Slay the Spire 2 uses a new Epoch Unlock system to reward players for reaching major milestones in the game. It’s something you notice from the very first run: the words Epoch Unlocked and Epoch Discovered popping up every so often. This is a system you’ll want to reference every so often, as it serves as the sequel’s main metaprogression.
Each Epoch Unlock expands the game with more content and, most surprisingly, actual lore and narrative for why we are slaying the said Spire for the second time around. If you feel like you’re stuck and hitting a brick wall, it’s time to unlock more Epochs to open up more options and builds.
Epoch Unlock and Epoch Discovered
In the first game, players unlocked everything by progressing each character individually. Ironclad, Silent, Defect, and Watcher had five tiers of experience that brought both class-specific relics and cards, along with some that could be used by the entire roster.
While this system served its purpose to encourage players to try all the playable characters, once you complete the highest tier, there was no reason to come back and push with that character. In fact, there was no additional metaprogression incentive to climbing beyond that point.
Slay the Spire 2 revamps its progression system through the use of Epoch Unlocks. This is the sequel’s progression system and the main way to earn every unlockable in the game—everything from cards, relics, potions, playable characters, and even Ancients that offer run-defining boons.
How to Unlock Epochs
Unlocking and discovering Epochs comes in two ways. First, by playing the game normally and ascending higher. After every run or game over, you’ll see a summary of what you’ve accomplished during the run, like how many floors you’ve climbed, elites defeated, and gold gained.
The second way is through achieving character-specific milestones, like clearing each act, defeating a certain number of bosses, and reaching higher ascension levels. If you happen to fulfill the requirements without knowing about it beforehand, this is when the game informs you through the flashing Epoch Discovered pop-up during the run.
These are tallied, scored, and added to the Epoch Unlock bar. Epochs unlocked through accumulating score typically reward cards and relics for the whole cast, not just for the character that earned them.
What is the Timeline in Slay the Spire 2?
Unlike the first game, rewards aren’t automatically added to your runs after fulfilling the Epoch Unlocks. Navigate to Timeline from the main menu, and interact with any Epochs that are ready to reveal themselves.
These are neatly arranged chronologically, showcasing Slay the Spire 2’s commitment to expanding the lore. Most importantly, this will also unlock the goodies you’ve worked hard for and reveal nearby locked Epochs.
It’s important to check the Timeline often so you can have a goal for the next runs. There’s more incentive this time around to be decent with the whole roster, or else you’ll be missing out on Epoch Unlocks. So, if you’re stuck pushing higher Ascension tiers, maybe completing goals for other characters for more unlockables.
At the time of early access, the best Epoch Unlocks are simple and tied to beating the game with each character. But maybe in the future, there will be unlocks for specific actions like hatching the Byrdonis Egg, other unique events, or reaching the hardest achievements.
