Soulstone Survivors

positive critical· bar length = how often the theme comes up

my absolute favorite survivors type game right now. there definitely lacks a distinct feeling between all of the different weapons and build types so gameplay does end up feeling quite samey with different effects and colors but that's my only real gripe i have with the game. the voice acting for each of the characters is a nice touch to this genre. absorbing all of the xp crystals after each boss killed is an incredible feature. the lack of strict 30 minute timers until your run is "finished" is nice. the 3 different portals to either end the run, go into an endless route, or go into a hard mode arena is also a great touch. it has typical curses which buffs the enemies to become stronger after you finish a stage. it gets progressively easier to unlock more of the skill tree with more multipliers on crystals dropped, and double bosses in a run so you can more easily unlock skills. each and every character having their own part of the skill tree with unique buffs, runes, and spells is a really nice thing i enjoy in a survivor game. i feel like completing the entire skill tree slowly to beef up my characters. i have only unlocked the 2nd type of game mode where you lose all of your skills and buffs upon each completion of a ritual, but it gives you a permanent buff for that run, and it's a very refreshing change of pace to hodgepodge a half working build together to try and defeat cthulu which is super fun. haven't beaten that game mode yet. overall it has some incredibly fun and unique mechanics to it with a fairly decent price and a decent gameplay loop. the artstyle, music, voice acting, and character designs are great. definitely a developer i'm eagerly keeping an eye on to see if they improve upon future games.