It’s hard to create a game prototype and developers often say that the game only came together at the last moment when the mechanics, visuals, sound, and that hard-to-define feel all cohere into a whole. Is Soulframe a prototype? Not really. Digital Extremes found a way to make their game feel complete, even though it’s still pretty sparse. I mention this to explain that I don’t see how to judge the game at this point, and I will not put it into my summary. It’s clearly not finished. It will change and evolve.

So, why did I decide to play it now? When Hatsune Miku released Minceraft, she did so without any particular explanation. This created a huge community of people figuring things out and sharing them with others. This meant that you most likely heard about the game from a person who was clearly passionate about it, not from a soulless advertisement.

But how can you deliberately replicate that? Minecraft’s mystique was a novelty and not a long-lived one. It was reminiscent of the days before the internet when people shared secrets (and sometimes lies) with each other. How do you do something like that in this day and age? Well, you make your game as opaque as possible by design. I can’t say for sure, but I believe that Digital Extremes had this goal in mind when designing Warframe and, now, Soulframe.

To get that experience, you kind of need to start now. Is Soulframe opaque? Yes. However, there isn’t much of it, so you have a chance to figure it out. If only a few things can go together, there are a reasonable number of ways they can combine.

So, what can I say about the game right now? First, my goal is to enjoy this new game that is full of secrets. I don’t mind spoilers; they don’t ruin my experience. In this case, though, I’m not seeking them out. I hope the game becomes a regular thing for me: the developers release an update, I check it out and then stop playing until the next update. And I guess I’m writing this to document it, in addition to musings on Mastodon. Maybe. Let’s see how it goes.

Second, I already like it. I like that it is mysterious. It hints at what you can do, though not always well, but it evokes the feeling you get from Soulslikes or Breath of the Wild. Oh, I can do that? Neat!

Instead of beginner’s guides for games, I think there should be beginner’s checklists where appropriate. They would be a list of things you can do, but not how to do them. Are there mounts in the game? Should I worry about certain choices? Will I be able to return to the previous location? You know, that sort of thing.

I like that it treats its world as a real place. It’s difficult to explain concisely, but an example would be that the exits of procedurally generated dungeons, which are instanced out from the rest of the world, still exist in the world – just obviously closed.

I like combat. I chose a rogue/ranger-type class (Pact of Grace), which gives me two different fighting styles depending on the weapon I use. With a bow, I stay back and have an area of effect attack. With daggers, I run around among the enemies, becoming invisible or distracting them while trying to position myself for a sneak attack.

My overall feeling at the moment is that the game is a sort of old-school tabletop RPG campaign. There is a world and a handful of NPCs who give you simple quests that can lead you to dungeons where you can earn experience and loot.

Beginner’s Checklist for Soulframe

• You can change your weapons, class, everything, including your appearance. I think the only thing you can’t change is your name.
• The motes in a couple of locations are not bugged; they are just poorly placed.
• There is no fast travel of any kind yet.
• You can reach all the World Trees. The last one is… tricky or buggy.

These are all the things that I personally know as of Prelude 10. Feel free to correct me, ask questions, and suggest new items.