Info about Soulash 2:

Official game description:
In a realm where gods have perished, a new era of strife has dawned. Seize power, forge legendary artifacts, conquer the world, and ascend to the divine throne in Soulash 2!
Immerse yourself in an innovative blend of sandbox, roleplaying, and traditional roguelike genres. Conquer an expansive fantasy world, embark on daring expeditions to challenge formidable beings, craft extraordinary artifacts, amass a fortune as a merchant or thief, feed the starving population as a farmer, or construct a monumental pyramid amidst the desert sands.
Conquer the World
-----------------
Each world in Soulash 2 is procedurally generated, complete with a simulated history. Generate unique settlements shaped by trade routes, character lifecycles, resource extraction, food consumption, occupations, wages, and the triumphs and tragedies of war - all before you etch your own legacy into their annals.
Forge Your Destiny
------------------
While conquest and destruction lie at the heart of the game, your fate remains unwritten. Soulash 2's skill-based progression system empowers you to unlock new abilities and actions through diverse activities, paving the way for unique possibilities. Embrace your inner explorer, artisan, architect, pyromancer, warrior, or forge your own path by combining different skills.
Master the Art of Crafting
--------------------------
Soulash 2's innovative crafting system lets you create items with your chosen resources. Recipes feature slots of different types that can be fitted with unique magical ingredients, bestowing items with unparalleled properties that amplify character customization.
Build Your Legacy
-----------------
Elevate your dominion with an array of diverse structures: construct a humble hut nestled within a verdant forest, erect a majestic temple to garner adoration, command from a mighty castle atop rolling hills, raise an ice-encrusted tower amidst the frosty tundra, or unleash your sinister influence through a foreboding black pyramid in a sun-scorched desert. Bring families to your settlement to work in your fields and shops, gather resources, and craft products. Start your own family to pass your legacy to your descendants!
Embrace Mortality - Or Defy It
------------------------------
Select from three distinct modes to suit your playstyle:
**High Fantasy Mode**: You suffer penalties upon death but resurrect in the nearest friendly location. This mode is for those who prefer the world to revolve around them.
**Dark Fantasy Mode**: Experience true loss as death erases your character but leaves the world and your creations intact. You can continue to influence the world as a new character.
**Hardcore Mode**: Face the unforgiving roguelike experience with permadeath that annihilates your character and the world - no meta progression, no mercy.
**Start your adventures in the procedural worlds of Soulash 2 now**!

Release date: Dec 4, 2023

Categories: Sandbox, Roguelike, Open-World Exploration, Survival, Settlement Management, Skill Progression, Procedural Generation

Feature scans:
- Wiki: score 10; verdict: Low External Dependency; summary: The feedback shows a split: some players strongly desire a wiki or encyclopedia to avoid excessive trial-and-error, while others enjoy the self-discovery focus. The dominant complaint fits no specific tier (farming, hoarding, systems), defaulting to a general information barrier.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The community sentiment is mixed: some reviewers consider the game worth its full price or a good value, while others state it is not worth the price. One specific reviewer mentions that 72 PLN (approximately $18) is a good price. The presence of both positive and negative value judgments suggests a fair price range that accommodates different expectations, likely between a lower bound for those who find the game overpriced and an upper bound for those who see it as a good deal.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 35.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The first evidence directly states the game has content for 30-40 hours, providing a clear game completion estimate. The second and third pieces support that this is likely the main content duration, as 40 hours still leaves detail unexplored and new recipes can appear much later, suggesting the 30-40 hour estimate approximates main campaign completion rather than full 100% completion. No reliable evidence for story completion, session length, or endgame playtime could be extracted.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game has a steep learning curve and a repetitive early grind for tools and money, but once players overcome these obstacles, the progression and simulation become rewarding and fun.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Obtaining tools
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: no tutorial; steep learning curve; repetitive early grind for money; difficulty obtaining Tools; money scarcity early game
  - Unlock drivers: figuring out game mechanics; finding optimal money-making methods like mining; obtaining Tools; skill progression becoming meaningful
  - Conditions: if you are patient with the early grind; if you seek external guides; if you manage resources well; if you enjoy earned progression; if you overcome the initial learning curve
- Player Archetypes:
  - Creative Sandbox Adventurer (buy)
    - Motivation: Creative freedom and emergent storytelling
    - Playstyle: Open-world explorer, character builder, settlement manager
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Dungeons & Dragons
  - Grind-Burdened Veteran (no buy)
    - Motivation: Mastery and efficient progression, but hindered by grind
    - Playstyle: Tries to optimize and cheese mechanics, but finds the grind a barrier
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: X-COM
  - Ethics Concerned Player (no buy)
    - Motivation: Ethical gaming and community values
    - Playstyle: Played the game but stopped or recommends avoiding due to developer issues
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Classic Roguelike Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Nostalgia and appreciation for deep, complex systems
    - Playstyle: Methodical, enjoys learning systems and emergent stories
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: veteran gamer
    - Reference games: Adom; Tibia; Dwarf Fortress; Unreal World


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Deep and promising game (weight 0.38): Players appreciate the game's mechanical depth, noting it feels good for the genre and has beautiful presentation. They see great potential and are excited for future updates.
- Similar to Dwarf Fortress adventure mode (weight 0.25): Players frequently compare this game to Dwarf Fortress adventure mode, but find it more straightforward, user-friendly, and accessible. They like the improved controls and richer content.
- Addictive and fun gameplay (weight 0.22): Many reviews highlight that the game is engaging, addictive, and challenging yet rewarding. The core loop is considered strong and keeps players coming back.
- Strong crafting and equipment system (weight 0.19): Crafting is considered deep and customizable, with material attributes affecting gear stats. Players enjoy looting and crafting new equipment to make powerful builds.
- Fantasy sandbox with freedom (weight 0.19): Players describe the game as a majestic fantasy sandbox that gives immense freedom to explore, build towns, and manage a civilization. This blend of solo RPG and city management is a standout feature.
- Vast skill and content variety (weight 0.14): The game offers 25 different skills with many combinations, along with a wide range of extensive content and large variety of activities. This provides much replayability.
- Developer responsive and engaging (weight 0.08): Reviews praise the developers for being active, responsive to feedback, and frequently updating the game. This community engagement instills confidence in the game's future.
- Portuguese translation available via mod (weight 0.07): A good Portuguese translation mod is available on Steam Workshop, making the game accessible for Portuguese-speaking players.

Common complaints:
- Game feels unfinished (weight 0.13): Players consistently report the game is undercooked, barebones, and still a work in progress. This high-frequency complaint indicates fundamental content and polish issues.
- Lifeless NPCs no personality (weight 0.13): NPCs are described as answer dispensers with no personality, shared dialogue trees, and soulless interactions. This makes the world feel empty and unengaging.
- Difficulty spikes and high (weight 0.1): The difficulty is perceived as very high with arbitrary spikes, making progression frustrating. The jump from easy to troublesome is too steep.
- Missing quests and objectives (weight 0.09): There are no quests or stories beyond conquering the world. Players find no assignments or errands, leaving gameplay aimless.
- Early Access stagnation (weight 0.06): The game has been in Early Access since 2023 with little visible progress. Players feel development has stalled, reducing trust.
- Settlement building unsatisfying (weight 0.06): Settlement building requires the player to do all the work and feels unrewarding. This mechanic fails to engage players meaningfully.
- Permanent death progress loss (weight 0.06): Risk of losing a 100-hour save upon death is a major concern. Players fear irreversible progress loss, discouraging risk-taking.
- Early game repetitive grind (weight 0.06): The early game involves repetitive grinding, which feels tedious and slows initial engagement. This can drive players away early.
- Economy broken for crafting (weight 0.06): Crafted items sell for only 35-38% of listed price, preventing profit. This undermines the crafting system's value.
- Skill points too limited (weight 0.06): Skill points are too tight to realize character potential, preventing players from unlocking everything desired. This restricts build variety.
- Unclear gameplay progression (weight 0.06): Players find the gameplay unclear, with vague progression and flow. This leads to confusion about what to do next.
- Needs more content (weight 0.06): Players explicitly want more content, indicating the current offering is insufficient. This is a broad but important request.
- Missing basic QoL features (weight 0.06): The game lacks basic quality-of-life features due to early development. This hampers user experience and convenience.
- Progression too slow (weight 0.06): Skill progression is expensive and time-consuming, with money accumulation for skill caps taking too long. This slows character advancement.
- Missing starter guidance (weight 0.06): Lack of basic pointers at the start makes orientation very difficult. New players need better onboarding to understand mechanics.
- Needs language support expansion (weight 0.05): Certain languages like Russian and Japanese are not supported, limiting accessibility for non-English players.

Gameplay feedback:
- Dwarf Fortress and Kenshi influences (weight 0.32): Players frequently compare the game to Dwarf Fortress adventure mode and Kenshi, highlighting its similar open-world sandbox mechanics and deep simulation elements. These comparisons suggest the game successfully captures the complexity and emergent gameplay of its inspirations.
- Skill and progression systems (weight 0.29): The game features extensive skill trees, skill-based leveling through use, and a potential system with caps. Players appreciate the depth of character progression, though some note grinding is involved.
- Settlement building mechanics (weight 0.25): Many reviews emphasize the settlement building system, where players can construct and manage towns. This feature is a core part of the gameplay, allowing for base management and expansion.
- Roguelike elements (weight 0.22): The game incorporates roguelike features like permadeath, procedural generation, and learning from death. Different game modes offer varying levels of permanence, appealing to both casual and hardcore players.
- Procedural world generation (weight 0.22): The procedurally generated medieval worlds with history and random events are frequently mentioned. This ensures high replayability, with each playthrough offering a unique map and set of challenges.
- Exploration and open world (weight 0.21): Players enjoy exploring points of interest (POIs), a vast open world, and manually clicking through maps. The exploration is a key activity, with diverse biomes affecting difficulty and providing varied encounters.
- Survival mechanics (weight 0.16): Survival elements such as managing hunger, thirst, stamina, and environmental dangers are central to gameplay. These mechanics add tension and realism, requiring players to constantly gather resources and stay alive.
- Character customization and races (weight 0.1): Players appreciate the extensive character customization options, including multiple races like humans, dwarves, elves, and unique races such as Racimi and Reptilians. This allows for diverse role-playing experiences.
- Open-ended sandbox gameplay (weight 0.1): The game is described as a full-on sandbox RPG with minimal handholding, allowing players to pursue their own goals. This open-endedness is a major draw for fans of emergent storytelling.
- Diverse enemy types (weight 0.1): The game features a variety of enemies, including goblins, wyverns, and other creatures. This diversity keeps combat interesting and requires players to adapt their strategies.
- Fantasy sandbox simulation (weight 0.09): Described as a fantasy world life simulation or sandbox, the game blends elements of classic roguelikes with Minecraft-style creativity. This hybrid appeals to players seeking a unique experience.
- Combat and base management (weight 0.08): Combat involves attacking other towns and managing bases, with a balance between military and construction. This dual focus is a key part of the gameplay loop.
- Mod support (weight 0.06): Mod support is highlighted as enhancing the game's longevity and customization. Players value the ability to modify the game to fit their preferences or add new content.
- Trading and alliances (weight 0.06): Players can engage in village trading and form alliances, adding economic and diplomatic layers to the gameplay. This complements the survival and building mechanics.
- Legacy system (weight 0.05): A legacy system is present, allowing for some form of progression or inheritance across playthroughs. This feature is noted but not extensively used by all reviewers.
- World and character creation (weight 0.05): The world creation system, along with character creation, is praised for its depth. Players can customize the world's parameters and their character's attributes before starting.
- Comparison to Rimworld (weight 0.05): Some reviews compare the game to Rimworld in RPG format, noting similar colony management and survival aspects but with an adventure focus. This comparison highlights its niche appeal.
- Progression and skill caps (weight 0.05): The skill progression system uses soft caps and NPC trainers to limit max potential. This adds a strategic layer to character development, encouraging specialization.
- Biome difficulty variation (weight 0.05): Different biomes affect the difficulty of survival and exploration, with some areas being more dangerous than others. This encourages players to explore and prepare accordingly.

Performance notes:
- Crashes during gameplay (weight 0.11): Players experience crashes during map generation, character selection, loading screens, and general play, with some persisting after reinstallation. These crashes disrupt progress and frustrate users.
- Long loading times (weight 0.08): Reports indicate that the game can hang or require excessive loading times, such as five minutes of non-response. This impairs the user experience significantly.
- Crashes on startup (weight 0.07): Multiple players report that the game crashes immediately upon launching, preventing them from reaching the main menu. This is a severe barrier to entry.
- Game-breaking NPC bug (weight 0.04): A crash caused all NPCs to die in one player's save, representing a severe, corrupting bug that undermines long-term play.
- Optimization needs polish (weight 0.03): One player notes that optimization requires further refinement, aligning with other performance complaints.
- Crash with mods (weight 0.03): One player specifically notes that crashes occur when using mods, suggesting compatibility or stability issues with modifications.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended overall (weight 0.29): Many players strongly recommend the game, giving it high scores like 10/10 or 9.5/10 and calling it a hidden gem. This is the most common sentiment across all feedback.
- Recommended despite early access (weight 0.19): Several players recommend the game even in its early access state, acknowledging issues but finding it worth playing. Some suggest it shows great potential for future updates.
- Cannot recommend currently (weight 0.16): A notable group of players cannot recommend the game in its current state, often citing bugs, crashes, or unfinished content. Some plan to change their review after a full release.
- Recommended for genre fans (weight 0.16): The game is especially recommended for fans of Rimworld, Dwarf Fortress, Caves of Qud, and similar sandbox or roguelike titles. Players familiar with these genres will likely enjoy the experience.
- Great for roguelike fans (weight 0.16): The game is particularly recommended for those who enjoy roguelikes, permadeath, and emergent storytelling. Its legacy system and procedural world are major draws.
- Not for casual players (weight 0.16): Some reviewers note the game is not for ordinary players and requires patience with grind, permadeath, and complex systems. It suits hardcore enthusiasts more than general audiences.
- Worth the price (weight 0.15): Many players feel the game is good value for money, considering it worth a buy even at its current price. Some mention it offers extensive content for the cost.
- Avoid due to game design (weight 0.14): A few players advise against purchasing due to poor game design, such as RNG issues, unfair enemy spawns, or shallow simulation elements. They prefer alternatives like Dwarf Fortress.
- Recommended with caveats (weight 0.14): Several players give conditional recommendations, warning about early game difficulty such as wolf attacks, or needing to use mods for localization. They suggest being prepared before playing.
- Wait for full release (weight 0.1): Some advise waiting for 1.0 before purchasing, as the current early access version is too incomplete or buggy. They suggest wishlisting the game and monitoring development.
- Support the developer (weight 0.08): A small group of players recommends buying the game specifically to support the developer, appreciating their work and vision. This is a niche but genuine reason to recommend.
- Strong negative sentiment (weight 0.08): A few reviews are outright negative, telling players to 'stay away' or 'don't play this game.' These are strong warnings, though they come from single comments.
- Good for exploration and building (weight 0.08): Players who like open-world exploration, crafting, and settlement building will find much to enjoy. The game offers a sandbox experience that scratches multiple itches.
- Playstyle flexibility praised (weight 0.08): Reviewers appreciate the option to play as a solo adventurer, civilization builder, or a hybrid. This flexibility is seen as a key strength, enhanced by the legacy system.
- Technical issues affect recommendation (weight 0.08): Crashes and bugs in the current state lead some to not recommend the game. They plan to change their review once these issues are fixed, indicating potential but not yet realized.
- Hidden gem for RPG fans (weight 0.07): Some call the game a hidden gem for RPG enthusiasts, offering a unique blend of classic RPG elements with modern sandbox mechanics. It is highly recommended for genre lovers.
- Not recommended for deep simulation fans (weight 0.06): Some players note the game is wide but shallow, lacking the depth of base-building or management games like Kenshi or Project Zomboid. It may disappoint those seeking complex systems.
- Fun despite frustrations (weight 0.05): A few players note the game is addictive and fun even if it causes anger or frustration. The difficulty and punishing mechanics are part of the appeal for some.
- Recommended for Diablo-like loot (weight 0.03): One review highlights that fans of Diablo-style looting and customizable skill sets will enjoy this game. This is a very specific but positive recommendation.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.38): Frustration arises from excessive grinding for skills, money, and progression, combined with punishing permadeath, RNG-dependent rewards, and unclear mechanics. Buggy systems, crashes, and unbalanced encounters further compound the sense of wasted effort and lack of fair challenge.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.2): Satisfaction comes from rewarding progression, deep gameplay mechanics, and a responsive developer. Players enjoy the freedom to solo, build settlements, and feel actions have weight, with frequent updates and a stable core experience enhancing long-term enjoyment.
- Excitement (weight 0.2): Excitement is driven by the addictive gameplay loop, immense freedom, and potential for future updates. The skill-based leveling, procedurally generated worlds, and variety of unique runs create a sense of discovery and anticipation for the game's evolution.
- Disappointment (weight 0.18): Disappointment stems from unfulfilled potential, with shallow depth, lack of narrative, and excessive grind. Bugs, missing features, and repetitive content undermine the promise of procedural generation and engaging NPC interactions, leaving players feeling the game is unfinished.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.13): Enjoyment is derived from the rich variety of content, rewarding skill progression, and open-world freedom. The crafting system, emergent gameplay, and stable performance provide a solid sandbox experience that players find addictive and relaxing.
- Hope (weight 0.06): Hope is based on the developer's frequent updates and responsiveness, suggesting that current issues like bugs and missing features will be addressed. Players look forward to the 1.0 release and additional systems that could make the game a masterpiece.
- Appreciation (weight 0.05): Appreciation focuses on the developer's dedication, transparency, and the game's depth despite being in early access. The modding community and ambitious scope are also valued, showing respect for the effort poured into the project.
- Amusement (weight 0.05): Amusement comes from humorous and unexpected events, such as dying to a kangaroo or being attacked for picking a flower. The game's quirky crime system and emergent stories provide comic relief even during frustrating moments.
- Admiration (weight 0.04): Admiration is directed at the single developer's achievement in creating a complex and unique game. The title is seen as a hidden gem with tremendous content, comparing favorably to established roguelikes like Caves of Qud.
- Surprise (weight 0.04): Surprise results from the game exceeding expectations despite low-quality graphics, with addictive gameplay and a persistent world that continues after death. The quality and polish for an early access title also caught players off guard.
- Gratitude (weight 0.04): Gratitude is expressed for the helpful modding community and the developer's responsiveness. Players appreciate finding a game that matches their preferences despite controversy, and thank the team for their efforts.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Joy comes from the combination of open-world exploration, settlement building, and freedom of action. Players find satisfaction in self-sufficiency and crafting, enjoying the game as a perfect adventure to hop in and out of.
- Anticipation (weight 0.03): Anticipation is fueled by the promise of countless hours of gameplay and future updates. Players look forward to new content and returning after patches, confident that continued development will enhance the experience.
- Addiction (weight 0.03): Addiction is driven by the high replayability, depth, and constant goals, leading to extended play sessions. The addictive gameplay loop and variety of content keep players engaged for hours on end.
- Delight (weight 0.02): Delight arises from emergent unpredictable events, such as adopting a goat or accidentally destroying a village. The charming game and fun, challenging gameplay make the experience enjoyable and memorable.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Boredom stems from grindy and repetitive gameplay, especially in the late game after clearing extreme dungeons. Shallow combat and limited playstyle options contribute to a monotonous loop that fails to sustain interest.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger is caused by unplayable states, poor design choices, and wasted time on early access. Frustrations include hard-to-distinguish creatures, lack of counterplay against instant kills, and game-breaking bugs.
- Love (weight 0.02): Love is expressed for the fantasy sandbox, deep simulation, and freedom to create unique characters. Players appreciate the community and find the game exactly what they always wanted, despite occasional bugs.
- Fun (weight 0.02): Fun is derived from unbalanced enemies that keep the game challenging and enjoyable permadeath mechanics. Memorable moments like slaying a dragon while dual-wielding battleaxes highlight the rewarding experience.
- Desire (weight 0.02): Desire focuses on missing features like more dungeon variety, buildable boats, and mounted horses. Players want additional content such as dialogues, classes, and better economy balance to enhance the game.}