Do you remember the joyful satisfaction you felt when you really started to understand *Slay the Spire*? This isn’t a totally rhetorical question. If you’re reading this piece about *Slay the Spire 2*—published roughly a week into what promises to be a lengthy Early Access period—I have to assume you’ve put in dozens, if not hundreds (or thousands?) of hours with the original *Slay the Spire*. At this point, the game probably feels less like a game and more like a comfortable old pair of sneakers. You probably have a favorite character, a preferred set of card synergies to focus on building for that character, and a set of alternative strategies to aim for when the vagaries of chance make that preferred strategy impossible. The game’s plentiful randomization makes each run feel a bit different, but the contours of those runs start to feel a little common to anyone who has tinkered with the game for years. But think back, if you can, to when *Slay the Spire* was an exciting new challenge.…