Slots & Daggers Review: Not Your Parents' Slot Machine | The Gamerheads Podcast

Platform reviewed: Steam (PC)

Price: $7.99

I’ve never really seen the appeal of casinos, especially slot machines. I’ve been to one once, but I’d much rather drop quarters into an arcade cabinet. These days, you can find sit-down slot machines in bars and even gas stations. All that being said, when I first played Slots & Daggers, I was immediately hooked. Maybe it’s because there’s more of a gaming element than a gambling one, but the gambling vibe is still there. Honestly, if Slots & Daggers were a real slot machine, I’d probably lose a small fortune feeding it quarters.

The game immediately pulls me into its world. I’m sitting in front of a slot machine, and the atmosphere feels like a fantasy bar. A cigarette burns in an ashtray in the corner, a drink sits to my right, and a crowd gathers behind me, cheering me on.

The gameplay is pretty straightforward. I click a button to stop the slots from spinning. I start with a few basic items, some of which deal damage to the enemy on my screen. If I can line up three of the same item, I deal critical damage. Not every item is offensive. Some provide shields, others heal, and a few grant money. I earn extra cash by defeating enemies quickly, which I can then use to buy new items from the shop to appear in my slots. Of course, enemies can attack too. It’s set up as a turn-based system: I go first, then the enemy. While I can get shields in my rolls, enemies that use magic can bypass them, so those are the ones I need to defeat as quickly as possible.

There’s definitely an element of luck involved, and I died a lot in my first few runs, and again each time I dove into a new level. Over time, I started to see how to build a run that fits my playstyle by purchasing specific items. For example, there’s a build centered on shields and an axe: the more shields I have, the more damage the axe does. Of course, I’m dependent on the shields appearing before the axes since attacks and buffs trigger in order from left to right. There are other builds to experiment with, but the overall depth doesn’t quite reach what Balatro offers with its jokers.

There are ten levels total, each filled with several enemies and capped off with a boss fight. Completing a level unlocks new items that can appear in the shop. The progression makes sense, though I wish I earned new items even after dying. One feature I really liked was the modding system. After each run, I earn chips that I can use to buy mods that change how the game plays. For example, one mod added an extra slot to the machine, and another gave me buffs against magic attacks. This kind of progression feels more rewarding than the item unlocks, though even here I sometimes feel limited until I can expand my inventory further.

Final Grade: B

Slots & Daggers is a really good time. The runs are quick, and after each one, I catch myself thinking, “If I just had that one item, I could have done better.” Progression feels a little uneven since new items only unlock after clearing a level, but the chips I earn let me buy mods that help balance things out. While there’s some flexibility in run builds, it doesn’t quite reach the depth of Balatro and its jokers. All that said, it's the perfect game to unwind after a long day at work.

Review copy provided by Future Friends Games