History of Slay the Spire in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: March 5, 2026

Slay the Spire, a roguelike deck-building game by Mega Crit, was released in 2019 after an early access period starting in 2017. Initially published by Mega Crit for PC, Humble Bundle later handled console and mobile releases. The game involves players building a deck of cards to ascend a spire, battling enemies and bosses along the way. Its core gameplay loop blends strategic card management with roguelike elements, like procedural generation and permanent death, offering high replayability. Slay the Spire launched on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, iOS, and Android.

November 2017: Slow Initial Sales

According to Mega Crit, the game's first early access release in November 2017 was very slow, with about 2000 copies selling across the first weeks.

November 2017: Early Access Initial Release Features

Upon its early access initial release in November 2017, the game Slay the Spire featured two playable characters with plans for at least a third to be added during the early access period. Having about 75 different cards available was the right balance to give some potential strategy to the player.

2017: Early Access Release

In late 2017, Slay the Spire was released in early access for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux.

January 21, 2018: Sales Surge on Steam

During the week ending January 21, 2018, Slay the Spire was the second highest-sold game on Steam.

February 2018: Player Count Milestone

By February 2018, Slay the Spire had more than 500,000 players, according to SteamSpy estimates.

January 2019: Official Release

In January 2019, Slay the Spire had its official release for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux.

January 23, 2019: End of Early Access Period

On January 23, 2019, the early access period for Slay the Spire ended, marking the full release of the game.

March 2019: Sales Reach 1.5 Million

By March 2019, sales of Slay the Spire had reached 1.5 million.

May 2019: PlayStation 4 Release

In May 2019, Slay the Spire was released for the PlayStation 4.

Sony PlayStation 4 500GB Console (Renewed)

Check it on Amazon

May 21, 2019: PlayStation 4 Release

On May 21, 2019, Slay the Spire was released for the PlayStation 4.

Sony PlayStation 4 500GB Console (Renewed)

Check it on Amazon

June 6, 2019: Nintendo Switch Release

On June 6, 2019, Slay the Spire was released for the Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo Switch™ with Neon Blue and Neon Red Joy‑Con™

Check it on Amazon

June 2019: Nintendo Switch Release

In June 2019, Slay the Spire was released for the Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo Switch™ with Neon Blue and Neon Red Joy‑Con™

Check it on Amazon

August 14, 2019: Xbox One Release

On August 14, 2019, Slay the Spire was released for the Xbox One.

Microsoft Xbox One Special Edition inMatte Blackin 500GB (video game)(Renewed)

Check it on Amazon

August 2019: Xbox One Release

In August 2019, Slay the Spire was released for the Xbox One.

Microsoft Xbox One Special Edition inMatte Blackin 500GB (video game)(Renewed)

Check it on Amazon

December 2019: Mobile Release Delay

In December 2019, Mega Crit pushed the release of the iOS and Android versions of Slay the Spire into early 2020.

2019: Awards and Recognition

In 2019, IGN named Slay the Spire as the Best Strategy Game, while PC Gamer gave it the Best Design award.

2019: Award Nominations and Roguelike Trend

In 2019, Slay the Spire was nominated for multiple awards and became the video game that popularized a trend of roguelike deck-building video games.

January 14, 2020: Fourth Playable Character Update

On January 14, 2020, an official fourth playable character was added to Slay the Spire as part of a free content update, first released to Windows versions.

June 2020: iOS Version Release

In June 2020, the iOS version of Slay the Spire was released, featuring parity with the computer and console releases.

2020: Award Nominations

In 2020, Slay the Spire received multiple award nominations.

January 2021: Board Game Adaptation Announced

In January 2021, Mega Crit announced that they were creating a cooperative board game adaptation of Slay the Spire with Contention Games.

February 3, 2021: Android Version Release

On February 3, 2021, the Android version of Slay the Spire was released.

February 2021: Android Version Release

In February 2021, Slay the Spire was released for Android.

November 2, 2022: Board Game Crowdfunding Campaign

On November 2, 2022, a crowdfunding campaign for the Slay the Spire board game was launched, reaching its funding goal after just 6 minutes, and ultimately raising nearly US$4 million.

April 2024: Slay the Spire II Announced

In April 2024, Mega Crit announced that a sequel, Slay the Spire II, was planned to be released in early access in 2025. The sequel will feature returning characters and introduce cooperative play.

July 2024: Humble Bundle Publishing Division Shutdown

In July 2024, Humble Bundle's publishing division shut down, resulting in Mega Crit being unable to offer further updates or support for the console and mobile releases of Slay the Spire.

September 2025: Slay the Spire II Release Delayed

In September 2025, Mega Crit delayed the early access release of Slay the Spire II.

September 2025: Board Game Reprint and Expansion Announced

In September 2025, a crowdfunding campaign for a reprint of the original Slay the Spire board game, plus an expansion pack titled Downfall, was announced. The expansion pack is based on a popular mod for the PC version of Slay the Spire likewise titled Downfall.

Loading Video...