Last year saw the retail release of the excellent Slay the Spire: The Board Game, a cooperative adaptation of the original Slay the Spire video game. It lets up to four players experience one of the best single-player digital deck-builders of all time, now reimagined in tabletop form.
I was lucky enough to have early access to the official Tabletop Simulator mod prior to launch, which got a fair amount of play before I ever saw the physical version. It was some of the most fun I’ve had playing a video game representation of a tabletop deck-building game, based on a video game, which itself was inspired by tabletop deck-building games. Try saying that three times fast – or even once.
For the uninitiated: the original Slay the Spire is a critically acclaimed roguelike deck-builder. Players face a gauntlet of battles – against gold-hungry thieves, insane cultists, and ever more dangerous monsters. Before each run, you choose from four characters:
· The sword-wielding Ironclad,
· The shiv- and poison-toting Silent,
· The mechanical, orb-summoning Defect,
· And the calm, then suddenly wrathful, then calm again, monk-like Watcher.
Each character has a unique set of cards, with endless ways to build and customise their deck as you ascend the titular Spire. The board game keeps that spirit alive – but this time, you don’t have to go it alone. Up to four players can band together to Slay the Spire.
Branching Paths – understanding what has changed
Naturally, not every single mechanic or card from the video game is copied one-to-one. These include things like certain status effects no longer existing or being folded into another, some cards being reworked with different functions or costs, and very different scaling. This is fine, as most changes are there to balance or streamline gameplay for the tabletop. The result is a truly excellent board game that really understands what makes the original so good. It’s also easy to learn; though like the original, tough to master. Each character has a ton of viable strategies, and beyond that there are loads of different potions and relics that you can pick up in each run. Beyond this, there are cards to unlock and incremental ‘Ascension’ modifiers you can apply which make the game more challenging. All this variety gives the game serious replay value.
Of course, with so many options for how to build your deck, new players might find the game a bit daunting. To that end, here are some general tips to help you have fun and hopefully survive; how to not be Slain in the Spire.
1. Be adaptable
This first tip is the most vital. Every run is different and the most important thing to do is adapt your strategy. Try not to fixate on a particular strategy at the start of the game and instead try to choose cards, relics, and potions that synergise with what you already have.
2. Learn from failure
Like the video game, the board game can be punishing. If you fail a run, don’t despair! The key is to learn from your mistakes. Maybe you added too many cards (spoiler alert for tip #6), didn’t rest when you should have, or just made a silly mistake; every defeat makes you more likely to succeed the next run.
3. Get rid of your Strikes and Defends
It’s important to learn quickly that the starting deck for each character features most of the worst cards available. Generally, you should aim to remove or transform your starter Strikes and Defends. These cards are weak on their own and builds that work well with them tend to rely on significant energy reserves and card draw ability. Try and remove or transform them at shops and events. If you’re choosing between removing one early on, it’s usually best to remove a Strike.
4. Prioritise defence
You might be lucky enough to steamroll enemies early on if you grab a couple of powerful cards. Remember, though, that enemies will quickly scale up in strength and health so you’ll need some reliable block options at the ready to deal with this. Surviving an attritional encounter is ultimately preferable to dying in a blaze of glory.
5. Don’t avoid Elites!
Elites might be scary but they drop relics that can boost your ability to survive. While you can’t necessarily predict which Elite you’ll face, your best bet is to fight them when your HP is healthy. Avoidance could mean you survive longer, but you’ll be less powerful going into later encounters as a result.
6. Don’t pick up too many cards
A bloated deck is unreliable. Unless you are building a deck around discard or exhaust mechanics, you’ll want to keep your deck lean enough so that your best cards appear often. Skip cards that don’t quite fit your deck. Synergy, not variety, is key.
7. Work out how much energy and card draw you need
If you ignore the above and are hell-bent on picking up lots of cards, especially those which have a high energy cost, you’ll also need a lot of energy to play them reliably. Even if you have the energy, you’ll still need to be reliable card draw to cycle quickly through your deck for these. Try to prioritise cards, relics, or potions that give you extra energy.
8. If you don’t like a character, try another
This one is obvious. People tend to play games for pleasure; if you are displeased by the playstyles offered by a particular character then try another. There is enough variety across the 4 characters for everyone to enjoy.
9. Play with friends
While Slay the Spire game can be played solo, what makes this truly distinct from the videogame is the fact that it can be played cooperatively. It is a compelling experience, though requires you and your friend(s) to dedicate a good chunk of time to it. I promise that it’s worth it.
