Video Game Review - Honey, I Joined A Cult

Rob reviews Honey, I Joined A Cult on Steam...

Na,na,na,na,na, leader! If you have fond memories of a certain episode of The Simpsons, then developer Sole Survivor Games, and publisher Team17 have a game for you! 

Honey, I Joined A Cult is a sandbox-management simulation game that places you in charge of your very own cult. Across its gameplay, you'll lead your cult from humble beginnings, right up to world domination, self-sacrifice, or something more sinister. The choice is yours! 

While Honey, I Joined A Cult is one big sandbox, it does have a semblance of the story behind it. Upon loading into the game, you're introduced to an old-fashioned police crackdown as the Law raids quite a large compound. As the sizable police presence works its way through the maze of corridors, the leader of this cult makes haste and escapes. 

Now on the run, this character needs a new identity, to then start yet another cult - which is where we come in. There are ten preset cults on offer, with each having its brand of crazy - or sinister intentions. Away from this and you're also free to customize your cult leader, and even what attire your new "subjects" will wear. The extent to which you can customize your cult is pretty vast, and with a bit of imagination, there's the scope to pay homage to a few notable groups from television and cinema. Hail HYDRA! 

It's worth noting that Honey, I Joined A Cult isn't a hardcore take on creating your cult. It doesn't take itself seriously at all, and if anything comes across as humorous satire. 

Once you've been through the customization suite, it's then over to the tutorial. Here, you're shown how to expand your facilities and all the intricacies of keeping your cultists happy and in tune with your beliefs. With the overall goal being to become the world's number #1 cult, making sure you have a bright and attractive exterior is a must. There are plenty of rooms to be added, with each having a different function. To begin with, the tutorial walks you through the basics such as bedrooms and bathrooms. However, you're soon shown intricacies such as PR management and various research projects.

Public relations plays a big part in how successful your cult will ultimately be. Across the simulation, you'll have to manage your facade by sending the right cultists off to secure new members. The success of these recruitment drives all comes down to who you choose for the task. Each cultist has their skill levels which can be improved as they spend more time in your compound. The more loyal to the cause they are, the more successful these PR opportunities will be. To keep things decidedly wacky, you'll also have to contend with random events. In keeping with its ascetics, these events offer plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. My personal favorite is when your cultists start suddenly developing full beards...

I mean what's not to love? 

As your cult grows, it'll start to attract unwanted attention from the Government. The higher your notoriety gets can result in protesters outside your gates, or the local Police raiding the compound resulting in a game over. Over the first few hours, you'll see this happen a lot. However it's not disheartening, and if anything gives you a foundation to build upon. Onwards and upwards as the saying goes. 

At its heart, Honey, I Joined A Cult is a management game. While it gives you plenty of slack in how you determine the best course to manage your "business", behind its glossy menus is a spreadsheet sim. It's nowhere near as statistics-happy as Football Manager, but you do have access to your member's schedules and their needs/wants. As you progress there's also the option to set the cult's overall goal. At the time of writing this is only limited to one goal, but I'm hoping Sole Survivor Games has a few ridiculous goals up their sleeves. 

When it comes to presentation, everything has a 1970s vibe. From the game's mascot (complete with handlebar mustache) to its ascetics and even its soundtrack, all oozes that disco fever, and bell-bottom style. It compliments the game perfectly well, and also adds to the comedic undertones.

The UI is mostly kept to a minimum, however, things can become a little jarring. There's a lot of information given to you and when you're trying to concentrate on one situation, things get quite hectic. 

While it's not completely perfect, for their first game Sole Survivor Games have pulled out all the stops. Honey, I Joined A Cult offers a well-polished experience that'll draw you straight into its humor-filled world and quirky inhabitants. If crafting your cult is the future of gaming, then all hail our wonderful leader! 

"The leader is good, the leader is great, we surrender our will, as of this date!" 

Rating: 9.5/10 

A code was kindly provided for this review

Honey, I Joined A Cult is available now and can be purchased via Steam

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Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter, Hive, Facebook, & TikTok @GeekCultureRev