SLAY THE SPIRE: ONE MORE CLIMB

9.0 of 10 bananas. The deckbuilder roguelike that taught a whole genre how to climb.

By the Alpha. Switch download code listing. Updated Oct 16 2026.

Honest note: This verdict is not from a fresh hands-on playtest. I built it from launch coverage, critic consensus, patch history, and known play. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.

Platforms: The Amazon button is Slay the Spire for Nintendo Switch as a digital download code (Humble listed as maker), sold by Amazon at my Oct 16 check for about 25 dollars. The code redeems on the Nintendo eShop. There is no cartridge. PC on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and mobile versions also exist.

Sit with me a moment. A silverback knows patience. Slay the Spire tests it. Every run starts small, every card choice matters, and every loss teaches you something for the next climb.

What It Wants To Be

Mega Crit released it in full in January 2019 after Early Access. You pick a hero, climb a branching spire, fight with a deck of cards, and add new cards and relics as you go. Die, and you start over with more knowledge.

What Works

Enemy intents are shown up front, so every turn is a clean puzzle, not a guessing game. The four characters play very differently. Relics combine with cards into wild builds. Ascension levels keep the challenge rising for years. Runs are short enough to fit a lunch break.

What Breaks

Listen well. The art is plain and some players never warm to it. Bad luck can end a run you played well. There is little story. Once you master it, the core loop can feel like work rather than discovery.

Who Should Play

Play if you like strategy you can learn in minutes and study for years. Skip if you hate losing runs or need a story to keep going.

Related: Vampire Survivors, Undertale.

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