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Cthulhu: Rise of the Cults
2017
Rules assistance for Cthulhu: Rise of the Cults
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 90–120 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.2/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Cthulhu: Rise of the Cults
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cthulhu: Rise of the Cults is a board game released in 2017 for 1–4 players, 90–120 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Krzysztof Wolicki and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence.
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About the game
In Cthulhu: Rise of the Cults, players impersonate cult leaders who are worshipping the Great Old Ones, while at the same time fighting other cults as unworthy of revealing and tasting the prohibited knowledge. It’s not an easy task when apart from submitting the acts of faith they must simultaneously carry out the perpetual fight against other cults and maintain maximum discretion around curious investigators and other organizations. Their activities focus on the constant quest for spreading influence as well as celebrating dark rituals which are meant to sow the seeds of insanity and uncertainty in people's minds so as to create the power ready for the advent of what is unnamed and lead to the collapse of the present system at the same time. The main arena for the cult activities are cities on the board in which they seek to gain dominance by creating places of worship and celebration of the rituals, as well as challenging other cults into open confrontation which causes disorganization in their structures. Cthulhu: Rise of the Cults is an area-control type of game with elements of deck-building in which every leader plans their commands for the turn in order to achieve their goals and destroy their enemies. The leaders have at their disposal their own pile of cards (Cult cards) which reflects the abilities and the potential of their cults. Over the course of the game, each player tries to augment their capabilities by obtaining useful cards in particular cities that will efficiently help them carry out the rituals to sow terror among the residents and hold their own against other leaders. Custom-made followers' dice are an element that brings uncertainty and fragility into the game. Players roll them at the beginning of the recruitment phase each turn to gain a temporary group of believers who will support the leaders' planned actions. If you hunger for forbidden knowledge, try and join these ranks; perhaps you will meet your worst nightmares...
Designers
Publishers
- REDIMP GAMES
Questions and answers
Cthulhu: Rise of the Cults supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Cthulhu: Rise of the Cults is 90–120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Cthulhu: Rise of the Cults for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Cthulhu: Rise of the Cults has a complexity rating of 3.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Cthulhu: Rise of the Cults belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Territory Building. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Cthulhu: Rise of the Cults are: Krzysztof Wolicki. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Cthulhu: Rise of the Cults as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.