Item: Slay the Spire+
Rating: 98
Author: Dinsun

Our Site Score

98/100

Slay the Spire+ is arguably the best game available on Apple Arcade, period. It single-handedly spawned a massive wave of deckbuilding roguelikes, but none have managed to match its flawless balance and elegant design. The way relics interact with your card choices creates these incredible 'eureka' moments where you suddenly realize you've built an unstoppable combo. The touch controls port over beautifully, making it the absolute perfect game to play on an iPad or iPhone during a commute.

The difficulty curve is steep but incredibly fair. When you die—and you will die a lot—you immediately understand the mistakes you made in drafting your deck or pathing through the map. Getting all four characters within the first few hours is just the prologue; the true meat of the game lies in conquering the 20 'Ascension' difficulty levels. It is endlessly addictive, mechanically perfect, and an absolute must-have for anyone who likes strategy games.

Reviewed on: Wed Feb 14 2024

Dinsun Review

It pains me to give a score this high, but Slay the Spire earns it. This isn't just a game; it's a perfectly calibrated machine. No fluff, no predatory microtransactions, just pure tactical card-play. It took me back to the days when games were finished products upon release. The synergy between relics and cards is so deep that after hundreds of hours, I’m still finding new ways to lose—or win.

The mobile port is functional, though the touch controls can be a bit finicky with small card text. However, the core loop is so strong it doesn't matter. It’s one of the few games that actually respects the player's intelligence. If you die, it’s usually your fault, not the RNG. That’s how a game should be designed.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

Infinite replayability
Perfectly balanced mechanics
No microtransactions

Touch controls can be fiddly
Art style is 'functional' but not beautiful

Technical Report

Performance: Very stable. Battery usage is moderate.

Accessibility:

Adjustable text size (limited)
High contrast visuals

Audience Fit

Buy if: You enjoy deep strategy and the 'one more run' addictive loop.

Skip if: You hate card games or roguelike progression systems.

Similar Games:

Monster Train
Balatro
Dicey Dungeons

Reviewer Context

Reviewer: Dinsun
Hardware: iPhone 15 Pro
Playtime: 350 hours
Status: A20 Heart kills on all characters

Slay the Spire+ brings the undisputed king of the roguelike deckbuilding genre to Apple Arcade. In this masterclass of game design, you choose one of four unique characters and attempt to ascend a spire filled with monsters, events, and treasures. Every battle is a turn-based card fight where you must balance attacking, defending, and utilizing special powers. The genius of the game lies in its drafting mechanic: after every victory, you add a new card to your deck, creating wildly different synergies and combos on every run. With hundreds of cards and game-changing relics, no two attempts to climb the Spire are ever the same.