Any deckbuilding game requires some finesse to balance, and when you throw in the roguelike RNG elements of the forthcoming Slay the Spire 2 and its predecessor, you've a lot of variables to contend with. During a Reddit AMA, developer Mega Crit Games gave an overview of how the team approaches card design in terms of balancing, and it's more of an art than a science.
Jake Card, lead programmer on Slay the Spire 2, outlined the step-by-step process. First, the team thinks of cards that seem "cool and fun," then give them "initial values" that fit on a "gut level." The first round of testing occurs between the devs themselves, before they pass to the playtesters for further evaluation.
Cards are examined for subjective fun, as well as more objective parameters such as win-rate. Adjustments are made, and the QA team gets different builds on a weekly basis, with a mix of new cards and old ones that have been altered somehow.
"We hope you find ways to break the game!" Card adds. "Part of the fun of card games is finding unintended synergies that make you OP. If anyone finds anything that’s broken enough to make other strategies pointless, Anthony [Giovannetti, Mega Crit co-founder] gets to do his favorite thing: nerf cards!"
Another commenter questions maintaining balance across single-player and co-op. There are always different considerations for multiplayer, including having more cards firing, and what the synergy is between players.
"In an ideal world with infinite resources, we would perfectly balance both," Card states in response. "In this world, single player balance takes priority over co-op for us." That feels right for something the scale of Slay the Spire 2. Many players will approach it as a solo adventure, and if the alchemy is good in single-player, it makes a solid foundation for when others are in the fray.
Slay the Spire 2 is due to arrive in early access on Steam on March 5.
