Slay the Spire has a problem.

Don’t get me wrong, Mega Crit’s standout title is unmistakably one of the best roguelike deck-builders, an icon and a pioneer. But too often does it leave me feeling stuck and betrayed.

The issue comes from the way in which players build their deck.

One card after every battle in Slay the Spire provides a lightning-fast pace. Before you know it, your deck will be bloated with all kinds of exciting new cards.

With this comes a plethora of synergies to find and exploit, allowing players to create truly powerful builds.

But my problem is this leaves players to gamble on their future rewards.

I might take a poison-related card after my first battle. My second card might provide me with some basic utility. Many battles later, though, and I may still be lacking any more poison cards.

And that poison card that I took at the very beginning of the run? Well, it’s now a dead card, and if I tunnel-visioned too hard trying to force that poison strategy, my run is likely over.

Wildfrost doesn’t have this problem.

Like Slay the Spire, Wildfrost is a roguelike deckbuilder. That said, it’s a very different game; Wildfrost takes deck-building and combines it with tactical combat on an actual battlefield, emphasising positioning and timing via its unique cooldown mechanic.

But what makes Wildfrost one of the best roguelike deck-builders is how decks are constructed.

In Wildfrost, the game’s map is much more straightforward. There’s no sprawling point-crawl here. It’s just a battle against waves of enemies and a boss or mini-boss, followed by two paths of rewards.

All you have to do is a pick a path, and you get a whole string of rewards one after the other.

This is the best part.

Numerous rewards given one after another give the player a massive power spike before the next battle.

We’re talking new companions to deploy in battle, new spells, new charms to give your companions, and places to grab cash and spend it.

This crucial difference in how rewards are given out, for me, makes Wildfrost a more enjoyable experience than games like Slay the Spire.

No longer am I wondering what reward I’ll be given next, betting on building a strategy that may never come to fruition.

Well, that can still happen in Wildfrost, but it’s easier to predict. For example, you can avoid getting new companions if you’re already happy with your current roster, but given the chance you can still go after new ones.

Perhaps more importantly, though, this chunk of progression, rather than the drip-feed of Slay the Spire, just feels better.

You get a power spike. Not a single card that might show up. A real chunk of rewards that make the next battle feel much more exciting.

Wildfrost isn’t a perfect game. But, in my opinion, more deck-builders need to be taking a page out of its book.

More chunks, less drip.