The gameplay loop in Slay the Spire is relatively simple: Players choose one of the game’s four classes and ascend its titular Spire, all the while constructing a deck that will lead to victory. Every class has its own unique deck of cards to discover, meanwhile the many enemies and bosses all have unique strategies to learn and there are random negative events to overcome. The main thing to keep in mind is that experimentation and patience are key.
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Slay the Spire’s Four Classes
Slay the Spire is a deck builder, so each of the game’s four classes has unique cards to work with. The Ironclad is a brutish warrior whose cards revolve around building strength and dealing lots of damage quickly. The Silent, on the other hand, has a slower and more methodical play style, with cards focused on accumulating poison or unleashing a rapid burst of smaller attacks. Next is the Defect, a defective robot that manipulates the amount of actions it can take every turn, and can summon orbs to attack or defend. Finally, there’s the Watcher, a mysterious monk who can swap between offensive and defensive stances depending on the situation.
All four of Slay the Spire’s classes play completely different. Players start with only the Ironclad unlocked, but quickly receive the others upon finishing a run - regardless of their victory or defeat. Each Slay the Spire class has dozens of cards to learn, including the ways they interact with one another, so trying to learn four classes at once is a daunting task. It is wise to focus on just one class, at least until the basics of the game are learned.
As an example, there are countless ways to build a deck for the Defect. Players can focus on summoning tons of Lightning Orbs to breeze through combat encounters, but they can also build up defensive Frost orbs to become an impenetrable wall that will win a war of attrition. Learning how to make successful decks and combos with any given class will surely carry over when attempting one of the others, and there is incentive to stick with one class as more cards are unlocked when the characters level up by accruing points over their various runs.
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Patience is Key to Ascend the Spire
Mastering Slay the Spire’s four classes is just one piece of the puzzle, the true difficulty comes from its enemy and boss encounters. Similar to other roguelikes, Slay the Spire is hard. Regardless of what powerful combo a player has going, there will undoubtedly be a new monster ready to counter it. Losing on a particularly strong run is discouraging, but having patience and figuring out each enemy’s strategies will do wonders for the future.
One example is the Gremlin Leader, a stronger “Elite” encounter — essentially an optional mini boss that rewards players with cards and a gameplay-altering Relic upon defeat. Its main focus is summoning minions to help out in battle, but it is guaranteed to unleash a massive attack if one of the minions is not defeated the turn prior. Slay the Spire has numerous designs that use nuanced strategies like the Gremlin Leader, so while learning each strategy may take a while, it will simplify even the most stressful encounters.
Slay the Spire Demands Adaptability
The last step to tackling Slay the Spire is remaining open to new options. One potential choice should not blind players from other, more readily available options. If a player using the Ironclad gets a great card for a strength build early on, then another does not appear for many encounters, the run could be destined to fail due to a lack of cohesion. Players should be ready to start pivoting to another build when it is clear their first idea is not working. This sort of adaptability is key, especially when some of Slay the Spire’s bosses counter many common strategies.
Slay the Spire may be different from other roguelikes due to the fact that it is a deck builder, but the same mindset applies when picking it up. While gameplay may differ, starting to play Hades feels the same. Players must learn how to use the different weapon aspects, how to form combos with different Greek Gods’ boons, and maintain a level of patience and adaptability. Slay the Spire is definitely more manageable if players have some roguelike experience under their belt.
It is clear to see why Slay the Spire is successful. Its detailed classes, enemies, and sheer amount of options make for a game that is near-infinitely replayable, especially when considering Slay the Spire’s fan-made DLC expansions. It may seem a bit tough to initially get into for those who pick up the game on PS Plus next month, but with a bit of perseverance, ascending the Spire will be no problem.
Slay the Spire is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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