Cult of The Lamb is a rouge-like action adventure that shares an interesting art style similar to The Binding of Isaac while also combined with the management mechanics for a player to run their own cult. The cute animal followers that devote themselves to the player makes The Cult of The Lamb a perfect rendition of a darker, and more intense, Animal Crossing.

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Aside from this, there are other appealing mini-games for players to get involved in. One such example of this is Knucklebones which is an easy to learn dice game where the player must have the highest total of dice by the end of the game. This can be a very easy game to understand as long as the player knows how it works, and the best tactics to win.

What Is Knucklebones?

Cult of the Lamb Knucklebones start screen

As briefly mentioned Knucklebones is a die game that is available to players once completing the tutorial with the character Ratau. Once visiting Ratau in his home at the Lonely Shack, this little rat will invite the player to test their luck with a game of it. The goal of Knucklebones is for the player to fill their three-by-three grid with the highest total from rolling dice possible. However, as more opponents come to visit Ratau at the Lonely Shack the difficulty of beating these people gets harder.

Both the player and their opponent takes it in turns to roll the dice and then select where they place it on their grid. Matching with the opponent can then cause their dice to be removed from the board and need to be replaced. Winning the first match of Knucklebones with a new opponent will reward the player with a blueprint to use in their cult, after this money can be bet as well as deciding to just play it for fun.

Double Up Dice With Caution

A knucklebones game in Cult of The Lamb against Ratau where the player has a triple two and three, as well as a double one while Ratau has a double three

The quickest way for the player to increase their total score of dice is by placing down doubles onto the board. This can be incredibly risky as placing down two, or even three, of the same dice in a column does leave the player open to having all of that same dice removed. However, it is a viable option especially against harder foes as the total of dice is not only the number on the die added but also multiplied by how many of the same dice shows up in the gird.

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This is why doubling up dice should be done carefully, especially because if the opponent luckily rolls that number. In earlier games players may wish to avoid doubling numbers completely as it isn't really required to be deliberately pursued by players as the matches are usually easy enough to beat without the need for intense tactics. Though as players begin to approach the harder opponents they will definitely need to brush upon their math skills and take much bigger risks.

Avoid Putting Smaller Numbers Together

A Knucklebones game in Cult of The Lamb

Although some players may argue that putting smaller numbers together can actually be a great tactic, players should be first and foremost attempting to beat the total amount of their opponent. This means scoring high when it comes to completing the grid. By filling their spaces with lower numbers a player risks losing the match especially if they begin to run out of space to put higher ranking dice such as fives or sixes. Both of which shouldn't be placed near one another in a hope to avoid losing them.

As mentioned smaller numbers do have a chance helping to win the game especially when more than one of the same number is on the board, but this is very risky business. Especially if the player begins to run out of spaces to place their dice and there may be a possibility in later games that the opponent has a higher total than the player. Keeping these numbers all spread out and avoiding doubles in a column gives the player more chances to have the smaller numbers removed and then replace them with higher ones.

Eliminate The Opponents Numbers

A Knucklebones game in Cult of The Lamb where the player is removing a four from the grid

Concentrating solely on their own grid can cause the opponent to have an easy win. It is therefore important to put an equal amount of concentration on both grids to better understand what the AI plans to do next with its turn. Sometimes the best way to stop the other side from winning is to instantly destroy their dice the second the player has the chance to. It not only decreases the total of the opponent but also avoids the possibility of them working against the player through making multiples occur.

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There is also something incredibly satisfying when a player is able to destroy two dice at once as the opponent has begun to attempt to double their dice, throwing their score down significantly. It is still essential for a player to consider how placing these dices will affect their own gird. This is another risk players will need to take as sometimes the better option may be to avoid eliminating a die until later, if players feel they have a further chance of knocking down more dice by waiting.

Avoid Filling The board Quickly

Player losing at Knucklebones with a full grid in Cult of The Lamb

Out of all the tactics that will make sure a player succeeds at Knucklebones in Cult of the Lamb, by far the best way to guarantee winning is by taking the matches slow and steady. It is the end goal to fill up the entirety of the grid. However, rushing to do this may mean that the opponent will have a larger score by the end even if they weren't able to completely finish their own grid. As the game as no timer players are free to take all the time they need to estimate what the best approach would be and where their dice will benefit the most.

Splitting up where the dice is placed between the three grids as well as making sure they remove the dice of the opponent may make the game longer but at least the player will have more confidence about winning. Rushing is when mistakes are made, mistakes which may cost the player a handsome amount of gold that could be used to better improve their cult.

Cult of the Lamb is currently available on PC, macOS, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch.

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