Soulash

70%
Game Brain Score Based on 424 reviews
  • gameplay
  • grinding
  • story
Soulash Game Cover
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Soulash is a single-player, open world fantasy roguelike where you play as an evil god reaping souls for power. With turn-based combat, you can choose to be a Berserker, Warlock, Lich Necromancer, or Goblin Inquisitor, each with their own unique abilities and playstyles. The game encourages complete destruction, letting you unleash chaos on gnome villages, dwarven keeps, and even a massive capital city, with the ultimate goal of covering the world in blood.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 424 reviews
gameplay23 positive mentions
grinding36 negative mentions
  • Great concept of playing as a villain with deep mechanics and replayability.
  • Visually appealing with a handcrafted world that feels immersive.
  • Fun and addictive gameplay that encourages exploration and experimentation.
  • Severe balance issues with enemies that can easily overwhelm players, making early game frustrating.
  • Item durability is excessively low, leading to tedious inventory management and frequent weapon replacements.
  • Lack of clear guidance and tutorials, making it difficult for new players to understand mechanics and progress.
  • gameplay111 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, featuring deep mechanics and a variety of playstyles that can be engaging, but is often marred by clunky controls, tedious inventory management, and a repetitive loop centered around item durability. While some players appreciate the unique class and race combinations, others find the mechanics overly simplistic and frustrating, leading to a lack of meaningful interaction and enjoyment. Overall, the game shows potential but suffers from design choices that detract from the overall experience.

    • “There's a surprising amount of deep mechanics involved and so many ways to play the game.”
    • “The controls are simple enough, the gameplay fairly straightforward, and the ramp-up has a satisfying scaling to it.”
    • “Once you get into the groove of the game and figure out enough mechanics to consistently stay alive, it starts to feel really good as you dominate the game world with your ever-increasing strength!”
    • “There is a lot to love here, but I wouldn't blame anyone who would drop this game just because of the clunkiness of the first hour of gameplay either.”
    • “Not only is the gameplay very tedious and far from fun, but tens of hours of progress could be destroyed just because an enemy's level was a bit higher than you could handle.”
    • “Worse, all the game has to show me is an extremely tedious gameplay loop based on item durability.”
  • grinding36 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and unfulfilling, often leading to frustration due to repetitive combat, inventory management, and the risk of losing progress upon death. Many reviews highlight that while the game has potential, the grind becomes overwhelming, especially with mechanics like item durability and diminishing returns on experience points, detracting from the enjoyment of leveling up and exploration. Despite some acknowledging that the game can be fun initially, the repetitive nature of grinding ultimately diminishes the overall experience.

    • “Not only is the gameplay very tedious and far from fun, but tens of hours of progress could be destroyed just because an enemy's level was a bit higher than you could handle.”
    • “The possibility of losing all your progress upon death makes it feel more exciting initially, but over time it just adds to the tediousness.”
    • “Worse, all the game has to show me is an extremely tedious gameplay loop based on item durability.”
  • story31 mentions

    The story in the game is centered around the compelling narrative of a banished god seeking to reclaim their powers, offering a unique blend of dark themes and engaging dialogue. While the main plot is straightforward, players appreciate the depth and handcrafted feel of the world, with environmental storytelling and character interactions enhancing the experience. However, some reviewers note that the story could benefit from more complexity and player choices to deepen the narrative engagement.

    • “Soulash has a fair amount of replayability in the form of the class/race variants, and the plot is quite compelling as it centers around a dark god attempting to reclaim their lost throne at the price of everything else.”
    • “The story is told through dialogue when your character levels up, and that, combined with the music and environmental storytelling, creates an extremely inviting world that pushes you to keep playing, keep dying, and keep exploring.”
    • “Soulash is an incredible game for satisfying the fantasy of playing as the villain in a classic fantasy story.”
    • “The story writing is minimal, and the combat is very punishing of complacency.”
    • “It could benefit from a bit of story and some more fleshing out, but it seems like early days for the developer who is still constantly adding new things, though it still has a bit of a late beta feel at the moment.”
    • “Add in-depth storylines, not just a little lore tidbit during level up.”
  • graphics23 mentions

    The game's graphics are a mix of beautiful pixel art and simple, endearing aesthetics, with some players appreciating the depth of the character creator and immersive 3D effects. However, there are criticisms regarding the inconsistency between in-game visuals and promotional screenshots, as well as a desire for improved clarity and vibrancy. Overall, while the graphics may not be award-winning, they contribute positively to the game's charm, especially for fans of the roguelike genre.

    • “Game is fun, with a very in-depth character creator and beautiful pixel graphics.”
    • “The game's visuals are pretty and even utilize some 3D effects for further immersion (even in ASCII mode).”
    • “Very climatic and easy to get into, the graphics are beautiful!”
    • “Oh and if you want to install mods, any custom graphics just won't load.”
    • “The graphics are kind of bland and dark. I think this is a simple fix and leaves room for improvement, but there are mods available.”
    • “I suppose if I did have a complaint, it would be that the game feels like it was made by an artist and not a developer - visually it's quite nice, but the actual gameplay suffers for style points and the UI/UX is shoddy for a game with so much work put into the visuals.”
  • replayability12 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while it offers significant playtime and variety through different classes and character mechanics, the lack of a randomized world and repetitive map design limits the experience. Players appreciate the compelling plot and the potential for discovering new elements, but many feel that once the initial exploration is complete, the incentive to replay diminishes. Despite these limitations, some users find enough depth and variation to warrant multiple playthroughs.

    • “Soulash has a fair amount of replayability in the form of the class/race variants, and the plot is quite compelling as it centers around a dark god attempting to reclaim their lost throne at the price of everything else.”
    • “Great replay value as you discover something new in the world, get killed by an unexpected danger, and come back with something different, and explore more beyond it.”
    • “The world is really huge, the classes and class mechanics are interesting and well thought out, and there is infinite replayability because the world elements are randomized (the locations themselves are handcrafted).”
    • “Further, outside of trying different classes, there isn’t a ton of replayability.”
    • “My only laments are that the map is roughly identical throughout playthroughs, so while replayability can be garnered through character variants and decisions, the scenery and areas to explore remain the same.”
    • “The world is not randomized, so replayability is already low.”
  • music9 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for being fitting and enhancing the overall experience, with a soothing soundtrack that complements the pixel art visuals. While it includes battle music, some players noted the absence of boss fight music. Overall, the combination of music and environmental storytelling creates an engaging atmosphere that encourages continued play.

    • “It's technically just a standard roguelike gameplay, but all these elements combined with really good and fitting music make it an addicting experience.”
    • “The story is told through dialogue when your character levels up; that combined with the music and environmental storytelling creates an extremely inviting world that pushes you to keep playing, keep dying, and keep exploring.”
    • “I immediately noticed the game has really lovely pixel art and a soothing soundtrack.”
    • “Music is serviceable and there's even battle music, but there isn't any boss fight music.”
    • “Music is serviceable and there's even battle music, but there isn't any boss fight music.”
    • “Music is serviceable and there's even battle music, but there isn't any boss fight music.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of absurdity and satire, with players finding amusement in the juxtaposition of serious gameplay elements and whimsical features, such as a marriage mechanic for child-rearing and inventory filled with clown hats. The blend of funny captions, quirky enemy designs, and the overall lighthearted tone contributes to an enjoyable experience, despite some frustrations with gameplay mechanics.

    • “It is also somewhat hilarious to see the easy mode that doesn't really help alleviate the frustration of the grind.”
    • “So you helplessly look for something to mitigate this fire damage in your inventory, but it's mostly filled with nothing but clown hats because you thought it would be funny to fill the entire execution square at the guillotine with jester hats!”
    • “Add that to a vast world, different enemies and hand-designed locations; all of that sprinkled with bits of stories and funny captions and you get a really enjoyable title.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    Users report that durability builds are ineffective and quickly become obsolete compared to moderately optimized spell damage builds, indicating a need for performance updates to improve balance and optimization in the game.

    • “Durability builds mostly don't work and are quickly overshadowed by moderately optimized spell damage builds.”
    • “Waiting for performance updates.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Reviews indicate a mixed emotional response to the game, with some players expressing excitement while others perceive it as an unrefined experience that fails to resonate emotionally.

  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling that the developer prioritized funding a sequel over maintaining the quality and support of the original game.

    • “The developer clearly used this game as a cash grab to fund his second installment in this series and then abandoned the original to mediocrity.”
    • “The in-game purchases are so aggressive that it feels like the game is designed to squeeze every penny out of players.”
    • “It's frustrating to see that progress is heavily gated behind paywalls, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the game without spending money.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development initially captivates players with its compelling design, but further insights into the characters' growth and depth may vary, leaving some players wanting more.

    • “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
    • “The backstories and personal growth of each character add layers to the narrative, making every decision feel impactful.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is praised for its dark and immersive quality, effectively portraying the player as a forgotten god consuming mortal souls. Early gameplay is particularly noted for its captivating and grim ambiance, setting a strong tone for the experience.

    • “Great rogue-like with an awesome grim atmosphere where you're a forgotten god consuming the souls of mortals. I can't speak for the later parts of the game, but the early game is amazing!”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

39hMedian play time
44hAverage play time
5-100hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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