Help! I Think I’m Addicted to Slay the Spire!

I’ve dabbled in roguelike deckbuilders before, enjoying my time with titles such as Roguebook and Nowhere Prophet, but never has a game in this genre hooked me quite as much as Slay the Spire. But what exactly is it about this particular game that has me dreaming about it when I sleep? Well, on Slay the Spire’s fifth anniversary out of Early Access, I’m going to talk about the game and see if I can figure out just why I can’t stop playing!

The premise of Slay the Spire is so simple that it takes no time at all to learn the basics, so there’s one point in its favour, as I am not someone with a long attention span. If you haven’t played it before, then this isn’t the place to learn the ins and outs of the gameplay, but at a surface level, you venture from room to room, fighting turn-based battles with your constantly expanding and evolving deck of Attack, Skill, and Power cards. Each card costs a certain amount of energy per turn, so choose wisely if you haven’t found any relics that increase your energy total! With the occasional room like a shop or rest area, as well as the always risky — but not always rewarding — unknown locations, there’s a good amount of content for what is visually a very basic title.

So now comes the reason for this article: Why am I so obsessed with Slay the Spire? The previous paragraph doesn’t exactly shower the game with praise, but right from the embarrassingly short playtime of my first run, it was the only game I could think about. I genuinely had to tell myself to take an extended break from the game when I went to pet my dog, and the thought of “Oh, this will cost me one energy” popped into my head. Sorry, Ernie, but I need that energy to make a cup of tea this turn! Did this stop me from my goal of earning the Platinum trophy, though? Of course not. I was in too deep, and Slay the Spire had its claws sunk deep into the very fabric of my being.

There are many, many things I love about Slay the Spire. Obviously, the roguelike randomness of its nature means it’s practically endlessly replayable, and it was always a rush to see what choices of relics or new cards I’d get on each run. Even if I’d defeated the first boss and knew that my current deck was too weak to make it all the way, I still powered through until my inevitable demise, so absorbed into the game as I was. It wasn’t until many, many failed attempts to get The Defect’s true ending that my interest began to wane. Whilst I was still determined to beat the game with each of the four characters, I spent less time each day playing it, and my goal of that shiny Platinum trophy felt like more of a chore.

I did eventually scrape through the final boss with The Defect (thank you, Frost Orbs!), but I just couldn’t carry on any more. With so many games in my backlog, it was time to put this one to rest. Or so I thought! Although I doubt I’ll ever be able to show off that well-earned Platinum trophy; I just don’t have the willpower to uninstall Slay the Spire and focus on something else. I tried, I really, really tried, but it’s finally time to say it: I’m Mike, and I’m a Spireaholic.