There has always been a strong connection between video games and board games, and while the quality can be a bit hit-or-miss, there are also some really good tabletop adaptations out there.
The next great roguelite franchise to take it to the table is Cult of the Lamb, and there’s a new board game adaptation currently well on the way to completion (with order fulfilment hopefully in late 2027).
There’s a big funding drive now up and running over on Kickstarter, and as such, the team at Paper Fort Games was happy to answer a few of my questions about the project.
Here are the thoughts of Chris Kingsnorth, a developer working at Paper Fort Games, the UK-based studio responsible for the adaptation! I hope you enjoy.
We all know that Cult of the Lamb: The Video Game is a super cool action-roguelite with great combat and deep cult management. What is Cult of the Lamb: The Board Game?
Cult of the Lamb: The Board Game is a competitive dungeon-crawling and worker-placement game for 1 to 4 players. We’ve worked hard to capture the feeling, humour, and gameplay loop of the video game while infusing it with modern tabletop mechanisms and fun, tactile components. We hope we’ve created a new way for players to interact with one of their favourite games!
Cult of the Lamb is a big video game IP. What has it been like working with Massive Monster and Devolver, and what has that collaboration yielded?
Working with both teams has been a fantastic experience. Their passion for Cult of the Lamb is infectious, and it’s an honour to have the chance to bring such a beloved game to the tabletop.
Every part of the game has to go through a submission process to make sure that the board game is a faithful representation of the video game, but this isn’t a bad thing. It ensures that the teams are involved in every part of the process, while still giving us the freedom to put our own spin on the game. We’ve had the opportunity to play through the game with the Massive Monster developers and to pitch some silly but fun ideas that fit with Massive Monster’s approach to community engagement.
The main challenge has been managing the time-zone logistics (we’re based in the UK, Massive Monster is in Australia, and the Devolver team is US-based). Thankfully, they’ve all been incredibly flexible and responsive, which has made the whole process much smoother and more enjoyable!
When adapting an existing IP/game for a new medium, what is the biggest challenge when bringing a video game to the tabletop?
The biggest challenge with any digital-to-analogue adaptation is capturing the feel of the video game. Fans don’t want a game with a pasted-on theme; they want a Cult of the Lamb game that hits the same beats as the digital version.
Of course, we can’t include everything, but we can abstract the video game’s gameplay and ensure that we capture all of the main elements that make it what it is. In the case of Cult of the Lamb, that’s a roguelike dungeon crawl on one side, a cult-management sim on the other, and a healthy smattering of tongue-in-cheek humour.
Oh, and poop. There has to be poop.
Cult of the Lamb is a great fit for worker placement mechanics. How are you bringing CotL’s cult management to the table?
The core of Cult of the Lamb as a video game is a player’s ability to manage their cult -assigning followers to collect re to make sure they’re fed and looked after well enough that they don’t dissent
During the board game’s Cult phase, you’ll be sending your followers out to different board locations to achieve these goals, but you have a limited number of followers, and each location has a limited number of spaces. You’ll also have to balance collecting the things your cult needs with upgrading your ability to safely navigate increasingly perilous Crusades.
Do you feed all of your followers, or let some go hungry and decide to improve your combat prowess by forging a better weapon? Do you choose to have lots of basic followers, or a few Blessed Followers whose actions yield better rewards?
You’ll constantly need to balance the risks of adventure with the demands of leadership as you carve your own path and shape the future of your flock.
The minis look great, and there’s a lot in the box. What are you most looking forward to people getting their hands on?
We absolutely love how the miniatures have turned out. It’s been a fantastic opportunity to take the game’s amazing 2D art and bring it to life in 3D.
We’re also honoured to be introducing two completely new Prophets into the board game: the Owl and the Snake. They’re already generating lots of fan art online, and it’s amazing to see how they’ve resonated with fans!
One of the most ambitious and crazy things we’re offering as part of the campaign is the giant Lamb Shrine dice tower. This thing is enormous – the size of some newborn babies – and features a removable crown entrance and a swing-door exit. Regardless of whether it actually gets used as a dice tower, it’s quite a sight to behold and will look incredible on a collectables shelf!
We always work hard to make every component top-quality, from the box to the player boards and the game’s insert. We’re excited to get the game into people’s hands and see their reactions, as well as include some surprises they might not be expecting!
And I’m not going to let you escape without telling us about the Kickstarter campaign for Cult of the Lamb: The Board Game. What’s the deal, and when will backers get to start their own cults?
The Kickstarter campaign for Cult of the Lamb: The Board Game is live now and runs until Friday, 14th August. We’ve already unlocked more than 20 stretch goals, and backers can get involved in polls for new followers, community contests, and more.
We have three pledge levels, ranging from a retail version with all the gameplay included, right up to the All-In Deluxe pledge, which gets you the deluxe game, full-colour miniatures, and all of our add-ons – including the aforementioned Lamb Shrine dice tower, a tote bag, acrylic tokens, and more!
We’re also adopting animals through our social goals, and all it takes is a share of the campaign page or a follow on our socials – you don’t even need to be a backer! You can find the campaign here on Kickstarter!
