Slay the Minotaur is a challenging roguelike dungeon crawler set in ancient Greece. Survive the onslaught of the labyrinth. Upgrade your skills, earn ranks, and face the Minotaur in the ultimate game of cat and mouse!
The core gameplay loop challenges players to explore a labyrinth filled with dangerous mythical creatures, from zombies to cyclopes. Players take on the role of various heroes, each attempting to slay the Minotaur and save ancient Greece. To succeed, players must carefully navigate the labyrinth, managing their resources and upgrading their skills and equipment.
The Minotaur is a relentless and ruthless opponent, immediately killing players who cross its path. Reviews mention the intense fear and panic players feel when the Minotaur's health bar appears, as they must then focus on evading and outmaneuvering the powerful boss until they are ready to engage in a climactic battle. While some players find the inability to easily lose or de-aggro the Minotaur frustrating, others appreciate the increased tension and challenge this presents.
As players progress, they can earn powerful weapons, helmets, and other gear, each with unique attributes and special abilities. These upgrades allow players to tailor their playstyle and better equip themselves to take on the Minotaur. The game also features an upgrading system through Aphrodite, who can help the player increase their agility, strength, and grant new abilities. Additionally, players can earn ranks for each successful Minotaur kill and complete challenges to unlock cosmetic items.
Reviews praise the game's controls, describing them as tight and responsive, with a focus on elements like parrying being a crucial skill to master. The gameplay is noted for having a "snappy" and "fair" feel, despite some occasional issues with input reliability. The movement and combat mechanics are central to the experience, as players must perfectly time their dodges, strikes, and abilities to prevail.
The game is praised for its high replayability, with each run presenting new challenges and opportunities. The randomized loot and enemy placement, combined with the skill-based nature of the gameplay, ensure that no two runs are exactly alike. The relatively short run times and the ability to quickly restart after death contribute to the game's addictive and emergent qualities, encouraging players to experiment with different strategies, weapons, and approaches.