Blog | Review
At first glance, Slay the Spire 2 in Early Access feels like a slightly expanded version of the original. You start with Ironclad again, and most of the launch roster features familiar faces, with only two of the five characters being new. Those new additions bring dramatically different playstyles, which helps a lot, but the overall experience can still feel a little too familiar early on. It can even seem somewhat basic when you compare it to the many games that have built upon the formula since the first game was released.
That feeling starts to shift as you spend more time with it. You gradually unlock features that add more depth and variety to each run. New paths open up, relics introduce fresh ideas, and builds become far more interesting. The game also mixes in different level types alongside the standard progression, which helps keep things feeling varied. These additions make runs feel much fresher overall, though there are still features many players would like to see added. It’s still Early Access, though, so there’s plenty of room for that to happen.
The co-op mode is what really makes the game shine. It changes how you approach every run and adds a new layer of strategy. You and your teammates need to think carefully about how your characters and builds interact, which leads to some fantastic moments. You’re not just playing side by side – you’re actively supporting each other throughout. At rest sites, you can choose to heal a teammate instead of yourself, and some builds focus heavily on supporting others.
You can also share your block with another player, letting them go all-in on offence instead. This adds an entirely new dimension to the game, and each additional player deepens that complexity even further. It opens the door to creative strategies and leads to some memorable wins and losses along the way. If this is the game at its earliest stage, then Slay the Spire 2 has the potential to become something truly remarkable by the time it’s finished.
