Cultist Simulator: Designing an Experimental Game for Commercial Success

In this 2019 GDC talk, Weather Factory co-founder Alexis Kennedy discuss the challenges and the advantages of the decisions the Weather Factory team made developing Cultist Simulator, how they steered a straight course, and what they'd do differently next time.
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[@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...

[@Sintarzus]

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

[@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

[@Bradbradhehe]

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

[@jfmhunter375]

hugely underrated talk. worth the whole watch

[@NawidN]

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

[@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.

[@PoxikFrostbite]

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

[@lulufox4656]

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

[@OnGe1234]

I just went to buy Cultist simulator

[@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.

[@NeroVingian40]

13:35

[@gabrote42]

29:48

[@markphc99]

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

[@Dominik-K]

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

[@cookies23z]

21 min in and no mention on bird or worm, I NEED TO KNOW!

[@cyyxc]

Very nice!

[@ItsAllGoodGames]

cool talk

[@andreicristian9575]

Nice talk, Lord Speakup!

[@misomiso8228]

35:55