What Cult of the Lamb is
Cult of the Lamb casts you as a possessed lamb saved from annihilation by an ominous stranger, and you repay that debt by building a loyal following in his name. The game splits into two halves that feed each other. You crusade through dungeons in diverse and mysterious regions, slaying heretics of the Old Faith and bringing back resources. Back at your base you spend those resources: collect and use them to build new structures, perform dark rituals to appease the gods, and give sermons to reinforce the faith of your flock. Your Followers are woodland creatures who need feeding, housing, and attention, and their loyalty keeps your cult growing until you become the one true cult in a land of false prophets.
Playing it together
The Unholy Alliance expansion adds local co-op for the entire campaign. One player takes the role of the Lamb and the other the Goat, and you crusade through dungeons together, slaying heretics and building the cult as a pair. Some of the existing minigames get 2-player versions, including fishing and knucklebones, and co-op crusades draw from a selection of corrupted weapons, tarot cards, curses, and relics. Several powers are built for two: the Lamb and the Goat can swap weapons, deal extra damage when fighting back-to-back, or land a critical hit when their attacks are in sync. Remote Play Together is supported, so a friend can join over the internet from their own machine.
What to know before starting
Expect a mix of action roguelike dungeon runs and base management rather than one or the other. The expansions add a lot of moving parts: Sins of the Flesh brings a new levelling system, new mechanics, new quests, the Blunderbuss weapon, a Tailor building with 23 outfit styles for your cultists, Disciples as a revamped Follower progression path, and eggs that hatch into offspring who eventually pledge allegiance. Relics of the Old Faith adds relic abilities, heavy attacks for each weapon class, postgame dungeons and bosses as the God of Death, plus challenge modes such as Boss Rush and Permadeath. Follower traits make your flock unpredictable — cultists can be insomniacs, break friends out of prison, fall into a catatonic state after a resurrection, or carry a curse — so managing them is a real part of the game. Solo players get the same new powers and abilities, so the campaign works either way.