Slay the Spire Board Game Review: Where Video Games & Board Games Collide
Review by Lincoln Hoppe: The Game Bard
INTRO
Which is better—a board game or a video game?
I used to think I knew the answer. Then I played Slay the Spire board game, and everything changed.
For years, I kept thinking: Why isn’t this a board game? I’d be playing the video game on my iPad, drawing cards, upgrading them, moving up the spire, and I just loved it. The animations, the shuffling, the strategy—it all felt like playing a board game inside a video game. It was this magical middle ground I didn’t know I needed.
Then one day, the universe winked at me. The board game was released. And honestly? It’s even better than I imagined.
“They seemed to take every great thing about the video game and put it directly into my hands. In real life. Decks of cards. Cubes. Minis. The spire board itself jumped off the screen and onto my table.”
THE BOARD GAME VS VIDEO GAME QUESTION
Here’s the thing about this debate: it’s not really a battle. Most people today pick video games—flashy screens, endless worlds, instant action. But some of you crave something different. The feeling of cards in your hands. Placing cubes. The clatter of dice. The jingle of coins. Laughter echoing around the room.
You’re here for human and tactile moments.
And to my video game loving friends: I’m not saying your pixels and controllers matter any less. It’s just a different kind of magic.
So where do the best of both worlds collide? Where does the strategy, challenge, and story of a video game best come alive on your tabletop?
My answer: Slay the Spire. The board game.
GAME OVERVIEW
This is a cooperative deck-building adventure for 1 to 4 players. You and your friends pick asymmetric heroes and climb a monster-filled tower. As you go, you’re building your deck with new cards and relics, making combos, and constantly upgrading everything you’ve got.
Every run is a fresh adventure packed with twists, tough choices, and the occasional glorious disaster. Because if anyone on your team bites the dust, it’s back to the bottom to try again—hopefully a little wiser.
UNDERSTANDING ROGUELIKES & ROGUELITES
Before we dive deeper, let’s talk about what makes this game tick: the roguelike system.
The terms “roguelike” and “roguelite” come from the 1980 video game Rogue. They basically mean every game run is a fresh adventure with random maps, new surprises, and if you lose, you start over. But in a roguelite (which is what Slay the Spire is), you usually unlock cool stuff for your next run. So you’re always leveling up, even when you’re face-planting.
It’s all about learning, laughing at your glorious failures, and coming back stronger. That’s what makes Slay the Spire so addictive. Every run is a new story, a new challenge, and a new chance to get a little better.
CORE MECHANICS: DECK BUILDING & COMBAT
When you upgrade a card in Slay the Spire, you actually flip it in its sleeve to its upgraded side. There’s something so satisfying about that little moment—and it happens a lot.
Each turn in combat, you’re drawing cards, spending energy, sometimes launching attacks, and blocking blows. Every hand is a puzzle, often a gamble. Sometimes you pull off something brilliant. Sometimes it’s total chaos. But it’s always fun.
The combat system is where the video game DNA really shines. You’re constantly finding new cards, building combos, and upgrading your deck as you climb. Nothing feels wasted. Every decision matters.
BEYOND COMBAT: EVENTS & CHOICES
But it’s not just about combat. The spire throws quirky events and risky choices your way. Many stops, weird adventures, and plenty of risk and reward. These moments break up the action and force you to make tough decisions that ripple through your run.
THE DESIGNERS NAILED IT
Designers Gary Dred Scott, Anthony Giovanni, C.T., and Casiano knocked it out of the park. On one hand, it feels like they cheated—they just took a great video game and made it into a great board game. But let’s be honest: we know how many things can go wrong in that process. Usually.
So really, what they did was cheat failure. And I’m so glad they did.
My biggest compliment is this: they seemed to take every great thing about the video game and put it directly into my hands. In real life. Decks of cards. Cubes. Minis. The spire board itself jumped off the screen and onto my table.
Nothing in the design of this game gets in the way of the experience. It all lifts the experience.
SOLO PLAY: ONE OF THE BEST
This game takes a solo-only video game experience and seemingly effortlessly allows you to play with up to four players. The solo game is incredible—one of the best solo board games I’ve ever played.
If you love games where you can upgrade your abilities, Slay the Spire absolutely nails it. If you’re a fan of the video game, you’ll feel right at home.
MULTIPLAYER: BRINGING FRIENDS ALONG
With four asymmetric characters, each with their own powers and deck, there’s so much game here and so many reasons to play it again and again.
A few simple tweaks to the original made it work for multiplayer. Suddenly you’ve got a multiplayer adventure. Turns are mostly simultaneous, so you’re plotting, strategizing, and attacking together. It’s streamlined, it’s tense, it’s funny. And every game’s shape tells a story.
WHAT I DON’T LOVE
The rule book seems to take some concepts for granted that need more explanation. If you’ve never played the video game, I found it hard to find specific rules when I needed them. I found myself asking ChatGPT for help several times (which works great, by the way).
On the flip side, there’s a fantastic progress system that adds a lot of goals and challenges that keep you engaged while playing—maybe hundreds of times.
The artwork is the original video game art, and the board game stays true to it. For some people, that’s a huge plus. For me, it’s just not my style. But it also doesn’t take anything away from the gameplay. If you love the art, you’re in for a treat. If you’re more like me, trust me—the gameplay more than makes up for it.
WHY THIS GAME MATTERS
I love this game. I could go on and on because Slay the Spire touches a nerve—not just for me, but for video gamers and board gamers alike. Because it gives us common ground for two different hobbies that so many of us love so much.
It gives us a goal that brings us together and says: “Hey, we can do this. We can slay the spire. And if we fail, we’ll try again. And if we succeed, we will have glory. But we will also play again because it’s so dang fun.”
But most of all, my board game and video game friends will do it together.
VERDICT
Slay the Spire is a board game that stands on its own. If I didn’t know its parents were pixels, I would still love it. This game is where the world of board games and video games collide. And I say thank you, sir. May I have another.
Who should play this?
Non-board gamers: If you love the video game but haven’t played many modern board games, this is the place to start. You already know how to play.
Board gamers: If you’ve never played the video game but like deck-building games, dungeon crawls, combat combos, and the feeling of upgrading everything you’ve got, you will love this.
Video game fans: If you’ve played the video game and love it but haven’t gotten the board game yet—what are you doing? It’s worth it, and I think you’ll thank me.
by Lincoln Hoppe
Original Music by Lincoln Hoppe: The Game Bard
Review copy provided.
Publisher:
Designed by: Gary Dworetsky, Anthony Giovannetti, Casey Yano
Art by: Bruce Brenneise, Jose David Lanza Cebrian, Anailis Dorta
Board Game Geek Page: Slay the Spire
My Board Game Geek Page: Lincoln Hoppe
Lincoln Hoppe
Lincoln a professional film & Television actor based in Los Angeles, California.
He has a family with 5 kids, and one of his joys in life is playing games together as a family.
He's on a mission to spread the love and mental health benefits of play and board gaming to the world.
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lincoln@thegamebard.com
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