Mastering the Bloody Barbarian: Game-Breaking Builds in Soulstone Survivors

Imagine being thrust into a journey where you evolve from a humble peasant into a mighty deity in the span of just 20 minutes. That’s the exhilarating premise of Soulstone Survivors, an action-packed roguelite. This game lets you live out any power fantasy you can imagine, whether you’re channeling the forces of nature as a Wizard, wielding sacred power as a Paladin, or launching explosive devices as an Engineer.

After years of development and invaluable feedback from our dedicated PC community, we’re thrilled to announce that Soulstone Survivors is set to make its debut on the Xbox Series X|S on June 17, 2025. And to give players a taste of what’s to come, a demo is already available on Xbox Series X|S. We’ve put together a few tips to help you craft some unique character builds and squeeze every ounce of enjoyment from the experience.

What truly sets Soulstone Survivors apart is the ultimate freedom you have in customizing your character. Dive headfirst into the Void with your unique creations, and if a particular setup doesn’t work out, simply tweak it until you find your perfect match.

This game has been meticulously designed to push boundaries. When your critical hit chance surpasses 100%, you start landing multiple critical hits. We introduced a dynamic called multicast, which allows you to unleash several copies of a single skill simultaneously, like Chain Lightning or the swift Dagger Flurry. Amazingly, once it goes over 100%, you can be executing tenfold copies of your skills. While other games might put limits on these stats, Soulstone Survivors invites you to experience the raw sensation of god-like power.

You can easily begin with basic character configurations, but the game’s true potential shines when you delve into the intricate systems and attempt revolutionary builds. We’re always excited to see the innovative strategies players share on Discord—strategies we hadn’t even considered!

Buffs are Your Allies

Buffs, which enhance your character’s abilities against foes, are a key aspect of the game. Take "Prowess" for instance: each time it increases, you gain an additional 1% damage bonus. While focusing on one buff can be effective, creating a build with complementary buffs tends to deliver better results. For instance, "Devastating Strikes" can grant extra critical damage whenever you accumulate "Prowess."

Negative Effects Work in Your Favor Too

On the flip side, negative effects can weaken enemies, amplifying your damage output significantly. Consider “Poison” which inflicts damage over time and spreads when an enemy falls, or “Fragility” which heightens the damage enemies take with each stack. Diversifying your use of negative effects can be more impactful than concentrating on a single one.

Dabble with Skill Types

Each game skill—be it Fire, Electric, or another—can significantly influence your strategy. Certain power-ups amplify all skills of a specific type by up to 50%. You might focus on this, or you might combine different types, as some power-ups trigger multiple skills in sequence, like casting a Fire skill after an Electric one. It’s all about finding what suits your playstyle best.

Experiment Liberally!

There are countless factors to play with: the skill tree, runes—which you equip for their unique effects—crafted weapons, and ascension skills that bestow temporary divine abilities. The key is to try various elements and identify what clicks for you. Here’s a bit of insider info: have a go with my secret Bloody Barbarian build!

The Bloody Barbarian Build

Don’t underestimate the Barbarian, the first demo character. Though he specializes in melee combat, he’s a powerhouse with his Swing, Thrust, Slam, Electric, and Earth skills, and perfect for crafting synergistic buffs. Here’s your starter guide:

1. Start with the Barbarian’s Barbaric Cleavers.
2. Seek skills that grant “Finesse,” like Double Slash.
3. Secure the “Scent of Blood” skill.
4. Watch the chaos unfold with your popcorn in hand!

Breaking it down, the Barbaric Cleavers, your starting weapon, offers a broad damage area through “Whirlwind," plus “Bulwark” for increased block power and “Finesse” for boosted multicast—pivotal to our strategy!

As you progress, target Swing skills for more “Finesse” and utilize Earth-type skills for wider attack areas. Reserve space for "Scent of Blood," a Barbarian-exclusive that accelerates your attack speed tied to your “Finesse” stacks.

Your ultimate aim? Maximize “Finesse” stacks, enhancing multicasts across huge swathes and enabling the stacked “Colossal” Earth skills. “Scent of Blood” amplifies attack speed from these stacks, turning your character into a slicing machine! Supplement this with “Subdue” to inflict staggering damage proportional to your “Finesse” stacks.

Once you dive into the full game, amping up this build becomes even more epic with runes. Runes like the Synergetic Rune and Multicast Mastery Rune boost buff chaining and multicasts, respectively. Even in the demo, without runes, you’ll be cutting through enemies effortlessly.

And remember, this is just one build of one character from the demo! There are endless combinations to experiment with—like the "Thor Barbarian" focusing on Lightning skills for critical hits, or the "Dirty Barbarian" emphasizing destructive Slam and Earth abilities. You could explore the Pyromancer, also in the demo, unleashing fiery devastation.

I hope these insights ignite your creativity and drive you to explore all the thrilling possibilities in Soulstone Survivors. Jump into the demo on Xbox Series X|S today and see where your imagination takes you!