Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 72 | 13 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 83% | 77 | 54 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 50% | 52 | 1 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 2 reviews sampled · 2 total reviews in window · weighted 1 up / 1 down · computed 5h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (13)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 40
“The creative combat mechanic that skill swapping offers is, unfortunately, the only meaningful source of entertainment value this game offers.”
read full review ↗ - 62
“While it has an obvious sense of style, and the turn-based battles generally bring some excitement, it isn’t without issues”
read full review ↗ - 60
“SOULVARS may have been a hit when it came out on mobile in 2022, but its PC version has not made enough changes for it to feel like it is meant to be played on other gaming devices. The game had an opportunity to increase its interactivity by including more explicit instructions, adding many more narrative elements and by spicing up the game's landscape. However, as it stands, I'd be sticking to the mobile version of SOULVARS as the ported version lacks a lot of soul.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“Overall, the gameplay mechanics of SOULVARS were enjoyable, but the story is repetitive and the characters and story felt lacking. If you enjoy deck-builders, this should be up your alley, but if you're here for the narrative I would look elsewhere.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Despite issues with ambiguity in terms of story and gameplay mechanics, SOULVARS manages to shine as a solid and rewarding experience for those willing to invest the time to master its intricacies.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Soulvars is one of those games that should be recommended if you're talking to a fan of classic JRPGs who is looking for a signature element that brings a strategic element to the gameplay that takes the monotony (for the most part) out of the equation. While it's true that its campaign length doesn't exceed 20 hours, which may be crucial for many players, it is highly replayable.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“I believe there is an ability for replayability just due to the soulbit mechanic and trying builds with other main characters which are all elementally themed. The game isn’t a traditional deck building game as it is being branded, so the soulbit mechanic shouldn’t put you off SOULVARS. You can pick it up here, plus there is a demo if you want to try before you buy. If you love JRPG’s, games within a Japanese setting or being a agent for hire, SOULVARS does not disappoint.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Challenging turn-based deckbuilding pixel art RPG”
read full review ↗ - 70
- 85
“The game might have had a rough start with laying out the story and explaining the gameplay mechanics, but SOULVARS quickly smoothed out and got in its JRPG groove thanks to a good mix of deck-building and turn-based action. Additionally, it let its retro vibe personality show and it quickly became a pleasant experience.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Soulvars is fast and addictive, but the repetitive nature of the gameplay and the limited tutorials makes experiencing the best parts of this game more effort than they’re worth. It has the style and energy to keep your attention for a few moments, but it doesn’t last when the character writing and world-building lay in an optional encyclopedia than in the game’s story. Still, this game is all about speed and combat, and it delivers in that regard.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“SOULVARS is a complex video game dedicated to fans of classic Japanese role-playing games and, especially, to those who love their deep combat systems. Newcomers might find combat hard to comprehend but the game does offer the resources to understand the mechanics and use them in cool ways.”
read full review ↗
RPGamer
Nindie Spotlight
Checkpoint Gaming
GameGrin
GameLuster
SomosXbox
LadiesGamers.com
PS3Blog.net
RPG Fan
Digital Chumps
Noisy Pixel
Softpedia…and 1 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Summary of updates (up to v1.3.0)Aug 23, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- 7/25/2023(JST) SOULVARS Update Notice!Jul 25, 2023
- [UPDATE] SOULVARS Release Date Updated!Jun 20, 2023