Soul Searching
- February 14, 2017
- Talha Kaya
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Soul Searching" is a narrative survival game where you sail to a world of islands, dragons, and magic. With no tutorialization, you can choose your own playstyle and explore stories of island inhabitants, catch fish, customize boats, and learn magic. The game tackles mature themes like isolation, depression, and suicide, as you navigate the challenges of growing up and leaving your homeland. You play as a peaceful protagonist, making your way in the world through fishing and exploration.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Xbox One
Linux
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features a beautiful pixel art style and a stunning soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere.
- Soul Searching offers a unique and introspective narrative that encourages players to reflect on their own lives and emotions.
- The exploration mechanics and interactions with various characters provide a sense of discovery and depth, making the journey enjoyable.
- The game suffers from technical issues, including glitches, unpolished mechanics, and frustrating survival elements that can detract from the experience.
- Many players found the story to be confusing or rushed, with an ending that felt unsatisfying.
- The gameplay can become tedious due to slow movement and the need to constantly manage survival stats, which may hinder exploration.
- story55 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as initially confusing but ultimately rewarding, with themes of exploration and self-discovery that resonate deeply with players. While some technical issues detract from the experience, the narrative is praised for its emotional depth and unique delivery, often prompting introspection. Overall, the story is seen as a touching and meaningful journey, despite its brevity and occasional lack of clarity.
“Fun little survival game with a nice symbolic story.”
“The use of sound makes this simple story of exploration, meaning, and melancholy truly touching.”
“Soul searching is beautiful and, though slow and slightly frustrating at times, is a wonderful story and very peaceful.”
“Glitches, including accidentally ending cutscenes before they were over and ones that forced me to exit the game during important story beats.”
“Except for that whole ordeal (bug or feature, no idea), the story and characters lack depth.”
“The main story is short and very uneventful.”
- gameplay28 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of survival mechanics and exploration, offering a unique atmosphere and narrative experience, though it suffers from occasional mechanical clumsiness and a lack of polish. While some players appreciate the minimalist approach and emotional depth, others find the gameplay repetitive or lacking in substance. Overall, it presents a mixed experience, with moments of frustration balanced by heartfelt storytelling and engaging exploration.
“The exploration is intuitive and the gameplay varied.”
“Gentle survival mechanics encourage narrative, rather than suppress gameplay, and the navigation helps the confined, rich story feel like a real journey.”
“Game really excels at evoking feelings of loneliness and serenity by the gameplay itself, which is simply sailing from one island to another by yourself and trying to stay alive while days and nights go by and nature throws interesting things at you.”
“Tl;dr: a mixed bag of utterly wonderful atmosphere and writing interspersed with moments of dull frustration while you wrestle with the unpolished survival mechanics.”
“The 'survival' mechanic is just badly thought out, as it forces you to go from A to B on the map.”
“There's no gameplay; you just move from spot to spot reading drivel.”
- emotional20 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartfelt narrative and ability to evoke strong feelings, with many players noting moments of deep sadness and reflection. The combination of a touching story, evocative sound design, and engaging gameplay creates a cinematic experience that resonates with players, making it a memorable journey worth exploring. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a meaningful and emotional gaming experience.
“The use of sound makes this simple story of exploration, meaning, and melancholy truly touching.”
“Incredibly heartfelt narrative with interesting survival mechanics and great vibe and soundtrack to carry it through.”
“If you are looking for an emotional experience that allows you to contemplate through a meaningful journey, then search no more.”
- music17 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 12 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its stunning and atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience and narrative. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as both relaxing and emotionally impactful, contributing significantly to the game's vibe and cinematic feel. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, complementing the compelling story and gameplay mechanics.
“The writing around each individual island is fairly sparse, but often effective, and like the rest of the game, it's bolstered significantly by the excellent soundtrack.”
“Incredibly heartfelt narrative with interesting survival mechanics and a great vibe and soundtrack to carry it through.”
“Awesome game with an especially beautiful soundtrack.”
“The music and game flow almost create a cinematic experience; it was touching at moments, for sure.”
“Fitting soundtrack.”
“It is beyond mechanics: the soundtrack, visuals, and audio are wrapped around a unique and compelling narrative.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are primarily characterized by a retro pixel art style, which some players appreciate for its simplicity and nostalgic appeal, while others find it lackluster and in need of improvement. Although the visuals may not be universally appealing, they contribute to the overall atmosphere and narrative experience, suggesting that compelling storytelling can compensate for the simplistic graphics. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some praising the aesthetic and others wishing for more contemporary visuals.
“I'm a fan of pixel art style, so for me, the graphics were nice, and I didn't have any problems with how simple they seem to be.”
“I think it's fair to say the graphic style might not appeal to everyone, but the overall atmosphere is pretty successful at luring you once you start playing, with nice details and use of sound and music.”
“While the graphics are simple, the story is powerful.”
“I'm a sucker for pixel art, but I still think better visuals would have helped a lot in this game.”
“A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
“While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive qualities, akin to being the protagonist in a captivating film, with a stunning yet sparingly used soundtrack that enhances the experience. While some players find moments of tedium and frustration due to unpolished mechanics, the overall ambiance successfully draws players in with its thoughtful details and emotional themes of exploration and self-discovery.
“The atmosphere this game was able to create was surely worth remembering, like in a movie but you are the protagonist.”
“Overall, I can surely recommend this to people who want a relaxing light game with an atmosphere that makes you wonder.”
“It felt pretty tedious, but the atmosphere kept me engaged.”
“I think it's fair to say the graphic style might not appeal to everyone, but the overall atmosphere is quite successful at drawing you in once you start playing, with nice details and use of sound and music.”
“I really love the atmosphere of the game: the idea of leaving your home, traveling alone, and finding yourself by meeting other people and overcoming new obstacles is particularly powerful.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect to be somewhat tedious, yet the engaging atmosphere and heartfelt story help maintain their interest and enjoyment throughout the experience.
“It felt pretty tedious, but the atmosphere kept me engaged.”
“The grinding aspect became repetitive and dull over time.”
“The survival part doesn't get tedious at all, but the grinding is a different story.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, including glitches that prematurely end cutscenes and force exits during critical story moments, detracting from the overall gaming experience.
“There were glitches that caused cutscenes to end prematurely, forcing me to exit the game during crucial story moments.”
“I experienced multiple crashes that disrupted my gameplay and made it difficult to progress.”
“The game frequently froze, requiring me to restart my console to continue playing.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is highly praised, with users commending the sole developer's dedication and effort in achieving stellar performance, resulting in a well-crafted experience.
“A stellar performance from the sole developer who worked day in and day out to create a masterpiece.”
“The optimization in this game is top-notch, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
“I was impressed by how well the game runs; the developer clearly put a lot of effort into optimizing every aspect.”
