You build a deck one card at a time in Slay the Spire, a single-player game that mixes deck-building card games with roguelikes. You pick one of four characters and climb a tower called the Spire, which is split into three acts. A roguelike means that when your run ends, you start over from the bottom, but the game keeps your unlock progress, so every attempt still moves you forward.
Fights are turn-based: each turn you draw five cards and have three energy, and every card you play costs some of that energy. Enemies show what they plan to do next, so you can choose to block or attack before you commit your energy. After a fight you get gold and a choice of one card from three to add to your deck, and you can skip the choice if none of them help. Picking cards that work well together is what makes your deck strong enough for the harder fights ahead.
Between fights, you pick a path across a branching map, and each stop affects how ready you are for what comes next. Elites hit harder but give better rewards, rest sites let you heal or upgrade a card, and shops and events let you spend gold or make choices. Your main goal is to beat the Act 3 boss, which finishes the run and unlocks harder Ascension levels for later runs. An optional fourth act opens once you've won with the Ironclad, Silent and Defect and then collect all three keys in a single run.
- Developer
- Mega Crit
- Publisher
- Mega Crit
- Release
- 1.0 (PC): 2019-01-23 · Early Access (PC): 2017-11-14
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
Game data
Relics
Relics are items that give your character a lasting bonus for the rest of a run. Each character begins with a starter relic, and more come from elite fights, treasure chests, events, the Merchant and bosses. After each boss, you choose one boss relic from three, and a boss relic can also replace your starter. Most relics work for any character, though some are locked to one of the four characters.
Potions
Potions are single-use items you use during a fight to deal damage, add cards, or boost your stats. They come in Common, Uncommon, and Rare, and each character has three of its own. You can carry three at a time by default, and you mainly get them from fights and shops.
Characters
Slay the Spire's playable characters are the Ironclad, Silent, Defect and Watcher. Each one starts with its own cards and a starting relic, so every character fights in a different way. The Ironclad is available from the start, and the Silent and Defect each unlock after finishing a run with the character before them. The Watcher unlocks last, once the first three are available and you beat an Act 3 boss in a normal run.
Slay the Spire gameplay tips
- Rest when your health is low, and upgrade a card when it's high. Resting heals 30% of your max health, which matters most when one more hit could end the run. Upgrading makes a card stronger for every fight after it.
- Skip card rewards that don't fit your plan. A card that doesn't work with the rest of your deck dilutes your hand, so passing on it keeps your strong cards easier to draw.
- Remove weak cards at the shop. Shops let you pay gold to remove cards, and a leaner deck means your best cards show up more often.
- Read the enemy's intent before you spend energy. If an enemy is about to hit hard, block first. If it isn't attacking, use that energy to deal damage so you take less and still make progress.
- Plan your path around elites and rest sites. Elites give better rewards, so take one when your health is high, then look for a rest site soon after to heal before the next fight.
- Save potions for emergencies. Potions are single-use and cost nothing to use, so they help most when a fight starts turning against you, not when it's already safe.