DEF CON 34 · United States · 2026

Cult of Cthulhu Indie DEF CON 34 Badge

Pre-event ESP32 ritual-game BadgeLife badge

Pfarrside Creations' badge-only listing describes the Cult of Cthulhu Indie DEF CON 34 Badge as an ESP32-powered interactive BadgeLife project that turns a DEF CON setting into a Cthulhu summoning ritual. The seller's page names ESP32, USB-C, rechargeable Li-Po power, ten LEDs, a screen, one-button input, badge types, a 13-chapter Ritual, six side-quest challenges, badge-to-badge Séance behavior, and unlockable games. It also states a second-week-of-July US-only shipping schedule with no DEF CON pickup. This is a maker-published independent badge listing, not verified final delivery or an official DEF CON admission credential.

EventDEF CON 34
SeriesDEF CON
LocationLVCC West Hall, Las Vegas, Nevada
CountryUnited States

People

Authors & Credits

maker storefront publisher

Pfarrside Creations

Publisher of the reviewed Cult of Cthulhu Indie DEF CON 34 Badge storefront listings; the pages do not name a separate individual designer or firmware author.

Source

Why It Mattered

It adds a current independent DEF CON BadgeLife game badge with a relatively rich public interaction narrative while preserving the boundary between seller-described features and an inspectable hardware or firmware archive. The record documents specific announced capabilities and distribution terms but does not turn product artwork, gameplay copy, a planned shipping statement, or a named ESP32 into a completed run, radio specification, safety claim, or released source tree.

Hardware

Pfarrside Creations lists an ESP32, USB-C, rechargeable Li-Po, ten LEDs, a screen, and one button. Its published game description says short presses scroll and long presses select on first boot and in the story flow. The source does not identify the ESP32 variant, screen type or resolution, LED part/drive, battery capacity or chemistry details beyond Li-Po, charging/protection circuit, connector pinout, radio transport, antenna, board dimensions, schematic, BOM, PCB/Gerbers, or safety documentation.

Software & Apps

The product page describes a first-boot name choice, displayed name/rank/level progress, a 13-chapter Ritual with story, screen, and LED animations, six side-quest challenges, a Sacred Text help screen, Cult Members tracking, screen flip, and brightness adjustment. It also describes Bling patterns, The Corrupt Ritual side quest, R'lyeh Arena, Another Adventure, Exploit, and Rick Roll modes. Its Séance mode says four badges complete a circuit and beacon out to nearby badges, but it does not identify a wireless protocol, message format, firmware source/binary, flashing path, build instructions, or license.

Lore

The seller describes the main owner badge as Acolyte, with Glyph badges found at villages, community spaces, vendor booths, and parties; Elder God badges carried by DEF CON elite; and a redacted Cthulhu type. The badge-only page says badges ship in the second week of July, are US-only, and have no DEF CON pickup option. The separate product page offers a badge plus two-SAOs bundle. These are seller-published distribution and game claims, not independently confirmed shipping, on-site availability, role counts, or official DEF CON status.

Lifecycle

Add-ons & Upgrades

SAO purchase bundle storefront-documented

Optional two-SAO seller bundle

A separate Pfarrside Creations listing offers the badge with two SAOs for $140. The source establishes the optional bundle but does not identify the SAOs' electronic design, pinout, compatibility, software, or final allocation.

Compatibility: Cult of Cthulhu Indie DEF CON 34 Badge

Source
badge game and story storefront-documented

Thirteen-chapter Ritual and unlockable modes

The listing describes a 13-chapter Ritual with story, screen, and LED animations; six side-quest challenges; and Bling, The Corrupt Ritual, R'lyeh Arena, Another Adventure, Exploit, and Rick Roll unlockable modes. No firmware archive or full game-rule source is published.

Compatibility: Cult of Cthulhu Indie DEF CON 34 Badge

Source
badge-to-badge game system storefront-documented

Badge roles and Séance interaction

The maker names Acolyte, Glyph, Elder God, and redacted Cthulhu badge types. Its Séance description says four badges complete a circuit and beacon to nearby badges, without identifying radio hardware, a wireless protocol, role counts, or on-site distribution confirmation.

Compatibility: Cult of Cthulhu Indie DEF CON 34 Badge

Source
hardware and user interface storefront-documented

ESP32, USB-C, Li-Po, and one-button interface

The maker lists an ESP32, USB-C, rechargeable Li-Po, ten LEDs, a screen, and one button. It describes short presses as scrolling and long presses as selecting, but does not publish component variants, circuitry, pinout, power details, or electrical documentation.

Compatibility: Cult of Cthulhu Indie DEF CON 34 Badge

Source

Operational history

Issues & Camp Impact

firmware, interaction-protocol, and licensing gap note

The product copy narrates game modes and badge-to-badge beacon behavior but does not link firmware source or binary, a flashing/update path, a wireless protocol, message format, source/build instructions, or a software/documentation/hardware license.

The catalogue does not infer radio technology, cryptographic behavior, exploit mechanics, interoperable networking, source availability, or redistribution rights from promotional game language.

Confidence
primary maker storefront source
Status
needs public archive or terms
Timeframe
pre-event source pass
Source note
Pfarrside Creations badge-only product listing.
hardware, power, and safety specification gap note

The seller names high-level hardware but does not publish the ESP32 variant, screen/LED components, battery capacity, charger/protection design, connector pinout, radio hardware, schematic, BOM, PCB/Gerbers, test procedure, or safety guidance.

The record reports specific listed features without presenting the badge as electrically characterized, reproducible, or safe for any unsupported modification.

Confidence
primary maker storefront source
Status
needs engineering archive
Timeframe
pre-event source pass
Source note
Pfarrside Creations badge-only product listing.
independent badge and role-allocation classification note

The storefront markets an independent badge with Acolyte, Glyph, Elder God, and redacted Cthulhu roles, while official DEF CON Human-badge registration is separate. It does not establish role counts, all distribution sites, final participant availability, or official DEF CON credential status.

The record is connected to DEF CON 34 for BadgeLife discovery while remaining distinct from the official Human badge and from unverified role/allocation claims.

Confidence
primary maker storefront source
Status
documented pre-event
Timeframe
DEF CON 34
Source note
Pfarrside Creations badge-only product listing and official DEF CON 34 badge context.
missing rights-cleared image note

No Cult of Cthulhu badge image is published because the Pfarrside Creations product imagery does not pair a specific image with a reusable license or explicit permission basis, attribution, and processing notes.

The pre-event record remains source-backed and image-free instead of copying storefront media, screenshots, social-media posts, placeholders, or generated approximations.

Confidence
local project policy
Status
needs licensed original replacement
Timeframe
current catalogue build
Source note
badge.gallery image policy and reviewed Pfarrside Creations storefront listings.
shipping and fulfillment boundary note

The badge-only listing says badges ship in the second week of July, are US-only, and have no DEF CON pickup option. The product page does not independently confirm manufacture completion, carrier acceptance, delivery, recipient count, or any on-site distribution.

The catalogue preserves the seller-stated schedule and scope without converting it into confirmed pre-event or attendee delivery.

Confidence
primary maker storefront source
Status
needs delivery confirmation
Timeframe
pre-event source pass
Source note
Pfarrside Creations badge-only product listing.

Resources

Sources