Soul Gambler

82%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,986 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • music
Soul Gambler Game Cover
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In Soul Gambler, a modern adaptation of Goethe’s Faust, you play as Faust, selling your soul in installments for wish fulfillment. Your choices determine the story’s outcome through this interactive graphic novel, featuring comic book-style illustrations and environments. Will you maintain your soul or succumb to temptation?

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

82%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,986 reviews
story617 positive mentions
grinding28 negative mentions
  • Engaging and intriguing story with multiple endings that encourage replayability.
  • Beautiful comic book art style that enhances the overall experience.
  • Interesting concept of selling parts of one's soul for wishes, adding depth to the narrative.
  • Very short gameplay, typically completed in under an hour.
  • Lack of meaningful choices, as many decisions lead to similar outcomes.
  • Poor translation and grammatical errors that detract from the immersion.
  • story1,529 mentions

    The game's story, inspired by the Faust legend, is characterized by its intriguing premise and multiple branching paths, allowing players to make choices that affect the narrative. However, many reviewers noted that the story is relatively short and linear, with some choices feeling inconsequential, leading to a lack of deeper character development and engagement. While the art style and humor received praise, the overall execution of the story left some players wanting more depth and complexity.

    • “This game was amazing! So many plot twists, drama, and cool artwork. I appreciate this game for what it did. I highly recommend this game for all my indie game streamers out there who are looking for a game with all the elements!”
    • “Yet, the true brilliance lies in its narrative—the dark, compelling story that kept me on the edge throughout the gameplay.”
    • “The story is interesting and your choices do make some difference throughout the play.”
    • “This is a pretty painfully done e-book, with bad, clunky writing and a high schooler tier plot related to selling your soul.”
    • “It is a shallow game, and your choices do not matter in the end, because your character is set out on a predetermined route through the story anyway.”
    • “The story is hardly impacted by your choices at all.”
  • graphics339 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique comic book art style, which effectively complements the storytelling and enhances the overall atmosphere. While some users noted limitations in customization options and occasional low-quality visuals, the vibrant and well-drawn artwork received high marks, contributing to a compelling visual experience. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a strong point, with many reviewers appreciating the colorful and engaging aesthetic.

    • “I love this game, the art style, the story, the characters, everything about it. I even bought the art book, which is so amazing!”
    • “The visuals are fantastic and the storyline is intriguing.”
    • “The comic book art style is great, and the backgrounds and story are really compelling for a short game.”
    • “There's no options to change the resolution for the e-book or customize the graphics settings.”
    • “There's no way for gamers to try to improve the low quality graphics.”
    • “The graphics are ok, but there is no animation, it's just comic book style pictures with text on them.”
  • music248 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it consists of short loops that are poorly executed, leading to noticeable interruptions when the tracks reset. While some appreciate the ambiance it creates, others find it repetitive and uninspired, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a weak point, with calls for better looping and more variety.

    • “Funky graphics, cool music, and nice story!”
    • “Liked the artwork and presentation a lot, and the music was very fitting and at times atmospheric, helping to increase the sense of immersion.”
    • “Great 'choose-your-own-adventure' interactive story with an awesome soundtrack and cool art style!”
    • “The music is also pretty bad; it consists of short background loops, but you can hear very clearly when it starts again, which is annoying.”
    • “Where Soul Gambler falls short is the music and the sound effects department - music is repetitive, badly stitched together, and sound effects are atrocious!”
    • “The music is not good, however, and beyond being simply repetitious and uninspired, it does not cleanly loop and digital clipping is audible upon said looping.”
  • replayability159 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability due to its multiple endings and meaningful choices that affect the storyline, making it engaging for players who enjoy exploring different outcomes. While the game is relatively short, lasting about one to two hours, many players find value in replaying it to uncover all the narrative branches and achievements. However, some reviewers noted that the lack of a fast-forward option and repetitive dialogue can detract from the overall replay experience.

    • “The game is highly replayable if you want to know more about the story, the characters, yourself, the situation, or even just to see different options play out.”
    • “The multiple outcomes added a lot of replay value to the game: a single run of the game lasts about one hour and you can get up to five different endings.”
    • “The story is actually quite good and the replayability is high, due to a number of meaningful choices that affect the game flow and ending.”
    • “There is no replay value, and I wouldn't consider ever coming back to it; one more title to hold in my game library.”
    • “Yes, it's a short game and can be blitzed through with replayability non-existent since it's the same thing over and over again.”
    • “As I have said, this game is great, but you may feel a bit disappointed if you don't buy it with a great discount, because the game is great the first time you play it, but you will finish it in no more than two hours, and the second time you play it, the game will be losing its interest due to low replayability.”
  • gameplay116 mentions

    The gameplay of this visual novel is primarily focused on decision-making, with limited mechanics that often lead to repetitive clicking through dialogue. While some players appreciate the interesting "soul gambling" mechanic and the potential for varied endings, many criticize the overall lack of depth and engaging gameplay, describing it as more of a "choose-your-own-adventure" experience with minimal interactivity. The narrative and art style receive praise, but the execution of gameplay elements leaves much to be desired, resulting in a mixed reception.

    • “Shorter gameplay but fun casual game with pleasing graphics and interesting story.”
    • “The 'soul gambling' mechanic and basic RPG statistic elements that lead to different options are well implemented and choices lead to poignant and rewarding consequences.”
    • “Good story, great art comic, great gameplay although a bit short to finish this game.”
    • “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
    • “The choices are stupid and the mechanics are weak.”
    • “Plus, since the gameplay is just making decisions for the main character, it can't save the story at all, and because I didn't like the story very much, this game is just a waste of time.”
  • humor42 mentions

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its blend of comic book art style and dark humor that addresses modern issues. Many found themselves laughing out loud at various points, enjoying the quirky and sometimes unintentionally funny writing, including amusing grammar mistakes. Overall, while not all comedic moments hit the mark, the game successfully delivers a humorous and engaging experience that encourages replayability.

    • “This game made me laugh, it made me smile, made me confused, sad, happy, and a whole lot of in-between.”
    • “I was laughing out loud at multiple points in the story.”
    • “The art style reminds me of Scooby-Doo, which is hilarious.”
  • grinding28 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for its tediousness, primarily due to the slow-paced dialogue delivery and lack of fast-forward or auto-skip options, making multiple playthroughs to unlock all endings and achievements feel repetitive and laborious. Players often find themselves clicking through familiar content, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and can lead to frustration, especially when trying to achieve 100% completion. While some enjoy the narrative, the grinding nature of the gameplay can overshadow the experience.

    • “Unfortunately, it hasn't been set up to allow fast forwarding or skipping in any sense, so multiple playthroughs to see all the different routes and achievements gets tedious real fast.”
    • “You can't just go back to saves before choices, which makes getting all the achievements really tedious.”
    • “After that, unlocking the achievements and the rest (hidden parts) of the story takes quite a lot of grinding.”
  • atmosphere28 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its detailed art style, immersive backgrounds, and fitting background music, which collectively enhance the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate the unique comic-book visual style that creates a compelling yet not overly dark ambiance, contributing to the game's engrossing nature. While some NPC dialogue may feel out of place, the overall atmosphere remains a standout feature.

    • “I would say the art is its strongest side, especially the backgrounds that can be very detailed and atmospheric.”
    • “The background music is subtle and atmospheric.”
    • “A great game with a very engrossing atmosphere.”
    • “The game is drawn in a comic-book fashion with a peculiar take on the visual style that gives it a gloomy, but not too dark atmosphere.”
  • stability8 mentions

    The game suffers from various stability issues, including technical glitches, typos, and continuity errors, which contribute to an amateurish feel. Despite these problems, some players still found enjoyment in the overall experience.

    • “Some of the glitches seemed to be poor translation and others just seemed to be flat-out typos.”
    • “Despite the spelling and grammar errors, the technical glitches, and the continuity errors, I still enjoyed this game.”
    • “The work comes off as amateurish when there are glitches and typos in the game.”
  • emotional8 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it touching and engaging when they immerse themselves in the character's choices, others feel that the story lacks depth and fails to evoke strong emotions. Additionally, the music, although functional, is criticized for not enhancing the emotional experience. Overall, the game's ability to connect with players emotionally appears inconsistent.

    • “It is a touching game if you take your time and just do what you would do by having the same choices and chances as the main character has.”
    • “It helps carry what is ultimately a boring story.”
  • character development6 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by a mix of appealing and unique designs, though opinions vary, with some characters being described as cool while others come off as creepy. Overall, the character designs contribute positively to the game's aesthetic, despite some inconsistencies.

    • “Oh, some of the character designs are pretty good too.”
    • “Some of the character designs were pretty cool but some were just creepy.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The optimization of the game is generally rated positively, with users consistently giving it a score of 7. This suggests that while there may be some minor issues, the overall performance is satisfactory and meets player expectations.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

4hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
3-8hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 14 analyzed playthroughs

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