Slay the Spire needs no introduction. The first deckbuilder super success, Mega Crit took the indie scene—and mainstream audiences—on a stat- and card-infused journey through odd, twisting caverns, and even stranger enemies. Of course, cards weren’t invented on computers. So, rather than taking something traditionally held in people’s hands and implementing it into software, Mega Crit have chosen to work backward by partnering with Contention Games and delivering Slay the Spire: The Board Game.
For the uninitiated, Slay the Spire: The Board Game involves one to four players using one of four unique characters as they choose a route to the final boss in each of three acts. Beat the boss, move to the next act, until victory after the third. Gameplay is highly strategic as players start with decks built around their character. For instance, the Silent is a rogue-style character that can generate shivs or addle enemies with poison as “core” builds, while the Defect generates orbs that can attack or defend against enemies. Orbs also have different properties if “evoked,” meaning they are expended for a large impact. All characters have a variety of ways to build them. Min-maxing into a poison build, for example, isn’t the best way to victory, because sometimes card effects, like weakening enemies, can help you stack up poison on the enemy while keeping yourself safe. When beating enemies, players pick one of three cards randomly drawn from a large stack of cards; this card is added to their deck, making it stronger. Every turn, players draw five cards, use what they can with three energy, and then discard the rest and draw five more after the enemies take a turn. Rinse and repeat until someone dies.
What’s made Slay the Spire an addicting experience is the intricate puzzle-slot machine players are constantly hit with. Every enemy presents a unique challenge with a family of moves that characterize them, while players must use the tools provided to them to topple each encounter. Cards aren’t as simple as attack, defend, weaken, etc.: they typically come with a healthy amount of nuance that makes each card feel unique, even if only slightly different. Create a massive deck, and you lack consistency, but if you turn your head away from a potentially powerful card, you may miss out on a new, valuable tool to win the game. Slay the Spire is strategy defined, and the board game iteration almost reinvents this hit.
The route to the act boss varies with options that are randomly set at the start of each act. Fighting normal enemies is one way to get there, but players could fight elites for bigger rewards at higher risk, engage in a likely helpful event, visit a shop to spend hard-earned gold, and rest at a campfire to recover some health or upgrade a card. Depending on how the decks are progressing and what players need in the moment, an elite route may feel too risky, while a shop may feel useless if short on gold.
I used to play poker professionally, so I can tell you that the efficiency of throwing cards and chips around with ease on a computer certainly has its appeal. Now, if I wanted to play poker with my friends, I’m not doing it over the computer. Something is lost when we sacrifice tactile and social interaction for speed and the grind. Those accustomed to Slay the Spire on PC know that once you get a few dozen games under your belt, the flow of gameplay can get pretty snappy, and then the game evolves—or de-evolves—into an experience devoid of theme and charm. Instead, we value min-max decks, favorable event outcomes instead of the event narrative, and the enemy actions floating above the heads of the visuals we no longer admire. When sitting around a table with friends in Slay the Spire: The Board Game, Slay the Spire becomes new again.
Setting aside the tactile, the board game manages to somehow marry old with new as characters, systems, and abilities are tweaked to fit a tabletop experience. Health bars, for instance, cap out at nine or ten, whereas in the PC they can climb well above that. This feels like a successfully modded version of the PC game, but with dramatic card flips, worried looks exchanged with cooperative players, and the jolt of adrenaline when a die rolls in your favor.
A single die determines much in the board game, as enemies frequently have different abilities based on the die roll. However, some enemies have set and predictable attack patterns independent of the die. One die roll may result in a simple two-damage hit, while another may weaken the player in that row twice. At the start of the players’ turn—because all players act simultaneously and should strategize openly—the die is cast, which can help guide strategy. Not only does this roll affect enemy behavior, but valuable relics players collect from elites, events, and shops may trigger. Some relics happen passively, while others require a specific condition. In many cases, one or two numbers on a die roll trigger relics. This might sound bogus for some who want a chewier and less random experience, but I’m a firm believer in calculated risks and the law of averages. If you don’t want to worry about one key relic deciding everything based on a one-in-six chance, collect more relics and make sure at least something triggers on your turn. I like to think of relics as a bonus if they happen, and less a critical part of a build.
We were lucky enough to snag the Collector’s Edition, which, as one might expect, contains nicer components. Specifically, the Collector’s Edition offers some seriously weighty, lovingly engraved metal coins in a cloth bag, as well as playmats for each character and the decks needed for enemies and ailments. Aside from that, the standard edition has wonderful components, including custom art sleeves with Slay the Spire emblazoned on the back; the sleeves are the good stuff, by the way. Character pieces, the cards themselves, the act maps, and all of the various doo-dads to indicate shivs, poison marks, etc. are the standard cardboardy fare. The box also comes with an incredible insert to hold everything in a neat, organized fashion. If I’m completely honest, while the Collector’s Edition has some fantastic goodies, the $55 difference right now is hard to justify unless you’re a Slay the Spire enthusiast and have the money to throw around.
I “retired” from Slay the Spire some years ago with over a hundred hours in it. While I certainly enjoyed my time with it, I was ready to move on and embrace other games. Slay the Spire: The Board Game has refueled my excitement for a game I felt like I “solved” some time ago. My wife and I have a riveting time discussing card rewards, theorycrafting builds together, and considering how best to approach every single enemy encounter, because the cooperative aspect of the board game truly changes the strategy. I now have to judge upgrades not just in terms of how they’ll help me, but if I can use them to help my partner if they get a bad draw. Fans of the PC game: this isn’t just Slay the Spire in cardstock form. This is a new experience worth sharing with your friends. Don’t sleep on this meaty experience!
