Cult of the Lamb is a rogue-like action-adventure game developed by indie developer Massive Monster and published by Devolver Digital. After the release, some unfortunate players are facing Cult of the Lamb keep crashing issue on startup on their PC.
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Why does Cult of the Lamb Crashes?
The chances are high that crashing issues may appear due to several possible reasons something as compatibility conflicts with the PC and game. Whereas server downtime, corrupted or missing game files, outdated game versions, outdated game launchers, outdated or missing graphics drivers, etc can trigger the same. On the other side, outdated Windows, DirectX-related issues, overlay apps, disk data issues, background running processes, etc., are one of them.
Additionally, issues with the antivirus software, Windows Firewall blocking, system performance issues, Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables issues, startup apps-related issues, etc., can cause the game crashing problem on a Windows PC. It’s highly recommended to follow this troubleshooting guide completely if you’re also facing the same issue for a while. Plenty of affected PC gamers found this guide helpful and manually fixed crashing issues.
Fix: Cult of the Lamb Keep Crashing on Startup on PC
Fortunately, we’ve shared some workarounds with you that should help you. Make sure to follow all the methods until the problem gets fixed for you. Sometimes a simple workaround can also come in handy in most cases. Now, without wasting any more time, let’s jump into it.
1. Check System Requirements
First of all, you should check out whether the game’s system requirements are compatible enough with your PC configuration or not. An outdated PC build or a low-end hardware specification will trigger the crashing issue completely. You can check the system requirements below. If, in case, your PC build is compatible enough with the game, then you can head over to the next method. Otherwise, try upgrading the hardware to become eligible to play.
Minimum Requirements:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 7 or later
- Processor: Intel Core i3-3240 (2 * 3400); AMD FX-4300 (4 * 3800)
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 560 Ti (1024 VRAM); Radeon HD 7750 (1024 VRAM)
- Storage: 4 GB available space
Recommended Requirements:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core i5-3470
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 1050 (2048 VRAM); Radeon R9 380 (2048 VRAM)
- Storage: 4 GB available space
2. Disable fullscreen optimizations
It seems that disabling the fullscreen optimization option did work for some users. To do so:
- Open the Steam launcher > Click on Library.
- Right-click on Cult of the Lamb > Click on Manage.
- Select Browse local files > Go to the Cult of the Lamb installed location.
- Now, right-click on Cult of the Lamb.exe > Select Properties.
- Click on the Compatibility tab > Tickmark Disable fullscreen optimizations to enable it.
- Once done, click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
3. Run the Game File as an Administrator
It’s also recommended to always run the executable game file as administrator access on the Windows PC so the User Account Control (UAC) can allow all the access properly. Sometimes the system may think you’re trying to run the game without authorizing it. This is a one-time process for each game. Make sure to follow the steps below to do so:
- Right-click on the Cult of the Lamb exe shortcut file on your PC.
- Now, select Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.
- Make sure to click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to checkmark it.
- Click on Apply and select OK to save changes.
- Now, you can double-click on the game exe file to launch it.
Once done, you can also do the same steps for your specific game launcher (E.g., Steam) used to run the game. So, you’re giving the same UAC access to the game launcher too.
4. Update Graphics Drivers
You should try checking for the graphics driver update on your Windows PC and installing the latest version to ensure no update is pending at your end. An outdated or missing graphics driver can trigger issues with properly functioning graphics-intensive programs. To do that:
- Right-click on the Start Menu to open up the Quick Access Menu.
- Click on Device Manager from the list to open the interface.
- Now, you’ll need to double-click on Display adapters to expand it.
- Then right-click on the dedicated graphics card name you’re using to bring the context menu.
- Next, click on Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
- The system will automatically check for the available update.
- An update will automatically download and install the latest version if available.
- Once done, make sure to restart your PC to apply the changes.
If you cannot find any update, head to the official graphics card website and search manually for the latest update. If a new version is available, download the file on your PC and install it. Whatever graphics card you use, jump to the link below as per the manufacturer.
5. Update Windows
An outdated Windows OS build can sometimes trigger system glitches, performance drops, app crashes, and more. The latest version can include additional features, bug fixes, improvements, the latest security patches, etc. To do that:
- Press Windows + I keys to open up the Windows Settings menu.
- Click on Windows Update from the left pane > Check for updates.
- If there is an update available, you should select Download and Install.
- Wait for the update process to be completed.
- Once done, make sure to restart your computer to apply changes.
- Then run Cult of the Lamb game and check if the crashing issue is still bothering you or not.
6. Check for Optional Updates
You should also check for the optional updates by following the steps below because some of the device driver updates and security patch updates may appear in a separate section.
- Press Windows + I keys to open up the Windows Settings menu.
- Click on Windows Update from the left pane > Click on Advanced Options.
- Now, scroll down a bit and find the Additional options section.
- Click on Optional updates > If there is an update available, make sure to select the update.
- Click on Download & install > Reopen the system once the update is installed.
7. Switch to Dedicated GPU
You should also ensure that your using the dedicated GPU on your Windows computer instead of using the integrated HD graphics. To do so:
For Nvidia GPU:
- Right-click on the desktop screen to open the context menu.
- Now, click on Nvidia Control Panel to open it.
- Head over to 3D Settings > Select Manage 3D Settings.
- Open the Program Settings tab and choose Cult of the Lamb from the drop-down menu.
- Next, select the preferred graphics processor for this program from another drop-down menu.
- Finally, your Nvidia GPU should show as High-Performance Nvidia Processor.
- Save the changes and reboot the PC.
For AMD GPU:
- Right-click on the desktop screen to open the context menu.
- Now, open Radeon Settings > Navigate to Additional Settings.
- Go to Preferences > Select Power > Choose Switchable Graphics Application Settings.
- Select Cult of the Lamb from the list of installed applications. [If the game isn’t in the list, you can select Add Application and include the game exe file]
- Finally, select High Performance from the Graphics Settings, option > Reboot the PC.
8. End Background Processes
The chances are high that somehow your system becomes laggy or gets overloaded by a lot of unnecessary background running tasks. These tasks basically consume system resources like CPU, Memory, or internet bandwidth which can seriously impact the game launching experience. If those tasks (third-party) aren’t necessary for you then try closing them completely by following the steps below.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc shortcut keys on the keyboard to open Task Manager.
- Click on the Processes tab > Make sure to select the task individually that you want to close.
- Then click on End Task to close it.
- As mentioned, do the same steps for each task that you want to close.
- Once done, close the Task Manager window, and restart your PC.
9. Perform Disk Cleanup
In a periodic time, you should run a disk cleanup process on your computer to remove unwanted or junk files which are also known as temporary files. This method can improve the system performance and reduce app crashes a lot. To do so:
- Open the Start menu by clicking on the Windows icon.
- Here you can search Disk Clean up and open it from the result.
- Now, select your C: Drive. [By default, the Windows OS is installed on C: drive] If you’ve installed Windows on a different drive then select the same.
- Then select everything that you want to delete from the list such as downloaded program files, temporary internet files, DirectX shader cache, Windows error reports, delivery optimization files, and more.
- Once selected, make sure to click on OK.
- Now, click on Delete Files and wait for the process to be completed.
- Finally, restart your PC to apply changes.
10. Run Additional Command-Line Argument
You should also run a command-line argument on the specific game launcher to forcefully launch Cult of the Lamb game with the required DirectX version. The chances are high that somehow your system isn’t able to run the specific game with the latest DirectX version. To do that:
- Launch the Steam client > Make sure you’re signed in to the account.
- Go to LIBRARY > From the left pane, right-click on the Cult of the Lamb game.
- Click on Properties > Select GENERAL.
- Type -dx12 under the Launch Options.
- Now, go back to the main launcher menu, and run the game.
- If prompted, select the option, and you’re good to go.
11. Disable Windows Firewall
If in case, you’re using the default Windows Firewall protection on your PC then you should turn it off temporarily and check for the issue again. To do this:
- Click on the Start Menu > Type Firewall.
- Select Windows Defender Firewall from the search result.
- Now, click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off from the left pane.
- Select the Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) option for both the Private & Public Network Settings.
- Once selected, click on OK to save changes.
- Finally, restart your computer.
12. Turn Off Antivirus Protection
You can also try turning off the Windows Defender option on your PC to ensure there is no antivirus software blocking the game files to run properly.
- Press Windows + I shortcut keys to open the Windows Settings menu.
- Click on Update & Security > Click on Windows Security from the left pane.
- Now, click on the Open Windows Security button.
- Go to Virus & threat protection > Click on Manage settings.
- Next, you’ll need to simply turn off the Real-time protection toggle.
- If prompted, click on Yes to proceed further.
If in case, you’re using any other antivirus program on your PC then make sure to turn it off.
13. Set High Performance in Power Options
Mostly the Windows system is set on the default Balanced Power Mode which offers both performance and power consumption at the same time. But sometimes, this mode can occur performance issues on your PC when it comes to graphics-hungry programs. It’s better to set the power mode to High Performance, which can improve the tasks. However, this mode will consume more power or battery juice than normal. To do this:
- Click on the Start Menu > Type control panel and search for it.
- Open Control Panel from the search result.
- Now, go to Hardware and Sound > Select Power Options.
- Click on High Performance to select it.
- Once done, make sure to reboot the PC to apply changes.
- It might fix Cult of the Lamb Crashing issue on your PC.
14. Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime
If your Windows computer isn’t running the latest version or the required version of the Microsft Visual C++ Runtime then you may encounter several issues whatsoever. To do that:
- Press the Windows key from the keyboard to open the Start Menu.
- Now, type apps & features to search.
- Open Apps & Features from the search result.
- Click on the Microsoft Visual C++ program(s) from the list individually.
- Select each program and click on Uninstall.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete uninstallation.
- Next, visit the official Microsoft website and download the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime.
- Once done, install it on your computer > Restart the system to change effects.
15. Perform a Clean Boot
As per some reports, multiple programs are always running in the background from when the Windows system boots up. So, those services may consume the system resources and internet data without your knowledge. It’s better to perform a clean boot and turn off unnecessary startup applications by following the steps below.
- Press Windows + R shortcut keys to open the Run dialog box.
- Now, type msconfig and hit Enter to open System Configuration.
- Go to the Services tab > Enable the Hide all Microsoft services checkbox.
- Click on Disable all > Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
- Now, go to the Startup tab > Click on Open Task Manager.
- Click on the Startup tab from Task Manager.
- Make sure to click on the particular task which has a higher startup impact.
- Once selected, click on Disable to turn it off. [Do the same steps for each program that has a higher startup impact]
- Finally, make sure to restart your computer to apply changes.
16. Try Disabling Overlay Apps
Sometimes a couple of applications may come with an additional overlay app that basically helps the streamers or gamers a lot. However, these overlay apps can eventually conflict with the game files to run smoothly and may cause several issues like FPS drops, black screen issues, lags, glitches, etc. You should try disabling the overlay apps manually before launching the game again to cross-check whether the crashing issue has been fixed or not. To do so:
Disable Discord Overlay:
- Launch the Discord app > Click on the gear icon at the bottom.
- Select Overlay under App Settings > Turn on the Enable in-game overlay.
- Click on the Games tab > Select Cult of the Lamb.
- Finally, turn off the Enable in-game overlay toggle.
- Make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.
Disable Xbox Game Bar:
- Press Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings.
- Click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar > Turn off Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using the Game bar option.
Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay:
- Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience app > Head over to Settings.
- Click on the General tab > Disable the In-Game Overlay option.
- Finally, restart the PC to apply changes, and launch the game again.
There are some other overlay apps that can cause trouble for you something as MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, etc. You should turn them off as well.
17. Repair Game Files
A corrupted or missing games files on the PC can eventually trigger multiple issues with the game launching or performance whatsoever. To do so:
- Launch the Steam client > Click on Library.
- Right-click on Cult of the Lamb from the list of installed games.
- Now, click on Properties > Go to Local Files.
- Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
- You’ll have to wait for the process until it gets completed.
- Once done, just restart your computer.
18. Update Cult of the Lamb
If none of the methods worked for you, then check for the Cult of the Lamb game update because an outdated game version can have bugs or stability issues. So, if you haven’t updated your game for a while, then follow the steps below to check for updates and install the latest update.
- Open the Steam client > Go to Library > Click on Cult of the Lamb from the left pane.
- It’ll automatically search for the available update. If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
- Wait some time to install the update > Once done, close the Steam client.
- Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes and launch the game again.
That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.