Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven - Review

I will admit it, and it is not often that I admit things like this, but I was incredibly dumb. Why was I dumb? I was dumb because when Cult of The Lamb originally came out back in 2022 I totally dismissed it as a game that I would never be interested in. I saw it as some kind of cutesy pseudo pixel art RPG, the kind of game I had seen hundreds of times before, I never understood how wrong I could be. It was only due to several of my friends hyping up the game and nagging me to give it a try that I finally gave in and decided to see what all the fuss was about.

The game was not some cutesy RPG, it was a dark and macabre masterpiece the likes of which Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft couldn’t come close to even if they joined forces and spent all night binging on Absinthe. I quickly became engrossed in Cult of The Lamb to the point it became one of my favourite games of all time, the brilliant stylised graphics and magnificent soundtrack mixed with depth of the gameplay and its mechanics was something I had never experienced before, and I ate it up like a starving man at an all you can eat buffet. Thankfully developer Massive Monster have realised people were hungry for more and have now cooked up another dish and served up a plate of it for us to consume in the form of Woolhaven, an all-new DLC for the game, it’s time to eat!

Woolhaven is a massive update to Cult of The Lamb, it brings with it now only a whole new land to explore but also two new dungeons to explore and new enemies and bosses to dispatch in the process, if that wasn’t enough there are also several new game mechanics and opportunities to further expand and improve your cults compound as you progress through the storyline.

It's not possible to start the DLC without having defeated the four bishops in the original game and then paying various tributes to the mysterious statue that appears in your cult compound, and this is for a good reason, there is a sharp difficulty curve adjustment compared to the base game. Before embarking on your journey into Woolhaven I would seriously recommend spending some time preparing your cult for the rough times you are going to face, Winter is a constant pressure in Woolhaven , not just an event, it is unrelenting and at times feels insurmountable. It is imperative you stockpile resources, especially food, as keeping your tribe fed and warm during the expansions cold environment is especially challenging to the point it could be considered the main boss of the expansion itself. Farms freeze, faith drains quicker, foraging slows to a crawl and illnesses spread much faster, you have been warned!

Woolhaven itself, despite its never-ending cold and oppressive atmosphere is brilliantly designed and charming. Located in the Lands of the Old Faith, Woolhaven is the ancestral home of the lambs and is ruled over by Yngya the giant Goddess of Winter. The land has become infested with rot and it up to you and your devout followers to restore the land to its former majesty.

Achieving your goal is not all about making sure that your cult expands and thrives in the challenging winter conditions, you will have to also progress through the expansions two new dungeons the Rot and Ewefall. The Rot is the exact opposite of what you might be expecting given the wintery environment of Woolhaven, it is a fiery environment reminiscent of hell, conquering its enemies will reward you with Rotburn a material you will need to keep your cultists warm and safe from freezing in the harsh environment. The second dungeon Ewefall is more like you would expect from the winter-based expansion with enemies that wield snow and lightning based powers. Both of the new dungeons are well designed and fun to play through, there is a difficulty spike in combat though, especially when it comes to progressing through the Rot.

Woolhaven is a massive addition to the base game, new mechanics, cosmetics, enemies, dungeons and loads of the same macabre tongue in cheek humour of the original game, if you are a fan of Cult of The Lamb then open your wallet right now, you won’t be disappointed, and if you aren’t a fan of Cult of The Lamb, then we simply can’t be friends.

The Score

8.5

Review code provided by Devolver Digital

The Pros

+Loads of new mechanics and cosmetics

+Two new dungeons to explore with new enemies to discover and conquer

+New additions to your cults compound that significantly change gameplay

+More of the same charm and dark and macabre goodness from the original game

The Cons

Difficulty spike may become frustrating for some players, especially when it comes to cult management