Rise of the Slime

Rise of the Slime has some accessibility issues, mostly because of its occasionally iffy controls and the ridiculously small text, but if you can look past those, then you'll find a pleasantly bitesized little roguelite deckbuilder. It's no Slay the Spire, but it doesn't need to be; it keeps to its small scope well enough.

Rise of the Slime isn't a bad game or a great one. It's fine. Ultimately, nothing here feels special. Switching gameplay modes from deck-building combat to the pseudo-platforming sections really feels close to being groundbreaking, and I would love to see that explored more in a future game from Bunkovsky Games. Taken for what it is, Rise of the Slime is just okay.

As it turns out, the journey of the most generic RPG enemy is rather mundane.

I just hope that later updates will introduce more content, such as new enemy abilities. Or at least improve the user interface. The thing Spire did well with UI was to provide, through tooltips, all the information you might need to make a good decision. In Slime, informative tooltips weren’t always there to remind me of what certain terms meant—or, they were partially blocked by something else on-screen. Card and button selection could also be better highlighted on certain screens. If I could ask for just one “small” improvement, though, it would be a larger font size. I haven’t played long enough to settle on a definitive verdict, but for now, I can say this: Slushy the Great is still a long way from greatness, but the potential and groundwork is there. I’m keen to see how it develops over time with further updates.

Rise of the Slime ticks all the boxes of a bad game. Not only is it a roguelike that crashes regularly to ruin your run, but the game has little explanation of basic mechanics, too much variety in the deckbuilding for consistency, little meaningful longevity, and a poorly considered port to Switch. If you're desperate to play it, get the PC release, but do yourself a favour and save your cash for your next run at a deckbuilder.

GOOD - Rise of the Slime is a very personable deck-building roguelike game. Robust gameplay mechanics with just the right blend of randomization and skill, as well as high replayability that makes it the perfect game on-the-go. The visuals are charming, but a bit lifeless, however the game is accessible through use of both the Touch and Joy-Con controls. With a competitive price point of $14.99, if you’re of a fan of games like Slay the Spire, Rise of the Slime will be good company in your library.

As an introductory title into a niche subgenre of games, Rise of the Slime provides an adorable experience that is initially simple and approachable thanks to its lack of complexity and charming visual aesthetic. It’s an ideal title for younger players wanting to dip their toes into this unusual gameplay. Though one would expect a slime typically to be squishy and smooth, there are many aspects that are still rough around the edges.

In the past few years it has been a surprise to see the roguelike deckbuilder style of game go from the fringe to the mainstream...