Havsala: Into the Soul Palace
- June 21, 2022
- Stratera Games
Get on SteamIn "Havsala: Into the Soul Palace," players investigate a mysterious room filled with puzzles, historical references, and mysticism. Using a note-taking system and unique interactions, players must uncover the secrets of the room and solve challenging puzzles. The game features beautiful hand-drawn artwork, an original soundtrack, and voice acting. The story follows Phryne, a woman who sought to escape death and entered the Soul Palace. Players must help her navigate this enigmatic world and uncover its secrets.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features beautiful hand-drawn art and a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- Many players found the puzzles to be clever and enjoyable, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly difficult.
- The game offers a rich narrative intertwined with historical and philosophical themes, making it an engaging experience for those who appreciate storytelling.
- The puzzles can be overly obtuse and often rely on trial and error, leading to frustration for players who prefer clearer guidance.
- There is an excessive amount of reading, which can overwhelm players and detract from the enjoyment of solving puzzles.
- Some players felt that the hint system was inadequate, making it difficult to progress without resorting to external guides.
- graphics24 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many players praising the unique and charming art style, which is often described as hand-drawn and visually appealing. However, some users noted that while the visuals are impressive, they do not compensate for the game's shortcomings in puzzle design and overall gameplay experience. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the atmosphere, but opinions vary on their ability to elevate the game as a whole.
“The graphics are lovely, the music is fine, the voice acting is acceptable.”
“The graphics are hand drawn and look great.”
“A little bit on the short side, but it makes up for it with a very unique and pleasant to look at art style, charming atmosphere and quite intriguing puzzles.”
“The art style is okay and the puzzles looked like they were going to be interesting, but there was loads of pretty dull reading to do in order to get any sense of what the puzzles were about - which is okay if you enjoy that kind of thing, but I wouldn't have bought it if I'd realized this.”
“Although the puzzles were a bit too dependent on reading texts for my liking, I found the general art style and a lot of the design choices phenomenal.”
“Maybe get it on sale if you really want it just for the art style.”
- story20 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its intriguing and immersive narrative, complemented by unique puzzles and beautiful visuals. However, others find the storytelling convoluted or overly complex, leading to a lack of engagement with the plot. Overall, while many appreciate the effort put into the narrative and its integration with gameplay, some feel it falls short in execution.
“This was an impulse purchase that I wasn't disappointed in; the unique graphics, storyline, and puzzles paired with relaxing sound were just stellar. I was sorry to see this one end and will definitely be revisiting it at some point. It was a lovely way to spend the almost 3.5 hours it took me to complete this, and I was upset it was over.”
“The story is interesting even if a bit convoluted, but overall the experience is very good, one of the better indie point-and-click puzzle games.”
“The game has a beautiful atmosphere, immersive storytelling, and fun, interesting puzzles.”
“The story also fell flat for me - felt like the developer was trying so hard to be philosophical but it just didn't come together in the end.”
“It was really hard to even care what the story was about as there is just too much minutia to deal with.”
“While I greatly respect the amount of research that went into the storytelling aspect of this game and the puzzle complexity, I found little enjoyment in the copious amount of reading and obscurity of some of the puzzles.”
- music12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for being soothing and fitting well with the overall atmosphere, enhancing the relaxing experience of solving puzzles. Players appreciate the soundtrack's quality, although some find the musical puzzles challenging, requiring good musical skills and pitch recognition. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's artistic and thematic elements, making it an enjoyable aspect for many players.
“A very nice puzzle game with a mild difficulty and a great soundtrack.”
“Pretty relaxing game with soft and cute music.”
“I stayed up all night to finish the puzzles; it was very entertaining and the soundtrack was very soothing.”
“There's a bunch of philosophical, mythological, and astronomical stuff to read (writing and spelling are a bit iffy sometimes) and some puzzles are based on math, music, and rotation, all downsides for me.”
“I can imagine an entire puzzle game based on this sort of thing, without the musical nonsense, of course.”
“If you want a challenge and some history, culture, mythology, philosophy, geometry, music, astronomy, with a touch of frustration - go for it.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the point-and-click puzzle game is described as frustrating and occasionally boring, with players struggling to grasp the game mechanics despite having a clear understanding of the puzzles. However, it features helpful automatic note-taking and a hint system, alongside a smooth experience enhanced by a mechanic that highlights relevant clues in a book. Overall, the gameplay receives mixed reviews, with some appreciating its innovative elements while others find it challenging.
“Good automatic note-taking, and a nice mechanic for hints.”
“Very interesting and smooth gameplay.”
“This is a point-and-click puzzle game from a few decades ago; gameplay-wise, it is frustrating and boring.”
“Half the time, I knew what the puzzle was getting at, but understanding the game mechanics of putting it together was difficult.”
“There is a mechanic that highlights a page in a book when it contains a clue relevant to a puzzle.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful art style and immersive storytelling, creating a charming and engaging experience. While the puzzles received mixed feedback, the overall ambiance, enhanced by strong voice acting and historical elements, contributes significantly to the game's appeal. Players find the atmosphere to be a standout feature, making it a rewarding experience despite its shorter length.
“One of the best games I've played - beautifully drawn and atmospheric.”
“I do like the art style and the atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is fantastic, and the voice actors did a great job. It's a great point-and-click game involved with history and mythology. All the information you need is given to you in books, so don't worry if you're not great with history. It's really rewarding, and the achievements are fairly easy to get. The game is really thought out and well worth the price and your time.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustrating, as certain puzzles demand precise item placement and tedious manipulations, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.
“Even with a walkthrough, some of the puzzles required pixel-perfect placement of items or other manipulations that were too tedious to be fun.”
“The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I found myself doing the same tasks over and over again, which made the gameplay feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
