Developer Mega Crit Games has released deckbuilder sequel, Slay the Spire 2, via Steam Early Access on PC, Mac, and Linux ($24.99). The highly anticipated sequel has already become a gigantic hit, with over 500,000 concurrent players on Steam, and one of the most played games on the platform.
Don’t expect a brief stint in Early Access; the developers admit that Slay the Spire 2 could remain in early access for one to two years. The original game spent about a year and a half in Early Access before launching in early 2019.
“This game requires a lot of player feedback so we can balance content, add quality of life features, and make sure the game runs without issues,” states the official FAQ. “Even more content will be added throughout the Early Access period, so it will be constantly evolving. Early Access is also a chance for us to test experimental features, try exotic designs, identify niche problems, and helps us make sure the game is headed in the right direction. It worked well for StS1, so we’re doing it all again for StS2!”
Although built in a different game engine, Slay the Spire 2 retains the same beloved dark fantasy world, yet colorful art style.
For each new run, players choose a class with a starting deck of cards, and ascend a tower full of enemies. Battles take place like a card game, with players drawing and playing cards from their expanding deck that attack, poison, defend, or add various buffs and debuffs. As they defeat enemies and bosses, they acquire new cards, upgrades, and special artifacts to develop different strategies.
The original indie game was a humongous hit, exploding an entire subgenre of roguelike deckbuilders and card games. It also popularized the format of players traveling from event to battle and so forth across different levels. Monster Train, Cobalt Core, and Star Vaders can all trace their core gameplay back to Slay the Spire, just to name a few.
Aside from adding even more enemies and cards, the sequel also adds two new character classes, and most importantly, multiplayer!
Up to four players can battle together in the new co-op mode, and experiment with new multiplayer-specific cards and strategies. There is no online matchmaking, however; multiplayer currently uses the Steam friends list.
Slay the Spire 2 is available now via Steam Early Access.
