Soulstone Survivors
- November 6, 2022
- Game Smithing Limited
- 24h median play time
Face the Lords of the Void and their endless minions, collect their Soulstones and become a god! In this Action Roguelite, unveil secret spells, craft mighty weapons, unlock multiple characters, discover game-breaking synergies and conquer the power of the void.
Reviews
- The game offers a vast amount of content with numerous characters, skills, and a deep progression system.
- The developers are highly responsive to community feedback and consistently release updates to improve the game.
- Gameplay is addictive and engaging, with a satisfying sense of power as players progress and unlock new abilities.
- The game can become visually cluttered, making it difficult to see enemy attacks and navigate during intense moments.
- Progression can feel grindy, requiring significant time investment to unlock all characters and skills.
- Some players feel that the gameplay lacks variety, as many builds end up feeling similar and the challenge diminishes over time.
- gameplay957 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Soulstone Survivors" is characterized by its addictive mechanics, diverse character builds, and a satisfying progression system that encourages experimentation with various abilities and synergies. While the game offers a visually engaging experience and a fast-paced combat loop, many players note that it can become repetitive over time, particularly at higher difficulty levels where the gameplay often devolves into dodging numerous projectiles. Overall, it successfully blends elements from the "vampire survivors" genre with RPG mechanics, though some players feel it lacks depth and variety in gameplay as they progress.
“Great bullet hell gameplay and enemies telegraph enough to make the game fun and challenging at the same time.”
“Super addictive gameplay as the upgrades are meaningful and plentiful.”
“The core gameplay loop is addictive, and discovering powerful ability combos is incredibly satisfying.”
“Just be ready for the point where the gameplay becomes more about grinding and dodging than experimenting with new strategies.”
“The gameplay quickly becomes stale and monotonous.”
“The gameplay loop sucks, the bosses one-shot you and have too much HP, and all the classes suck except the necromancer.”
- graphics644 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Soulstone Survivors" have received generally positive feedback, with many players praising the vibrant, colorful art style and the high-quality visual effects that enhance the gameplay experience. However, some users have noted that the visual intensity can lead to clutter on-screen, making it difficult to see enemy attacks during chaotic moments, prompting the need for graphical adjustments to maintain visibility. Overall, while the graphics are considered a standout feature compared to similar games in the genre, they can be demanding on hardware, especially in later stages of gameplay.
“Beautiful graphics with a fun avoid getting hit while kiting the enemies and picking up upgrades along the way.”
“The graphics are bright and the animations make every battle feel epic.”
“The art style and effects are super satisfying to look at, and the characters feel unique with their own playstyles.”
“This is a 'don't stand in bad' simulator, and graphics get in the way of seeing all the constantly appearing red shapes underneath you that you are supposed to not stand in.”
“You have to turn off skill graphics to be able to dodge, which is also a big oversight.”
“The game starts out enjoyable until you start delving deeper and begin pushing curse levels, at which point the game's practically unplayable without turning graphical effects down to the point where you can't appreciate the flashy skills.”
- music405 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players praising its energetic and engaging quality, describing it as a "banger" that enhances the gameplay experience. However, a common criticism is the limited variety, as players note that the soundtrack can become repetitive over extended play sessions, leading some to prefer listening to their own music instead. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received, there is a strong desire for more tracks to maintain freshness during longer gaming sessions.
“The music is great, nice and thumpy, just what you need to get the blood pumping.”
“The most outstanding aspect of this game is by far the soundtrack—there are some real bangers in this game.”
“This game has probably the best soundtrack I have ever heard in any game.”
“The 10 second music loop was enough for me to hate it.”
“The music is horrendous, it is boring and repetitive as well, in fact the entire sound design is lackluster.”
“The only defect I can find is the music, it sucks extremely bad and I always play on mute because of it.”
- grinding391 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting it as a significant downside. While some appreciate the depth and satisfaction of grinding for unlocks and character progression, others find it excessively tedious and repetitive, especially in the late game where the grind can feel overwhelming and unrewarding. Overall, the game is described as highly grindy, requiring substantial time investment to unlock content, which may deter players seeking a more casual experience.
“There's a long list of achievements to go for as well, and they're not tedious to get.”
“Extremely well thought out and not too grindy to be able to have fun.”
“I would love the idea of grinding a long time for the ability to unlock 10, 15, or even 20 power for these.”
“Just like with the maps, this is pathetic when you have to spend hours grinding to get all the weapons/achievements/heroes/skills.”
“The grind is what killed my fun of this game, it's really great but wow... to start unlocking stuff for all characters you would need like 60+ hours of grinding and repeating.”
“The game is very grindy with unlocks requiring achievements (most of which require playing a long time) to become available for purchase and then random loot that you have to grind for is used to finally unlock them.”
- optimization223 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, particularly in late-game scenarios where frame rates drop dramatically due to visual clutter and numerous entities on screen. While some users have noted improvements in performance with recent updates, others still experience severe stuttering and lag, especially on lower-end systems or during intense gameplay moments. Overall, while the developers are actively working on optimization, many players feel that the game still requires substantial improvements to ensure a smoother experience.
“The developers really care about this game; it's consistently getting updates and improving performance.”
“Despite the grind and occasional performance hiccups, 'Soulstone Survivors' is a riot.”
“Performance has improved significantly!”
“The game has an enormous performance bottleneck that doesn't happen in the early levels but will tank FPS dramatically, and it's not exactly clear as a player what's causing it.”
“This game is so poorly optimized that its higher tier content is all but unplayable.”
“Performance issues in later stages plague this game for me.”
- replayability186 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
Soulstone Survivors offers high replayability through its extensive character and build variety, numerous unlockable skills, and engaging meta-progression systems. While many players appreciate the depth and customization options, some express concerns about repetitive environments and a lack of diverse enemy types that can diminish long-term replay value. Overall, the game is praised for its addictive gameplay and potential for future content updates, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the roguelike genre.
“Soulstone Survivors is an outstanding roguelike that blends fantastic action, strategic depth, and high replayability.”
“The replay value is insane with the number of weapons, runes, and skill trees, which you level up by playing.”
“The game features an in-depth perk system and skill tree system that adds even more replayability to the title.”
“You end up playing the same map again and again, and even varying builds doesn't bring the replayability it's supposed to bring.”
“It has a lot of content; however, almost no replayability. It expects you to grind out the same slow-paced non-skilled task to unlock everything.”
“The only other complaints I have in regards to the game are a lack of diversity in enemies/boss fights that it seems like they will expand on, but not enough, as their current goal is 10 bosses, which just won't breed enough diversity or long-term replayability, especially with the identity crisis the classes have.”
- story84 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with many players noting that it lacks a meaningful narrative or character development, making it feel like a mindless grind. While some appreciate the gameplay mechanics and find enjoyment in the action, others express a desire for a more engaging storyline or quests to enhance replayability. Overall, the consensus is that the game prioritizes gameplay over storytelling, which may appeal to some but leaves others wanting more depth.
“Immersive storytelling: the game's narrative draws players in with its rich lore and compelling characters.”
“Emotional impact: beyond its gameplay mechanics, 'Soulstone Survivors' resonates emotionally with players through its storytelling and character development.”
“It's a game that appeals not only to gamers looking for a challenge but also to those who appreciate a well-crafted story and immersive world-building.”
“This game is all gameplay loop, no story.”
“There's not a hint of a story or a meaningful boss fight.”
“There is basically no lore, no story, nothing.”
- humor40 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- -5 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The humor in "Soulstone Survivors" is a standout feature, with players enjoying the chaotic and absurd scenarios that arise from its gameplay mechanics, such as hilariously mismatched character builds and over-the-top spell effects. While the initial comedic appeal is strong, some players note that the humor can wear thin as the game progresses, particularly due to balance issues and repetitive elements. Overall, the game is described as a fun, lighthearted experience filled with funny moments, despite its flaws.
“Welcome to 'Soulstone Survivors,' where being a void hunter means juggling spells, dodging enemies, and getting hilariously stuck on rocks.”
“This game is a bullet hell roguelite mashup that will have you laughing through the chaos and crying from the RNG.”
“And let me tell you, watching 7 rock golems sprinting around the screen, smashing everything to bits... hilariously ridiculous.”
“The humor falls flat and feels forced throughout the game.”
“I expected more laughs, but the jokes are stale and unoriginal.”
“The attempts at humor often miss the mark, making the experience less enjoyable.”
- stability31 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 42 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report a generally smooth experience with minimal bugs and good performance, issues such as freezing in fullscreen mode, crashes on the Steam Deck, and occasional glitches during intense gameplay have been noted. Some users have experienced significant performance drops after updates, particularly in high-action scenarios, but others praise the game's optimization and stability, especially for an early access title. Despite some stability concerns, many players find the game enjoyable and recommend it, especially when on sale.
“Despite being in early access, the experience so far has been almost completely bug-free and surprisingly not too heavy on the hardware.”
“After several patches and fixes, this game runs great nowadays.”
“It's still a new game; there's no glitches or bugs that I've encountered, and the updates will be frequent.”
“Currently my main issue is performance; the game freezes in fullscreen (which shouldn't happen on a system with a 3090), and I often can't dash through trees or other small objects, causing me to die from feeling stuck.”
“Game freezes about 5 minutes into every run since 2 updates ago. I thought the new one would have fixed it, but it's just as bad.”
“As of the most recent update, this game is completely unplayable on Steam Deck. You'll be able to get in-game, but even on the lowest possible settings, the game's framerate will begin dropping until it completely freezes. It's so bad that I've had to manually turn my Steam Deck off to stop the game. I cannot recommend it in its current state until massive optimization is done.”
- monetization27 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 59 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the absence of microtransactions and in-game purchases, labeling it as a refreshing change in a market often filled with predatory practices. However, some users perceive the game as a cash grab, likening its design and gameplay to that of low-quality mobile games, despite the lack of ads or additional costs. Overall, while the game is marketed as a buy-and-play experience, opinions vary on its depth and originality.
“It's great, constantly updated and no in-game purchases <3”
“No microtransactions, everything is earnable in-game and it's not a grindfest when compared to other games in this genre; you can easily get all the cool stuff in literally a day or two of playing.”
“There are absolutely no microtransactions or in-game purchases; this is 100% buy and play, which is refreshing in today's market where games, even single-player oriented ones, try to push in-app purchases down your throat at every turn.”
“Cash grab”
“You'll get a few hours out of it and then realize it's a shallow cash grab that they've moved on from.”
“There are no in-app purchases in Soulstone Survivor, yet it feels like it is designed around them.”
- character development18 mentions
- 78 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Character development in "Soulstone Survivors" is highly praised for its depth and flexibility, featuring an outstanding post-run system and a variety of interesting spells and upgrades that enhance gameplay. Players appreciate the superb character designs and the emotional resonance of the storytelling, although some may find the grinding required for certain character enhancements tedious. Overall, the game successfully combines engaging character progression with beautiful art and design, making it a standout in its genre.
“Emotional impact: beyond its gameplay mechanics, 'Soulstone Survivors' resonates emotionally with players through its storytelling and character development.”
“The game's superb character development system and wide variety of interesting spells are yours to explore as you progress through its many challenging encounters.”
“Excellent skill choices and upgrades per level up, good character design, and interesting progression.”
“Some of the character designs rely on collecting items, being close to something, or even standing in a particular spot for a few seconds to gain buffs.”
“This will likely annoy folks who dislike grinding because you will be doing a lot of grinding.”
“Takes the best parts of the gameplay loop, upgrades, and builds, but changes the few things I didn't quite like about the previous game, such as the lack of character development aside from random golden eggs and the initial base upgrade list.”
- emotional13 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find "Soulstone Survivors" emotionally engaging due to its compelling storytelling and character development, which enhances their gaming experience and motivates them to achieve 100% completion. The game's unique mechanics, such as not taking damage from enemy contact, contribute to a sense of empowerment, while the active and responsive developer community fosters a supportive environment that resonates with players. Overall, the emotional connection players feel towards the game is a significant aspect of its appeal.
“Emotional impact: beyond its gameplay mechanics, 'Soulstone Survivors' resonates emotionally with players through its storytelling and character development.”
“God damn, I have no idea why this game made me feel obliged to reach 100% achievements and unlock everything in it, but it did.”
“So yeah, I enjoyed the prologue enough to emotionally prepare myself for that loss.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its rich and detailed world, which immerses players in a dark and mysterious environment. The thematic maps enhance this experience, while the music effectively contributes to the overall ambiance and momentum without being intrusive.
“The music definitely added to the atmosphere.”
“Immersive world: the game's world is rich and detailed, immersing you in its dark and mysterious atmosphere.”
“The music is also great for creating atmosphere and momentum.”
“There are no differences between maps other than the look and atmosphere.”