Card games are sometimes one of the most peaceful experiences you can have. Other times, they’re also a great way to get to know someone better as you move cards back and forth across a table from one another. The very story-heavy card game called Soulitaire seems to get both vibes just right.
Soulitaire, shown off at this year’s Wholesome Games Direct, is a low-key indie release from Beardshaker Games. You play (as the name implies) a type of solitaire against an NPC. The twist? These playing cards also help you predict the other player’s future. As you play, you have to interpret what your cards mean in order to nail the predictions, helping your customers quell their fears or worries as you attempt to face their life problems alongside them. As the plot moves forward, there’s even an overarching mystery that begins to develop, too.
I’ve only played a bit of actual solitaire in my lifetime, but Soulitaire doesn’t grab my attention because it’s based on that card game. The fact that Soulitaire uses the beloved card game at all mostly just feels like a clever way to gamify the story experience. It’s a clever alternative to using something less universally understood, like tarot cards.
What really matters in the game is more about the narrative set up. You essentially just need to sit across from another character and get to know about them. All of which happens naturally while you play. The psychic twist only helps further that narrative hook. It’s the perfect way to move along character development naturally (hopefully without everything feeling too shoehorned together). There’s a bit of a bar to clear here, you see, since the concept has been executed successfully before. Even other indie games have done this kind of conversational mystery-solving well before.
Games like Coffee Talk (a sequel to which, called Coffee Talk Episode 2, was coincidentally also shown off during this stream). That game puts you in the shoes of a barista while you learn about your customers as they routinely shuffle through your cafe in the evening hours. Though that’s just one example.
There’s really not much else to say about Soulitaire just yet, based only on this brief trailer and the game’s Steam page. Yet I’m pretty intrigued by a strong premise that shows a lot of promise and has a track record of working elsewhere. The illustrative art style is striking, too; it reminds me of Where the Water Tastes Like Wine. That’s a personal favorite of mine — a narrative adventure game that came out in 2018 which took place in Great Depression-era America.
Soulitaire has no release date just yet, but you can wishlist it on Steam.
This part of our Wholesome Direct coverage is part of Fanbyte’s Hot Game Summer 2022 , where we’re bringing you recaps and commentary on this summer’s game presentations like Xbox’s showcase, the PC Gaming Show, and the all-encompassing Summer Game Fest hosted by Geoff Keighley. If you’re interested in seeing all Fanbyte’s coverage, check out our Hot Game Summer 2022 hub.
