Cult Simulator Join Us Recruits Four Real Ex-Cult Members To "Experience The Game's Darkly Satirical Take On Cult Life"

The upcoming cooperative survival game Join Us has taken an unconventional approach to its playtesting phase by recruiting four individuals who previously belonged to real-world cults. Developer Wolf Haus organized the session to allow these former members to engage with the game's mechanics, which revolve around establishing a dedicated following, constructing isolated compounds, and establishing unique belief systems. The studio intended for the participants to experience its highly satirical and dark interpretation of communal cult lifestyles firsthand.

The four participants, identified as Jaga, Javier, Ariel, and Elena, bring a combined total of more than 50 years of personal experience from their respective former groups. During their time with the game, the playtesters reflected on their past lives while navigating the virtual systems. To protect privacy, the developer chose to censor the specific names of the organizations the participants had belonged to, though the testers still shared several distinct memories of their experiences.

Among the personal histories shared during the session, Ariel recalled his past conviction that an extraterrestrial spacecraft was scheduled to arrive on May 12, 2001, to transport him away to his true home. Meanwhile, Javier described his history within a self-styled holistic rejuvenation center. He noted that the members of this particular community were entirely self-sufficient, cultivating all of their own food supplies on-site.

The reactions to the gameplay experience were highly polarized, a fact that Wolf Haus openly acknowledged. While one of the participants expressed genuine enthusiasm for the virtual agricultural mechanics, specifically enjoying the ability to cultivate tomatoes within the game's compound, another tester was far more critical. This participant flatly dismissed the project's appeal, asserting that the game would fail to find an appreciative audience.

Designed as an open-world survival experience, Join Us allows players to operate either individually or in cooperative groups of up to four people. The core gameplay loop tasks players with gathering resources, managing a growing base of loyal followers, and attempting to survive an impending apocalyptic event. The title aims to blend traditional survival mechanics with management elements centered on ideological control.

The playtest footage and the participants' candid reactions were showcased as part of a promotional teaser during the Gamescom 2026 event. This unusual marketing strategy highlights the developer's willingness to confront the sensitive real-world subject matter that inspires their fictional setting. Join Us is currently scheduled for a multiplatform release in March 2027, when it will arrive on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.