Slay the Spire

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Stanshall
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Slay the Spire

Post by Stanshall »

OK. I've been waiting for this, looking forward to finding out what the hype is all about. And yet, twenty odd quid for a card game. I enjoyed Gwent but that was about three years ago. In real life, I play a bit of poker but I'm not in the slightest interested in Hearthstone or whatever card games are out there. Maybe I should be, but I ain't.

For a man who plays 95% shmups and finds the likes of Into the Breach or Wargroove or Darkest Dungeon or any stat based or tactical RPG fundamentally boring, no matter their evident value or quality, is there going to be much point in me getting this?

For context, I got into Isaac in a big way and pumped about 300 hours into it in three months or something. I can't necessarily afford to do that again but is it that kind of loop and progression?

All thoughts much appreciated.
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Chopper
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Re: Slay the Spire

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Stanshall wrote: June 6th, 2019, 8:58 pm For a man who plays 95% shmups and finds the likes of Into the Breach or Wargroove or Darkest Dungeon or any stat based or tactical RPG fundamentally boring, no matter their evident value or quality, is there going to be much point in me getting this?
I love Slay the Spire, but it shares some DNA with the above games so unfortunately I have to shake my head sorrowfully and say, "Stanshall, it is not for you".

At the same time, you've made a thread so I should try and explain its appeal. This is quite difficult, as setting out the core gameplay loop in stark terms will probably make you run a mile. So ignore all that, suffice to say that it's not a traditional card game, but one that can be understood instantly. Simple to play but with some depth. As Clippa says, accessible and breezy and compulsive and fun.

It's one of those games that is absolute gaming gold dust if it clicks for you. It hits that spot which we're all unknowingly searching for - the game that provides the unadulterated pleasure that we got from gaming as kids.

I put 70 hours into this in Jan on PC, and I've put another 70 hours into the PS4 version since, so even if you become totally obsessed like me, I reckon the ceiling is about 70 hours.

So , in summary:

1. It's a pick-up-and-play card game for people who don't play card games.
2. It has bottled lightning.
3. It is beautifully balanced and designed.
4. It is charming and witty.*
5. It may not be for you, but for a genre-defying game that has been overwhelmingly positively received, and has the potential to break into your top ten all time, it might be worth chancing £20 on.

*may not be witty
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Chopper
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Re: Slay the Spire

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clippa wrote: June 7th, 2019, 3:03 pm Well, I don't like into the breach, it was too much like mini chess.
Yeah, after Stanshall mentioned it here I had a scout around the internet this morning and bought it for the princely sum of 7 euros. It was only afterwards that I read a comment somewhere that likened it to chess. :x
clippa wrote: June 7th, 2019, 3:03 pm My point is that I don't like any of those games but I loved slay the spire.
Thick people can play this and have fun. Or rather, people who don't find it fun to be thinking when they're relaxing playing a game. It's light jelly tickling rather than it churning your head up. It's nice.
Yeah for sure. It's less egghead-y than any of the others, and has minimal baggage - it's just in and out and you can save anywhere etc.

There is only one way to find out - Stanshall, I'm afraid you're going to have to buy it and report back.
clippa wrote: June 7th, 2019, 3:03 pm I don't feel the urge, but I reckon if I made myself jump in again it'd grab me.
When I was playing through as the third character the last time, I was going to give you a shout on here to say jump back in. He is so well designed, has a totally different playstyle, and is as visceral as you can really get with StS - lightning crackling all over the screen, numbers pouring out of enemies etc. Great fun. I'm not saying to go back now but bear it in mind if you need to chill out some night.
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Stanshall
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Re: Slay the Spire

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Fine, fine, fine.

After about four hours sleep and a fourteen hour day, it's actually hitting the spot. Just enough to keep me awake and not too much for my brain to reject at this point. I am now playing Lapis X Labyrinth which is a looty button basher and basically like having Jolly Ranchers fired at you out of a cannon on the second, every second, for as long you're playing. It's almost completely mindless but like someone jamming their fat thumb on the endorphin button.

Edit: I meant: Thanks very much, Chops. Your explanation sold me, as well as blind optimism and the spirit of consumerism after one tinnie. It seems decent so far, easy to pick up and play although my strategy is limited so far. Clearly a game to sink into and peel back the layers.
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Chopper
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Re: Slay the Spire

Post by Chopper »

Good stuff!

Let’s hope it clicks for you now :lol:
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Stanshall
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Re: Slay the Spire

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I just turned it off after 80 minutes straight... This is extremely addictive and fun.

Cheers for the recommendation!
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Stanshall
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Re: Slay the Spire

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And they're quite right, too. It's an excellent game for pressing the same button again and again to make coin sounds play from your telly or handheld Switch console and watching more than enough gems bounce around while your little witch or maid or what have you talks incessantly in Japanese, probably stuff like, 'hey, cool sword!' or 'HAMMER GET!'

It's really a game for being knackered, ill or in an old people's home. I'll keep it on the backlog for thirty years or so.
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Re: Slay the Spire

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Stanshall wrote: June 8th, 2019, 9:51 am It's really a game for being knackered, ill or in an old people's home. I'll keep it on the backlog for thirty years or so.
Particularly good news for the rest of the people in the home.
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Stanshall
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Re: Slay the Spire

Post by Stanshall »

Haha :)

Apologies for steering this previously excellent Slay the Spire thread off course. I'm enjoying playing it while I watch the cricket in the background, or the other way round.
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Chopper
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Re: Slay the Spire

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Bangladesh taking a bit of a hammering. Have you played Don Bradman Cricket at all? You need dozens of free hours to play it, but it's a pretty meditative exercise. Very good cricket game (though there seems to be an issue with slip catches, to the extent that it's not worth setting slips at all).

We can get into Slay the Spire strategy later, plenty of time ;)

I have actually learned very little from my time with the game, I refer you back to Clippa's references to thickness above.
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Re: Slay the Spire

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Well, I dunno if it's thickness or card game-illiteracy, but I looked at a website that ranks all the cards from S on down, and sometimes I couldn't even determine why a card is supposed to be so good. I'm a bit better now.

I remember seeing a Reddit conversation where they were all raving about Noxious Fumes, and couldn't for the life of me figure out why. The card applies 2 poison at the start of every turn.

The way poison works is that it depletes by 1 every turn. If you do 6 poison damage initially, it goes 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 over 6 turns.

So if you applied Noxious Fumes to an enemy, the poison damage in effect would be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 over 6 turns. Which is grand but it doesn't really get going till the fight is nearly over.

Eventually the penny dropped - if you apply another poison card doing 6 damage, and then drop Noxious Fumes....you have a base damage of 6, and then the effect increases, so you're doing 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 damage over 6 turns. Eureka!

This is undoubtedly simple stuff but it's a revelation to me.
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Chopper
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Re: Slay the Spire

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Double Catalyst! \o/
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