Slots and Daggers review: Perfect pixels 

Out of all the Steam Next Fest demos that I dug into this year, Slots and Daggers stood out as one of the most memorable. It’s a unique game, combining a slot-machine format with elements of fantasy RPGs and roguelikes, making for an engrossing experience.

If you’ve been wondering whether to pick up the full version of Slots and Daggers after checking out the demo, you’ll find The Escapist’s full review below. I’ll be looking at everything from the core gameplay loop and performance to the charming aesthetic. 

The Escapist recaps

• Slots and Daggers is a slot machine roguelike with a dark fantasy theme, made by Friedemann and published by Future Friends Games. 
• It’s a unique spin on the classic gambling roguelike format, tasking players with defeating enemies by spinning slots and pulling random symbols, like knives, shields, or greatswords. 
• Power-ups and machine modifications can also be purchased to help along the way, providing the player with handy boosts and resistances to keep them going until the very final fight of the game.
• I found Slots and Daggers to be a delightful experience, with a charming art style, smooth and intuitive design, and satisfying gameplay loop. Fans of games that blend both luck and skill will get a kick out of it.

Minimalistic, mesmerizing magic

Slots and Daggers offers a unique twist on a slot machine roguelike, featuring a classic fantasy RPG inside the slot machine itself.

To play, you’ll need to select which symbols will appear on the slot machine at the start of your run – this might be a dagger, a coin, or a greatsword, for example. Then, you’ll need to spin the slot machine to trigger these symbols and use them during your fight against a monster.

Each symbol has a different effect, ranging from dealing pure damage to inflicting status conditions or increasing your armor stat.

Every time your run ends, you’ll unlock a new symbol to use during your next one. I found this enticed me to keep playing for much longer than I’d initially planned – oh, go on then, just one more run to see what the new symbol does.

Alongside the standard symbols, you’ll be able to purchase additional symbols and power-ups to help you along the way. There are also slot machine modifiers that can be purchased after a run to provide a sneaky boost to a stat like physical damage resistance.

Slots and Daggers started off simply, then gradually built up in complexity as I spent more time with it. The variety of symbols was intriguing, with each one offering something new to help deal with the enemies populating the game.

The game is split up into multiple locations, which you’ll travel across as you progress. Every location has a unique roster of enemies for you to tangle with, which all have their own specialties, advantages, and disadvantages. 

Unique twist on a gambling roguelike

Slot machines and roguelikes are a perfect combination, and you’ll find a smattering of these games across platforms.

The choice to include fantasy RPG mechanics has made Slots and Daggers stand out from the crowd significantly. While there are certainly other games that sit in the same area as this one, I found it to be a uniquely compelling and enjoyable experience, even as someone who doesn’t tend to go for slot-based games.

The best thing about the game was the replay value. Each time I died – and there were plenty of these occasions – I didn’t feel frustrated or upset. I was just excited to see which symbol I’d unlock next and how it could benefit my next build.

There were no visual quirks or glitches to note during my time with Slots and Daggers. The game looked great – I’m a huge fan of pixel art that leans towards a dark, retro vibe – and it performed well, with a smooth experience overall.

Slots and Daggers is a uniquely charming roguelike game that meshes fantasy RPG mechanics with a slot machine format. It looks fantastic and it’s incredibly moreish, with plenty of replay value on offer. If you’re a fan of games like Balatro and CloverPit, chances are that you’ll fall in love with this title. 

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