SoulSet

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"SoulSet" is a single-player mystery visual novel game where you play as Mariko, trapped in a eerie mansion with no memory of the past. Experience an intriguing story filled with romance, comedy, fantasy, mystery and suspense. With 7 pursuable characters, over 20 endings, and 100k+ words, uncover the truth of the game's events through multiple storylines and routes in this fantasy setting.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 115 reviews

story50 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features a captivating and intricate storyline that keeps players engaged with its mystery and plot twists.
The character designs and dialogue are well-crafted, making the characters feel unique and relatable, with many players expressing a strong emotional connection to them.
There are multiple endings and routes, providing great replay value and allowing players to explore different aspects of the story and character relationships.

The art style is inconsistent, with character sprites differing significantly from the CG artwork, which can be jarring for players.
Some players found the romance elements to be rushed or forced, lacking the necessary build-up for meaningful connections.
The game can be frustrating without a guide, as players may struggle to unlock all endings and clues, leading to a tedious experience.

story
127 mentions
39 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The story of the game is a complex blend of mystery and fantasy, featuring intriguing plot twists and well-designed characters that keep players engaged. While some players found the narrative lacking in payoff or coherence at times, many praised its depth and the rewarding experience of piecing together the various storylines through multiple playthroughs. Overall, the game is recognized for its captivating storytelling, emotional involvement, and the ability to maintain suspense throughout.
- “The story is interesting, unique, and engaging to the very end.”
- “Each route you play reveals new information, eventually unlocking new paths for the story to take.”
- “Everything, from the well-crafted plot to a cast full of complex, interesting characters, makes you want to keep playing.”
- “The story was something I found fairly choppy, and even after I knew what was going on, I still didn't really understand what was happening or how all the pieces fit together.”
- “Except for one character, Yvonne, who feels extremely out of place and flat, yet has a disproportionate influence on the plot compared to her character development.”
- “While some plot twists were obvious, others were completely out of left field and yet still felt right with the tone of the story, which is hard to achieve without making it feel like a gimmick.”
music
15 mentions
33 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it soothing and atmospheric, enhancing the overall experience, while others criticize it as generic and occasionally mismatched with the scenes. Despite its underwhelming quality, many agree that it contributes to the mood of the story, though some suggest that subtle sound effects or character voicing might have been more effective. Overall, while the music is not universally praised, it does play a role in setting the tone for the narrative.
- “The music generally fits the mood of the story.”
- “For the record: it took me slightly under 18 hours to get a perfect game, with all achievements (I may have left the game on in the background because the music was soothing).”
- “It has lovable characters, a great story, beautiful art, atmospheric music, and entertaining banter with excellent replayability.”
- “This comes across as rather clumsy, especially when combined with the music which sounds very generic and not suitable for the atmosphere.”
- “The game would have been more immersive if instead of using an open source soundtrack, they had just used subtle sound effects or character voicing.”
- “The story lends itself to a more eerie and dark style, so having constant background music gets a little distracting.”
graphics
14 mentions
29 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the visual novel are generally well-received, featuring beautiful artwork and engaging character designs. However, there is notable criticism regarding the inconsistency between the main sprite art and the CG artwork, which some players feel clash in style and quality. Overall, while the visuals enhance the storytelling experience, the differing art styles may detract from the immersion for some players.
- “Beautiful artwork, fun story, lots of mystery.”
- “Nice graphics, the music is okay and the important thing of all - I didn't lose interest to read the whole story through until you could make another choice instead of just clicking the text away.”
- “I am almost 100% satisfied with this game and outside of the clashing art styles, there's really nothing wrong with it.”
- “My only complaint is that the CG artwork was limited and in a different style than the sprites... I liked the sprite artwork better than the unlockable stuff.”
- “But the CG artwork is done by someone else, and the characters look so drastically different, one could almost believe the artist for CG was drawing on the basis of someone trying to describe the characters over the phone.”
- “My only real complaint is with the CG cut scenes; I think they used a different artist for those and they look a bit weird compared to the regular art style.”
character development
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game shows a mix of strengths and weaknesses; while some characters are well-developed and engaging, others, like Yvonne, feel flat and disproportionately influential on the plot. The art styles for character designs and CGs clash, leading to a distracting experience, although the overall pacing and intriguing twists help maintain player interest. Overall, the complexity of character development varies significantly across the cast.
- “The pacing is great, the character development is well done, the twists are super twisty, and the game keeps your attention and doesn't get boring.”
- “Some interesting characters, but complexity and character development varies depending on the character.”
- “The plot twist and character design are pretty good.”
- “Except for one character, Yvonne, who feels extremely out of place and flat, her disproportionate influence on the plot undermines the character development that she receives.”
- “Some interesting characters exist, but the complexity and character development vary significantly depending on the character.”
- “The character designs and backgrounds fit together perfectly, but when you get to the CGs, you can immediately tell they were done by a different person, which is completely distracting.”
humor
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is well-balanced, featuring a mix of funny, intense, and absurd moments, particularly highlighted through character interactions. While there are many heartwarming and hilarious instances, such as the comedic "101 ways on how to appear creepy," the overall tone leans more towards dark humor and innuendo, adding depth to the narrative. Players appreciate the blend of humor with other story elements like mystery and romance, creating an engaging experience.
- “Pacing is good, and you get a good balance of funny, intense, and eyebrow-raising moments.”
- “One thing I especially love is the interactions between characters, which range from serious and touching to absurd and hilarious.”
- “The story is loaded with dark humor and innuendo, that for the most part is not overly graphic.”
emotional
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of deep engagement and complexity, with players feeling a strong connection to the characters and their stories. While some found the resolution lacking in emotional climax compared to other titles, the interactions between characters were praised for their range, from touching to humorous. Overall, the narrative evokes a spectrum of feelings, from heartwarming moments to darker themes, leaving players both invested and reflective.
- “It's been a very long time since any game I've played made me feel like I needed to keep playing to understand the mystery of why things were happening.”
- “At times, it also was an extremely painful read, because I felt very emotionally involved in everything that was going on, into Mariko’s story and not only hers, and things got pretty dark really fast.”
- “There were a lot of wonderfully heartwarming moments, and quite a few hilarious ones; however, it was more heart-rending than anything else.”
gameplay
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
-20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a complex navigation of choices that can be frustrating, requiring players to skip through numerous non-canon endings to reach the final conclusion. While the mechanics are praised for their innovative design, the lack of point-and-click elements may deter some visual novel fans. Overall, players must engage with all routes to fully appreciate the story, highlighting both the depth and challenges of the gameplay experience.
- “I've never seen such good use of the mechanics of a visual novel before.”
- “You absolutely must play through all of the routes to completely understand the story; this will make more sense as you play and is a beautiful game design mechanic, by the way.”
- “Gameplay was sometimes a bit frustrating at times, trying to navigate the labyrinth of choices to see which specific combination was required for certain endings.”
- “Gameplay was sometimes a bit frustrating, trying to navigate the labyrinth of choices to see which specific combination was required for certain endings.”
- “An engaging, cohesive cast of characters is somewhat hampered by gameplay that requires a large amount of skipping and many bad or non-canon endings to see the final conclusion.”
- “There is no point-and-click gameplay akin to other games, which makes it a hard suggestion for adventure fans.”
atmosphere
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is generally well-received, featuring lovable characters, a great story, and beautiful art that contribute to a light yet engaging tone. However, some users find the music generic and not fitting, which detracts from the overall experience. While the atmosphere is enjoyable, it lacks standout elements that would elevate it to extraordinary levels.
- “It has lovable characters, a great story, beautiful art, atmospheric music, and entertaining banter with excellent replayability.”
- “Just the right amount of atmosphere and tone but nothing that stands out as extraordinary.”
- “Just the right amount of atmosphere and tone, but nothing that stands out as extraordinary.”
- “Soulset tells a serious story but keeps the atmosphere comfortably light with colorful commentary from the cast of characters.”
replayability
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game offers excellent replayability, with a branching narrative that allows players to explore different routes and uncover the story gradually. Players can enjoy varied dialogue and scene variations even after reaching a character's true route, enhancing the overall experience. The combination of engaging characters, a captivating story, and interactive elements contributes to its high replay value.
- “Great replay value due to the mystery unraveling bit by bit in each route.”
- “It has lovable characters, a great story, beautiful art, atmospheric music, and entertaining banter with excellent replayability.”
- “Once you actually manage to get on a character's neutral/true route, there are still a number of choices that lead to small dialogue and scene variations without locking you out of a good ending, which is good for replayability.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, leading some to abandon it altogether, leaving them uncertain about their completion status.
- “It would be too tedious to replay this game, so I just stopped. I guess I finished the game, but I'm really not even sure!”
- “The grinding feels endless and takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
- “I found myself doing the same tasks over and over, which made the experience feel more like a chore than fun.”