand on the Lamb's story in ways that shed further light on the world and its lore.
Published by Oni Press, the Cult of the Lamb comics and graphic novel will be written by Alex Paknadel and illustrated by Troy Little. Paknadel has previously worked on Little Nightmares' comic adaption and All Against All from Image Comics, while Little has applied his art talents to IDW's The Powerpuff Girls and Angora Napkin. Together, the two are set to honor the art style that made Cult of the Lamb such an important game to many. In a recent interview, Paknadel and Little shared their thoughts on the upcoming comic project with The Best War Games.
How the Cult of the Lamb Comics Aim to Be a Fittingly Faithful Adaptation
Cult of the Lamb's Game is For Action, and the Comics are For the Story
With a premise that can easily be described as Eldrich Horror meets Animal Crossing, Alex Paknadel describes the overarching story of Cult of the Lamb as "You can either take the story seriously or you can't." With Massive Monster and Devolver Digital's blessing, Paknadel is aiming to tell an expected grim story with Little's adorable artwork to accompany it. Fans should expect a frantic story about sacrifice and revenge, with Paknadel taking inspiration from thinkers Rene Girard and Georges Bataille. It won't be an adequate replacement for the game, however, according to the writer:
There’s no story without the game, so I hope our book enriches readers’ experience of the game by providing a tragic throughline and giving a voice to the Lamb that wasn’t there before. They’re intended to be true companion pieces, with one providing vital context for the other and making the emotional journey that much more textured. The game stands alone, of course, but if you want a deeper dive into what’s going on, this is the book for you.
Even as Cult of the Lamb's unique charm is being given new life through these comics, it only serves to expand on what's already in the game as much as possible, using in-game dialogue and plot beats as a basis. While characters such as the Bishops of the Old Faith and Haro will be as players expect, there's quite an important role to fill when it comes to the Lamb themself: being a silent protagonist for the player. This, too, will be turned into a narrative tool to expand the story fans may already know from their playthrough.
I’m not giving them much to say, but I’m trying to present the Lamb as the perpetually wronged party. They’re wedded to a classic revenge arc even though they’ve been given their life back – and there are various angels and devils on their shoulders, including The One Who Waits, who are either helping or hindering them. All I’ll say is, revenge has a way of rebounding on the one seeking it.
Ultimately, the idea is that the upcoming graphic novel and mini-series is meant to add to the game's lore, rather than replace or distract from it. Paknadel has stated that the gameplay itself being adapted isn't one of the goals of the project, nor does the small size of four issues give them time to divulge into the DLC that released in 2022. It makes it easier for these mediums to work well together to advertise Cult of the Lamb to new players and encourage those who already adore the game to pick up the comics to see the story play out more dramatically. Troy Little keeps this in mind with his approach to the comic, stating there are "so many questions and stories left to shape and flesh out this dark world."
Cult of the Lamb is shaping up to be a great adaptation of the story Massive Monster, especially if the massive success of the Kickstarter is anything to go by. If fans want to support the project, they can through Oni Press' Cult of the Lamb Kickstarter to obtain all four issues, graphic novel collections, and even more exclusive merch once the comic launches in December 2024.
Cult of the Lamb
- Released
- August 11, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
Cult of the Lamb casts players in the role of a possessed lamb saved from annihilation by an ominous stranger, and must repay their debt by building a loyal following in his name. Start your own cult in a land of false prophets, venturing out into diverse and mysterious regions to build a loyal community of woodland Followers and spread your Word to become the one true cult.
BUILD YOUR FLOCK
Collect and use resources to build new structures, perform dark rituals to appease the gods, and give sermons to reinforce the faith of your flock.
DESTROY THE NON-BELIEVERS
Explore a sprawling, randomly generated world, fight off hordes of enemies and defeat rival cult leaders in order to absorb their power and assert your cult's dominance.
SPREAD YOUR WORD
Train your flock and embark on a quest to explore and discover the secrets of four mysterious regions. Cleanse the non-believers, spread enlightenment, and perform mystical rituals on the journey to become the mighty lamb god.
- ESRB
- Teen / Blood, Violence.
- Developer(s)
- Massive Monster
- Publisher(s)
- Devolver Digital
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s)
- Roguelite, Indie Games, Simulation
- How Long To Beat
- 15 - 20 Hours
- Metascore
- 86
