Unlocks and the Timeline
Slay the Spire 2 unlocks its characters in a chain by playing one run (win or lose) with each: the Ironclad unlocks the Silent, then the Regent, the Necrobinder and the Defect. Everything else (cards, relics, potions, Ancients, the Underdocks, Ascension, Daily and Custom runs) comes from 57 Epochs on the Timeline, earned by goals such as beating an act or by spending score; Daily and Custom runs earn none.
In Slay the Spire 2 you start with only the Ironclad and unlock each next character by playing one run, win or lose, with the one before: a run as the Ironclad unlocks the Silent, the Silent the Regent, the Regent the Necrobinder and the Necrobinder the Defect (TheGamer, Mar 6, 2026). Every unlock in the game is an Epoch on the Timeline screen, and the game data for the main branch, v0.107.1, holds 57 of them: 34 tied to the five characters, 5 for game modes and Ancients, and 18 bought with the score you earn at the end of runs (Spire Codex, game data v0.107.1). Each Epoch is also a page of the Spire's lore, which Steam's store text calls "fragments of its mysterious timeline" (Steam). Slay the Spire 2 is in Early Access, so Epochs may be added or changed before 1.0.
Quick facts
| Starting character | Ironclad |
| Unlock order | Ironclad, Silent, Regent, Necrobinder, Defect (TheGamer) |
| What unlocks a character | One run with the previous character, win or lose |
| Epochs in all | 57 in game data v0.107.1 (Spire Codex) |
| Per character | 7 Epochs (the Ironclad 6, since he starts unlocked) |
| Bought with score | 18 Epochs, two of them placeholders |
| Ascension | Unlocked per character by beating Act 3 with them |
| The Underdocks | A score Epoch (Spire Codex) |
| Custom mode | Beat Act 3 three times (Epoch "Seeds") |
| Daily mode | Epoch "The Daily": a run with every character and an Act 3 win |
| Daily and Custom runs | Earn no Epochs since v0.100.0 (Mega Crit) |
| Co-op runs | Count like solo runs (TheGamer) |
How the Timeline works
The Timeline is the unlock screen. An Epoch is first revealed by a goal, such as "Beat Act 1 with the Ironclad", or becomes available as you accumulate score, and opening it hands out what it unlocks: a character, three cards, three relics, three potions, an Ancient, an event, an act or a game mode (Spire Codex). Launch hotfixes fixed players "getting stuck at the timeline" (v0.98.3 notes, Mar 10, 2026).
Score pays for Epochs. Mega Crit's notes say there are still "points accrued for unlocking new cards and such" at the end of a run (Major Update #1), and a beta fix in v0.110.0 stopped the game awarding an Epoch "without spending the score that paid for it" (v0.110.0 notes). Mega Crit has not published how much score each Epoch costs.
Daily and Custom runs do not count. Since v0.100.0, on the main branch since Apr 17, 2026, "You can no longer acquire epochs in Daily or Custom runs", and an icon in the top bar shows when a run cannot earn them (v0.100.0 notes). Co-op runs do count, filling the Compendium and earning Epochs like solo runs (TheGamer).
Unlocks belong to each player and profile. Each player has three profiles, and a new one starts with only the Ironclad (PC Gamer); in co-op, the Colorful Philosophers event stays away while any player has only the Ironclad unlocked (v0.103.1 notes). Modded and unmodded progress are saved apart, and on the public beta since v0.108.0 (Jul 3, 2026) your unmodded save is copied over the first time you launch with mods (v0.108.0 notes); see Mods and Steam Workshop.
There is no "unlock all". Mega Crit said in February 2026 that buyers on other platforms would not get one and that it aims for "some form of cross-platform saving" (Mega Crit's February 2026 Neowsletter).
Unlocking the characters
| Character | Epoch | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Ironclad | None | Available from the start |
| Silent | Fog Rolls In | Play a run with the Ironclad |
| Regent | Anomalous Planet | Play a run with the Silent |
| Necrobinder | Life and Death | Play a run with the Regent |
| Defect | Booting Up | Play a run with the Necrobinder |
Source: TheGamer (Mar 6, 2026) for the order; Epoch names from Spire Codex (game data, v0.107.1), read Oct 26, 2026.
Winning is not needed: any finished run, win or lose, with the previous character reveals the next one's Epoch (TheGamer). Mega Crit's May 2026 figures show the five characters played "almost the same amount", leaning slightly to the first two unlocked, the Ironclad and the Silent (Mega Crit's May 2026 Neowsletter). No character has been added since launch, and the sixth Mega Crit is working on is unnamed (Mega Crit's August 2026 Neowsletter); see Characters.
Every character Epoch
Each character has the same set of goals: beat Act 1 (three cards), beat Act 2 (three relics), beat Act 3 (Ascension and three potions), kill 15 Elites (three cards), kill 15 bosses (three relics) and beat Ascension 1 (three cards). Kotaku recommends working through these before climbing Ascension, especially the 15 Elite and 15 boss goals (Kotaku, Mar 18, 2026).
Ironclad
| Epoch | How to reveal it | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| The Ironclad | Beat Act 1 with the Ironclad | Cards: Molten Fist (Common), Dominate (Uncommon), Cruelty (Rare) |
| Devastation | Beat Act 2 with the Ironclad | Relics: Red Skull (Common), Paper Phrog (Uncommon), Ruined Helmet (Rare) |
| The Pact | Beat Act 3 with the Ironclad | Ascension for the Ironclad; potions: Blood Potion, Soldier's Stew, Ashwater |
| Ablaze | Kill 15 Elites with the Ironclad | Cards: Cinder (Common), Drum of Battle (Uncommon), Pact's End (Rare) |
| Snuffed | Kill 15 bosses with the Ironclad | Relics: Self-Forming Clay (Uncommon), Charon's Ashes (Rare), Demon Tongue (Rare) |
| My Face | Beat Ascension 1 with the Ironclad | Cards: Blood Wall (Common), Inferno (Uncommon), Tear Asunder (Rare) |
Silent
| Epoch | How to reveal it | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Fog Rolls In | Play a run with the Ironclad | The Silent |
| Bigger Prey | Beat Act 1 with the Silent | Cards: Snakebite (Common), Bubble Bubble (Uncommon), Accelerant (Rare) |
| Ill | Beat Act 2 with the Silent | Relics: Tingsha (Uncommon), Tough Bandages (Rare), Paper Krane (Rare) |
| Trophies | Beat Act 3 with the Silent | Ascension for the Silent; potions: Poison Potion, Ghost in a Jar, Cunning Potion |
| Poisoner | Kill 15 Elites with the Silent | Cards: Reflex (Uncommon), Hand Trick (Uncommon), Master Planner (Rare) |
| Nemesis | Kill 15 bosses with the Silent | Relics: Snecko Skull (Common), Twisted Funnel (Uncommon), Helical Dart (Rare) |
| Soup | Beat Ascension 1 with the Silent | Cards: Hidden Daggers (Uncommon), Phantom Blades (Uncommon), Blade of Ink (Rare) |
Regent
| Epoch | How to reveal it | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Anomalous Planet | Play a run with the Silent | The Regent |
| I Arrive | Beat Act 1 with the Regent | Cards: Spoils of Battle (Common), Furnace (Uncommon), Sword Sage (Rare) |
| We Need a Hero! | Beat Act 2 with the Regent | Relics: Fencing Manual (Common), Galactic Dust (Uncommon), Lunar Pastry (Rare) |
| Grand Strategy | Beat Act 3 with the Regent | Ascension for the Regent; potions: Star Potion, Cosmic Concoction, King's Courage |
| Friends | Kill 15 Elites with the Regent | Cards: BEGONE! (Common), Supermassive (Uncommon), Arsenal (Rare) |
| Discontent | Kill 15 bosses with the Regent | Relics: Regalite (Uncommon), Mini Regent (Rare), Orange Dough (Rare) |
| Little King | Beat Ascension 1 with the Regent | Cards: Patter (Common), Lunar Blast (Uncommon), Heavenly Drill (Rare) |
Necrobinder
| Epoch | How to reveal it | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Life and Death | Play a run with the Regent | The Necrobinder |
| The 12 | Beat Act 1 with the Necrobinder | Cards: Scourge (Common), Countdown (Uncommon), Oblivion (Rare) |
| Futility | Beat Act 2 with the Necrobinder | Relics: Bone Flute (Common), Funerary Mask (Uncommon), Book Repair Knife (Uncommon) |
| Spireborn | Beat Act 3 with the Necrobinder | Ascension for the Necrobinder; potions: Potion of Doom, Pot of Ghouls, Bone Brew |
| The Giant | Kill 15 Elites with the Necrobinder | Cards: Afterlife (Common), Calcify (Uncommon), Sacrifice (Rare) |
| Annihilation | Kill 15 bosses with the Necrobinder | Relics: Ivory Tile, Big Hat, Bookmark (all Rare) |
| To Kill | Beat Ascension 1 with the Necrobinder | Cards: Sculpting Strike (Common), Veilpiercer (Uncommon), Banshee's Cry (Rare) |
Defect
| Epoch | How to reveal it | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Booting Up | Play a run with the Necrobinder | The Defect |
| Tricked | Beat Act 1 with the Defect | Cards: Loop (Uncommon), Null (Uncommon), Consuming Shadow (Rare) |
| Hello Hello! | Beat Act 2 with the Defect | Relics: Data Disk (Common), Symbiotic Virus (Uncommon), Metronome (Rare) |
| Resolving Bugs | Beat Act 3 with the Defect | Ascension for the Defect; potions: Focus Potion, Essence of Darkness, Potion of Capacity |
| Confrontation | Kill 15 Elites with the Defect | Cards: Barrage (Common), Smokestack (Uncommon), Flak Cannon (Rare) |
| Laser Beams | Kill 15 bosses with the Defect | Relics: Gold-Plated Cables (Uncommon), Emotion Chip (Rare), Power Cell (Rare) |
| Ooh Shiny! | Beat Ascension 1 with the Defect | Cards: TURBO (Common), Scavenge (Uncommon), Helix Drill (Rare) |
Source for all five tables: Spire Codex (game data, v0.107.1), read Oct 26, 2026; Epoch names spelled as Mega Crit's patch notes spell them ("The 12", "Hello Hello!"), as in Major Update #2. Card rarities and effects are on Ironclad Cards, Silent Cards, Regent Cards, Necrobinder Cards and Defect Cards; relics on Relics; potions on Potions.
Game modes and Ancients
| Epoch | How to reveal it | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Neow | Play a single run | The Ancient Neow |
| Seeds | Beat Act 3 three times | Custom mode |
| The Daily | Play a run with every character and beat Act 3 | Daily mode |
| Orobas | Play a run with every character | The Ancient Orobas |
| Darv | Encounter all the other Ancients | The Ancient Darv |
Source: Spire Codex (game data, v0.107.1), read Oct 26, 2026. Destructoid's Epoch guide (Mar 7, 2026) gives the same goals: finish your first run for Neow, complete Act 3 three times for Seeds, complete Act 3 with all five characters for The Daily, play every character for Orobas, and meet all the Ancients for Darv.
The two modes are covered on Daily Climb and Custom Mode, and the Ancients on Neow and the Ancients.
Epochs bought with score
Eighteen Epochs have no goal: they read "Unlock by accumulating score" and come one after another, each adding the next ones to the Timeline. The table lists them in that order, from the game data.
| Epoch | Added to the Timeline by | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Preon | Neow | Colorless cards: Automation (Uncommon), Catastrophe (Uncommon), Entropy (Rare) |
| Open | Preon | Potions: Beetle Juice, Mazaleth's Gift, Droplet of Precognition |
| Scribbles | Preon | Relics: Reptile Trinket (Uncommon), Unsettling Lamp (Rare), Intimidating Helmet (Rare) |
| Underdocks | Preon | The Underdocks, an alternate Act 1 |
| The Architect | Underdocks | Colorless cards: Prep Time (Uncommon), Eternal Armor (Rare), Jackpot (Rare) |
| Ancients | Underdocks | Relics: Book of Five Rings (Common), Kusarigama (Uncommon), Ice Cream (Rare) |
| The Calm | Underdocks | Potions: Powdered Demise, Ship in a Bottle, Touch of Insanity |
| Somewhere | The Calm | Placeholder: "It is not yet known what this unlocked..." |
| Traitors | The Calm | Colorless cards: Prowess (Uncommon), Rend (Rare), Beat Down (Rare) |
| Civilization | The Calm | Relics: Festive Popper (Common), Ripple Basin (Uncommon), Vexing Puzzlebox (Rare) |
| Elsewhere | Civilization | Placeholder: "It is not yet known what this unlocked..." |
| Slumber | Civilization | Colorless cards: Alchemize, Nostalgia, Scrawl (all Rare) |
| Consequences | Civilization | Relics: Miniature Cannon (Uncommon), Tungsten Rod (Rare), White Star (Rare) |
| Cultists | Consequences | The Trash Heap event |
| Buy Something! | Consequences | Colorless cards: Splash (Uncommon), Anointed (Rare), Calamity (Rare) |
| Arise | Consequences | Relics: Tiny Mailbox (Uncommon), Joss Paper (Uncommon), Beating Remnant (Rare) |
| They Return | Arise | The Reflections snoitcelfeR event |
| The Spire | Arise | The Colorful Philosophers event |
Source: Spire Codex (game data, v0.107.1), read Oct 26, 2026. Colorless cards are on Colorless Cards and events on Events.
Two of them unlock nothing yet. Somewhere and Elsewhere carry only the line "It is not yet known what this unlocked...", and their internal names in the game data are those of Act 2 and Act 3 "B" Epochs (Spire Codex). Mega Crit has announced an Alternate Act 2 and an Alternate Act 3 for Early Access but has not said how they will unlock (Mega Crit's April 2026 Neowsletter).
Unlocking the Underdocks
The Underdocks, the alternate Act 1, is unlocked with score, not a goal. In the game data its Epoch is the fourth score Epoch, added to the Timeline by Preon, and its text reads "Unlocked the Underdocks, an alternate Act 1" (Spire Codex). Mega Crit's own posts say only that alternate acts appear "once unlocked" (Mega Crit's September 2025 Neowsletter), and Destructoid lists the Epoch without a requirement (Destructoid). IGN's "15 Biggest Changes" video (Mar 7, 2026) says instead that "When you defeat all three overgrowth bosses, you'll unlock the underdocks". Once it is unlocked, each run's Act 1 is a coin flip between the Overgrowth and the Underdocks (Major Update #2); see Acts and the Map.
Unlocking Ascension
Ascension unlocks per character, with that character's Act 3 Epoch: The Pact for the Ironclad, Trophies for the Silent, Grand Strategy for the Regent, Spireborn for the Necrobinder and Resolving Bugs for the Defect, each reading "Unlocked Ascension for" the character (Spire Codex). After that, each win on your highest level unlocks the next, up to Ascension 10 (TheGamer, Mar 16, 2026).
Co-op Ascension is separate. It starts from scratch, is not tied to characters, and a co-op win unlocks the next level for all five (PCGamesN, Mar 10, 2026). Every level is on Ascension, and co-op on Co-op Multiplayer.
The Compendium and the Bestiary
The Compendium is where unlocks are kept. It holds the card, relic and potion libraries, your statistics and Run History, and, since Major Update #2 on Jun 19, 2026, the Bestiary, which shows the enemies you have met; Casey Yano called it "this final screen in the compendium (outside of the Achievements page, which is to come much later)" (Major Update #2). In the Bestiary, keys 1 to 8 play a monster's animations (v0.105.0 notes), and on the public beta since v0.108.0 (Jul 3, 2026) it has a stats section (v0.108.0 notes). Enemies are on Enemies, and Badges in Run History on Achievements and Badges.
Frequently asked questions
How do you unlock characters in Slay the Spire 2? In Slay the Spire 2 you unlock each character by playing one run, win or lose, with the previous one: the Ironclad unlocks the Silent, the Silent the Regent, the Regent the Necrobinder and the Necrobinder the Defect.
How do you unlock the Defect in Slay the Spire 2? Play one run as the Necrobinder, win or lose, to reveal the Epoch Booting Up, which unlocks the Defect in Slay the Spire 2. The Defect is the last of the five characters in the chain.
How do you unlock the Necrobinder in Slay the Spire 2? Play one run as the Regent, win or lose, to reveal the Epoch Life and Death, which unlocks the Necrobinder. The Regent itself unlocks after a run as the Silent.
What are Epochs in Slay the Spire 2? Epochs are Slay the Spire 2's unlocks: entries on the Timeline screen, each with a page of lore, that unlock characters, cards, relics, potions, Ancients, the Underdocks, Ascension or game modes. The main-branch game data has 57.
How do you unlock the Underdocks in Slay the Spire 2? The Underdocks Epoch in Slay the Spire 2 is bought with score at the end of runs; in the game data it follows Preon, the first score Epoch, while IGN (Mar 7, 2026) says it unlocks once you have defeated all three Overgrowth bosses. After that, Act 1 is a coin flip between the Overgrowth and the Underdocks.
Do Daily runs unlock Epochs in Slay the Spire 2? No: since v0.100.0, Slay the Spire 2's Daily and Custom runs cannot earn Epochs, and an icon in the top bar says so. Standard runs, solo or co-op, can.
How do you unlock Custom mode in Slay the Spire 2? Beat Act 3 three times to reveal the Epoch Seeds, which unlocks Custom mode in Slay the Spire 2. The Daily mode needs a run with every character and an Act 3 win.
Sources
- Slay the Spire 2 - 15 Biggest Changes From Slay the Spire 1, IGN, Mar 7, 2026 (video)
- Epochs (game data, v0.107.1), Spire Codex, read Oct 26, 2026
- How To Unlock Every Character In Slay The Spire 2, TheGamer (Jacob Whaling), Mar 6, 2026
- How Multiplayer Works In Slay The Spire 2, TheGamer (Axel Bosso), Mar 9, 2026
- How To Unlock Every Ascension Level In Slay The Spire 2, TheGamer (Collin MacGregor), Mar 16, 2026
- How to unlock all Epochs in Slay the Spire 2, Destructoid (Arka Sarkar), Mar 7, 2026
- A Slay The Spire 2 Guide For Getting Better And Surviving Your First Full Run, Kotaku (Lewis Parker), Mar 18, 2026
- How Slay the Spire 2 multiplayer co-op works, PC Gamer (Andrea Shearon), Mar 24, 2026
- All Ascension levels in Slay the Spire 2, PCGamesN (Christian Vaz), Mar 10, 2026
- Steam store API: appdetails 2868840, Valve, read Oct 26, 2026
- The Neowsletter - September 2025, Mega Crit, Sep 11, 2025
- The Neowsletter - February 2026, Mega Crit (Casey Yano), Feb 17, 2026
- Hotfix Patch notes - v0.98.3, Mega Crit, Mar 10, 2026
- Beta Patch Notes - v0.100.0, Mega Crit, Mar 20, 2026
- Beta Hotfix Patch Notes - v0.103.1, Mega Crit, Apr 16, 2026
- Major Update #1 - v0.103.2, Mega Crit, Apr 17, 2026
- The Neowsletter - April 2026, Mega Crit (Casey Yano), Apr 17, 2026
- Beta Patch Notes - v0.105.0, Mega Crit, May 8, 2026
- The Neowsletter - May 2026, Mega Crit (Demi Montes), May 23, 2026
- Major Update #2 - v0.107.1, Mega Crit, Jun 19, 2026
- Beta Patch Notes - v0.108.0, Mega Crit, Jul 3, 2026
- Beta Patch Notes - v0.110.0, Mega Crit, Jul 31, 2026
- The Neowsletter - August 2026, Mega Crit (Casey Yano), Aug 14, 2026
- Slay the Spire 2 Beginner’s Guide | Important Tips You Need to Know, IGN, Mar 16, 2026 (video)
- Slay The Spire 2 Ultimate Beginner's Guide, Tenkiei, Mar 8, 2026 (video)
- Beta Patch v0.105.0 Review | A New Boss! also shatter is broken now - Slay the Spire 2, NaveGreed, May 8, 2026 (video)
Moments
Slay the Spire 2 Beginner’s Guide | Important Tips You Need to Know
IGN
Slay The Spire 2 Ultimate Beginner's Guide
Tenkiei
Beta Patch v0.105.0 Review | A New Boss! also shatter is broken now - Slay the Spire 2
NaveGreed
See also
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Mods and Steam WorkshopSlay the Spire 2 has had a built-in mod loader since launch and official Steam Workshop support since Major Update #2 (v0.107.1, Jun 19, 2026): subscribe on the Workshop and mods download to every device you play on. Modded progress is saved separately, co-op partners should run the same gameplay mods, and mods for the first game cannot work because the sequel uses a different engine.
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IroncladThe Ironclad is Slay the Spire 2's starting character, playable from the first run: 80 HP, 99 Gold, 3 Energy, a deck of 5 Strike, 4 Defend and Bash, and Burning Blood, which heals 6 HP at the end of each combat. He builds on Strength, Vulnerable, Exhaust and losing HP.
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SilentThe Silent is Slay the Spire 2's second character, unlocked by finishing one run as the Ironclad, win or lose: 70 HP, 99 Gold, 3 Energy, a 12-card deck of 5 Strike, 5 Defend, Neutralize and Survivor, and Ring of the Snake, which draws 2 extra cards at the start of each combat. She plays Shivs, Poison, discard and the new Sly keyword.
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RegentThe Regent is one of the two new characters in Slay the Spire 2, the "Heir to the Throne of Stars", unlocked by playing one run as the Silent. He starts with 75 HP, 99 Gold, 3 Energy, the relic Divine Right (3 Stars at the start of each combat) and a 10-card deck of 4 Strike, 4 Defend, Falling Star and Venerate.
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NecrobinderThe Necrobinder is a new character in Slay the Spire 2, "A Spireborn lich who seeks revenge" who fights beside her giant hand Osty, unlocked by playing one run as the Regent. She starts with 66 HP, the lowest of the five, 99 Gold, 3 Energy, the relic Bound Phylactery (Summon 1 at the start of each turn) and 4 Strike, 4 Defend, Bodyguard and Unleash. -
DefectThe Defect is the fifth and last character to unlock in Slay the Spire 2 (end a run as the Necrobinder, win or lose), an automaton that fights with Orbs and Focus. It starts with 75 HP, 99 Gold, 3 Energy, 3 Orb slots, 4 Strikes, 4 Defends, Zap, Dualcast and the relic Cracked Core, which Channels 1 Lightning at the start of each combat.