Slay the Spire came out on January 23, 2019 for Linux, Mac and PC, then for PlayStation 4 on May 21, 2019 and for Nintendo Switch on June 6, 2019. On Steam, 97% of 194,615 player reviews are positive (Overwhelmingly Positive). 5,328 people are playing it on Steam right now, with a peak of 11,651 in the last 30 days. It is Verified on Steam Deck. The main story takes about 12 hours, doing everything about 295 hours. It was nominated for 4 awards.
Slay the Spire is a single-player roguelike deck-building game. Players choose from four characters, each with a unique set of cards, and attempt to climb a procedurally generated spire consisting of multiple floors of increasingly difficult enemies and bosses. Combat uses a card-based system where players build and refine their deck on the fly from rewards earned through encounters. Between battles, players collect relics that provide permanent buffs and make strategic choices about which paths to take, which cards to add or remove, and how to spend limited resources. The game is widely credited with popularizing the roguelike deck-building genre.
What is happening now
Slay the Spire remains one of the most influential deck-building roguelikes since its 2019 debut, blending turn-based strategy with card mechanics across multiple platforms. Players construct decks on the fly while ascending a procedurally-generated spire, balancing risk and reward through combat encounters and event choices.
The game continues to inspire new projects within the genre. Coverage has highlighted Shroom and Gloom, an upcoming Early Access title drawing comparisons to Slay the Spire, with early previews emphasizing its distinctive visual presentation as a key draw for fans of similar strategic card games.
