Eldritch horror saves Christmas for fun & profit in this fast-paced turn-based JRPG comedy.
Very Positive
337 Steam reviews
| LANGUAGE | AUDIO | SUBTITLES | INTERFACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Y | Y | Y |
Features an alien cat.
x-- 7/10 --x
Super charming and meta.
One of the best Cthulhu stories ever created.
10/10
chinese need.
202505，steam，steam掉卡掉物抵扣，它处自定义包入的本体约3元。爱人如己，目前就这，看以后追评。
GG
This game made my night.. the dialogue lines are HILARIOUS, and Cthulhu is adorable haha. I kinda want to play it again just to take screenshots of some great lines I missed, lol. You can finish it in one sitting, plus you can focus on the story or do a more challenging run by increasing the difficulty, which you can adjust at any point in the game. Next time, we save the world!
❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
EZ 100% completion in 2~4h depending on your read speed and if you skip normal fights (almost pointless)
Good balanced humor, some sarcasm, dark, cult, christmas, puns, 4th wall, etc.
Not really worth full price but a good game none the less. :)
Die Geschichten von Cthulhu wird oftmals mit Finsteren oder Unheimlichen Wesen der im Unterwasserwelt eher der Schrecken der Seefahrer ist, diesmal allerdings wird er ein Weihnachtsretter! Cthulhu wünsch von Weihnachtsmann liegt auf der Hand: Die Ungeheuer Macht dieser Welt zu zerstören! Leider steht Cthulhu auf der "unartigen" Liste, die Enkelin verspricht Cthulhu wenn man ihren Großvater rettet, das sie ein gutes Wort für ihm einbringt. Auf der Weihnachtsreise begegneten sie Baba Yaga & Belsnickel sie joinen in ihre Gruppe gegen das Böse der Weihnachtszeit an.
Rundenbasierte Kämpfe, Taktische Überlegungen sind hier von Nöten! Kombiniert Fähigkeiten um den "Hype" Modus freizuschalten, mit diesen können andere Fähigkeiten beeinflusst werden, Folgen darauf stärkere Bonus Schaden oder Gruppenheilung zum Beispiel.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3630822824
Pro:
✅Klassischen Runden-JRPG
✅Humor
✅Musik
✅Schöne Pixel Grafik
✅Nach Vollendeten Kämpfen heilen sich die Teammitglieder von sich alleine! Gott sei Dank keine 99x Wiederbelebungstränken kaufen :D
Con:
❌ Möglichkeiten können entstehen das sein Charakter (Cthulhu) in einen Gebiet stecken bleiben kann, wenn man sich schnell ein anderes Gebiet betretet und diese dann gleich am Anfang an eine blockierende Gebiet hineinläuft
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3630822811
Fazit: Ein Tolles JRPG mit Humor und spaßigen Kämpfen passend zum Weihnachtsfest!
me gustaría que estuviera en español ya que mi ingles no es bueno y por eso no pude jugarlo mucho tiempo, lo compre por el absurdo y lo poco que jugué estaba divertido
A fun little Christmas themed prequel of Cthulhu Saves the World.
A bit more simple in design by being more linear and not having nearly as much exploration.
It still managed to hold up with its fun writing and interesting combat mechanics that incentivizes usage of many different abilities.
Play this if you have a few evenings to kill during Christmas.
Christmas time is saved!
This was my first game in this genre, and oh — I definitely enjoyed it!
Sadly, it didn’t turn out to be the cozy game that would fully give me that Christmas feeling. Instead, it was a game with charming locations, characters inspired by various folklores, and excellent humor. The humor was probably what I liked the most.
The story is simple: a team of four heroes rescues a kidnapped Santa — and, along with him, Christmas itself. The gameplay is simple as well, consisting of battles with NPCs, moving through locations, and spending time in neutral areas. Overall, I didn’t expect anything complex from a Christmas game, so I was fine with that. However, even for me, the routine of spend time with NPCs → search every chest in the location while fighting enemies → defeat the boss became too repetitive and annoying.
I really liked the locations — they’re perfect for a Christmas-themed game — but the music could have been more interesting. I absolutely loved the version of Carol of the Bells, especially given how much I adore that song. If only every location, or at least every second one, had its own soundtrack (and especially if those tracks were remixes of other popular Christmas songs…), this game would have been priceless.
All in all, as a Christmas game to relax with, it’s just right.
Enormously fun, try it.
Cthulhu Saves Christmas, I bought this charming little game a few years ago to be honest, but finally in the year 2025 (as Christmas is around the corner) I've played it. While short, it has been very fun.
One night as iconic Eldritch horror, Cthulhu himself sleeps in his sunken city, he receives an unexpected gift, unfortunately it saps his powers and so he must save Santa Claus from the League of Christmas Evil. Joining great Cthulhu on his quest are Crystal Claus, granddaughter of Santa who indulges in Christmas oriented puns and word play, the young chicken obsessed witch, Baba-Yaga and Belsnickel, an old friend of Santa who loves candy... and attacking naughty children.
The writing for this game is, as with most other Zeboyd RPGs, witty and self-aware with the mixture of Lovecraftian madness and Christmas cheer adding to the charm this game is stuffed to the brim with.
On the gameplay side of things, it is turn-based but each dungeon has a set number of encounters to prevent overwhelm (With the option of the battle button in the menu if you want more EXP). Battles take notes from Cosmic Star Heroine in that each party member has elements like powers that need recharging and hyper modes that boost your powers, combined with different enemy types often synergizing rather well with one another making most combat encounters rather engaging (I played on Insane difficulty BTW).
Another aspect of the game is the 'Life-sim Lite' element. Instead of traversing across a big world map going to one town or dungeon after another, you spend time in Christmas Town, where the party rests while they find leads on Santa's whereabouts. You have a couple days between dungeons to decide which places Cthulhu spends his days, giving different rewards based on the locale. As with the rest of the game's writing, these sections embrace its strange premise for comedy gold.
It's short, it's jolly, It's funny and Lovecraftian. If you want something to blaze through this holiday season (Or perhaps the next one), you can't go wrong with Cthulhu Saves Christmas :)
This game is so bland it feels like 9 hours of dad jokes, not even the funny ones
good
A short, festive, and absolutely unserious JRPG. If you enjoy goofy 4th wall-breaking humor and want it packaged with a unique take on turn-based battle systems, you won't be disappointed with this!
Full video review: https://youtu.be/woqI_1lTVG8
Small, short, linear RPG with simple story, but loaded with puns, jokes and jiggles and Cthulhu is charmingly cocky. Good for laughs and is looking and sounding decently. Dungeons and fightning are like a mix of their previous games, but i think challenge is easier than before and battles can be a bit dull after a while. Between dungeons you need to use your time to choose to do some activites in town what seems inspired by games like Persona. I have good time with it. For a funny christmas (and Cthulhu) themed game is worth your time and especialy money when on sale.
Honestly from Breath of Death to Cthulu Saves the World I was having a good old fashioned romp, and now this? This is the perfect treat for Xmas. I bought this back in June (and no, not in a penny for a billion games! I bought it outright!) and I saved it for Xmas before I forgot about it, saved it in a nice little file for my games over Xmas Period and i'm so glad I did, what a wild ride. I've loved it and I need more from this amazing dev! The Dark Comedy, the Christmas Cheer, the twists and the turns? WONDERFUL.
I knew I'd love it.
Very funny game that is perfect to play around the holidays.
My biggest complaint is the lack in variatio in music and the long battles towards the end when enemies have tons of health.
One thing I really like is there are only a limited amount of random battles in areas eliminating a lot of the monotony of other jrpgs.
I loved this game in retrospect though I should have played Cthulhu Saves the World after this game oh well
Good jRPG game with some funny jokes. A lot of improvements in gameplay in comparision of previous two games making it very enjoyable experience. Spending time with companions is nice addition. No reason to not reccomend it for Lovecraft or (retro) RPG fans
Cthulhu Saves Christmas, developed and published by Zeboyd Digital Entertainment, is a delightful parody RPG that fuses Lovecraftian absurdity with holiday cheer in a way that only this developer could pull off. It’s a short, turn-based adventure that both celebrates and pokes fun at the conventions of classic Japanese role-playing games, all wrapped in a self-aware narrative dripping with humor and charm. The story begins when Cthulhu—the Great Old One himself—awakens from his slumber expecting to bring chaos to humanity, only to find his powers stolen by a mysterious Christmas present. To get them back, he must team up with Santa’s granddaughter, Crystal, and rescue Santa Claus from the nefarious League of Christmas Evil. The setup sounds ludicrous, and that’s the point; from start to finish, the game thrives on comedic excess, turning cosmic horror into holiday heroism.
The writing is the heart and soul of Cthulhu Saves Christmas, and it rarely misses a beat. Every scene is brimming with witty dialogue, self-referential jokes, and meta-commentary that constantly reminds you this is a game that refuses to take itself seriously. The narrator frequently interjects with snarky remarks, often breaking the fourth wall, while Cthulhu’s over-the-top ego clashes hilariously with the cheeriness of his companions. The result is a playful tension between dark absurdism and festive optimism, producing moments that feel both ridiculous and endearing. Each character adds a unique flavor to the party—Baba Yaga’s quirky eccentricity and Belsnickel’s gruff cynicism complement Crystal’s determined idealism and Cthulhu’s self-important bluster perfectly. Together, they make every conversation a comedic highlight, and their exaggerated personalities elevate what could have been a simple parody into something genuinely memorable.
Beneath its humor, Cthulhu Saves Christmas is also a competent RPG with an emphasis on accessibility and brisk pacing. The combat system is fast and strategic, borrowing the best elements from Zeboyd’s previous games like Cthulhu Saves the World and Cosmic Star Heroine. Battles are turn-based, but each character’s abilities come with limited uses before they must recharge, forcing players to plan their actions carefully instead of spamming the same attacks. The “Hyper Mode” mechanic introduces a clever risk-reward system where characters gain power on specific turns, encouraging players to time their strongest abilities for maximum effect. Every fight feels like a miniature puzzle—short enough to avoid monotony, but layered enough to keep things interesting. The game discourages grinding by capping random encounters per area, ensuring that exploration feels focused and efficient rather than padded.
One of the most distinctive features is the “R’lyehtionship” system, which gives players a chance to bond with party members and townsfolk between dungeon crawls. These segments act as short, humorous vignettes where Cthulhu can interact with others, earning new gear and upgrades while deepening relationships in a purely comedic sense. Though the choices here don’t meaningfully affect the story’s outcome, they provide welcome breaks from combat and allow for additional character development and flavor. Each interaction feels like a small holiday skit, full of absurd scenarios and tongue-in-cheek references to RPG tropes and Christmas traditions alike. The system adds a layer of charm and pacing variety, making the game’s world feel alive even within its compact runtime.
Visually, Cthulhu Saves Christmas embraces its retro aesthetic with confidence. The pixel art is vibrant and polished, evoking the look of 16-bit RPGs while maintaining a crisp, modern presentation. The festive environments—snow-covered towns, glowing dungeons, and Christmas-themed battlegrounds—are rendered with care, and enemy designs are both creative and comical. The soundtrack is another standout feature, blending chiptune melodies with holiday-inspired motifs. Tracks like “Carol of the Bels” perfectly capture the game’s tone: upbeat, playful, and just a bit deranged. The music does a lot of heavy lifting in setting the mood, whether you’re fighting a reindeer boss or enjoying a quiet moment in town. Even without voice acting, the combination of expressive sprites, sharp writing, and a lively score ensures the experience never feels flat or static.
The game’s brevity is both a strength and a limitation. A single playthrough typically lasts between six to eight hours, making it the perfect length for a lighthearted seasonal RPG, but some players might crave more content once the adventure ends. Its replay value lies mostly in seeing different “R’lyehtionship” events or experimenting with party builds rather than exploring new story paths. The humor and fast pacing make it easy to revisit, but it’s clearly designed as a compact experience rather than a sprawling epic. Some of the randomization in battle, especially with the “Insanity” abilities that appear unpredictably, can lead to uneven difficulty or moments of luck-based frustration. Still, these are minor blemishes on what is otherwise a remarkably smooth and enjoyable ride.
Cthulhu Saves Christmas ultimately succeeds because it knows exactly what it wants to be: a clever, self-contained RPG that entertains without overstaying its welcome. It’s a celebration of classic turn-based mechanics dressed in holiday wrapping paper, infused with absurd humor and genuine affection for the genre it parodies. Every element—its comedic writing, quick battles, charming art, and festive soundtrack—works in harmony to create something cozy and chaotic in equal measure. It may not have the depth or scale of larger RPGs, but its confidence, polish, and wit make it one of the most memorable indie holiday games in recent years. For anyone who enjoys a mix of nostalgic gameplay, clever writing, and a generous helping of holiday madness, Cthulhu Saves Christmas is an absolute treat—a small but delightful gift from the Old Ones themselves.
Rating: 9/10
Extremely tedious gameplay
I'm going to give this a recommendation. It's super easy and super short but it was super cute. A simple Christmas RPG. I'm a sucker for holiday games and this was the perfect single day game. Get it cheap and enjoy!
Review from 2020:
Cute prequel to Cthulhu Saves The World. Xmas themed sort of but was still funny, the combat was super simple and easy which is kind of sad because the use an ability and then its lost unless you skip a turn was a cool way to force you to try different play styles
Real if you like the developers previous work you will like this. Possibly too meta for its own good. I enjoyed it and completed it in two days straightforward and at lower difficulties less technical than cosmic star and comparable to where madness lies.
Funny dialogue, fun gameplay, cool OST and is quite cheap, certainly a game worth playing, I end up coming back to it every Christmas as well
Works great on Steam Deck!
This game is made for me. The combat is quick, and there's no grinding needed. I love that the game forces you to experiment with different skills instead of simply using the same skills over and over. There are no towns to explore, just menus and fun encounters to choose from, so the game is mostly focused on combat and dungeons.
.
good
The millennial writing & humour have aged rather poorly, but there is still a good JRPG here with some unique (afaik) & interesting mechanics, & fairly decent art.
It's interesting to note that the previous title in the series won't run through Steam any more, requiring you to run the game directly from the .exe, while this game has no such problem.
Positives:
Has attractive female characters.
Created before millennials started making all their games insufferably woke.
Final Verdict:
Overall it's OK, but nothing special. Get it on deep sale.
Fun and funny little JRPG for those who want a merry Christmas.
Jaja, es el bicho con tentáculos en la boca salvando a Santa Claus 10/10
Such a funny game, the humor is good.
What is not good is the unskippable monotonous fights - enemies are tanky even on easy, and fights are too long to get to the good part. I get it, that you want to push playtime, but that is not it. It made me stop and leave a negative review.
There's nothing really wrong with Cthulhu saves Christmas, but there's nothing spectacular either. The characters are fun, there's a good blend of humor and action, but it's a very short game with very repetitive battles. The battle system seems interesting at a glance, but it's just fluff you're most likely never going to need.
In the end, my dealbreaker for not recommending it is the pricing: game is not priced appropriately for what it offers.
Cthulhu saves Christmas...twice
It's a party-based linear role-playing game, or JRPG. I like it.
It's extremely silly and not even in a clever or spectacular way. I don't think the constant torrent of jokes gave me a single smile, but it also didn't irritate me, which is already an achievement. Narratively it's a parody of traditional JRPG plots, gameplay-wise it's very similar to the previous game of the same developer, Cosmic Star Heroine. You wouldn't expect much from gameplay of such a silly game, but it's actually great and extremely well thought-out. It's not a card-based system, but it's somewhat similar, and it makes sure no two fights are the same, and you constantly modify builds of your characters. Using such an interesting system in a 6-hour game (don't mind my playtime, it's actually 6 hours if you don't skip anything) feels like a waste, but this highlights another good thing about this game: it respects your time and there's absolutely no filler in it. Even random battles are avoidable (I suppose you can get away with skipping them on a lower difficulty levels) and finite, yet you always have an option to manually launch a random fight for grinding.
I have some complaints about UI (short description of your abilities is lacking; it's unclear which elements the attack will use and what do icons mean) but overall it's a great example of a properly made game. It will not feature on any top 100 RPGs lists, but it's adequately made and you're guaranteed to not regret time spent on it. Well maybe you'll regret it if the humor is too cringe for you. Cosmic Start Heroine is a better game in most regards, but this one deserves your time as well.
[h1]Ктулху, Снегурочка, Баба Яга и какой-то реднек[/h1]
Хороший супчик для затравки, группа из странных приключенцев.
Вообще, такие игры нужно проходить перед \ на рождество, ну или НГ, но снова и снова я опаздываю, а игра всё ждёт и ждёт.
Итого пройдена за 1 присест - это 6,5 часов.
[h3]Цимес[/h3]
Напоминает Chtulhu Saves the World - Ктулху "ограбили", отобрав его силы, и он намерен их вернуть. Тентаклевому любителю фхтангов попадаются не только разные противники, но и союзники, правда без выбора.
Чтобы вернуть силу нужно спасти Санту, от имени которого распространяются подарки, дающие ровно противоположное желаемому (поэтому бедняга Ктулху и обделен силой)
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3406831037
[h3]Игровой цикл[/h3]
Всё двигается и приходит к обычной формуле настолько быстро, что не успеваешь понять что это именно она.
Мы знакомимся катсценой с героями -> проходим первый данж являющийся туториалом, потом идём в город, где выбираем 3 катсцены -> после которых откроется следующий данж.
Повторить ещё 7 раз.
Всё!
[h3]Механики[/h3]
Очень. Сильно. Перегружено.
Игра довольно коротая, 6,5 часов для неспешного прохождения, хоть и за заход.
При этом сюда словно пытаются вывалить механик на целую JRPG в 70-100 часов. Поэтому подача новых предметов, противников, скиллов - всё настолько быстро происходит, что смысла в "билде" даже нет, думать не о чем.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3406830839
При этом сама механика которая, что я впервые вижу некоторые фичи.
Например, то что у каждого персонажа 4 скилла для боя которые вы ему выбираете (авто-атаки нет вовсе), потом 3 рандомных скилла из тех, которые вы не взяли с собой, и 1 на перезарядку всех предыдущих за счёт пропуска хода. Это прям необычно.
Далее привычнее. Всё приправлено комбинированными атаками нескольких персонажей, зарядкой некоторых из этих атак чтобы они стали сильнее (от 10 до 100%), а так же использование предметов, которые не заканчиваются, а просто назначаются на ячейки и восполняются сразу после боя. И всё это с кучей эффектов (безумие, уязвимость, обезоруживание и т.д.) и 8 стихиях-резистах.
Короче, нагружено под завязку, не смотря на скорость подачи и маленькость игры.
[h3]За что игру можно взять, полюбить и пройти[/h3]
1. Она короткая, буквально на 1-2 вечера.
2. Любители RPG\JPRG будут купаться в знакомых перегруженных механиках. Остальным соболезную.
3. Классная музыка. Зачастую это ремиксы на всякие рождественские треки, зато какие! В первой игре автора тоже были классные треки. Здесь чуть меньше зашло, но здесь и не эпос, а рождество, так что это вкусовщина. Оба саунда классные.
4. Юмор. Много юмора, самоиронии, причём самоирония не только про события в игре, но и автора на роли рассказчика над самим собой, играми и в целом данной игрой. Это местами мило, местами прикольно. Иногда от такой концентрации даже устаёшь, этого прям много.
5. Любители извращенные во все стороны легенды, сказки и фольколёр - вам сюда!
6. А ещё это лёгкая идеальная игра, без трудностей получите 100%
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3406831658
[h1]Вердикт[/h1]
На скидоне - брать!
Под кружку горячего шоколада - проходить!
Ждать многого - не ждать!
Первая игра автора по какой-то причине считается продолжением
https://store.steampowered.com/app/107310/Cthulhu_Saves_the_World/
[spoiler]но логически этого быть не может, здесь Ктулху может освободить кота-пришельца, с которым он здесь давно знаком, но при этом само знакомство происходит в другой игре, которая и названа продолжением, несостыковка.[/spoiler]
[h1]Итого: [b]5.5[/b][/h1]
[quote][i][b][url=http://store.steampowered.com/curator/31431250/]Было полезно? Тык подписочку на игро-обзоры o/[/url][/b][/i][/quote]
Plays like a classic rpg. The diolauge is hilarous,
Thank you for saving Christmas, Cthulhu
складно повірити, але ця гра заснована на реальних міфах ктулху
[hr][/hr]
в своїй розповіді "Поклик Ктулху" Лавкрафт приводить кілька десятків фактів та правил, на яких базується міфологія Ктулху. серед них є й тей факт, що Ктулху врятував різдво, і це дуже дивно, знаю... АЛЕ, якщо цікаво, то цю історію можна знайти наприкінці третього розділу "Поклику Ктулху" під назвою "The Madness from the Sea". хоча я раджу просто пошукати в інтернеті: правило 34 ктулху. саме під такою назвою Лавкрафт описує цю дивну подію в своїй культовій розповіді.
не хочу спойлерити, але історія дуже захоплива, особливо як під час кульмінації Ктулху використовує свої слизькі товсті тентаклі аби наповнити зневірене людство духом різдва прямо зсередини. уфффф, я був в захваті від такого пориву фантазії, але мої очі зовсім не були до такого готові. хоча ще очікувати від ктулху який зводить людей з розуму своїм лише існуванням хаха
This is a fun little Christmas JRPG with a good few laughs, a prequel to Cthulu saves the world, although you certainly don't need to play that first. There's a smattering of references to the OG Cthulu and Cosmic Star Heroine (and perhaps other work which went over my head) but this was the first game of theirs I played and enjoyed it as a standalone.
There aren't too many genuine Christmas games around so it's worth playing in December as a warm up to the big day and having played through twice on Switch am enjoying the steam deck lifestyle this year, for less than a coffee why not eh? It's a funny one to become part of my Christmas traditions (along with Miles Morales and Sam and Max, Freelance police - a memory from childhood)
If you're even slightly interested by the title I'd advise giving it a roll, the combat system holds up for a few hours and it's had me laughing out loud.
Так. Ну что? С Наступающим, получается. Счастья и добра. :3
*потрогал щупалькой за всякое*
"It was the Yuletide, that men call Christmas though they know in their hearts it is older than Bethlehem and Babylon, older than Memphis and mankind". H.P. Lovecraft - The Festival
H.P. Lovecraft liked Christmas. I don't like it that much so I'm glad to have found a game that put me in the perfect mood for Christmas. The story, the setting, the soundtrack, the funny dialog, everything fits the Christmas season. The spirit of Christmas has been reawakened in me. Thanks for that. Fhtagn!
Я серьезно ЛЮБЛЮ эту игру. Ничто не дало мне такого новогоднего настроения, как эта игра. Да, музыка повторяется, но это самый классный эмбиент на Carol of the Bells, что мне довелось слышать. Игра забавная, приятная, проходится быстро. Линейная, но спасибо, что бои не затянуты и нет проклятого гринда, из-за которого меркнет интерес к подобным играм. Тут этого нет, всё, что тебе нужно, ты получишь. Интересные противники заставили меня заинтересоваться историей и традициями Рождества, я не шучу. При этом тут нет таких моментов абсурда, как в Ктулху спасает мир, всё довольно гармонично. Редкий случай для меня, но после прохождения я подниму сложность и пройду снова. Рекомендую любителям таких игр, любителям Ктулху, любителям легкого ненавязчивого юмора с ломанием четвертой стены. Приятненькая игра, а за свои деньги люто хороша.
Ein wahrhaftig witziges 7-8h Stunden Spiel mit dem guten Cthulu. Einzig negative: Die Gegner haben meiner Meinung nach (abseits der Bosse) doch etwas zuviel HP. Allerdings gibt es 3 Schwierigkeitsgrade, einfach runterdrehen zur Not und damit hat sich das ganze.
Jogo maravilhoso, zerei com uns amigos traduzindo e o google lens
A fun Prequel to "Chtulhu saves the World" (which I also recommend you play but is not necessary to enjoy this one), with a much better battle system and Humour (YMMV :p I like Puns).
Might be my new Xmas Eve tradition
[h1]Gameplay[/h1]
[b][u]Rundenkämpfe mit Zeitdruck und randomisiertem Skillset[/u][/b]
Wie in früheren Releases des Entwicklers auch, finden Kämpfe hier runden weise statt mit dem Zusatz, dass Gegner jede Runde stärker werden. Ein Feature, das neu ist, ist das [b]semi-randomisierte Skillset[/b]. Pro Charakter kann der Spieler vier von dessen gelernten Techniken als "fest" bestimmen. Eine ist das "Abwehr" Kommando (das wird gleich wichtig) und drei sind sogenannte "Insanity Slots", welche zu Beginn des Kampfes zufällig mit gelernten Techniken Charakters belegt werden, die nicht als "fest" definiert worden sind. Einige Techniken können nur über Insanity Slots benutzt werden. Wem das noch nicht komplex genug ist, dem sei gesagt, dass man jede Technik nur ein Mal verwenden kann. Diese wird dann so lange gesperrt, bis das "Abwehr" Kommando des Charakters verwendet wird, das außerdem die Insanity Slots neu ausknobelt.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3391167112
[b][u]Dungeons mit begrenztem Randomencounter[/u][/b]
Ebenfalls aus früheren Releases bekannt sind die Dungeons, deren besonderes Feature ist, dass der Randomencounter nur begrenzt oft zum Einsatz kommt. Danach kann man über eine Funktion im Menü immer noch kämpfen und die Erkundung des Dungeons wird nicht unnötig oft durch Gegner gestört.
[b][u]Wahnsinnig beste Freunde SIM[/u][/b]
Zwischen den Dungeons ruht sich die Gruppe einige Ingame-Tage in der Stadt aus. In dieser Zeit kann der Spieler ein Mal am Tag einen Ort besuchen und dort Zeit verbringen, was ihm kostenlose Items beschert und die Bindung zu seinen Mitstreitern steigert, was aber nur für die Achivements von Relevanz ist.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3389770043
[b][u]New Game+[/u][/b]
Sobald man das Spiel durch hat, wird man gefragt, ob man NG+ starten will. Der Modus unterscheidet sich Gameplaytechnisch kaum vom Hauptspiel. Man bekommt eine neue Waffe und ein neuer [b]Schwierigkeitsgrad[/b] wird freigeschaltet. Ohne diesen haben die Gegner die selben Werte wie sonst auch und stellen keine Herausforderung dar. Wer will, kann aber einfach die neuen Dialoge genießen. Außerdem kann man verpasste Truhen und SIM-Events nachholen.
[b][u]Meckern auf hohem Niveau[/u][/b]
[list]
[*] Nur die vier Protagonisten haben ein Gesichtsgrafik für die Textbox [/list]
[h1]Schwierigkeitsgrad[/h1]
Der Schwierigkeitsgrad lässt sich jederzeit in drei (im NG+ in vier) Stufen einstellen. Sane (Leicht) Insane (Mittel), Raving (Schwer) und Eldrich (Sehr schwer) Das Balancing ist den Schwierigkeitsgraden entsprechend gut umgesetzt.
[h1]Soundtrack, Grafik, Steuerung[/h1]
Der Soundtrack ist sehr passend und hochwertig.
Die Grafik ist recht hochwertige Pixelkunst
Für die Steuerung wird die Tastatur benötigt, Controller sind teilweise unterstützt.
[h1]Zusammenfassung[/h1]
[b]Pro:[/b]
[list] [*] Kampfsystem mit einigen strategischen Tiefgang
[*] Unterhaltsame Dialoge
[*] Gutes Pacing
[*] New Game+
[*] Recht einfache 100% Achivements [/list]
[b]Kontra:[/b]
[list] [*] Kämpfe gegen Ende teils etwas lang[/list]
[b]bekannte Bugs[/b]
[list] [*] Beim zweiten Kampf gegen den letzten Boss kann das Spiel nach dem Kampf abstürzen[/list]
[b]Achievements[/b]
[list]
[*] Drei Achivements ist "verpassbar" (lassen sich mit NG+ leicht nachholen)
[*] Viele Achivements erreicht man einfach durch das Durchspielen[/list]
[b]Fazit:[/b]
Cthulhu Saves Christmas ist ein klassisches RPG, das wie andere Titel des Entwicklers einen starken Fokus auf Humor legt, aber auch im Gameplay nicht zu kurz kommt. JRPG-Enthusiasten und potentiell auch Fans der Welt von H.P.Lovecraft, die Humor nicht abgeneigt sind, können hier zugreifen. Von meiner Seite eine klare Kaufempfehlung
[b]------------------------------------------------------------------------
[i]Wenn ihr weitere ansprechende Reviews lesen wollt,
dann folgt doch der [url= https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32139821/}]GermanReviewGroup[/url][/i]
oder [i][url= https://store.steampowered.com/curator/875292/}]
GermanSteamCommunity[/url].[/i]
------------------------------------------------------------------------[/b]
It's cute and the battles are not incredibly hard. Its also too boring though. I am not that much of an RPG player to be fair. I was just there for the funny theme.
[b]TLDR:[/b] A truly [i]delightful[/i] game that smashes together Lovecraftian horror and Christmas in the best way possible.
[hr][/hr]
It's suitably festive for the season while stopping itself from being overly sweet ([spoiler]there's nothing like seeing Santa trapped in a cage by a cosmic horror to get me in the Christmas spirit[/spoiler]). The cast of characters are eclectic and charming, as are the foes you'll face on your journey!
Combat feels rewarding and has enough depth to keep you on your toes (adapting to your new abilities and targets is a game-length process) without ever making you feel like you need to look up guides.
Of course, the story is also fun to follow, leading you through the journey you'd expect based on the game title.
I really enjoyed playing this and [b]thoroughly[/b] recommend it to anyone considering the game!
I don't know what I expected. But this was fantastic. Forth wall was bulldozed, writing was funny, game play simple but nostalgic, other game plugs periodically, which were done in an amusing fashion. All in all had a great time, didn't take too long to 100%, doable in a single play through. This one sold me on getting the sequel and probably some of those shameless plugs - well played devs, well played.
Servus liebe Steam-Community,
Ein Pixel-RPG, welches sich selbst und andere Rollenspiele so richtig schön hochnimmt!
Pros:
-Eine Geschichte, in der viel Humor und Sarkasmus steckt
-Trotz Pixelgrafik extrem detailreich
-Sehr witzige Dialoge zwischen den Charakteren
-Eine schöne Auswahl an Gegenständen und Fähigkeiten für jeden Charakter
Contras:
-Es könnte gegen Ende mehr Kämpfe geben
-Die Duelle mit zufälligen Kreaturen werden teilweise sogar leichter
Dieses Spiel wurde mir von einem Freund und Kollegen als Christmas-Special-LP vorgeschlagen und dafür bin ich wirklich dankbar!
Selten habe ich bei Dialogen zwischen den Charakteren so gelacht und gerade Cthulhu selbst ist ein absolut genialer Charakter.
Man kämpft sich durch unterschiedliche Level, die eine schöne Geschichte erzählen, um die Liga der "Weihnachtsbösewichte, oder so, auszuschalten.
Das macht bis zum Ende hin Spaß, wobei ich mir bei den zufälligen Duellen gewünscht hätte, dass die Gegner immer stärker werden und nicht teilweise der letzte Kampf der einfachste ist.
Dennoch ganz klar eine Empfehlung!
Let'sPlay-Playlist auf Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVtuWiJLpxPHrvIWsqaHT20tXotUBVRCH
Mein Youtube-Kanal: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQp1F3-aw8EaI5kJhMAzhrA
Viel Spaß beim Spielen!
Eine schöne Woche euch Allen!
Euer ODIN
Having come straight from Cthulhu Saves the World to this, I can say it's a great improvement.
In CStW, it was almost required to clear out every dungeon you visited in order to level enough to beat the next boss, and while you could for the most part easily wipe them with multi-target attacks, it would still take a while.
Here, you get a significant chunk of EXP from boss encounters, and early random battles give more than enough for a couple of levels before each boss if you clear them out, but it's not entirely required, at least maybe until the final boss, but even then you'll probably be fine.
The combat is similar, but not the same as the previous game, it's still turn based, but more FF10 than FF1, where you can visibly see turn order, and attacks come out as you input them, rather than selecting an attack for everyone and THEN it playing out all at once.
This lets you plan better, and try to come up with some sort of strategy.
Adding to that, multi-target attacks are quite a bit weaker, abilities need to be recharged either by another skill or defending for a round before you can use them again.
You have 4 regularly slotted skills, and 3 that are pulled randomly from you pool of unslotted and hyper abilities that refresh when you defend and recharge. This means you have to plan a little, can't get stuck into a winning rotation, and have some element of randomness to play with.
On top of that, you are able to slot in items you pick up, and use them once per combat. These are permanently in your inventory, and are pretty powerful, so you never get stuck waiting for the right battle to use them, since they are reusable.
Altogether, I feel makes the combat pretty interesting.
Character items are split into 3 slots, and often provide powerful buffs for each character. The biggest catch is, that a lot of them are locked behind the relationship building intermissions, in which you are only able to work on once per day. This means you won't be able to get all the items in one playthrough and need to plan a little depending on who you want to have good items for.
Thankfully there is NG+ so you can pick up what you didn't grab the first time.
The game is short, but well paced, and decently funny.
It's worth checking out.
Simple and short turn based role playing game on the face of it, but clever writing and a unique premise make it an enjoyable experience.
My first game for the Christmas season during my first year of streaming was Cthulhu Saves Christmas and I could not have asked for a more fun RPG experience. The humor is top notch and the battle system heavily borrows from Zeboyd's previous entry Cosmic Star Heroine (which I loved). This turn-based RPG is for you if you definitely enjoy RPGs from the SNES era. Recommend streaming or playing around the Christmas season or any time of the year for that true Lovecraftian charm!
The usual Zeboyd goodness. Plus there's a chicken!
Cthulhu Save Christmas has everything a sequel is meant to be: Improved art, animated sprite work, better RPG elements, great music, and more of that charming sense of humor that made the original fun. Short and sweet, a playthrough can be done in roughly 4 hours. Included are difficulty options and a NG+, so players who want a challenge or just breeze through and enjoy the story can find a good time here. Definitely a game worth coming back to every Christmas season.
Great on the Steam Deck.
Gosta de jogos retrô pixelados?
Gosta de RPG de turno?
Jogo para pegar numa promoção.
Com uma história simples, com muito sarcasmo, e claro, com o Cthulhu!
Tem que respeitar!
Vai curtir o Natal?
Agradece o Cthulhu!
Definitely recommend, especially if on sale, love the art style, the characters & story. I live streamed most of the game here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St9um6R0ZiA
I'm not much of a turn base game player but this was really well done. Could have been slightly shorter but still very enjoyable, nonetheless. Maybe it would be shorter if all specials are utilized most efficiently, which surely I did not do.
Shows up as a Perfect Game when all steam achievements are received.
A great Christmas tale 11/10
норм
I played this game for 3 hours and here's my review. You play as Cthulhu who gets 3 party members in his adventure to save Christmas. You play as 4 people in the game. Cthulu that's combat-focused. The Snow Maiden the magic user, and Baba Yaga-Chan an elf that uses eggs to support the team. Lastly, Belsnickel is a guy who uses the whip and uses spells to attack enemies and help the team. This game is different from the other games since the enemies don't have increased strength when you go to the next turn making it easy. You can use weaknesses to weaken enemies or do more damage to them. The attacks you use are reusable while others you can only do once until you defend yourself to recharge them. Some spells you get are random while others you have to wait until it's recharged. Every time you beat a boss on a stage you can go around town getting items in the game. For other items, you can find them in the chest boosting the stats for your character and giving a side boost in battle. You can keep battling until you reach 0 giving you more EXP and making no battles come up when you walk around the area. Every time you level up you get a stat boost and a new spell on the abilities you can use in battle. I got all the achievements in the game which are pretty easy to do since I got it in my first playthrough but can easily be missed when you first play it. I highly recommend playing the game to anyone who wants to play it. I give this game an 8 out of 10. Get it when it's on sale. I hope my review makes you think twice about getting the game. Have a good day.
Quite possibly the best title in existence for anything.
Vamos a dejar las cosas claras desde el principio: este juego me ha costado dos miserables euros, y me he reído bastante con muchos de los chistes sobre Lovecraft y las bromas y referencias a otros juegos de la compañía como "Cthulhu saves the world" o "Breath of death VII" (dios los bendiga). Han roto la cuarta pared tantaa veces que no hay pladur suficiente en el mundo para arreglarla... Por lo que me he reído y únicamente por lo que me he reído le he dado al pulgarciño arriba para recomendarlo.
Bien, dicho esto... la JUGABILIDAD es el gran problema aquí. Viniendo de "Cthulhu salva el mundo", un humilde RPG de ocho años atrás, cualquiera imaginaría que la jugabilidad solo iría a mejor, pero no es el caso. Se han dado en este juego tantos pasos atrás con respecto al anterior, que no parecen ni de la misma saga. El hecho de haber eliminado los PM de la ecuación y que la healer pueda curar a toda la party cuando le venga en gana hace que el juego no suponga ningún reto. Y lo digo precisamente porque me han matado un total de 0 veces en las siete horas que le he echado al videojuego (esa es otra, el juego es más corto que su predecesor, otro pasito atrás). El hecho de que se puedan evitar las batallas fácilmente hace que el mismo concepto de RPG se diluya. Una pena, porque el anterior juego sí que me resultó difícil en varias ocasiones y agradezco eso...
Resumiendo, Cthulhu saves Christmas es una decente precuela como historia, pero no como videojuego. Y espero que la buena gente de Zeboyd Games se centre un poquito más en la Jugabilidad en el futuro, pues en mi opinión es lo único que necesitan pulir.
Pepinillos DIXIT. Buenas tardes. No toméis drogas.
If you liked Cthulhu Saves the World, you'll probably like this game.
4 hours, 100% achievements.
7.5/10
A decent JRPG with a light hearted, humourous story that karate chops through the fourth wall.
I recommend playing it on the easiest setting and plowing through the game to enjoy the narration.
Krótki acz przyjemny prequel do Cthulhu Saves The World, sporo smaczków, humor przedni no i Cthulhu - czego chcieć więcej na jakiś wieczór-dwa? :)
yepppppppppppppp
Zeboyd makes a game, therefore I play it and I'm pretty much guaranteed to laugh my way through the whole thing. I've always enjoyed the sense of humour this company puts out and this game is no different. This one is on the short side, but it does have a new game plus that adds new things to make it well worth playing again. The combat is similar to their other games and strategy can have you dealing 200 damage or 20,000 damage depending on how you go about planning your attacks. It's simple and fun to play, though it is on the easy side if you play it on the middle difficulty. If I play again, it will be on the harder mode. The audio is much too loud, I had to have my in game audio settings on low and then change the volume for the game to 50% in windows to get it on the same level as everything else on my system. Once I got that sorted, the music is really catchy and fun to listen to. It's like the insanity of Cthulhu is infecting Christmas music and I really enjoyed that, even though I don't like Christmas music. There is no world map or movement through towns, you pick one task to do each day from a list, which was a little disappointing, but the dialogue of the scenes is still great. Lot's of cameos and references throughout, both the other games Zeboyd has made and other games that players of something like this will likely know about.
TL;DR
Play it! It's cheap, funny, and simple fun!
[h1]Score - 8/10 (Recommended)[/h1]
If you like flippant Christmas games with lots of humour, great characters and a rockin' soundtrack then Cthulhu Saves Christmas is for you. It doesn't even matter if you're not really into JRPGs since playing on easiest difficulty will allow even novices to experience the genius of casting a sassy Cthulhu, villain turned anti-hero, sleighing the enemies of Christmas.
[url=https://www.choicestgames.com/2024/03/cthulhu-saves-christmas-review.html]Full Review @ Choicest Games[/url]
Quirky dialogue, unique battle mechanics, and amazing music. However, if you're not a fan of turn-based RPGs, you might find this one to drag on a bit towards the end.
The prequel to Cthulhu Saves The World is a bland RPG that doesn't do justice to our tentacled elder god.
The game has a pretty simple loop: dungeon trek -> boss at the end -> do a few town events that give you rewards -> next dungeon starts.
Rinse and repeat for ~5 hours.
The combat system is like Cosmic Star Heroine, but with a small twist: you have 7 slots for your skills (actually 8, but one is reserved for the Defend command), but only 4 of them can be freely changed. The remaining 3 skills are chosen at random from a specific pool at the start of the battle and shuffle when a character defends.
Cthulhu's ability to make enemies insane also comes back, making them stronger while increasing the damage they take.
Like the previous game, random encounters are turned off after a certain number of battles, and depleting the counter is encouraged by a huge XP payout for doing so. It's also possible to avoid battles by pressing the Z key at the right time.
The music is good, especially the battle theme.
Sadly, there are issues that heavily drag the game down:
The dungeons are extremely barren, with nothing of interest besides some chests with new equipment. Exploring them is really boring.
Then there are the """""cutscenes""""". Why so many inverted commas?
Because they're still images.
Literally zero movement aside from the characters' idle animations.
I'm not joking, the characters don't even blink! The narrator has to tell you what's happening in there!
It's just embarrassing. Cthulhu Saves the World also had static images, but it also came out 8 years before this one and was made by a smaller team, so it's no excuse.
Oh right, there's New Game +, which has some new town events, different dialogues, a few new pieces of equipment, [spoiler]a new final boss and a new post-credit scene.[/spoiler]
It can be blitzed through in 45 ~ 60 minutes, since enemies do not scale and the new armors and weapons are overpowered.
It's a short game, but that's a positive thing at this point.
In a way, it kinda feels like a cheap Christmas movie made to cash-in on a popular franchise.
I'd recommend this only to diehard fans of Zeboyd's humor, and even then with a massive discount.
Fun little game!
МГНОВЕНИЯ ВЕЧНОГО СОЧЕЛЬНИКА
Cthulhu Saves Christmas (ролевая игра; Windows, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch; Zeboyd Digital Entertainment; ???) - вот вроде и забавная, и даже в каком - то роде милая РПГ с абсурдной затеей, но вот на нее распространяется та же претензия, которая у меня была и к прошлой части данной дилогии - то, что игра просто не уходит в отрыв с этой концепцией. То есть, от чего - то с таким названием ты ждешь чего - то на уровне абсурдности Earthbound с персонажами Лавкрафта, но по факту получаешь что - то, что в процессе прохождения, с одной стороны, даже улыбает своей милотой, но в то же время разочаровывает тем, что не получаешь чего - то безумного
О графике мне тут сказать особо - то и нечего - она выглядит просто...стандартно, в стиле большей части ЖРПГ на SNES, НО С ПРАЗДНИЧНЫМ ДЕКОРОМ (и то не на всех данжах). Спрайты персонажей во время диалогов тоже выглядят неплохо, разве что обрезаны порой криво
Сюжет происходит, вроде бы, до начала оригинальной Cthulhu Saves the World. И он достаточно простой - на этот раз Ктулху для возвращения своих сил нужно спасти Санта Клауса от некоей Лиги Рождественских Плохишей. Искать их не нужно, они сами обычно приходят к героям. Так еще и сопартийцы тоже приходят. В отличие от прошлой игры, их тут четверо на всю игру, так что менять их не надо. Как я уже упоминал, юмор тут вроде и милый (кроме одной всратой пердежной шутки), но вот смеха не вызывает, и не использует потенциала не то что на всю, а даже на одну треть
Геймплей тут, опять же, без особых прекрас. Так же, как и в оригинальной игре, здоровье восстанавливается сразу после битвы, так что особенно в начале тактика будет состоять из простого забива противников. Навыки тут делятся на два типа под слоты - а именно, такие, которые можно убрать в постоянные, и те, которые тасуются постоянно. Ну а еще есть совместные способности, которые заряжаются постепенно и могут нанести неплохой дамаг. Чуть ли не каждый навык после использования тратятся, и для их восстановления нужно встать в оборону. Да, может показаться, как что - то простое, но вот под конец противники все же будут становится крепче и сильнее, поэтому такая механика становится интереснее и требует ставить действия в порядок. Но, в целом, она ни раздражает, ни вызывает особого интереса
Это же и можно сказать примерно про всю игру. Она не то что отличная, не то что плохая - поиграть в нее можно, если вам понравилась оригинальная игра
Fun game, great soundtrack
chritmas
sda
A highly enjoyable little RPG, with a fun theme for the season. A prequel to a previous game that I enjoyed as well. There's a fair bit of meta humor, forth wall breaking, references to other media, but it's ultimately well written and entertaining. The combat system in this is, in my opinion, particularly well done. You're given 8 slots, four you can choose from a pool of abilities, three "Insanity" slots that choose a leftover ability (including some that aren't available to be chosen on your own), and a "Refresh"/defend power. When you use one of the first 7 abilities, it can't be used again (with some exceptions) until it is refreshed, with that refresh power. Doing the refresh also resets the three Insanity slots into something else. This allows for some powerful combos if you set the powers you can right, but also some real randomness in battles with the Insanity slots, often holding the best abilities in the game but you have to hope you get them. And yes, it can become a bit frustrating late game when you have more skills to take up the slots, but the base abilities are powerful enough on their own, usually. I enjoyed this game as much as I've enjoyed the other Zeboyd games I've played, and will continue to play.
Моя первая пройденная джейрпг. Ненапряжная, забавная игра с кучей отсылок на Лавкрафта, фольклор и поп-культуру.
Had a lot of fun with this one, although game becomes a bit grindy after the first half. Disappointed that game ends after NG+, because I didn't finish all town interactions in time (boss ones). Would be better if player had an infinite amount of time after last boss and could end game by choice.
Now waiting for that Baba Yaga game, that was briefly mentioned in a chat between Cthulhu and Yaga herself.
Good sense of humor, lean intermissions break up solid jrpg dungeon crawling. A great quick hit and it plays well on deck. Chicken.
What a nice jolly little game! :)
I've absolutely enjoyed it. It's funny, easy and..it has Cthulhu in it!
The puns might be a bit too weak and not good for everyone, but I enjoyed most of them.
The NG+ let's the players visit all the places in the city that they might have missed in their first playthrough, resulting in experiencing all the funny and cute cut scenes.
The game might be too cliche and easy for typical or hardcore JRPG players, but for me it was just right.
Cute game to play not only during Christmas.
P.S. It has Cthulhu in it! :D
This game is amazing, Cthulhu did in fact save Christmas
This game is amazing I could not recommend it enough.
All I can say it's a boring game with very few humorous bits. Overall very repetitive and most conversations are just nonsensical rambling.
A cute game, prequel to the excellent Cthulhu Saves the World. This one's got less in terms of bonus modes, but at least you can do one round of New Game Plus now -- which noticeably changes the dialogue. Now, maybe I should try a new save at highest difficulty? We'll see.
It's funny, the combat has the QoL you'd expect from the prior games of this dev: e.g., no need to micromanage health/mana out of battle, ability to eventually bypass mandatory random encounters, etc.
I did greatly enjoy the direction they went with in terms of status ailments (a classic weak point of old-school JRPGs), shuffling of abilities that semi-randomizes your options, and the variety of attack types.
It's worth getting at full price or on sale, at any time of year. Expect 10-16 hours of content.
Fun and funny! Great little one off or seasonal tradition
Jogo do natal, rápido e divertido para jogar dia 24.
This companies Endgame level crossover and I started here.
Funny as hell and a rather good little RPG.
I've been a huge fan of the many Zeboyd games released over the years (since Breath of Death on the Xbox live store). This Christmas adventure has tons of playful humor, lovingly crafted artwork and customizable RPG mechanics that are simply outstanding. This is a shorter adventure from prior titles, but try pick this up on sale if are unsure whether you will vibe with the tone and humor. I'm having a blast with it, very recommended!!
Recommended for anyone with a sense of humor.
This is a really cute game. It has an inventive battle system and the writing is clever and funny. It's also a lovely game for the Christmas season since there aren't enough of those out there.
What it does wrong is OVERSTAY IT'S WELCOME. I won't spoil anything but this is a game where the ending never comes, it just doesn't. And that would be fine if it was a game you wanted to keep playing. But at a certain point enough is enough. It kind of killed all the fun I was having at a certain point. So please developers, if you make the promised sequels to this that you're so fond of mentioning throughout the game, don't do this. Have the game come to a satisfying conclusion and don't continue to drag the game on to pad the play time.
Thank you.
Witzig, Cthulluhhaltig und Weihnachtlich. Perfekt. Vielen Dank dafür :)
Adorable, fun, puntastic, just all around a joy to play. Coming across this game was truly a Christmas present in itself. The artwork is nice and the ease of earning achievements is a plus to me.
super funny and fun!
