Soul Dossier (封灵档案): Beginner's Survival Guide

A beginner-to-intermediate guide to Soul Dossier, the free-to-play 5v1 asymmetric horror game rooted in Chinese folklore: what each side does, how the key systems work, how to use the weekly free roster, what to spend currencies on, and how to improve in Ranked.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the 24 September 2026 version update (Mid-Autumn all-characters-free event; Ruyi, Manlin, and Xiaosu adjustments). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

What is this game? Steam app 1520470 is listed in Chinese as 封灵档案 and in English as Soul Dossier. Developed by 成都龙凌科技 and published by GKDGameStudio, it launched on 29 March 2021 as a free-to-play multiplayer game in which five Investigators face one Wraith. Some official posts also use the Chinese title 灵境奇谈 (rendered in English as "Spirit Realm Oddities" or "Lingjing Oddities"); it's the same game. The Steam page supports 29 languages, but English translations of patch notes vary, so you'll see the same systems named differently (Investigators/Agents, Wraiths/Specters, Spirit/Ling Coins).

Content note: Steam user tags flag mature content on this page. Check the store page's content descriptors before playing.

Quick Start

• Know your side. Investigators work together to seal the array cores on the map; the Wraith hunts them and drains their Soul. Team coordination wins Investigator games.
• Start in Training Mode. It lets you test skills safely. As of the 18 September 2026 update, it has an aggressive Xiao Li dummy and a magic circle that refreshes cooldowns.
• Play AI matches before Ranked. AI Match Mode is the low-stress way to learn maps and roles.
• Use the weekly free roster. Every week a set of Investigators and Wraiths is free to play. Premium ("Senior") Investigators get an extra free list. Try characters before spending on them.
• Watch your Soul and stamina. Soul is your life total as an Investigator; stamina limits sprints and skills. Many Wraith skills drain stamina or deal Soul damage.
• Don't solo-seal in the open. The Wraith's job is to catch lone Investigators on a core.
• Claim maintenance compensation. Nearly every weekly patch mails Spirit Coins, Ancient Coins, treasure chests, and boost cards. Check in-game mail and claim before the deadline.
• Read the weekly patch notes. Balance changes are frequent and can make or break a character week to week.

Match Basics

Investigators (5 players)

• Objective: seal the array cores scattered around the map and survive the Wraith.
• Soul: your health. Soul damage from the Wraith lowers it; when Soul runs low, damage over time kicks in. Per the 21 August 2026 notes, at 4 Souls remaining an Investigator takes 2 true damage every 10 seconds, and each further Soul lost adds 0.5 more (up to +2).
• Soul Devoured: when the Wraith fully consumes an Investigator, they drop item fragments that scatter on the ground.
• Stamina: used for movement and some skills. Wraith domain skills often drain stamina.
• Skills: each Investigator has a kit including a signature Main Star (also translated as Primary Star) skill.
• Escape: event modes and patch notes reference escape gates; in standard play, completing the seal objective is the goal.

Wraiths (1 player)

• Objective: stop the seal by hunting and devouring Investigators.
• Domain skill: each Wraith has a signature area skill with a long cooldown. Domains can restrict what Investigators can do inside them; read each Wraith's domain description. Dracula's domain now shows a visible border effect (28 August 2026), and its ground effect was shortened on 18 September.
• Possession and tricks: some Wraiths possess or hex targets (Xiaosu's snakes gained a possession trick on 24 September 2026).
• Detection: Wraiths spot Investigators at range; some Investigators have disguises (Ruyi transforms into a paper dove, which Wraiths now find harder to spot at distance).

Maps

The game rotates through several themed maps (translations of map names vary between patch notes). Learn the core locations and chokepoints on two or three maps first rather than trying to learn them all at once.

Characters

The roster is large and themed on Chinese myth, historical figures, and world folklore.

Investigators named in 2026 patch notes include Ge Yongming, He Ruoyao, Qin Qiang, Su Qingli, Man Lin, Ru Yi, Qing Yuan, Yan Chixia, Bian Que, Luo Li, Nan Gong, Xiao Bing, Wu Qizhi, Jiang Muwan, Qinglu, Wei Qingyu, and Huo Wang.

Wraiths include Xing Tian, Spoon Killer, Yuki Onna, Lü Bu, Dracula, Nine-Tailed Fox, Bai Qiulian, Snake Spirit, Xiaosu, Black Wuchang, White Bone Spirit, Paper Wraith, Yellow Immortal, Hachishaku-sama, Tall Lady, Bai Suzhen, Nie Xiaoqian, and Yang Qilang.

Recent balance changes (September 2026)

Date | Character | Change

28 Aug | Nine-Tailed Fox (Wraith) | Flight duration after consuming Spirit Power 18s to 20s; Skill 2 cast range increased

28 Aug | Paper Spirit (Wraith) | Rebirth cooldown after self-detonation 2s to 3s

28 Aug | Dracula (Wraith) | Domain range border effect now displayed

4 Sep | Huo Wang (Investigator) | Blood Orb Soul cost 8 to 7; Blood Qi cooldown 50s to 45s

4 Sep | Yellow Immortal (Wraith) | Mist Escape cooldown 5s to 3s; domain cooldown reduced

12 Sep | Xiaosu (Wraith) | Poison stamina drain 5 to 4; Skill 3 cooldown 20/18/16/15 to 30/28/27/25; Skill 3 Soul damage 50 to 35

18 Sep | Qin Qiang (Investigator) | Skill cooldown 65 to 55

18 Sep | Bai Qiulian (Wraith) | Water surface duration increased

18 Sep | Dracula (Wraith) | Domain ground effect duration reduced

18 Sep | Snake Spirit (Wraith) | Skill 3 Soul damage 40 to 35

24 Sep | Ruyi (Investigator) | Paper dove harder for Wraiths to spot at long range

24 Sep | Manlin (Investigator) | Right-click pull can no longer target teammates sealing the array core

24 Sep | Xiaosu (Wraith) | New Spirit Attachment trick (domain snakes can possess without draining spirit); domain cooldown +10s

Takeaway: Xiaosu was toned down twice in September, while Investigators like Qin Qiang and Huo Wang received buffs.

How the weekly free roster looks

Each weekly update lists two free sets. For example, the 18 September 2026 roster was:

Group | Investigators | Wraiths

Everyone | He Ruoyao, Ge Yongming, Jia Hui, Wu Qizhi, Xiao Bing, Jiang Muwan | Xing Tian, Spoon Killer, Yuki Onna, Lü Bu

Extra for Senior Investigators | Su Qingli, Zhiqi Yiye, Shang Xiang, Ye Luo, Man Lin, Ru Yi, Ouyang Miaomiao, Lin Muhan, Qing Yuan | Xiao Pi, Yang Qilang, Nie Xiaoqian, Dracula, Huang Xian

The 24 September Mid-Autumn update made every character free for the week, the best time to try the whole roster. Rosters change every week, so check the latest update post.

Investigator Tips

• Split the work, not the team. Two or three Investigators on different cores is efficient; one on each core is how you lose players.
• Save your Main Star skill for escapes or rescues rather than using it on cooldown.
• Stamina discipline: don't sprint everywhere. You need stamina to break a chase.
• Respect domains. When a Wraith's domain goes up, leave its area or play around the restriction.
• Don't cancel teammates' sealing. Skill interactions matter; the 24 September Manlin fix exists because pulls could yank teammates off a core.
• Pick up fragments carefully: items scattered by a devoured teammate can be valuable, but the Wraith is usually close.

Wraith Tips

• Patrol cores, not players. The objective is where Investigators must come.
• Use your domain on groups or to lock down an important core.
• Pressure low-Soul Investigators. Chip damage adds up, and low Soul brings extra drain.
• Learn tricks and hex skills. Many Wraiths have a passive trick or hex that rewards map knowledge.
• Watch cooldowns: domain cooldowns are long; wasting one early often loses the game.

Ranked Mode

• Ranked uses a ban/pick (BP) phase. Be ready to lock in quickly, and have two or three characters you can play in case your first choice is banned or taken.
• Ban the strongest characters of the current patch. Check the week's notes for recent buffs.
• Play Ranked with a regular group when possible; coordination matters far more than individual skill on the Investigator side.

Currencies and Monetization

Currency | Source | Spend on

Spirit Coins (also "Ling Coins") | Play, maintenance compensation | The main soft currency; check the in-game shop for what it buys

Ancient Coins | Maintenance compensation, events | Secondary currency for specific shop items

Spirit Stones | Premium currency | Limited treasure chests and cosmetics

Hair Exchange Coins | Events | Hairstyles and hair colors in the redemption shop

Treasure chests: limited-time chests (for example, the "Moon Hare Hunt" 8-pull chest in September 2026) offer a free first pull after completing event quests, and each draw removes the reward from the pool so there are no duplicates. Costs escalate steeply: Moon Hare Hunt's eight draws cost 1,123, 2,889, 3,568, 7,813, 8,734, 18,592, 23,867, and 27,554 Spirit Stones. Clearing the whole chest costs over 90,000 Spirit Stones, and the last two draws alone are more than half of that, so decide your limit before you start.

Diamond/Star-Diamond outfits: premium outfits arrive in themed chests most weeks (for example, "Qinglu - Mech Illusion · White Rose" on 24 September and "Wei Qingyu - Gentle Bloom of Sishui" on 4 September 2026).

Premium tiers: "Senior"/"Premium" Investigators get extra weekly free characters.

Boost cards: Double Spirit Coin Cards and Intimacy Cards arrive in maintenance mail; use coin doublers when you have time for a long session.

F2P advice

• Play the free roster every week before buying anyone.
• Prioritize unlocking characters you actually enjoy over cosmetics.
• Always do the free first pull on limited chests; stop there unless you want that specific outfit.
• Claim every mail reward promptly; they expire.

Maintenance Schedule

Official updates arrive roughly weekly, usually around 10:30 (UTC+8) with about 180 minutes of downtime (some hotfix patches are shorter). You cannot log in during maintenance. Compensation is sent by mail.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Sealing alone in open areas.
• Burning stamina before a chase.
• Using Main Star skills on cooldown instead of saving them.
• Ignoring the weekly free roster.
• Going into Ranked without knowing at least two characters.
• Forgetting to claim mail before it expires.
• Spending premium currency without a limit on escalating chest pulls.

Advanced Tips

• Read the domain: know each Wraith's domain restriction and position around it.
• Counter-pick in BP: pick Investigators with detection or disguises against Wraiths that rely on stealth, and vice versa.
• Track patch trends: frequently nerfed characters (like Xiaosu in September 2026) may drop in pick rate, opening room for others.
• Training Mode drills: use the cooldown-refresh circle to repeat skill combos quickly.

FAQ

Is Soul Dossier free to play? Yes, it's free to play on Steam with optional purchases.

Is it the same game as 灵境奇谈 / Spirit Realm Oddities? Official Steam posts use these names for the same game's updates.

How many players are in a match? Five Investigators versus one Wraith (5v1).

Does it support English? Yes. The Steam page lists English and 28 other languages, though translations of patch notes vary.

When is maintenance? Usually weekly at 10:30 UTC+8, lasting around 180 minutes.

What should I spend Spirit Stones on? Only on limited items you really want. Start with the free first pull on event chests.

Sources

• Steam — Soul Dossier (封灵档案) store page
• Steam — Soul Dossier announcements (August–September 2026 update notes)