Cultist Simulator: Designing an Experimental Game for Commercial Success

[@colinfreyvogel3014]

I found it really interesting that he would do the UI substantially differently. I’m sure there’s a couple things, but I really found the lack of organizing in Cultist Simulator’s UI to be essential to the game. The hud shows you a few numbers (health, reason, passion, and gold as your basic stats) and a few other little things, but apart from that you make your own UI by organizing the cards and verbs yourself. The act of spatially organizing the information and cards as they come in is just part of the gameplay for me and I really enjoy that aspect. On the other hand, he’s definitely right about the endgame grind. Once you’re past the point of discovery, you’ve shored up your finances, you’ve expanded your cult to be able to deal with all situations, etc, actually finishing the game is often a bit of a slog. Sure, you *can* go for an ending earlier, but it’s not safe and it’s not optimal play, and I think that’s the biggest stumbling block for the game, it’s unfortunately pretty easy to optimize the fun out of the game after you get the hang of it. That said, great game, I’ve finished nearly every ending (I don’t wanna go back and do all the marriage ones) and really enjoyed the experience, even the Exile DLC which a lot of people really disliked. I wonder if having a 4x speed mode unlock after a certain Mansus visit or something would have helped

[@mathildaawn6010]

After grinding my teeth for so long through the various end games I think I found a way now how to have fun in CS: I play for "optimal" strategies. Using the whole wiki knowledge available. It's kind of counter intuitive (and counter design tbh): After all I kind of removed the exploration element from the game when going "With vault A and valut B looted I now only need to look for vault C on the continent, learn Sanskrit, read *that* and then become undead via method X". But - *but* - the game threw exploration right back at me. There are so many wrenches, so many diverging paths the cards can take that I found it quite a challenge to get the correct timing on actually employing such an "optimized" strategy. Often it's "Well, I *thought* I might go for that 3-vault ending but the seasons were totally messed up and I managed nothing but buying a few books while dreaming the world away - and now I'm suddenly set up for the highest tiers of the house and maybe I just go for the Isles for a change?" or: the game gives me only one nearly *useless* vault but I really cannot do anything else with my explore verb atm. So I do that one exploration and three minutes later I find myself totally off track without any recourse and four hours later it turns out that that useless vault is actually crucial for my victory... This game just keeps giving! and taking...

[@Bradbradhehe]

One of my favourite talks this year, talking from experience about solving a seemingly paradoxical topic had me gripped from the start

[@JFMHunter]

hugely underrated talk. worth the whole watch

[@bepkororoti8019]

It is the weirdest, most enthralling and addictive card game I've ever seen. It's great, infuriating, flawed and soothing all at the same time

[@Sintarzus]

I love how he knows almost all of the flaws, and just admit it.

[@gabrote42]

29:48 I find it curious how this is the diametric opposite of systemic game design: 1. Simulate as much as you can. 2. Make the systems interactable and realistic, but have them work in the background. 3. Have all that work shine through in small and unique moments. Dwarf Fortress is the biggest example of this, but many other games are like that, like Hitman. Very cool to see the two sides.

[@NeroVingian40]

13:35 lmao, I do use Cultist Simulator art for my pfp lol very distinctive indeed

[@PoxikFrostbite]

People feeling strongly about your game is more important than people loving your game and moving on immediately

[@Dominik-K]

Great talk! And good insights into what makes cultist simulator an experimental game with an interesting perspective

[@markphc99]

bought this astounding game after finding it having played sunless skies/seas

[@bepkororoti8019]

Ahem... "a game you play an afternoon or two and win"... are you kidding me? I've never reached in winning situation in days of gameplay...

[@jg2323]

Well there's always the option to just get really good at your clerk job...

[@cookies23z]

21 min in and no mention on bird or worm, I NEED TO KNOW! but cool talk so far about them having such quirky games do well enough to thrive in the industry.

[@MrThorSir]

58:50

[@dimmapetrenko]

Hi's a bit tallented storyteller. That's true

[@Bajamamut]

(Gained insight) P:S. A pity that it's not included in the Mobile Version

[@tangjiapeng7194]

he is leaving a huge gap for people to fill in their imagination, that is real genius in indie dev

[@misomiso8228]

35:55 i'm unclear - whay exactly did he steal from sid mier? its very confusing.

[@jacobhartmann6163]

the addictive loop of having many productions running at the same time, and being able to see that "oh, only two turns till this is done, and one till this one is done". You end up being addicted to seeing them finish, because once the first one is done, there's only a few more turns till the next one is, and so on.

[@misomiso8228]

@@jacobhartmann6163 That makes perfect sense ty.

[@jacobhartmann6163]

@@misomiso8228 you're welcome.

[@OnGe1234]

I just went to buy Cultist simulator

[@jasonbaldwin273]

I have also watched the GDC talk on how Steam sales work, so I wish listed it.

[@andreicristian9575]

Nice talk, Lord Speakup!

[@ItsAllGoodGames]

cool talk

[@PoxikFrostbite]

You don't get the "toxic" community because you aren't at the top of the attention hierarchy with Cultist Simulator. The "toxic" people are doing it for attention and nothing else.

[@amelio7737]

an oversimplification really, I personally believe the generation of negative emotion associated with the game creates toxicity in some cases, people wanting attention are just the aftermath of it but a case study is needed

[@sirdiealot7805]

Good talk, thanks. I'm one of those people who hate the game with a passion. I do like the exploration aspect of it but really can't get over the UI. Honestly I think it's dreadful, no offense to your UI programmer. Back when it came out I thought a lot about what the problems are and had about a hundred ideas as to how to improve it but ended up concluding that the free-form cards on the table metaphor is the root of most of those UI issues. The other issues mostly revolve around hidden states and would be more easily fixable if someone cared enough to do so.

[@ChamplooMusashi]

I like the freeform UI. I felt like it was an experience through the chaotic inner workings of the PC's mind

[@jasondads9509]

Hearing your complaints, I'm curious. There is now a switch version, with UI that's quite different. More ridged. What do you think about the switch UI?

[@sirdiealot7805]

@@jasondads9509 Can one play with the Switch UI on PC?

[@jasondads9509]

@@sirdiealot7805 nope

[@genroa3881]

@@sirdiealot7805 But there are lots of shortcuts, a grid to keep stuff organized and double click to slot stuff without having to use drag and drop. :)

[@cyyxc]

Very nice!

[@SpoikeTube]

The way Alexis talks, he sounds a lot like Peter Moleneux.

[@Shamino1]

@@smashman8828 Voice of an absolute chad that generates huge successes where-ever he goes and leaves female developers seething in their incompetency? Will have to buy his game twice.

[@shadowblaster124]

That's a bad thing. Moleneux is the biggest liar in the gaming industry.

[@jasondads9509]

damn contentment used to only last 30 seconds...

[@Ildskalli]

I remember those bad old times. It took a lot of effort to get rid of dread; it was often easier to nab a fascination from the Mansus and just dream both away.

[@NaumRusomarov]

I still don't like the apostle playthrough. :p

[@dimmapetrenko]

What's the hack, those "cultist"

[@Aran0079]

最后问问题的那位姑娘似乎是位中国人？

[@Panquernic]

yes

[@kuronosan]

Specifically pareidolia

[@metafuel]

Pity it's so difficult to discern what Alexis is saying because it sounds really interesting.

[@lulufox4656]

Unfortunately it's just impossible to understand what he's saying sometimes x_x

[@jasondads9509]

youtube captions are quite helpful

[@transvestosaurus878]

Dragging gaming, kicking and screaming, out of middle school and mom's basement

[@NawidN]

He constantly dips his voice too low. As if he doesn't want to be heard.

[@ZoidbergForPresident]

I agree, not a minute in and I have trouble understanding him. Not worth my effort, especially as how I tried that game on itch.io and didn't get into it. :P

[@alvin_row]

@@ZoidbergForPresident Sucks to be you, this game's for smart people

[@ZoidbergForPresident]

@@alvin_row Wow, why attack me like that? I was just explaining my short experience. I didn't say it sucked (although I could have and not deserved your insult). Whatever, sucks to be around you. :/

[@jorisdubois3081]

@@ZoidbergForPresident It's a joke the guy in the video made at some point

[@antonsimkin]

- you make games to earn money and not to *create art* you should leave the room - anyway i will show only my commercial projects and here how many per hour you earn and dont make game for too long cause longer means less profitable

[@SorchaSublime]

these arent contradictions. On the one hand, it's an artistic medium and if your goal isnt to make art you're doing it wrong. But on the other hand if you don't make money you will either be forced to stop making games or pretty much just die lol.

[@LazarheaD]

Wow, what an interesting gZZZZZZZZzzzz...

[@Lolpop751]

Dudes talking like he doesnt wanna be there...

[@gd7681]

I dont see that at all.

[@akmzd6938]

What do you mean? To me he comes across as relaxed.