Game Review: Slots and Daggers (PC)

In a world of AAA games creeping into the $80 to $100 range, it seems that the industry is forgetting something about video games…. They’re supposed to be fun. Independent game developers have been cranking out games left and right, and not that long ago, Slots and Daggers added their name to the list of indie titles that have been turning heads, or in this case, reels. Does this slot machine game have any promise, or is it just another product of internet hype?

Let’s go!

Title: Slots and Daggers
Platform: PC/Steam (Reviewed)
Developer: Friedemann
Publisher: Future Friends Games
Release Date: October 24, 2025
Price: $7.99

Okay, so it’s a slot machine game, but what if I told you that this one isn’t about making money? Well, there is some money to be made, but it’s all in-game currency that you’ll be using to upgrade your build to fight monsters as you traverse from dungeon to dungeon.

Yes, that’s right… This is a roguelite RPG that uses a slot machine to attack, heal, and defend yourself in turn-based combat!

Slots and Daggers is a straightforward game at its core. You grab your starting weapons and you venture into a dungeon. You’ll fight everything from an Egg, all the way up to a Minister and even some insanely powerful God-like monsters. When you defeat an enemy, you will earn some coins and be brought to a shop to spend them. You can upgrade your weapons, grab some passive abilities, or buy new weapons and spells to assemble your build.

Not everything in the game will be available to you right away because, in classic roguelite fashion, you are meant to fail… then fail some more… then fail even more. How do you progress if you’re meant to fail? Simple. Once a run is completed, you earn poker chips, which can be spent in another shop, which will give you permanent upgrades such as more health, more damage, more magic damage, damage reduction, magic damage reduction, cheaper shop items, more reels on your slot machine, and even a once-per-run revive if you should die.

Plus, the further you progress through the dungeons, the more weapons, spells, and passives you will unlock, which will, in turn, unlock more powerful build combos. Each weapon and spell has unique properties. For instance, poison weapons will deal physical damage, but then deal stacking poison damage to your opponent at the end of your turn. The poison will bypass an enemy’s shield as well! All magic spells and weapons will attack the enemy’s life bar (and yours if an enemy uses magic against you), ignoring shields, too. Some weapons and items will also reroll that slot once used, giving you the chance to produce infinite-spinning combos.

Some skill-based spells and weapons require you to play a bit of a mini-game to try and get the most damage or shielding possible from an item. What’s nice is that there is a vast variety of items to complement and playstyle, and while some builds are way more viable than others, I believe that a lot of the builds in the game have their own strengths, which can allow you to make it through to the end.

That’s about it for what Slots and Daggers has to offer. As I said, it’s a very simple concept, but I would be lying if I said that it wasn’t addictive and fun!

Like any roguelite, the replayability is what is going to determine whether or not this game will be worth your time, and I have to say that while the game doesn’t last for very long compared to other roguelites, the replayability of this title is extremely high. There are ten total dungeons to traverse through, each with a set of four monsters. Doing quick college-level napkin math, that will tell you there are 40 total encounters to progress through, and yes… You will be spending quite a lot of time progressing, failing, upgrading, and making it just a bit further.

The nice thing about this system is that if you make it to a dungeon and fail, you don’t have to start over from the very beginning. I mean, you can, but if you want to start in the dungeon that you made it to last, you can pick up where you left off on your next run. The game will make rerolling free (normally, it costs coins), and it will give you some starting cash to put together a build. This is a nice touch because that means you don’t have to start on the 7th dungeon with just your starter weapons. This is also a quality-of-life option that respects the player’s time, too.

Once you complete all ten dungeons, the fun doesn’t stop as Arena Mode is unlocked, where you will be battling against a never-ending cavalcade of different egg monsters. Once you cycle through them, the cycle will repeat, but they will have more health and damage. The goal is to make it as far as you possibly can; however, the rewards for doing so are grand! You’ll be awarded with a treasure trove of poker chips, making those permanent upgrades all that much easier to obtain!

Lastly, there is a Progress section where you can check to see what you have unlocked.

Overall, Slots and Daggers doesn’t have much to offer in the way of features, but it doesn’t need to. Traversing through the dungeons or egging it up in Arena Mode provides plenty of entertainment. Plus, once you figure out one of the game’s most unstoppable builds, you’ll take great pleasure in enacting your revenge on every monster that stopped you in your tracks and impeded your progress. Hint: Bombs are your friend. I’ll let you figure out the rest…. Or you can spend some time on YouTube looking it up.

The graphic style of the game looks as if Nintendo re-released the Game Boy in 2025 and said, “Okay, but all the games are in HD,” while keeping the same pixelated look. It’s definitely a unique art style, but it makes the game stand out in a good way. The weapon icons and the monsters remind me of those old school RPGs I used to play back in the 80s and 90s, but you can tell that the game has those modern touches, blending past and present into a unique identity.

The music is a bit repetitive, but it’s catchy and provides a nice ambiance to the game. Certain tracks give the game a slight “attitude” that helps define its style. That’s the mark of a good soundtrack if it can sell the atmosphere of the game to you, and when the atmosphere is staring a slot machine for hours on end, you know that the soundtrack is going to have to do some heavy lifting. It’s a good thing this one has the muscles to pull it off.

Is this game worth the $7.99 price tag? Well worth it! Will you have hundreds upon hundreds of hours of fun? Most likely not unless you’re REALLY into slot machine games. You can unlock everything and 100% the game in under 10 hours, but while the game is a bit short-lived, it will be a very memorable experience because it makes you have the one thing games should be making you have…. And that’s fun.

Slots and Daggers is just that… fun. That’s all a game needs to be, and that’s all that this game is. Skip your pure sugar liquid from Starbucks and invest that coffee money into this title. You’ll thank me later when you can’t stop mashing the spin button.

Review Disclosure Statement: This game was purchased for review. For more information on how we review video games and other media, please read our Review Guidelines and Scoring Policy.

Affiliate Link Disclosure: One or more of the links above may contain affiliate links. This means that at no additional cost to you, we may receive a commission should you click through and purchase the item.