Soul at Stake

About

Soul at Stake is a single player and multiplayer survival role playing game with horror, thriller and violence themes. It was developed by Chongming Studio and was released on June 25, 2018. It received neutral reviews from players.

Soul at Stake is an oriental-themed 1v4 surviving horror game. There once was an luring urban myth saying that if one can win the game would gain countless money, and his/her destiny would instantly change to become the mightiest overnight. All the participants need only one stake——their souls.

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57%

Audience ScoreBased on 235 reviews

gameplay17 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

Unique asymmetrical horror gameplay with strategic ambush mechanics differing from typical chase games.
Rich oriental/Chinese horror atmosphere and visual design, contributing to an immersive experience.
Active developer support with frequent updates and community engagement, showing ongoing improvement efforts.

Severe server and matchmaking issues outside Asia, leading to long queue times and high ping making the game unplayable in many regions.
Game balance problems, especially with survivors being faster and able to dodge infinitely, making killer gameplay frustrating.
Numerous bugs and technical issues including floating character glitch, language setting problems, and poor optimization hurt gameplay experience.

gameplay
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
63%
7%
The gameplay offers a fresh and unique take on the asymmetrical horror genre, incorporating innovative mechanics like card-based sealing, item shops, and distinct roles for killers and survivors, making it faster and more strategic than similar games like Dead by Daylight. While praised for its fun, intuitive mechanics and potential, the game currently faces issues with balance, occasional clunkiness, bugs, and some frustrating mechanics that can hinder killer play and overall fairness. Despite these flaws, the gameplay is generally engaging and enjoyable, especially for players seeking a new twist on familiar genre conventions.
- “An excellent game for those who love the Dead by Daylight genre but are bored of the repetitive loop and 'mouse 1 simulator' gameplay. This game offers unique mechanics and feels more polished than Dead by Daylight's current state in terms of optimization and gameplay balance. Survivors are strong, the killer is slower than survivors, making the gameplay totally unique.”
- “Fresh new gameplay mechanics with the cards that you use on seals, aiming to reach 21 to seal them, the devil can teleport to seals (similar to generators in Dead by Daylight), a dodging mechanic for gamblers, and stores where you can buy one of three items to hold and use.”
- “The gameplay is much faster and more in-depth than Dead by Daylight or Friday the 13th, offering a refreshing twist on the asymmetrical horror genre.”
- “My only cons are that the balancing is still patchy in places and the gameplay can be clunky sometimes.”
- “The bell is one of the worst mechanics in an asymmetrical game I've ever seen.”
- “The problem this poses is that devil gameplay revolves around cheesing hits from the gamblers by using boring hard to counter strategies/powers followed by them purchasing items from the shop that just allows them to down people for free.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The game's graphics are generally praised for their unique, culturally inspired aesthetics and refreshing art style that stands out within the horror genre. While some note the visuals as appealing and atmospheric, others mention that the graphics can feel outdated or limited, reflecting its early access state and incomplete settings. Overall, the graphics complement the game's lore and mood well, though there is room for improvement.
- “The visual aesthetics are a wonderful breath of fresh air in a genre that's defined by hack n' slash serial killers, movie icons, and monsters.”
- “The gameplay feels fair, the graphics look nice and remind me of one of the older horror games like Project Zero.”
- “I appreciate the graphics because there is beauty in it while matching a game that has actual substance and potential.”
- “The movement feels slow and clunky and the overall aesthetics look outdated.”
- “- incomplete graphic settings with forced depth of field (DOF).”
- “The Chinese setting is very cool looking, but the graphics are not very good.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent glitches, buggy menus, and language-related bugs that impact gameplay. These technical problems, combined with underdeveloped mechanics, contribute to an overall frustrating and sometimes unplayable experience despite its potential.
- “At its core it's a fun game but the glitches and bugs make it an unplayable mess.”
- “It has potential to be good, but too many mechanics are either overlooked or flat out underdeveloped to the point where the game is incredibly unfair, buggy, and most importantly, not fun.”
- “The game has some big problems, most of all currently is that the game has, at least for me, buggy menus and a very low player base.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The game shows mixed optimization performance, with some users experiencing significant issues such as poor frame rates and crashes, likely due to limited resources of the small development team. However, ongoing updates indicate active efforts to improve performance, and some players find it more optimized and polished than similar titles despite its unique mechanics. Overall, optimization remains a concern but does not overshadow the game's enjoyable aspects.
- “The developers are still updating often with bug fixes and optimization.”
- “This is an excellent game with unique mechanics and can easily be said to be more polished than Dead by Daylight’s current state, optimization-wise.”
- “Apart from the optimization issues, the game is very enjoyable.”
- “The game has some glaring optimization issues, though I wouldn't let that dissuade you from trying out the game.”
- “Crappy and unoptimized Chinese Dead by Daylight clone that is unable to start a single game.”
- “Lack of game optimization (GTX 960 low quality 60 FPS), may be the engine problem?”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The game features a distinctive and refreshing atmosphere, enhanced by unique maps with an oriental theme and atmospheric music that effectively complements the setting. While some animations feel unfinished, the overall environment creates an engaging and sometimes intense experience, contributing significantly to player immersion.
- “Refreshing art style and atmosphere in game.”
- “It's got a cool atmosphere and I like the world the game is in.”
- “The music in Soul at Stake is very atmospheric.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in Soul At Stake is atmospheric and contributes to the game's ominous tone, though some players feel it could benefit from more varied sound effects and a more distinctive background track during matches. Overall, the sound design is well-crafted and fitting.
- “The music in Soul at Stake is very atmospheric.”
- “The sound effects, music, and overall look of the game feel really well put together and very ominous.”
- “Sometimes I get the impression that there should be more sound effects and a more characteristic background music while playing a match, but this is just my personal taste.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the game's monetization frustrating due to misleading advertising and a lack of promotion, which has contributed to a small player base and difficulties participating in events.
- “This game is another example of false advertising, f this s bro.”
- “There has been very little advertisement, it seems, and even during the 1st year event - it becomes frustrating to even try to become a part of it.”
- “The only problem is not too many people playing it right now, due to no advertisement I guess?”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features deeply developed characters with rich backstories, blending eerie, supernatural elements and cultural details that bring each spirit and figure to life. Their haunting traits and tragic memories give them a unique soul, making the character design immersive and emotionally engaging.
- “The characters are not just empty shells but have souls. Each evil spirit and gambler has their own sad memories, making the character design deeply rich and meaningful.”
- “The game features Chinese terrorist subjects, old palaces, the stinking tulou, and abandoned stations filled with atmospheric storytelling. Elements like ghost weddings and eerie, unsettling moments add depth to character backgrounds.”
- “The character development is enhanced by creepy, out-of-the-wits eerie feelings drawn vividly, such as Wangfu's tragic story and gamblers who take souls as chips, creating memorable and soul-stirring characters.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story is praised for its rich cultural background and impressive visual presentation, enhancing the overall plot. Additionally, players appreciate the rewarding quest system that offers free customizations during leveling.
- “The cultural background of the plot and the visual appearance are top notch.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding in the game is widely regarded as tedious and monotonous, making the experience unenjoyable for both survivors and the devil.