SLAY THE SPIRE / MECHANICS

Curses

Undesirable cards that clutter draws and may carry penalties.

QUICK REFERENCESlay the Spire 1Reviewed 2026-10-28Reference / noindex
Original schematic Volpedia category artwork
OVERVIEW

What is Curses?

Undesirable cards that clutter draws and may carry penalties.

This reference covers gameplay decisions in the original Slay the Spire. Character-specific options and relic synergy can change how useful an item is, so consider your current deck, health, upcoming enemy and available resources before applying a strategy.

PRACTICAL STRATEGY

When and how to use it

Compare relic or gold rewards against future removal opportunities.

COMMON MISTAKES

What to avoid

Taking multiple curses can destroy carefully tuned draw consistency.

CONTINUE ON VOLPEDIA

Related topics and walkthroughs

GUIDESEvents Curses and Card Removal

A practical original guide to events curses and card removal, organized around actual Slay the Spire 1 decisions and the threats those decisions must solve.

RELICSCursed Key

Adds energy but treasure chests produce curses.

MECHANICSArtifact

Buff that blocks a future negative effect.

MECHANICSBlock

Temporary protection against ordinary attack damage, generally cleared between turns.

MECHANICSCard Removal

Permanent removal from deck, commonly purchased at merchants or acquired in events.

MECHANICSCard Upgrade

Smithing or other upgrades improve an existing card for the rest of the run.

MECHANICSDexterity

Modifier changing Block created from card effects.

Back to Mechanics

Independent Volpedia editorial resource, not affiliated with Mega Crit. Original game (Slay the Spire 1), reviewed 2026-10-28. Slay the Spire 2 has separate rules, cards and characters and is not included here. Category graphics are original conceptual illustrations, not game screenshots or actual card artwork. Detailed numerical card costs, damage, upgrade effects and drop percentages are omitted where not individually checked. Editorial verification records are stored separately from public articles.