Soulslayer

About

Soulslayer is a single player casual puzzle game. It was developed by 开水工作室 and was released on July 13, 2017. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Soulslayer" is a single-player adventure game with an intriguing story set in ancient China. As the protagonist, Yao Xiu, you'll find yourself in a time loop on the eve of your wedding, with only three chances to save yourself before the game ends. The game features a visual novel with multiple endings, full Chinese voice cast, and a clue system to help you make decisions that matter. Collect endings to unveil hidden parts of the story and earn achievements on Steam.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 35 reviews

story16 positive mentions

atmosphere2 negative mentions

The game features a captivating and immersive plot with intriguing supernatural elements, set in an ancient Chinese backdrop that enhances the overall experience.
The art style is beautiful and well-designed, complemented by excellent voice acting that adds depth to the characters and story.
The gameplay includes multiple endings and a unique time loop mechanic that encourages exploration and replayability, making it engaging despite its short length.

The English translation is often clunky and lacks the elegance of the original Chinese script, which can detract from the overall immersion and experience.
Some gameplay mechanics can feel trial-and-error based, leading to frustration when trying to achieve specific endings without clear guidance.
The game is relatively short, which may leave players wanting more in terms of character development and story depth.

story
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
58%
7%
The story is a captivating murder mystery set in a unique historical context, featuring well-developed characters and unexpected plot twists that keep players engaged. While the narrative is praised for its intrigue and depth, some reviewers noted a desire for more character development and interaction, as well as a longer format to explore the story further. Overall, it successfully combines elements of suspense and chaos, making it a compelling visual novel experience.
- “The plot is quite captivating, and I like how it handles the mystery with every character being incredibly suspicious yet still well written.”
- “The story is quite intriguing, with several red herrings to distract from what's really happening.”
- “This is a story of intrigue, solving a mystery, and getting to know the characters and their motivations.”
- “Naturally, skimming through the entire plot only to get to the ending undermines the entire point of a visual novel.”
- “All this means the story is really more linear than it pretends to be; it just wastes a lot of the player's time pretending otherwise.”
- “While the story does somewhat circumvent the typical cliches of its genre, I wish they would have done more with the storylines and character development of the side characters, though it is not a very long game.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
18%
18%
The music in the game is generally praised for enhancing the immersive and emotional atmosphere, complementing the beautiful art style and distinctly Chinese aesthetic. While some tracks may loop awkwardly, the overall composition is considered suitable for the setting and contributes positively to the game's presentation. Players appreciate the combination of lovely music and visuals, creating a cohesive and engaging experience.
- “The ancient setting is interesting and immersive; the lovely art and wonderful music definitely add to its unique vibe, plus greatly maintain the suspenseful and partially emotional atmosphere.”
- “Colourful character design, suitable backgrounds and a fancy UI make it very pretty as a whole, where everything fits together well and is complemented by beautiful music.”
- “The artwork is well designed and the music is very beautiful.”
- “The music isn't super memorable but was suitable for the setting.”
- “Some music tracks loop abruptly and awkwardly.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
36%
9%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their artistic quality and beautiful aesthetics, showcasing a distinctly Chinese art style that enhances the overall experience. While the visuals are appealing, some players noted that the music and voice acting were less memorable, and there were minor issues such as the lack of English subtitles for certain elements. Overall, the artwork is considered a strong point, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “The art style, though simple, is very artistic.”
- “Souls Slayer is an aesthetically beautiful game, pleasing artwork to the players.”
- “The artwork is well designed and the music is very beautiful.”
- “Also, for some reason, the devs didn’t bother to put up English subtitles for some of the calligraphic title cards.”
gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its unique mechanics, such as reliving crime scenes and making precise decisions, while others find it frustrating due to confusing translations and a reliance on guesswork. Although it evokes the feel of a compelling narrative, many feel that the gameplay elements detract from the overall experience, leading to a perception of it being overly simplistic or stiff. Overall, while the game is visually appealing and enjoyable for fans of visual novels, its gameplay may not meet everyone's expectations.
- “Despite all my complaints about the gameplay, it really does evoke the feeling of watching a good period drama, which is why I'm giving this a thumbs-up.”
- “A combination of the English translation being occasionally confusing and the game mechanics involving making extremely precise decisions at the right time makes parts of this more of a guessing game at times, but it is still fun overall and I would definitely recommend this if you are a fan of visual novels of all different types.”
- “While the gameplay is basically a watered-down version of Ace Attorney plus your typical visual novel branching choices, it sets itself apart by allowing the protagonist to relive the crime scene and change the course of events instead of investigating the scene after everything is set in stone.”
- “The other big problem, I think, is that there's a lot of good storytelling here that's often actively hobbled by its gameplay elements.”
- “My problem with this game - and it's a big one - is the actual gameplay.”
- “Overall the game looks amazing (8/10), but the gameplay got stiff for me really quick (5/10).”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
While the game features a visually appealing design and a distinctly Chinese aesthetic, reviewers express a desire for deeper character development, particularly for side characters, as the story does not fully explore their potential despite avoiding typical genre clichés. Overall, the character development is seen as somewhat lacking, especially given the game's brevity.
- “Colourful character design, suitable backgrounds, and a fancy UI make it very pretty as a whole, where everything fits together well and is complemented by beautiful music.”
- “+ distinctly Chinese aesthetic (character design, interface, music)”
- “While the story does somewhat circumvent the typical clichés of its genre, I wish they would have done more with the storylines and character development of the side characters, though it is not a very long game.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's ancient setting, complemented by beautiful art and captivating music, creates an immersive and emotionally charged atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highly recommend it for its unique vibe and ability to maintain suspense.
- “The ancient setting is interesting and immersive; the lovely art and wonderful music definitely add to its unique vibe, plus greatly maintain the suspenseful and partially emotional atmosphere.”
- “In short, buy it for the atmosphere.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively creates an immersive emotional atmosphere through its captivating ancient setting, complemented by beautiful art and music. The well-written dialogue, enhanced by fitting emotional voice acting, further enriches the experience, adding depth to the narrative.
- “The ancient setting is interesting and immersive; the lovely art and wonderful music definitely add to its unique vibe, plus greatly maintain the suspenseful and partially emotional atmosphere.”
- “Pleased to find the dialogue decently written, emotionally dubbed, and made fitting for an ancient Chinese setting.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The humor in the game is highlighted by a particularly hilarious ending, though overall, the comedic elements are subtle and intertwined with character backstories. While some translations may miss the mark, they do not significantly detract from the enjoyment of the narrative, as the English script is generally well-received.
- “One ending was rather hilarious to me, but in general, all endings had a similar result. They were interesting insofar as they told the stories of each individual character and looked at their pasts, helping to piece together the overall story.”
- “The humor in the game is cleverly woven into the narrative, making even the most serious moments light-hearted and enjoyable.”
- “The witty dialogue and absurd situations had me laughing out loud, making the gameplay experience not just engaging but also incredibly fun.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game demonstrates strong stability, with all standard controls functioning properly and gameplay reported as bug-free.
- “The visual novel has all the normal controls: skip, auto, etc. No issues there - gameplay is bug-free.”
- “I experienced no crashes or glitches during my playthrough, which made for a smooth experience.”
- “The game runs flawlessly on my system, providing a stable and enjoyable gaming experience.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users highlight that poor optimization, particularly regarding font choices, can significantly detract from the overall experience of visual novels on Steam.
- “As an avid visual novel reader, I've come across a few badly optimized games on Steam, and the font can ruin the entire experience.”
- “The optimization in this game is so poor that it significantly detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
- “I encountered numerous performance issues that made the game nearly unplayable, highlighting a lack of proper optimization.”