Worship is a single-player action strategy roguelike that places players in the role of a cult leader devoted to an eldritch god. The experience combines minion management with real-time commands, blood-based ritual casting, exploration, and puzzle elements across a dark fantasy setting on the brink of collapse. Developed by Chasing Rats Games, the game reached its full 1.0 release on PlayStation 5 in November 2026 after an Early Access period that began in July 2025.
Gameplay
The core loop centers on recruiting followers through conversion rituals and directing them in real time to handle combat, carry objects, solve environmental challenges, and perform tasks. Followers function as expendable yet essential resources, and players must balance their use carefully since losses reduce available manpower during a run. Blood serves as both a resource and health indicator. Players draw symbols directly on the ground to activate rituals that summon horrors, launch projectiles, create barriers, or produce other effects. These drawings can incorporate the player's own blood or that of followers, adding a layer of resource management to every encounter. Exploration involves navigating procedurally influenced open areas filled with shrines, ruins, and interactive elements that reward devotion through offerings or puzzle solutions. Base activities include making tributes at altars to unlock upgrades and preparing for the next excursion.
Game Modes
Worship operates as a single-player roguelite with run-based structure. Each attempt sends the player into a living world to gather devotion, convert followers, and complete objectives before facing escalating threats. Runs end upon death or failure to progress, returning the player to the cult base with permanent unlocks earned through the Eldritch Prophecies system. This progression tracks challenges completed across runs and grants access to new gods, additional powers, cosmetic options, and expanded content. No separate multiplayer or versus modes appear in the full release. The emphasis remains on repeated attempts that build account-wide rewards while varying each individual run through different god choices and procedural layouts.
The World and Its Factions
The setting features a grim yet stylized dark fantasy realm already fractured by conflict among four factions. Inquisitors from the Last Church oppose heretical practices with direct confrontation. Untamed Akka warriors bring aggressive melee threats. Witches of the Coven employ deceptive and magical abilities. Aberrations from the Unseen Depths introduce grotesque and unpredictable enemies. Players interact with these groups through combat, conversion attempts, or avoidance while corrupting territory in service of their chosen deity. The hand-drawn black-and-white aesthetic with selective color accents supports a tone that mixes dark humor with the weight of sacrificial decisions.
Roguelite Progression and Customization
Eldritch Prophecies form the meta layer that carries forward between runs. Completing specific objectives during expeditions unlocks new starting gods or god aspects, each with distinct upgrade paths, follower limits, and ritual options. Follower management received refinements in the full release, including a growing command cap tied to devotion milestones and the ability to store excess followers at the base for later deployment. These systems encourage experimentation with different deities and playstyles while rewarding consistent progress toward world corruption goals.
Is It Worth Playing?
Reviews of the full release highlight the distinctive blend of Pikmin-style command mechanics and blood-drawing rituals as the game's strongest elements. The single-player roguelite format delivers replayability through god selection and prophecy rewards without requiring additional modes. Players who enjoy managing expendable units, drawing symbols for abilities, and navigating morally gray decisions in a compact art style will find the experience engaging. Those seeking large-scale multiplayer or traditional campaign structures may prefer other titles. The game stands as a complete package on PlayStation 5 following its November 2026 launch, with focused support for its core systems.
