Usually when you make a roguelike, it’s common practice to mix it in with a genre that is more execution focused to balance the rng (2d action for dead cells, twin stick shooting for isaac, 3rd person action for risk of rain etc). Slay the spire takes an interesting approach by mixing in the very luck based system of a roguelike with the equally luck based system of a card game, leading to an interesting phenomenon i like to refer to as Fuckshit RNG Games.

Fuckshit RNG Games: games with an average run length of <4 minutes, games that put you in a state of near-ego death as you habitually click around until you get a dice roll in your favor, games that stimulate parts of the brain probably not even named yet, games that feel like trying to save a sinking boat in the middle of the ocean with nothing but instant noodle packets, BUT if you’re lucky enough the angel Gabriel himself might descend upon you and fix it for you.

There’s a unique feeling in this game of constantly trying to course correct and steer yourself in a good direction against the sheer fuckery of the systems at hand. I sound negative but it genuinely makes for a pretty fun experience sometimes, even if you might have to abandon three runs in a row to get to that point.

If the story of sisyphus and the boulder speaks to you at an emotional level i recommend this game wholeheartedly to you. If constantly thinking you will die in a 30 minute run doesn’t sound pleasant maybe look for a different option. The occasional steamroll builds that happen are a nice cherry on top too. Overall really cool game if you enjoy the feeling of anxiety.

The most cinematically beautiful game ever made. Game Design™ Aficionados froth at the mouth and lose half their motor function trying to explain how the parry is an uninteresting central mechanic, to which the only response necessary is linking an mp3 file of the sound effect. The totality of the video game, the perfect harmony of sight, sound, and input, this is what AAA execution should look like. Make no mistake this isn’t cinematic as in a movie you mostly get to move the main character in. This is a video game presented cinematically without ever compromising on any of the strengths of it’s function. Making your way through or around the world and watching Ashina slowly get infiltrated and crumble over the course of the game is an experience best played, never explained. This is the reason why money exists: to fund shit like this. It is still a fromsoft game so it should be approached with similar levels of caution about the consistency of the encounters i guess, but i will always hold that anybody who has a very negative opinion of this game is untrustworthy.


Often imitated not yet duplicated, right now it is the mission of game developers around the world to try and prove this game wrong. To try and take the parry and try to build a game around it even better. Unfortunately I am not omniscient so I can’t really say with 100% certainty what the end of the road looks like, but i’m a gambling man and i’m willing to bet on who the world will remember, and who will unfortunately be left behind.

Tried to get into it but unfortunately I don’t think it has anything for me. Very well made game with good reason to exist, but i found the experience to be a mix of playing the game half asleep barely paying attention, and occasionally trying to focus and get a run going but 20 minutes in this game feels like an hour everywhere else. The slow pace and difficulty curve that is frankly fucking absurd was what turned me off from the game in the end. Horny hp lovecraft fans can have it all they want tho respectfully