Soulstone Survivors

M&Ms tend to trigger in me a kind of existential crisis if I have more than a few. A small handful is no problem, but any more than that and I abruptly come face to face with the mechanics of what I'm doing — the sheer artifice of the thing I'm putting into my body. I find myself overcome with a violent repulsion, so strong that I'll end up literally spitting out whatever is in my mouth and, in doing so, briefly swearing off the mere concept of processed food. Playing — and ultimately washing my hands of — Soulstone Survivors felt very much like this. Not because of anything so simple as in-game quality: the game is a competent, polished entry in the survivors-like genre that Vampire Survivors spawned into existence, one of many that focus on polish and technicolor spectacle. But one of the things I think is underrated about Vampire Survivors' success is that it's a weird and charming game, filled with secrets and surprises meant to confuse and delight the player — not merely to…