My Soul-Crushing Addiction to Soulmask: The Game That Stole My 2025

I've fallen down a rabbit hole so deep that Alice in Wonderland would need a search party to find me. Since Soulmask dropped into early access, my life has effectively been divided into two categories: time spent playing Soulmask and time wasted not playing Soulmask. CampFire Studio has created a monster, and I'm not talking about the in-game creatures you can battle.

The Unholy Offspring of Palworld and Ark

Let me paint you a picture: imagine if Palworld and Ark had a secret love child during a moonlit ritual, and that child grew up listening exclusively to ancient tribal music while developing godlike powers. That's Soulmask in a nutshell. It's like finding the perfect sandwich where the bread is Ark's survival mechanics and the filling is Palworld's management systems – except this sandwich occasionally tries to sacrifice you to ancient deities.

The game starts with you escaping from being sacrificed (relatable Tuesday night, am I right?), only to discover a mythical mask that lets you possess NPCs like some sort of body-snatching parasite. This mask has become my digital drug of choice in 2025, allowing me to hop between bodies faster than my ex jumped between excuses.

My Tribe of Misfits

The NPC possession system is where this game truly shines like a diamond in a goat's stomach – unexpected but valuable once you get past the initial disgust. Each character I possess has different skills, and the variety is staggering. I've collected farmers who couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag but can grow crops like they've made a deal with the soil itself. Then there's my combat specialists who swing weapons with the grace of caffeinated ballerinas but would probably starve to death if asked to cook their own meals.

The catch? I can only control one tribesperson at a time. The rest bumble around following basic orders like toddlers in a candy store – enthusiastic but chaotically inefficient. This creates situations as tense as a first date with your prison penpal, where I'm constantly second-guessing which body I should inhabit for maximum efficiency.

Combat: Where I Pretend I Have Coordination

Combat in Soulmask feels like a forgiving soulslike experience, which is perfect for someone like me whose gaming reflexes resemble those of a sedated sloth. With eight different weapons and 75 combat abilities, I've found countless ways to accidentally hit myself instead of enemies.

The system is more fast-paced than both Ark and Palworld, giving me just enough adrenaline to forget I've been sitting in the same position for eight hours straight, my body slowly fossilizing into my gaming chair. My neighbors probably think I'm practicing some new form of exorcism based on the sounds coming from my apartment during boss fights.

Building: Where My Architectural Dreams Come True (Sort Of)

The building system in Soulmask is as simple as my dating profile but twice as effective. I've created pipelines and automation systems that would make Rube Goldberg weep with joy. My base resembles what would happen if ancient civilizations discovered conveyor belts – a beautiful disaster that somehow functions despite defying several laws of physics.

Many processes can be automated, which means I spend less time on tedious tasks and more time making poor life decisions, like staying up until 4 AM trying to tame that one creature that keeps killing me. It's like having a digital butler who occasionally sets the house on fire but makes a fantastic cup of tea.

The Future of My Obsession

CampFire Studio promises a year of early access followed by free updates, though they're being cagier than a politician at a press conference about what those updates might include. The current content feels like an appetizer before the main course – delicious but leaving me hungry for more.

Despite being in early access with all the polish of a teenager's first car, Soulmask has sunk its claws into me like a desperate koala clinging to the last eucalyptus tree in a forest fire. The game's foundation is solid, the gameplay loop addictive, and the potential enormous.

The Verdict (For Now)

Is Soulmask perfect? About as perfect as my attempt at making soufflé – promising but with room for improvement. Does it need more content? Absolutely. Will I continue playing it until my fingers develop their own calluses that have calluses? You bet your mystical mask I will.

The versatility and replayability have turned this game into my digital crack. Each NPC brings new possibilities, each weapon opens new combat strategies, and each building project gives me a sense of accomplishment that my real life has been sorely lacking.

As we move through 2025, Soulmask stands as the potential heir to the survival game throne. If CampFire Studio can maintain development momentum and add substantial content, we might be looking at the next big hit in the genre.

So what are you waiting for? Grab a mask, possess some villagers, and join me in this bizarre ancient world! Your real-life responsibilities will still be there when you return (unfortunately). Download Soulmask now and discover why sleep is overrated and tribal life is the only life worth living!

🔮 #SoulmaskAddict #SendHelp #OrMoreGameTime