Slay the Spire

This game is fantastic. Not only is the idea solid (rouge-lite deck builder) but the execution is on point. The card variety and rate of gaining new cards is on point. Enemy/encounter variety is great. Each run is the right amount of anticipation/unpredictability. However, I will say that after you learn the game, the end game ends up being kind of limited/frustrating. This is sort of inevitable because as the game gets harder (or you try to go farther) there are naturally fewer and fewer viable strategies.

It's one of those "I'll just have another try" games and it has kept me focused for hours. "If at first you don't succeed try and try again" I've played other games in the same genre but none have been as consistantly compelling. Once you get the hang of the way the cards can be used you'll start to make some progress. Oh yes, it runs on Linux too!

In real life I enjoy trading card games like MtG and Pokemona lot and am quite proficient at them, so I had a lot of fun with this game in the first few hours when everything was fresh and new. I felt there was a lot to discover. After some 20-30hrs in though that feeling changed. Ultimately the deck building part, which I enjoy most, is very limited. Its not about playing different variations and builds, what in MtG is a reanimator, voltron, mill-deck etc. Whenever you get to choose between cards with time it becomes obvious which cards are useless, which are okay and which are must haves for the character. That and the overall rather small card pool per character sort of turns this into a get-your-build-together game, or not. I would have liked to focus on certain cards or effects and build around them instead of being forced basically picking the same stuff over an over again. On a sidenote: With the monk character I wasnt able to beat the game once despite many tries. The switch your stance style just seems clumsy, as with more cards in your deck you dont draw the required stance cards anymore and really all it takes is to get stuck in the double-damage stance once, where one also receives double damage, which in the given instance is fatal even from high health. Trying to not do the stance thing also doesnt work, as the characters card set then doesnt allow for nearly enough dps. If you want to give it your own try get it on a discount. I dont think the full price is warranted.

The first few hours of the game were fun, exploring different possibilities, encountering new enemies, meeting bosses for the first time. It was quite the enjoyable experience. But the more I palyed it, the more the game's flaws became apparent. To beat the later elites, the final bosses, or the FINAL_FINAL boss, only a few builds are viable per character. When the game was being designed they decided that you have a few core skills and many cards that work as suport for them to one extent or another. This is not bad, that is how card games work. The problem is that to make one of the viable builds, you have to get the right cards. -> You can not prebuild decks. everything is done run for run. You get random cards and work with what you have. This means, that even if you know what to do, the game will simply not allow you to do it, thanks to bad RNG. -> There is a shop, but it also RNG heavy, you cannot choose what cards you get, you cannot lock any cards, you cannot order cards to be available next time you meet the merchant. There is no way to ensure that you will be able to build a functional deck on time. -> The purpose of the game is to try out different things... I get it, but I have been trying out different things for over 40 hours, that is two days of non-stop playing with whatever shtuff the game decides to throw my way. It grows old quickly, I know what works and what doesn ot work for me, but I am not allowed to do it. For every character I have a few builds that work, but often times I do not get all of the cards needed to make them viable. So I die and I have to restart. The biggest gripe I have with the game are the boss relics. You fight a difficult enemy and what you get in return is a monkey paw. It gives you some benefit but at the expense of something else. Normal relics from common chests do not do this. Two stars, only becuse the soundtrack is good. Buy the music and avoid the game.

The game is really good. It has taken a lot of hours from me. There is no story line. It's basic. You fight monsters, you get cards and relics, and you try to make useful combinations based on the random things you get on your journey each time. But it's addicting. It's a great game that people have put a lot of effort into it. You most likely will sink a good amount of time into it if you like game mechanics. When you are successful in making a good build, it can be fairly joyous. The bad is what accompanies all rogue-likes in that many times you are doomed from the start. You don't get any good cards, the relics you get are worthless or have no synergy with your cards, you may get unlucky draws, etc. etc. etc. It's upsetting, because a run-through is not quick. Additionally, I feel the game makes it easier on you if you are losing a bunch. In other words, it feels like if you lose a bunch then the game just starts giving you good cards, as if it is having pity on you....which makes me angrier. Good game. Well worth it.