Fix: Cult of the Lamb Black Screen bug

Massive Monster and Devolver Digital have recently released an animated action-adventure roguelike dark humor video game called ‘Cult of the Lamb‘ that allows players to start their own cult in a land of false prophets, venturing into mysterious regions to build a loyal community, and so on. This title has already started receiving positive reviews but some unfortunate players are facing the Cult of the Lamb Black Screen bug on the PC while launching it.

Well, it’s worth mentioning that the startup crashing issue or lags or stutters are also applicable on the PC games while launching. All of these issues can appear due to several possible reasons that you can check below. Luckily, here we’ve shared a couple of possible workarounds for you that should help you to fix the black screen issue. So, if you’re also one of the victims to encounter such an issue, make sure to follow this troubleshooting guide completely.

Fix: Cult of the Lamb Black Screen bug

There can be multiple reasons that can eventually trigger the black screen issue on the PC games such as an outdated graphics driver, temporary system glitches, not running the game on a dedicated GPU, incorrect settings with Nvidia Control Panel, or AMD Radeon, etc. While unnecessary overlay apps, an outdated system, issues with the corrupted or missing game files, issues with the power options, and more reasons can trouble you a lot.

1. Run the Game File as an Administrator

First of all, it’s highly recommended to always run the game executable application file as an administrator on the Windows PC to ensure there is no conflict with the User Account Control (UAC) for permissions. Sometimes the system may think you’re trying to run the game file without authorizing it. In that case, you may encounter crashes or black screen issues. So, you can follow the steps below to do so:

• Right-click on the Cult of the Lamb exe application 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 just double-click on the game exe file to launch it.

2. Run the game on Dedicated GPU

The second thing you can do is simply run the game application file on the dedicated graphics card so the game can run properly. Sometimes the game may run on the integrated HD graphics and becomes unable to run smoothly because the integrated graphics card isn’t capable to handle heavy tasks. Make sure to follow the steps below to select the dedicated or external graphics card.

For Nvidia GPU:

• Right-click on the desktop blank screen > Select Nvidia Control Panel.
• Click on 3D Settings > Select Manage 3D Settings.
• Open the Program Settings tab > Choose Cult of the Lamb from the drop-down menu.
• Select the Preferred graphics processor for this program from the drop-down menu.
• Now, you can see High-Performance Nvidia Processor.
• Once done, save changes, and reboot the PC.

For AMD GPU:

• Right-click on the desktop blank screen.
• Open Radeon Settings > Click on 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 listed there, you can select Add Application and include the game exe file easily.
• Now, select High Performance from the Graphics Settings option.
• Once done, save changes, and reboot the PC.

3. Update Graphics Drivers

You should always check for the pending graphics driver updates on the PC and install them by following the steps below. An outdated or missing graphics driver can basically trigger multiple issues with the graphics-intensive programs. Therefore, those programs can’t run properly.

• Right-click on the Start Menu to open up the Quick Access Menu.
• Click on Device Manager from the list.
• Double-click on Display adapters to expand it.

• Right-click on the dedicated graphics card that’s active.
• Click on Update driver and select Search automatically for drivers.
• The system will automatically check for the available update.
• If an update is available, it’ll automatically download and install the latest version.
• Once done, make sure to restart your PC to apply the changes.

If you can’t find any update then you can go to the official graphics card manufacturer’s website and search manually for the latest update. If in case, a new version is available make sure to just download the file on your PC and install it. You can find the link respective to your manufacturer.

• Nvidia GPU
• AMD GPU
• Intel GPU

4. Update Windows

An outdated Windows build or the version can eventually cause plenty of issues with the game launching. It’s recommended to check for the software update and install the same by following the steps below.

• Press the Windows + I keys to open up Windows Settings.
• Click on Windows Update from the left pane > Click on Check for updates.
• If there is an update available, you can click on Download and Install.
• Make sure to wait for the update process to be completed.
• Once done, reboot your PC to apply changes.

• Press the Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings.
• Click on Windows Update > Click on Advanced Options.
• Scroll down and find the Additional options section.
• Click on Optional updates > If there is an update available, make sure to select the update.
• Choose Download & install and restart the computer after completing the installation.

5. Verify and Repair Game Files

Plenty of affected players did find this particular method helpful to fix startup crashes or black screen issues, etc. Missing or corrupted game files on the PC can eventually trigger issues with the game application. Luckily, the Steam launcher offers a built-in verification and repair process that you can perform by following the steps below:

• Open the Steam client > Click on Library.
• Right-click on Cult of the Lamb from the list of installed games.
• Click on Properties > Go to Local Files.

• Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
• Make sure to wait for the process until it’s done.
• Finally, restart your computer to apply changes.

6. Disable Windows Firewall and Antivirus Program

If in case, you’re using the default Windows Firewall protection on your PC then make sure to disable it temporarily and check for the issue again. To do this:

• Click on the Start Menu > Type Firewall and click on Windows Defender Firewall from the search result.
• Open 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.
• Click on OK to save changes then reboot the PC.

You can also try turning off the Windows Defender option on your PC temporarily to ensure there is no antivirus software blocking the game files to run properly. To do that:

• Press the Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings.
• Click on Update & Security > Click on Windows Security from the left pane.
• Now, click on the Open Windows Security option.
• Go to Virus & threat protection > Click on Manage settings.
• Make sure to Turn Off the Real-time protection toggle.
• If prompted, click on Yes to confirm.

If you’re using any other third-party antivirus program on your PC then make sure to turn it off.

7. Set High Performance in Power Options

Some players are also claiming that they have found this method useful to fix the black screen issue on the PC. It’s recommended to select the High-Performance mode in Power Options and then tweak one more option by following the steps below. It’ll ensure your system performance will be high enough.

• Click on the Start Menu > Type and search Control Panel then open it.
• Go to Hardware and Sound > Select Power Options.
• Click on High Performance to select it.
• Now, go to your current Power Plan > Click on Change plan settings.
• Click on Change advanced power settings > Click on PCI Express to expand it.
• Make sure to Turn Off the State Power Management option.
• Once done, make sure to reboot the PC to apply changes.

8. Disable Overlay Apps

Sometimes background running overlay applications on the PC might also cause multiple issues with the system performance as well as a program running. You can follow the steps below to disable unnecessary overlay apps whatever you’re using.

Disable Discord Overlay:

• Open the Discord application > Click on the gear icon.
• Click on Overlay under App Settings > Turn on the Enable in-game overlay.
• Click on the Games tab > Select Cult of the Lamb.
• Turn Off the Enable in-game overlay toggle.
• Make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.

Disable Xbox Game Bar:

• Press the Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings.
• Click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar > Turn Off the Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game bar option.

You can head over to the Windows Settings menu to find out the Xbox Game Bar or Game Mode option.

Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay:

• Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience app > Go to Settings.
• Click on General > Make sure to Disable the In-Game Overlay option.
• Once done, restart the PC to apply changes.

You should also disable some other third-party overlay apps like MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, or any other third-party overlay apps that run in the background always.

9. Update Cult of the Lamb

An outdated game version can also occur multiple issues with the game launching and black screen on the PC. It’s better to check for the Cult of the Lamb game manually via the Steam client on the PC and install the available update (if any). To do that:

• Open Steam > 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, click on Update.
• Wait for some time to install the update > Once done, close Steam, and reboot the system.

10. Turn Off V-Sync (Vertical Sync)

It’s also recommended to disable the Vertical Sync (V-Sync) option manually by following the steps below which will reduce the black screen and screen tearing issue on the PC a lot.

For Nvidia GPU:

• Open NVIDIA Control Panel by right-clicking on the desktop screen.
• Now, click on Manage 3D Settings > Click on the drop-down icon next to Vertical Sync.
• Click on Off to disable it > Save changes.

For AMD GPU:

• Open AMD Radeon Software by right-clicking on the desktop screen.
• Click on the Gaming or Graphics tab > Click on the drop-down icon next to Wait for Vertical Refresh.
• Make sure to set it Off and save changes.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.