Roguelike single-player deckbuilding
Slay the Spire is a combination of deck-builder and roguelike games. Building a deck as you go up, you meet various bizarre creatures and find relics along the way. Every time you climb, the Spire has a different layout, so you need to build a unique deck to help you reach the top.
How hard is Slay the Spire?
Even at the beginning, the difficulty level could be off-putting for novice players.
This is very subjective though and really depends on the ability and patience of the player. Some will get frustrated and quit if they can’t progress quickly, while others will relish the challenge and persist.
Is it possible to beat Slay the Spire?
Players have reported beating it, recommending varying strategies. However, the predominant factor in succeeding appears to be sheer luck, as your hand of cards and your enemies are generated by the game.
It’s claimed that another minor factor in beating the Spire is your own decision-making.
How long does it take to beat Slay the Spire?
Because of the large number of randomly generated factors and events throughout the game, it’s impossible to provide a definitive figure.
However, respondents to surveys conducted by some gaming sites report times ranging from 45 to over 200 hours.
How do you kill the Spire?
According to some experienced players of STS, you can do it by killing the heart. The key to progressing through the levels of the game is to build the optimal deck for each level to help you succeed on the next one.
Is there an end to Slay the Spire?
Before you even reach the final level for your battle with the Corrupted Heart, you need to have made it to the top of the Spire with each of the 3 main characters. After defeating the Heart, you receive special awards such as access to character art.
Our take
To build an immensely powerful deck you need patience and concentration, which is partly what makes STS so entertaining. The difficulty level is about right, especially when paying for a game; you don’t want it to be too easy.
For a couple of alternative deck-builders, Hearthstone and Card Crawl are two games with some of the best battle systems on the market.
Should you download it?
Yes, if you’re into deck-building games.
