Prototype

Rulebook
 Slay the Spire is a cooperative rogue-like deckbuilding adventure! Craft a unique deck,
encounter bizarre creatures, discover relics of immense power, and finally become strong
enough to Slay the Spire!

Game Overview
Slay the Spire is a Deckbuilder. That means each player starts with a simple deck of cards that you can
improve by adding cards to it, or removing them. You will use your deck in combat to battle enemies
of increasing difficulty.

Slay the Spire is also a rogue-like. That means that when you die (and you will die!), start over from
the beginning. Take the lessons you learned and try again!

Table of Contents Playtime

Components 3 Each Act takes about 20 minutes per player. Plan for
some extra time your first game. You can stop after any
Setup 4-5
Act and end the adventure there, or save and continue
Your Area 6 another time!
Your Deck 7
Rewards 8 Your First Game
Remove, Upgrade, Transform 8 Ironclad and Silent are easier characters to learn,
The Map 9 with Defect being harder and Watcher hardest.
Keep this in mind when choosing a character!
Combat Setup 10-11
Combat Round 12-13
Enemy Actions
Actions & Effects
13
14
Winning & Losing
Targeting & Modes 15 • Victory - If the players defeat the final Boss
Characters 16-17 fight, they win the game! Which Boss you
FAQ 18 consider to be final depends on how far you
want to go. You can stop playing at the end of
Credits 21
any Act!
Unlocks, Ascension 22
Achievements, Daily Climb 23 • Death - When a player’s HP is reduced to 0,
Keywords 24 they are dead and the party loses the game.

2
Components * Includes Ascension content
which starts locked.

4 1st Encounters 36 Status 10 Daze 20 Neow Bonus

33 Encounters 84 Summons 18 Elites* 51 Events* (includes 6 Locked
(Act 1/2/3): (12/12/9) (35/31/18) (3/3/3) (13/14/11) with colorless cards)
Ascension*: (3/3/3) (5/5/3)
Small Cards

1 Solo 18+ Boss 40+ Relics 28 Potions

Relic Relics

82 Ironclad
84 Silent
82 Defect
82 Watcher
80+ Tokens
13 Curses
21 Colorless 430 Sleeves

12 Boss Cards
HP Board Merchant Board/Player Aid
2 Main Boards

1 Die 1 Boot

40+ Plastic
Cubes
4 Minis 4 Player Boards

3
Setup
1. Pick a Character - Each player chooses a character and takes the corresponding character
board, mini, and the starter deck, card rewards deck, rare rewards deck for their character.
Shuffle the decks.
2. Token Tray - Take out the token tray.
3. Character Board - Put a cube on your character’s Energy track at 3, on their Block track at
0, and on their HP track at the highest printed number.
4. Character Figure - Players place their character figure on the board in the lowest open space.
5. Get Decks Ready - Take out the following decks. Shuffle each deck except Summons, and
place them in separate piles. Shuffle and keep the “1st Encounter!” cards separate from the
Encounter deck.
• Encounter Act I “1st Encounter!” • Event Act I • Daze Deck
• Encounter Act I • Relic • / Status Deck
• Elite Act I • Potion • Curse Deck
• Summon Act I Don’t shuffle! • Boss Relic

6. The Board - Take out the Act I board. Randomly choose an Act I map.
7. Map Tokens - Shuffle the map tokens face down. Randomly place dark map tokens on dark
spaces, and light map tokens on light spaces. Then flip the tokens face up.
8. The Boot - Place the boot meeple at the bottom of the map next to the bottom encounter .
9. Player Aid / Merchant Board - Keep the Player Aid board handy as a quick rules reference.
When you encounter a Merchant , flip the board over and setup the Merchant side.
10. Reveal the Boss - Randomly choose an Act I Boss. You can roll the die and use the Boss
with the matching die result on the back of the card. Place that Boss face down on the map on
top of the icon.
11. Neow’s Blessing - Shuffle the Neow’s Blessing deck (three-eyed whale). Each player draws
one Neow’s Blessing card. Gain the reward in red, then choose one of the 3 rewards in blue.
When players are done, put all Neow’s Blessing cards away. They’re not needed again.
12. Solo - If you’re playing solo, also gain and the “Loaded Die” solo relic.

Setup for Acts II & III

A. Act Decks - Replace the , , , and decks with decks from the next Act. Only Act I
has a “1st Encounter” deck.
B. Board Setup - Repeat steps 5 through 8 with the board and Boss from the next Act.
C. Heal - All players heal to their Max HP.
D. Shuffle your Card Rewards deck. Include any cards you skipped. (Don’t shuffle rares.)

4
 6 11 12
10

8
Start 4
here Curse 5
Deck

Rare Rewards Card Rewards Starter Deck

(gray border)
(yellow border) (black border)

Place
Cubes
here

5
Your Play Area
Below is a suggestion for how to organize your play area. Do whatever works for you!
• Draw Pile - Shuffle your deck before combat begins to create your draw pile.
• Discard Pile - After you play a card, it goes to your discard pile.
• Exhaust Pile - When you Exhaust a card, place it in the exhaust pile. You can’t use it again this combat.
• Item Area - Keep items you gain in front of you.
• Power Area - When you play a Power, it stays in play until the end of combat. Keep Powers in front of
you. At the end of combat, they return to your deck.

Powers

Items

Cubes
Exhaust Pile Draw Pile Discard Pile

Hit Points (HP) Tokens

HP
When your character takes Keep tokens for your
damage or loses HP, your character on your
HP goes down. When you player board. Keep track
heal, your HP goes up. Keep of your gold and any
buffs/debuffs this way.
a cube on your HP to track it. Starting Ability You may prefer to keep
Your HP starts at the highest
Each character has a tokens near your
number on your character
unique starting ability on character mini.
board.
their player board.
Damage can be prevented with Block
(see back of rulebook).

6
Your Deck Card Types
• Attack - Attacks deal damage to enemies.
• Skill - Skills block damage and have other useful abilities.
Energy Cost Name Banner
• Power - Powers give you abilities that last the entire
combat. Powers stay on the table in front of the player.
• Curse - Curses are bad cards that can get added to your
deck. Curses can’t be Transformed.
• Status Effects - Powerful enemies can temporarily
weaken your deck by adding Status Effect cards to it.
Remove these from your deck at the end of each fight.
Card
Type Energy – Energy is used to play cards. Each
character has their own energy icon, although they all mean
Text the same thing. You can gain energy from sources with icons
that don’t match your character. You’ll usually see “ ”
used to mean Energy on items and in the rules.
X Cost Cards - You can spend any amount of energy when
playing an X cost card. It has an effect based on how much
energy you spend. The text will tell you the effect for
spending X energy.

Banner & Rarity - Cards have different rarities, which you can tell by the color of the banner
behind their name. Gray banners are common, blue banners are uncommon, and yellow banners are
rare. There are 2 copies of all commons. Starter deck cards have gray banners and gray borders.
Starter Strikes and Defends have 4 or 5 copies per character.
Starter Common Uncommon Rare

Items
Items are small cards that you’ll collect on your adventure.
Name Keep them in front of you. You can learn more about items on
the next page.
Once Per Combat - Some items have abilities that are useable
once per combat. When you use such an ability, flip the item
over until combat ends. Flip them back over after combat.

Text Gold Cost - Most items have a gold cost you’ll see on the
Gold bottom right. This is the cost to purchase them from the
cost Merchant .

7
Rewards
There are several types of rewards below... but first, some general rules about rewards!
• Pick Order – Gain rewards in any order you want!
• Skip - You may skip gaining any reward below. You may also skip revealing or drawing from any rewards deck.
• Full Knowledge - After revealing cards or items, you can look at what the other rewards are from that combat
before making any final decisions on what to choose or skip. You can check upgrades. If you’re ever unsure if
you’ll get to see another combat reward from your current room before finalizing a choice, the answer is yes.
• Trading - Potions can be given to other players outside of combat. Nothing else can be traded.
Card Reward – Reveal 3 cards from your card rewards deck and lay them out in front of you. You
may add one to your deck or skip. Return any unselected cards to the bottom of your card rewards deck.
Golden Ticket – Whenever you reveal a Golden Ticket, reveal the top card of your rare rewards
deck and add that to your choices. Unpicked Rare cards return to the bottom of your rare rewards
deck. Put the Golden Ticket on the bottom of your card rewards deck.
Upgraded Card Reward – This is just like a “card reward” above, but the card you pick is immediately
upgraded (see Upgrade below). You can always look at what an upgrade does before choosing.
Rare Reward – Reveal 3 cards from your rare rewards deck and lay them out in front of you. You
may add one to your deck or skip. Return any unselected cards to the bottom of your rare rewards deck.
Potion – Draw a card from the potion deck. You may gain that potion or skip it. Keep it face up in
front of you until used. You can’t have more than 3 potions. Potions are all single-use items. When a
potion is used, discarded, or skipped, put it on the bottom of the potion deck. If you gain a potion but
you’re at the limit, you must either: skip the potion, pass the potion to a player who is below their potion
limit, or discard or use a potion then gain the new potion. Gambler’s Brew, Entropic Brew, Blood Potion,
and Fairy in a Bottle can be used outside of combat if applicable.
Relic – Draw a card from the relic deck. You may gain that relic or skip it. Keep your relics face up
in front of you for the rest of the game, unless you’re told to discard it. When relics are discarded or
skipped, put them on the bottom of the relic deck.
Boss Relic – Reveal 1 Boss relic per player + 1. Reveal 3 instead if playing solo. Each player may gain
a relic or skip. Keep your Boss relics face up in front of you for the rest of the game, unless you’re
told to discard it. Return unselected or discarded Boss relics to the bottom of the Boss relic deck.
Gold – Gain gold tokens equal to the value. Gold can be spent at the Merchant or certain events.
Other players can contribute gold to help you pay for an item at a shop or event.

Remove, Upgrade, Transform

Below are 3 types of rewards that can change your deck.
• Remove a card - Remove a card from your deck. Keep it in a removed pile away from your deck.
• Upgrade - Unsleeve a card in your deck and flip it to the Upgraded side (has green text). You can
check what a card’s upgrade is at any time by unsleeving it or checking the upgrade reference.
• Transform - Remove a card from your deck that isn’t a Curse. Keep it in a removed pile away from
your deck. Add the top card of your card rewards to your deck (it should be random). If it’s a Golden
Ticket, add the top card of your rare rewards to your deck instead, then put the Golden Ticket on the
bottom of your card rewards.
8
The Map
You start at the encounter on the bottom of the map. When you’re done with a room, move the
meeple up the map along one of the paths to the next room. See rules for each type of room below:

Encounter
1st Encounter! - If this is the first encounter, place a “1st Encounter!” card in each player’s row (see
Combat Setup, page 10). After combat, set aside the 1st Encounter cards (they’re no longer needed).
Other Encounters - Draw one encounter card per player (see Combat Setup, page 10).

Elite Event Card

Draw a card from the Elite deck (see Combat Setup, page 10).

Event Flavor
Draw a card from the event deck. If there is text in [yellow brackets], text
each player must choose one of those options. Each player makes
their own choice. Some events work differently, as described in their
text. To choose a “Pay” or “Give” option, you must first have what it
is asking you to pay or give. When everyone is done, put the event on
the bottom of the event deck.

Campfire
Each player chooses one of two actions, Rest or Smith:
• Rest - Heal 3 HP. • Smith - Upgrade a card.

Treasure
Each player gains a relic .

Merchant
Place 3 relics and 3 potions on the merchant board in the indicated slots. Each player
reveals the top 3 cards of their card rewards deck. Other players can contribute gold to help you pay
for something at a shop or event. Players can...
• Buy items - Buy or for the gold cost on the bottom right of the item. The relic in the top left
is on sale for 1 less gold.
• Buy cards - Buy cards you revealed for , , or based on their rarity (see merchant board).
Gray banner cards are common , blue banners are uncommon , yellow banners are rare .
• Card Remove - Pay to remove a card from your deck. Each player can only do this once per
Merchant.
When you’re done, return any unpurchased cards to the bottom of the deck they came from in any order.

Boss
When you reach the Boss, start combat against the Boss card at the top of the map (see Combat Setup, page 10).

9
 Enemy Cards
Combat Setup Rewards Name
Rows - Each player has a row. Enemies are placed
in rows, except for Bosses.
Summons - Some enemies will summon more Starting HP.
Put a cube
enemies. If you see a green bar and this icon ,
on numbers
then search for with yellow
that enemy in the outlines.
Summons deck and
put them into play at the start of combat. Some
enemy actions or special abilities can also summon. Enemy
action
Random Summons - When multiple summons
have the same name, select them randomly. You Special
can do this by picking one without reading its ability
abilities or shuffling summons with the same
name in a small face down pile and drawing one. Summon box
“Gremlins” have a Gremlin icon on the back to help
you select them randomly.
11+ HP
Encounter Setup Some monsters have
more than 10 HP.
Use 2 cubes.
Encounters - Place one enemy in each player’s
row. If there are Summons , they are placed in the
row of the enemy that summoned them to the right.
Special Abilities
Special abilities appear in Yellow. Usually
they’re always active, but some have triggers
or don’t have an effect until later in the fight.
For example, the Fungi Beast’s Spore Cloud
ability triggers when it dies.

The Gremlin
Nob’s Enraged
ability doesn’t
start until turn 2
of combat.

Summons

10
 Elite Setup Elite with Summons
Elites - Place one Elite in the bottom row.
If there are summons, place them in each
player’s row with the Elite to their right.

Elite

Elite

Elite
HP Board
Some enemies use the HP board.
Boss Setup Their HP is formatted like this.
The top number is their starting
Bosses are treated as being in all rows. HP for 1 player, the next number
down is for 2 players, etc. Set
Keep them to the right of the board with any
their HP using cubes.
summons in rows and closer to the board.
Rewards Name Starting HP

Enemy actions

11
Combat Round - Player Turn
Player Turn
Shuffle your deck before combat starts. There’s one shared Player Turn that’s broken into the phases
below: Start of turn, Play, End of turn. All players take these steps simultaneously.
• Start of Turn
1. Reset - Set Energy to 3 and Block to 0.
2. Draw - Draw 5 cards. There is no maximum hand size.
Empty Draw Pile - When your deck is empty and you need to draw, your discard pile becomes
the draw pile. Shuffle it. If a card was just played that drew you cards, that card is set aside
while you shuffle, then added to the new discard pile.
3. Roll - Roll the die . If any abilities can change the die result, they must be used now before
resolving other abilities. The die result tells you what action some monsters will take later
during the Enemy turn and which relic abilities are about to trigger (see next step). One die result
determines all die effects for the round! Don’t roll it again until next round!
4. Start of turn abilities - The following abilities trigger in any order players choose:
• Start of turn - Abilities that have “Start of turn” text.
• Start of combat - These abilities only trigger the first turn of combat.
• Die abilities - Abilities that trigger on a die result.
• Play
Players can play cards, use potions, and activate abilities in any order they choose.
• Discuss - Players can discuss strategy, such as which enemies to attack and which players need
help. It is encouraged to announce if you have (weak) or (vulnerable) effects early in the
turn, as well as to ask questions like, “How much damage do you have?” or “Do you have enough
block?” rather than look at a player’s hand.
To play a card:
• Pay - Pay the energy cost on the upper left of the card. Track energy on your board.
• Choose - Make any decisions and choose targets for the card. You can target any enemy with
your effects. Effects with a symbol affect all enemies in one row and always affect the Boss.
• Being Played - While the card is being played, it isn’t in your hand or in your discard pile.
• Resolve - Execute the card’s printed effects from top to bottom. Any abilities triggered by the
card don’t take effect until after the card is finished resolving all of its text.
• Cleanup - The card goes to your discard pile. If it’s a Power, instead place it face up in front of
you. If it Exhausts, it goes to your Exhaust pile. (Note: Exhaust to the deck they came from.)

• End of Turn
When players are done playing cards, the following effects occur:
1. End of turn - Abilities that have an “End of turn” effect trigger in any order players choose. The
phrase “End of turn” is only used to refer to the end of the Player Turn (never the Enemy Turn).
2. Discard - Discard all cards in your hand in any order.

12
Combat Round - Enemy Turn
Enemy Turn
The Enemy Turn is broken into the phases: Remove Enemy Block, Enemy Actions, Move Cube Actions.
1. Remove Enemy Block - Enemies lose all of their leftover Block tokens.
2. Enemy Actions - Starting with the highest row, enemies act left to right taking one action each.
Then enemies in the next row down act left to right. This continues until all enemies in all rows
have acted once. Bosses always act last. See types of enemy actions below.
3. Move Cube Actions - If an enemy uses Cube Actions (see below), slide their cube down the
track. Then the combat round repeats.

Enemy Action Types

Enemies target the player in their row. Actions with a symbol target
all players. There are 3 types of enemy behavior patterns:
• Single Action - The enemy takes the listed action every turn.
• Die Action - The enemy takes the action to the right of the die result.
• Cube Action - At the start of combat, put a cube in the top cube slot.
The enemy takes the action to the right of the cube during the Enemy
Actions phase. After it takes that action, slide the cube down the track.
When it reaches the bottom of the track, move the cube to the topmost
red cube slot. Gray cube actions are not repeated.

The Dead
• When enemies are reduced to 0 HP, they are dead. Flip them over until the end of combat.
• When any player dies, the game immediately ends in defeat.

End of Combat
Combat ends immediately when all monsters are dead or have left combat, unless an enemy had an “on
death” ability that is going to summon an enemy. At the end of combat:
• Rewards - Players gain the rewards on the upper left of the enemy’s card (see Page 8). In encounters,
gain rewards from the enemy in the row you ended combat in. In Boss and Elite fights, all players
gain the rewards.
• Reset Your Deck - Return your Powers, discard pile, and Exhausted cards to your deck. Remove any
/ and cards from your deck and return them to the deck they came from.
• Reset Player Board - Reset the Block and Energy tracks. Lose all tokens except for your gold. The
Defect removes all Orbs. The Watcher enters Neutral stance.
• Clear Enemies - Put and on the bottom of their respective decks. Summons return to the
summons deck.
• Switch Rows - Players may switch rows anytime between now and before the next combat room.
13
Actions & Effects
Most icons are explained on the back of the rulebook or the player aid. Below are examples of what these
symbols mean when used on player cards or enemy actions.

Player Effect Examples Icons on the Back

1 - Deal 1 damage to any enemy.
1 1 - Deal 1 damage to any enemy. Deal 1 damage to the same enemy. Most icons are explained
on the back of the rulebook.
2 - Deal 2 damage to an enemy. Give that enemy a token. These icons are
3 - Deal 3 damage to all enemies in a row (and the Boss, if present). explained on page 17.

- Put a token on all enemies in a row (and the Boss, if present).

Enemy Action Examples

Note: When an enemy gains Strength or Block , it always goes on the enemy, never on you.
2 1 - Deal 2 damage to the player in this row. This enemy gains 1 block token.
1 - Deal 1 damage to the player in this row. This enemy gains a token.
2 - Deal 2 damage to the player in this row. Give that player a token.
2 2 - Deal 2 damage to all players twice. Give all players a token.
- The player in this row puts a card on top of their deck.
- All players put 2 / cards in their discard pile. They are treated as this combat.
- The player in this row puts a / card in their discard pile. They are treated as this combat.

Multi-hits
Some Attack cards have multiple hits on the same card, like Twin Strike. Some cards say a hit
happens multiple times, like Finisher or Barrage. Some enemy actions have multiple hits in one
action. All of these are examples of a multi-hit.
• All on a multi-hit have the same target (unless stated otherwise).
• All on a multi-hit are affected equally by any damage bonuses, such as from .
• All on a multi-hit are affected equally by or . Remove one / token when the entire
multi-hit is complete. With weak , each has its damage reduced.

Multi-hit Example
The Ironclad plays Twin Strike against a Cultist with a
vulnerable token. The Twin Strike deals double damage,
2 2 , for a total of 4 damage. Then the vulnerable
vs token is removed.

Vulnerable token
14
Targeting for Players
Effects with the icon or that say
Players can target “any row” target all enemies in a single
any enemy. row. They also always affect the Boss.

Targeting for Enemies Enemy actions target all players.

Enemies target the player in their row.

Modes
Some Bosses have different “Modes”, like The
Guardian. The enemy can only use actions and
abilities from the mode it is currently in. The
Guardian starts in Attack Mode.

When The Guardian enters Defensive Mode,

move the cube to the first action of the new mode.

15
The Ironclad
The remaining soldier of the Ironclads. Sold his soul to harness demonic energies.

Strength
The Ironclad has many ways to gain Strength . A player can
have a maximum of 10 . You deal +1 damage on each hit
for each token you have.

Exhaust
The Ironclad has many ways to Exhaust cards and synergies
with Exhaust. See the back of the rulebook for more on Exhaust.

Extra HP
The Ironclad starts with more HP than any other character.

The Defect
Combat automaton which became self-aware. Ancient technology allows manipulation of Orbs.

Channel
When the Defect Channels an Orb, place an Orb of that type in an open Orb slot on the player board.
Use yellow cubes for Lightning, blue cubes for Frost, and purple cubes for Dark. If a card channels
multiple Orbs, channel them one at a time.

End of Turn
At end of turn, gain the “end of turn” effect for each Lightning and Frost Orbs as shown on the Defect
player board. Choose targets for Lightning Orbs. They can each have a different target.

Evoke
When an effect Evokes an Orb, remove an Orb of your choice from its
slot and apply the Evoke effect for that type of Orb as written on the
Defect player board. If you play Dual Cast, Evoke an Orb twice. Each
Lightning and Dark Orb Evoke effect can have a different target.

Orb slots are full - If you Channel an Orb and all Orb slots are full,
Evoke any Orb, then place the Channeled Orb in its slot. When multiple
Orbs are channeled at once, resolve this effect one Orb at a time.
How are Orbs different from the video game?
Do I have to Evoke the front Orb, like in the video game? Do Orbs rotate
like in the video game? Do I have to Channel Orbs into a particular slot?
No, no, and no. You can Channel an Orb into any empty Orb slot, and
you can Evoke any Orb you have. All Orb slots are treated the same.

16
The Silent
A deadly huntress from the foglands. Eradicates foes with daggers and poisons.
Poison
Place a Poison token on a target for each icon on the effect. At
the end of turn, enemies with lose 1 HP per token they have.
Losing HP ignores block . Don’t remove Poison tokens from an
enemy until they are dead.

Shivs
Shivs are tokens that may be used whenever you could play a card
to deal 1 . Each is treated as a separate Attack and is affected
separately by Strength , Vulnerable , and Weak . You start combat
with 0 shiv tokens, and gain shiv tokens from cards with the shiv
icon. They don’t go away until used or the end of combat. You can use
them immediately or save them up for a combo!
Note: If you’re out of shiv tokens and you gain a shiv , you can deal shiv
damage immediately or skip gaining the shiv. Shivs don’t count as cards.

The Watcher
A blind ascetic who has come to “Evaluate” the Spire. Master of the divine Stances.

Miracles
Miracle tokens can be used at any time to gain 1 Energy . You can’t have more than 5 at once.

Scry & Retain - See the back of the rulebook for Scry and Retain descriptions.
Stances
Start each combat in Neutral Stance. The Watcher can enter or leave Stances to gain different
abilities. When you enter a Stance, move the cube to the new Stance. You cannot enter a Stance you
are already in (the effect is ignored).

Neutral - Start each combat in Neutral Stance. Neutral

doesn’t grant any abilities.

Calm - When you leave Calm, gain 2 Energy .

Wrath - While you are in Wrath, you deal +1 damage

on all hits . This is effectively the same as having 1
Strength . This bonus only lasts until you leave Wrath.
If you end your turn in Wrath, take 1 damage.
(Reminder: Damage can be blocked.)

17
FAQs & Random Rules
• Is there a maximum hand size? No, there is no maximum hand size.
• Can Block prevent an effect that says “Lose X HP?” No. You can only block damage. Damage
comes from hits and “damage” effects.
• What if we run out of tokens? If you run out of tokens, you can’t gain or apply more tokens. The
effect is ignored. This is true whether it’s gaining gold, Strength , or applying Poison . But
keep in mind with Shivs , you can use them immediately to deal damage (see Shivs on previous page).
So a Shiv should never go to waste unless you want it to.
• Do cards remember? Cards have no memory once they leave your hand. Once they leave your
hand, cards don’t know if they were Retained last turn, their cost changed, etc. However, cards
with an ability that change their own cost still have an effect while in the discard pile. So for
example: While Streamline is in the discard pile with 2 Powers in play, it’s treated as costing 0.
• Starter Strike vs “Containing Strike”, what does this mean? A “starter Strike” is one of the Strikes in
your starter deck. A card that “contains Strike” has the word “Strike” somewhere in its name.
• What happens if I Transform a Colorless card? The added card comes from your card rewards deck.
• Do I remove any weak , vulnerable , and poison tokens at end of round? Nope. See back
of rulebook for details.
• Do summons leave combat when all other enemies are killed? No. Unlike the video game,
summons don’t “flee” combat when the enemy that summoned them is killed.

Specific Card Interactions

• Does Buffer prevent all HP loss from a multi-hit? HP loss from each hit in a multi-attack can
trigger Buffer separately.
• I played Corpse Explosion twice. What happens? The on death effect will only happen once.
• How does Dark Embrace work with Ethereal cards? When an Ethereal card exhausts at end
of turn, it triggers Dark Embrace and you draw a card (if that card also has Ethereal, it doesn’t
Exhaust this turn). Don’t discard any cards you draw this way during the discard step.
• How do Dark Orbs work with cards like Consume? Consume boosts a Dark Orb’s damage by 2
(1 because that’s the card’s effect, and 1 because it’s a Power). A Dark Orb’s “+1 damage for each
Power you have in play” effect isn’t affected by abilities on cards like Consume or Amplify.
• Can I use Gambling Chip, The Abacus, or Toolbox at Events? Yes. “Once per room” abilities can be
used at events if applicable.
• What happens if you play with a Havoc, Mayhem, or Distilled Chaos? The is Exhausted.
• How does Tantrum work with Rushdown? Any abilities triggered by a card don’t take effect until
after the card is finished resolving all of its text (see “To play a card”, page 12). So Tantrum goes on
top of your deck, then Rushdown triggers and you draw it again.

Golden Rule
Whenever a card’s text contradicts the rules, the card text takes precedence.

18
Cards from Other Characters
• Orbs - Only the Defect can use Orbs. If other characters would Channel or Evoke an Orb, the effect is ignored.
• Stances - Only the Watcher can enter Stances. If other characters would enter a Stance, the effect is ignored.
• Tokens - You can use tokens from other characters the same way they do. The token limit remains the same,
but it is shared between all players. So players may be competing for the same type of token.
• Transform - When you Transform a card from another character, add the new card from the top of your
card rewards to your deck (not from that character’s card rewards).

Playing Cards Twice

When a card is played multiple times, each copy is treated as a separate card. Copies do not cost
Energy to play. If the card has X in the Energy cost, the copies use the same value of X as the original.
Each copy can have different targets and is affected separately by Vulnerable , Weak , and single-
use bonuses. Copies cannot also be copied.
A card can only be affected by one effect that plays cards multiple times. Any additional effects that
would play a card multiple times wait for the next valid card. For example: If you use two Skill Potions,
then play a Skill, it is played twice. The 2nd Skill Potion has no effect until you play another Skill.
The copies are played first. While the copies are being played, the original isn’t in your hand or in
your discard pile. When the original resolves, it then goes to your discard pile.

Triggered Abilities
Some abilities don’t have an effect until the conditions of their trigger are met. The most common
triggers are described below.
On Death - When an enemy with this ability dies, the ability immediately triggers.
Start of turn - A phase of the Player Turn. See Combat Round page 12. Note that the Enemy Turn
doesn’t have a “Start of turn” phase.
Start of next turn - This refers to the “Start of turn” phase during the next Player Turn. See Combat
Round page 12. This trigger is found on some Bosses.
End of turn - A phase of the Player Turn. See Combat Round page 12. Note that the Enemy Turn
doesn’t have an “end of turn” phase.
Once per combat - This ability is found on items that can only be used once per combat. Once used,
flip the item face down. Flip it face up after combat.
Once per room - This ability is found on items that can only be used once per combat or Event. They
typically alter the die result, and so can affect Events that use the die. Once used, flip the item
over. Flip it face up after combat or when the party is done with the Event.

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Optional Rules
The Last Stand
When a player dies in a Boss fight, other players can continue fighting. Enemies in a row with a
dead player target the nearest row with a player below them. If there are no players below them,
they target the nearest row with a player above them.
If a player died, you cannot continue to the next Act. Treat this as beating that Act (or the game, if
it’s your final Act).

Sequential Turns
If simultaneous turns doesn’t work for your group, players can take Player Turns sequentially.
Turn order - The player in the bottom lane (Lane 1), takes their Player Turn, followed by the player
to their left. This continues until all players have taken a player turn. When all players have taken a
Player Turn, the Enemy Turn begins. Rounds repeat like this until the end of combat.
The Die - The die is only rolled during the first Player Turn in a round.
Your Effects on Your Turn - Your abilities, die triggers, start of turn, and end of turn effects,
etc. only happen on your Player Turn. This includes when you draw cards at the start of the turn,
resetting your energy, and discarding your hand.

Choose Your Relic

In multiplayer games, when the party gains a relic from an Elite or Treasure room,
reveal relics equal to the number of players. Each player chooses a revealed relic.

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Credits
Game Design by
Gary Dworetsky
Anthony Giovannetti
Casey Yano
Based on the video game “Slay the Spire” by
Mega Crit
Developed by
Penny Rose Feldman
Andrew Narzynski
Arjun Krishna
Cover & Map Art by Bruce Brenneise
Art by Anailis Dorta, Casey Yano
Graphic Design by Casey Yano, Gary
Dworetsky, David Lanza
Miniatures by TytanTroll Miniatures

Card Bot by Rodskin

Special Thanks to
The Backers for making this possible
Jorbs for inspiring us
John Claire for double sided cards
Anna Dworetsky for Slaying
Clemens Lohmann for Not for Sale tag
Lead Playtesters
Andrew Narzynski, Arjun Krishna
Playtested by
Karsten Kutterer, Robin Hassgård,
Adam, Tyler Leonard, Amanda
Shagoury, Nicholas Denny, Michael
Wright, Calli Wright, Anna Dworetsky,
Jack Cumpsty, Michael Habib, Ethan
Sams

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 Unlocks
Whenever you finish a run, check any box below, except those from a different character. Check an
additional box if you cleared Act II, and another box if you cleared Act III. When you check all of the
boxes next to a lock, add the locked cards with a matching number to the appropriate decks.
Ironclad Silent Defect Watcher

Colorless Cards Act IV

When unlocked, take out the colorless rewards deck. Add the When unlocked, after you beat Act III, you may continue
events and Neow cards to the appropriate decks. The party reveals to Act IV. The Act IV map is on the back of the Act IV
3 colorless cards at the merchant. Their cost is based on rarity. Boss card.

Ascension
After you defeat an Act II Boss (Act III if you’re playing solo), unlock Ascension 1. To unlock higher
Ascensions , you must be playing with the modifiers of all previous Ascension levels and defeat an Act
II Boss (Act III if you’re playing solo). You don’t have to play on the highest Ascension you’ve achieved,
although you may need to revert changes to some decks to play on a lower Ascension.

1. Harder Elites - Open the Ascension pack. Only use the 1 Elites in the Ascension pack.
2. Lose 1 Max HP - Your maximum HP is 1 lower. Put a black cube in your highest HP slot.
3. Harder Events - Open the Ascension pack. Add the 3 cards to the appropriate decks.
4. Potion Limit is 2 - You’re limited to 2 potions (instead of 3).
5. Start Cursed - When the game begins, add Ascender’s Bane to your starter deck.
6. Heal 4 HP after Boss - You heal 4 HP instead of to full HP at the start of Acts II & later.
7. Card Removes Cost 4 - Card Removes cost 4 gold at the Merchant .
8. Harder Encounters - Replace 2 in each Act with the 8 Encounters with the same name.
9. Start Damaged - Lose 1 HP at the start of the run (after losing 1 Max HP from 2).
10. Harder Bosses - Only use the 10 Boss deck. The Keys:
11. Collect 3 Keys - You must collect 3 Keys to enter Act IV. Replace a dark with the token.
12. Act IV Elites - Use the 12 Elites in Act IV.
13. Double Act 3 Boss - After defeating the Act III Boss, fight a different random Act III Boss.

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 Achievements
Jaxxed - Hit the Strength limit (10). Ruby - Beat an Act III Boss with the Ironclad.
Catalyst - Hit the Poison limit. Emerald - Beat an Act III Boss with the Silent.
Ninja - Play 7 Shivs in one turn. Sapphire - Beat an Act III Boss with the Defect.
Powerful - Have 7 Powers in play at once. Amethyst - Beat an Act III Boss with the Watcher.
Barricaded - Hit the Block limit (20). All For One - Beat the game with 4 players.
Perfect - Finish a Boss fight at full HP. My Lucky Day - Beat a Daily Climb.
You are Nothing - Defeat a Boss on turn 1. Infinity - Create an infinite card combo.
Minimalist - Beat the game with a 5 card deck or smaller.
The Transient - Kill the Transient before it kills itself.
Common Sense - Beat the game with a deck containing no uncommons or rares.
Collector - Win the game with 12 relics and Boss relics combined.
Who Needs Relics? - Win with no relics or Boss relics (you can skip items).

Daily Climb
Gain 2 random run modifiers, one from each section. Use the die. All players are affected.

All Star - Start with 5 random colorless cards.

Shiny - Start with 5 random rare cards.
Heirloom - Start with a random Boss relic.
Transformed - All become Transform a card.
Vintage - from encounters become .
Prismatic Shard - When you gain , each revealed card must come from a different card rewards
deck of your choice. This can include colorless rewards. When you gain , each revealed card must
come from a different character’s rare deck of your choice. (You still reveal 3 cards total).

Terminal - Lose 1 HP at the end of combat.

Fragile - Your HP can’t be higher than 4.
Uncertain Future - Don’t flip over map tokens during setup. Flip them when you land on that room.
Cursed - Start with 2 random Curses.
Deadly Events - Lose 2 HP after each Event.
Night Terrors - You can’t Rest.

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Abilities & Keywords
Area of Effect - For players, everything that follows this symbol affects all enemies in any single
row and always includes the Boss. For enemies, everything that follows this symbol affects every
player, unless the enemy is gaining Strength or Block . (See “Targeting,” page 15.)
ALL Enemies - The effect targets ALL enemies in EVERY row and always include the Boss.
Block (Max 20) – Prevent the next 1 damage to a player or enemy for each point of Block they
have. After the damage is prevented, removed that much Block. Players use their player board to
track Block, while enemies use tokens. Block does not prevent “Lose X HP” effects. A player’s Block is
removed at the start of the Player Turn. An enemy’s block is removed at the start of the Enemy Turn.
Dazed – Put a card on top of your draw pile. They return to the Dazed deck when Exhausted.
Energy (Max 6) – Energy is used to play cards. Each character has their own energy
symbol, although all are equivalent and usable by any character. The symbol is used on items and
in the rules to mean “Energy”.
Ethereal - At end of turn, if this card is in your hand, Exhaust it. (See FAQ for Dark Embrace interaction.)
Exhaust – An Exhausted card is removed from your deck. Keep Exhausted cards in a separate pile and
return them to your deck at the end of combat. Dazed and Status / cards return to their
respective piles when Exhausted.
Hit - Hits deal damage equal to the number in front of them. Hits are affected by Vulnerable ,
Weak , and Strength . See “Multi-hit Attacks”, page 13.
Retain - Retained cards are not discarded at the end of the Player Turn. Some cards have effects if you
Retained them. After such cards leave your hand, they “forget” that they were ever Retained.
Scry X - Look at the top X cards of your deck. You may discard any number of them. Then put any
remaining cards back on top of your deck in the same order. You can’t Scry more cards than are in
your draw pile. Scrying has no effect if your draw pile is empty.
Status / - Status cards use the top or bottom effect, whichever icon is on the enemy that gave it
to you. The other effect is ignored that combat. Put the status card on top of your Discard Pile. has
an Energy cost of 1. They return to the Status deck when Exhausted.
Strength (Max 10) – You deal +1 damage on each hit for each token you have. Enemies can
also gain .
Unplayable – Cards with Unplayable cannot be played and do not have an Energy cost. If an effect
attempts to play an Unplayable card (like Distilled Chaos), that card has no effect and is discarded.
Vulnerable (Max 3) – Add a token to the target, up to a limit of 3 per player or enemy. When
a player or enemy with tokens is attacked, damage from each hit in the Attack or enemy action
is doubled, then the target loses one token. Add damage bonuses like Strength before doubling.
Weak (Max 3) – Add a token to the target, up to a limit of 3 per player or enemy. When a
player or enemy with attacks, each in the Attack or enemy action deals -1 damage, then one
token is removed. For attacks (ex. “ 2 ”) or multi-hit attacks (ex. “1 1 ”), they still only lose a
single .
Weak vs Vulnerable - If a weak target attacks a vulnerable target, the attack is unaffected
by both weak and vulnerable. After the attack, remove a weak token from the attacker, and remove
a vulnerable token from all affected targets.
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