Want a Cult Following? Build It, Sell It, and Grow It in this Party Game

One cult was founded when its creator got lost in the woods, stumbled on a super volcano, and decided that it was the portal to the land of chocolate. The other cult believes unicorns lurk at the bottom of a children’s ball pit and has their own theme song all about it. But which cult has the best secret greeting?

Cult Following blends party game with storytelling in a game about finding the right cult for you. But is it the right game for you?

Gameplay

Depending on the number of players, two to three people are chosen to be cultists. As cultist, you draw five sign cards. Each sign card has two elements. An element might be something such as ‘colorful ponies,’ ‘making it up as we go along,’ or ‘monsters under the bed.’ Choosing no more than one element from each card, each cultist selects three elements to form his cult.

Next the cultist explains his cult. The elements can be things you stand for, or against, or something that led to its creation. Cult Following has a storytelling element to it, and you are have a lot of flexibility in how you put these elements together to create the story behind your cult.

All remaining players are recruits. On a recruit’s turn, she draws a question card and chooses one of the two questions on it to ask. The cults then take turns explaining why their cult has the best answer to that question. Questions include things such as ‘will joining your cult help me impress my crush?’ or ‘what articles are in the current issue of your cult’s newsletter?’.

The recruit chooses which cult had the best answer and gives that cult the question card. Recruits keep asking questions until one cult has earned two question cards, and that cult wins the round.

Each round, players switch who are the recruits and who are the cultists. There is no set amount of rounds in a game — just keep playing as long as you want.

Review

Cult Following blends storytelling elements nicely into the party game genre. There are certainly other games with judges and players coming up with funny or clever answers to fit question cards, but Cult Following leans so heavily on storytelling and improvisation that the result is a unique game that can stand on its own.

There are a huge number of sign cards, so you’ll likely never end up with the same cult twice and the flexibility you have in tying the elements together means that you really can make each card your own.

The game is highly portable, all packed into a neat box that’s easy to carry around, making this a great game for on the go and at parties. However, while everything about the game is meant to be taken in light-hearted fun, some players may still feel uncomfortable around the theme.

We did, however, find ourselves wanting to draw more than one question card to choose from, rather than being restricted to one. There are also significantly fewer question cards than signs. But the game itself is so flexible and so focused on creativity that you could easily come up with your own questions as you grew more familiar with the game.

Easy to learn, Cult Following is a creative party game that’s great for players who enjoy being a little silly. You have a lot of flexibility in the stories you create and will have a lot of silly fun while playing!

Pros: Portable, fun storytelling mechanics, easy to learn

Cons: Question cards are limited, some players may be uncomfortable with the theme

Disclosure: we received a complimentary review copy of this game