Cult Vacui is a point-and-click horror adventure developed by LBRTY Games and published by Dionous Games. Released on Steam on April 9, 2026, the title is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux/SteamOS.
Cult Vacui: Not Your Typical Point-and-Click
Cult Vacui distinguishes itself from the genre standard by adopting a first-person perspective. In most point-and-click adventures, players watch the protagonist move across the screen. Here on OneUpNerd, we’ve reviewed similar traditional titles like Foolish Mortal, Shadows of the Afterland, and The Legend of Skye, while first-person entries are rare; among our reviews, only Devil’s Hideout shares this perspective.
This approach breaks the monotony and explores a less saturated niche of the genre. However, the perspective isn’t the only unique feature. What truly sets Cult Vacui apart is its time management system. The only comparable titles that come to mind are Twelve Minutes and Three Minutes to Eight.
Consequently, unlike many other point-and-click games, players must carefully strategize which rooms to explore and where to go, avoiding wasted time that could lead to a grim fate.
A Dangerous Cult to Stop
The story begins in a Victorian-era inn. Henry Gladstone is on the run, hiding from his father, a wicked man who used Henry as a vessel for a demon. Having been forced to commit unspeakable acts by this entity, Henry decides to free himself through a ritual. The catch? You have only 25 minutes to gather the necessary items and perform the ritual before the demon takes full, irreversible control of Henry’s body.
Every movement between rooms and specific actions advance the clock. Careful planning is essential to escape the demon’s clutches.
However, Henry’s liberation is not the end of the story. After the ritual, the setting shifts to the island of Barra, Scotland, where a new character has just arrived to work as a caretaker. Immediately, strange events unfold: a wounded man knocks on the door, warning that cult members intends to complete a blood ritual by slaughtering the island’s entire population. They plan to eliminate all survivors tonight. You have just 400 minutes to thwart the ritual.
Preparing for Battle
As mentioned, Cult Vacui deviates from point-and-click conventions while retaining core elements like inventory management, character interaction, and a gripping narrative. The difficulty level, however, leans towards the accessible side. While the puzzles are interesting, the protagonist often explicitly states what is needed to solve them.
We don’t view this as a major flaw, given the game’s core mechanic. In traditional point-and-click titles, players often wander aimlessly across maps to solve puzzles. If Cult Vacui required such trial-and-error, the time-limit mechanic would force players to restart every five minutes, leading to frustration.
Considering these constraints, the game strikes a balance: it is easy to navigate but far from trivial. Don’t expect to finish it on your first attempt. Multiple runs are actually necessary to learn from mistakes and achieve the desired outcome. Indeed, your choices lead to several slightly different endings throughout the plot, making it worth the effort to explore every possibility.
The only real drawback is the length; a longer story would have been preferable.
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