Upon its release, the survival game attracted over 40,000 concurrent players, a move expected to become a Steam sensation, but ultimately met a bitter end.

The arrival of Soulmask on Steam once sparked expectations among the gaming community for a new survival phenomenon.

With over 44,000 concurrent players at the time of its 1.0 release, Soulmask clearly had an impressive debut, at least in terms of numbers. However, after only a few days, that bright picture quickly turned gloomy as a series of technical and user experience issues began to surface.

Before its official release, Soulmask spent 21 months in Early Access – a long enough period for players to believe the game was complete.

In particular, the developer's announcement of AI upgrades and free Egyptian-themed DLC further heightened expectations. However, on the very first day of release, players continuously reported serious bugs: inability to log in, PvP matches being disabled due to bugs, and unstable performance. These are all issues that should have been thoroughly addressed during the testing phase. The disappointment quickly reflected in the rating system. From a positive 79%, the game's recent score dropped to only 64%, falling into a state of mixed reviews. What's noteworthy is that this drop occurred despite an initially very promising player base, a clear example that a large player base doesn't necessarily guarantee a good game.

Undeniably, Soulmask boasts many innovative ideas. The game combines sandbox, survival, building, and role-playing elements, allowing players to create an entire tribe in a prehistoric setting. The biggest highlight is the mask system, where players can possess any recruited NPC, utilizing all of their skills and stats. Combined with AI automation, NPCs can operate autonomously: resource gathering, crafting, and combat, significantly enlivening the game world. However, this very complexity becomes a barrier. For new players, especially those starting in the desert area from the DLC, the initial experience is often considered overwhelming and lacking in direction.

According to community feedback, Soulmask's biggest problem isn't the concept itself, but how the game guides players through its system. The core Tribe mode is almost entirely unexplained. The developers also acknowledge that the majority of players become disoriented within the first 30 minutes. This is alarming, as in the gaming industry, first impressions often determine whether players will continue playing.

Following a wave of criticism, the Soulmask development team quickly responded, committing to comprehensively improving the early game experience. Solutions included reducing dialogue, adding contextual tutorials, and redesigning the first hour of gameplay for a more user-friendly experience.

However, the big question remains: will the upcoming updates be enough to salvage the game's reputation?

Gamers can enjoy the game here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2646460/Soulmask/