The already massive deck-building roguelike has just grown even bigger with the introduction of The Watcher and the Potion Lab.
People often give the battle royale genre flak for just exploding onto the scene and saturating the genre with dozens of games built on the same concept and formula and while that was certainly true throughout 2019, one genre that escaped a similar level of criticism was the deck-builder. The games that see players exploring, fighting and conversing through the use of cards and the abilities that are scrawled all over the front.
Steamworld Quest, Nowhere Prophet, Dicey Dungeons, Griftlands…all released in 2019 and while they all have something unique about them, none held a candle to Slay the Spire, one of my personal best games of 2019 and maybe the best example of the deck-building roguelike on the market. If you haven’t tried it out, I would highly recommend it, largely because it’s just received a massive 2.0 update that adds a whole bunch of new things to the game.
The biggest addition is a new character, called The Watcher. “She brings her training in the divine stances and a seeing staff to cast judgment upon the wicked Spire spawn”, reads the official patch notes. Seeing as she’s a new character, The Watcher will have her own unique set of cards and some unique relics that will set her apart from the other characters.
While it’s already a struggle to beat the game with any of the original three characters, adding a fourth is just another reason for players to keep coming back for more. In terms of new features, the Potions Lab has been added which will act as a list of all discovered and new potions, which has become almost essential given how many of them are in the game.
There are also a butt load of balance changes and reworks to how items work and spawn and some adjustments to bosses and common enemies alike. There’s never been a better time to dive into Slay the Spire, also considering it’s now on sale for 50% for the next day and a bit. While it can be a touch frustrating, as can most roguelikes, it’s an intricately crafted experience built on an addictive platform that just keeps driving you to come back for more. You can read our review for Slay the Spire here, if that tickles your fancy.
Last Updated: January 15, 2020
