Slay the spire may be my top game of all time, simply because it scratches so many itches that I have as a strategy gamer — drafting strategy, long-term decisions, interesting tactical mechanics which combine in unique ways on each run, and progression through learning rather than grinding. Slay the Spire seems very difficult when you first start it, but as you learn how to draft and pilot your runs, things become easier and easier until you're winning every run on the base difficulty. That kind of dramatic skill progression in a game feels very rare, because most games will also progress your character with some kind of meta improvements in your strength, and it's hard to tell how much better you are at the game compared to when you started. Learning how to build insane combos, increase your tempo, crush the bosses and beat the hardest elite fights in the game is incredibly rewarding and feels amazing. This game just keeps giving more and more as you ascend the difficultly levels, and you begin to question the assumptions that brought you to this point and rethink the way you play the game completely. 5 stars is not enough.
