I’m Addicted to Slay the Spire II

Mega Crit really came out and said, “Hey guys, we made crystal meth two. Enjoy.”

‘Slay the Spire’ is one of my favorite indie games. I honestly can’t stop playing it. Every time I uninstall it, I get this itch I just can’t resist. You know. Like a crackhead.

So you better believe I was there day one to get my fix when the sequel dropped into early access.

This is a prime example of a good sequel. It takes everything that made the first game amazing, and expands on it. The animations are better, there’s more content to bite into, and it all feels fresh and exciting. Incomplete as it is, this is still a phenomenal showing from Mega Crit!

For those unfamiliar with the series: ‘Slay the Spire’ is a rogue-like deck builder. Your goal is to climb the titular Spire, facing deadly obstacles and monsters. Each trial cleared will reward you with a new card for your deck, a useful potion, or a Relic, which provides a passive buff. Fight your way through three floors, and you’ll clear a run. Die, and start over again from the bottom. Simple.

This time around, there are five playable characters. The Ironclad, the Silent, and the Defect all return from the first game. Joining the cast is the star-faring Regent and the undead Necrobinder. Each character has their own play styles, and all of them are a ton of fun.

Ironclad is a mighty warrior possessed by a blood-thirsty demon. He is easy to learn, making him a great starting character. Most of his builds center around doing heavy damage, or building up so much armor that no one can hurt him.

Silent is a deadly assassin. Armed with daggers and poison, she is a much more technical character. Many of her cards have the unique Sly effect; if discarded during your turn, they automatically activate. Strategy is key to master the Silent.

Defect is an automaton who wields the elements for power. Orbs hover around them, some striking the foe with lightning, others covering you in icy armor. Balancing your orbs with offense and defense is a tricky act. But if done well, no foe in the Spire can stand before you.

Regent is a powerful monarch from the stars. He has a unique resource in starlight; you’ll need to balance that with regular energy. That is a small price to pay for how powerful his cards are. Whether you wield the stars or the blade, this is among the easier and more powerful characters.

Necrobinder, as the name suggests, is a necromancer. She is accompanied by Osty, a skeletal hand and guardian. This summon can be a powerful weapon, or a durable shield. Souls can be expended to draw cards and enhance certain attacks. Or you could afflict your foes with Doom; build up enough, and they’ll instantly die. Learning this character is difficult, but highly rewarding.

All five of these characters are perfectly viable for slaying the Spire. Don’t worry about who is the strongest; just pick the one you enjoy the most. Me, I love the Regent. Though I tend to have more success with the Ironclad.

Whichever climber you choose, the journey ahead will be difficult. The Spire is chock full of monsters large and small, every one of them capable of killing you. Some will simply hit you as hard as they can, or make themselves functionally immortal. Others will fill your deck with useless junk. Still others have entirely unique mechanics that will end your run instantly if you’re not careful.

More deadly than your standard mob are the elites. These mini-bosses are extremely deadly, but also offer the greatest rewards in powerful rare cards and relics. You need to balance the risks and the rewards when planning your route through the Spire. Do you take on every elite you can, or do you play like a little baby and hope the boss won’t destroy you?

Because make no mistake: the bosses will destroy you. These enormous roadblocks will push you to your utmost limits. Some of these guys can be really annoying, but most of them are really fun to fight. But if you’re run is gonna end anywhere, it’ll most likely be to one of them. Luckily, the game tells you up front which one you’ll face in a given area, so you have time to plan ahead.

But you won’t just be dealing with monsters. There are plenty of random events throughout the Spire to add some flavor to your adventure. A room full of cheese, a passing adventure with other climbers, or a chance meeting with a friendly merchant. Many of these will provide you with a choice, adding more to the risk-reward gameplay.

Luckily, you do have allies within the Spire. At the start of each floor, you’ll receive a gift from one of the Ancients. These divine beings will bless you with card upgrades or relics to help you on your journey. Yet even this has its risks. Choose carefully; some blessings may be a curse in disguise.

New to ‘Slay the Spire II’ is the Enchantment system. These add passive effects to your cards, increasing your options in battle. These range from raising the power of your attack and defense cards, or giving a small boost to your energy pool upon. Some may seem like minor buffs. But even a small edge can make the difference between life and death.

Once you complete a run, you’ll unlock the next Ascension with that character. Each Ascension adds a passive difficulty modifier to make your next climb harder. Continue to clear these, and you’ll unlock more powerful rewards to better arm you for future runs. You’ll even earn little pages of story in the Timeline, to unravel the lore behind the Spire’s return.

All of this combines to make a highly addictive and satisfying gameplay loop. I’ve sunk thirty hours into it already, and it hasn’t gotten stale one bit. On the contrary; I feel like I’ve only just scratched the surface.

And it’s still only in early access. A lot of the assets currently in the game are place holders, and there’s still plenty of missing content. Mega Crit has already started strong, and we’ve got nowhere to go but up!

Did I mention there’s a co-op mode? I’d love to tell you about it. Unfortunately, my friends are lame, so I don’t have anyone to co-op with. But the fact that it’s there is amazing.

‘Slay the Spire II’ is yet another victory of the indie game scene. Not a small one, either. It peaked at half a million players at launch, and it has maintained the vast majority of that player base. All while competing with Bungie’s ‘Marathon’, a big budget AAA game released the same day!

This game is fantastic from top to bottom. Affordable, too, at only $25 USD. That’s some crazy bang for your buck. Whether you’re playing alone or you’re climbing with friends, this game is absolutely worth your time.