2 Key Questions!
I wrote about this yesterday in a Splinterlands Post (Link) how 2 questions are of key importance for a game.
- If you had zero Investments in the game, would you come in now either buying or renting assets as a player or an investor?
- Would you recommend other people to get into Splinterlands?
For Splinterlands I without a doubt right now answer both negatively, while for Soulkeep I actually would answer Yes to both for the following Reasons...
Affordable Fair Entry Cost
Splinterlands is crazy expensive to get started needing the spellbook, a ton of expensive cards, SPS Staked, ... which all on top get you nowhere. Soulkeep however is very friendly on what it actually costs to get started and potentially earn. Since it's also separated in different leagues, even at level 1 you can be competitive to reach the top 50% places which give a payout. However, in order to be competitive for the top places you need the Hero which is very expensive (120$)
How Much does it cost to Start Playing Soulkeep?
I would say owning some of the key tower and spells along with a couple more as extra options allows you to get inside the top 50% each day.
Towers
As far as Towers goes, the Quad Killer by far is the most important and must have and it's also the most expensive. You simply need that to be competitive.
There are 6 others I tend to also use while almost totally neglecting all the other towers still having to explore them.
| Tower | Price | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Quad Killer | 6.52$ | Strongest tower in the Game |
| Knife Tosser | 0.13$ | Cheap Fast Physical Damage |
| Tarantula Loom | 0.10$ | Cheap way to slowdown enemies |
| Card Sharp | 0.13$ | Good Cheap Magic Damage |
| Twisted Tempest | 0.13$ | Good Range for Magic Dagame |
| Fountain of Terror | 0.08$ | Good Range for Physical Damage |
| Voosoo Sapper | 1.44$ | Nice to get extra Mana |
Spells
The Hearthgiver and Cheapo are both must-have Spells as the first is essential to have a higher score and the 1st helps to get a good starts and build from there.
| Spell | Price | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapo | 0.20$ | Allows to play the Quad Killer first |
| Hearthgiver | 0.89$ | Is needed to get higher scores |
| Venus Fiendtrap | 0.06$ | Gives a ton extra lives |
| Buildmaster | 0.15$ | Helps to do needed tower upgrades |
| Stew Of Doom | 0.06$ | Extra protection at the end. |
When you add this all up it doesn't even cost 10$ to properly play the game!
In that regard, I would highly recommend anyone who wants to try a new Tower Defense Game and have some fun with it without further expectations to test out Soulkeep. I do believe a Spellbook is needed which increases the cost to 17$ (Spellbook is 10$ which includes 3$ in credits)
Limited Time Investment
Unlike Splinterlands which forces players to grind at least 1 hour each day to get 25+ battles in, Soulkeep allows 1 free match each day for players in their league with a match generally taking 5 Minutes to 20 Minutes fully depending on how fast or focused you want to play. Also since the cost of entry is so low and the rewards aren't that big, skipping a day doesn't feel all that bad ans is very much acceptable.
Enjoyable Not Too Complicated Gameplay
With a limited amount of towers and spells available, the game reminds me of early Splinterlands when things weren't overly complicated. My main goal each day is to just end inside of the money which can be done often using a very similar strategy with slight variations based on the map, the enemies and the game rules. There are still plenty more towers and spells I have yet to explore but as long as it's not needed I won't be taking the risks to lose it on the rewards by trying experimental strategy. If the time ever comes when it gets boring or repetitive, there is plenty left for me to explore.
Consistant Rewards
There is rarely a day where I'm not landing inside of the rewards so they are small but consistent which adds up over time. Most days it's between 3 and 5 SPS, occasionally I get 15+ SPS and once I managed to even get 60 SPS+. On top of this, during my playtime I also managed to draw 2 Chests already
While my towers are ready for League 3, for now I refuse to move up as I feel the risk is a bit too high and it's impossible to move down for as far as I know.
Soulkeep Flaws!
Soulkeep by no means isn't without some major flaws. The payouts in my view are way too top-heavy and on Friday only 298 players actually played in a Tournament (60 in League 1 | 112 in League 2 | 64 in League 3 | 25 in League 4 | 16 in League 5 | 15 in League 6 | 6 in League 7 | 0 in League 8-9-10. So there are more Heroes available in the game right now (403) than actual players.
The lowest rewards in League 1 are also higher compared to the lowest rewards in Tier 2
League 1 Bottom Rewards
League 2 Bottom Rewards
Also, 33k SPS is given out daily which equals 1 Million each month. This feels just way too much for the tiny player base and I kind of want to put in some effort to become better but without owning the hero it kind of feels pointless as it's impossible to compete. Most players including myself also only do the 1 free attempt so I can't see were the rewards will come from once the SPS supply they got granted runs out. I guess if there were zero rewards I would stop playing the game but if rewards were more evened out I believe more players would be willing to give the game a try. Now it feels like the same players just get the big prizes each day which likely is putting quite some selling pressure on SPS.
Prices of Pack on the secondary market which is the only place they are available also went down below 0.60$ mostly because the demand is simply not there with only 300 active players. I'm honestly tempted to scoop some up at current prices as I can see a point where more players come in. At the same time, the reward pool now won't last and I doubt there will be much to replace it with.
Conclusion!
I still enjoy my daily 10 minutes playing Soulkeep because the gameplay is quite simple and fun, it doesn't require a massive money or time investment while the rewards are quite consistent even though they aren't that high. This said, the game certainly isn't without its flaws and it's going to be interesting to see how it all moves forward.
 |  |  |
|---|
  |
  |
  |