How do I 'level up' my characters in THE SPIRIT LIFT?

"THE SPIRIT LIFT" does not feature traditional character levels. Instead, progression focuses on gaining experience from defeating enemies to upgrade your equipment cards and enhance your deck. Meta-progression is handled through 'Spirit points' earned across runs, which allow for customization and unlocking new content.

What are Spirit points used for?

Spirit points are earned whether you win or lose a run and can be spent on customizing your subsequent trips through the hotel. This meta-progression helps unlock new characters, bosses, and events, making future runs potentially more efficient and varied.

Does dying help me level up faster?

Yes, 'death is encouraged' in "THE SPIRIT LIFT" as it is a core part of the progression. Each run, including those that end in death, contributes to unlocking new characters, bosses, and events, and you still earn Spirit points for meta-progression. This design allows for continuous learning and unlocking of new options.

How do I get stronger cards?

You can get stronger cards by upgrading your existing equipment cards using the experience gained from battles, collecting new cards and gear found while exploring the hotel's floors, visiting the shopkeeper for new abilities, and unlocking additional starting cards for your party members through meta-progression.

Main Content

"THE SPIRIT LIFT" is a retro horror deckbuilder roguelike where success hinges on your ability to adapt, strategize, and consistently improve your deck and overall capabilities. Unlike traditional RPGs with character levels, 'leveling up' in this game primarily refers to upgrading your cards and enhancing your strategic options through experience and meta-progression.

Understanding Leveling in THE SPIRIT LIFT

In this game, set in a haunted 90s hotel, you lead a trio of teenagers through 13 floors filled with monsters and challenges. The core progression loop involves battling ghastly fiends, earning experience, and then using that experience to upgrade your equipment cards. Additionally, a unique meta-progression system, involving 'Spirit points,' allows for customization and unlocks across multiple runs, even after dying.

Maximizing Experience Gain

The primary method for gaining experience in "THE SPIRIT LIFT" is by engaging in and winning strategic card battles against the creatures lurking in the hotel. To maximize your experience gain, focus on the following:

Defeat Ghastly Fiends: Actively seek out and defeat as many supernatural spectres, animated objects, and menacing poltergeists as possible. Each successful battle contributes to your experience pool.

Strategic Combat: Optimize your card plays to efficiently clear encounters. The faster and more effectively you dispatch enemies, the more quickly you can move to the next encounter and continue earning experience.

Deck Building and Card Upgrades

Your deck is your most crucial tool for survival and progression. Leveling up your cards directly translates to increased power and efficiency.

Upgrade Cards with Experience: As you gain experience from battles, you'll be able to upgrade your existing cards. Prioritize upgrading cards that align with your chosen strategy or provide significant combat advantages.

Choose Your Starting Trio Wisely: Your initial choice of three teenagers significantly impacts your starting deck and overall strategy for a run. Each character provides a special gear item and a custom set of starting cards. Experiment with different trios to find one that complements your playstyle and allows for efficient early-game combat and experience gain.

Balance Deck Focuses: The game allows you to blend up to four deck focuses. Balancing these focuses is key to building a versatile and powerful deck that can handle various enemy types and situations encountered across the 13 floors.

Collect New Cards and Gear: As you explore the hotel's eerie corridors, search rooms for new cards, gold, and gear. New additions can significantly boost your deck's power and open up new strategic possibilities.

Visit the Shopkeeper: The hotel's shopkeeper offers new abilities to add to your evolving deck. Regularly check their inventory for powerful additions that can accelerate your leveling.

Unlock Additional Starting Cards: Through repeated play, you can unlock additional starting cards for each party member, allowing for more customized and potentially stronger initial loadouts for subsequent runs.

Leveraging Meta-Progression (Spirit Points)

"THE SPIRIT LIFT" is designed as a roguelike where 'death is encouraged' and is a core part of the progression system.

Embrace Death: Each run, whether successful or not, contributes to your overall progression. Dying unlocks new characters, bosses, and events, enriching the gameplay and offering new challenges and opportunities for experience.

Earn Spirit Points: Win or lose, you earn 'Spirit points' at the end of each run. These points are crucial for meta-progression, allowing you to spend them on customizing your next trip through the hotel. This customization can indirectly make future runs easier and more efficient for 'leveling' your cards and progress.

Replayability: The game rewards death and offers endless replayability, respecting player time by ensuring every run contributes to unlocking new content and customization options.

Exploration and Events for Power Spikes

Beyond combat, careful exploration and engagement with events can provide crucial advantages.

Search for Secrets and Upgrades: Navigate the hotel's floors to search for hidden secrets, new gear, and upgrades that can enhance your deck and overall power.

Engage in Random Events: The hotel features unpredictable events, such as answering riddles from demonic dolls, cleaning up after parties, or grabbing mystery items from vending machines. These events can yield new gear and cards, providing valuable power spikes.

Peruse the Library: The Library within the game contains lore and can also be perused to learn how to collect more cards and gear, offering valuable insights into optimizing your progression.

THE SPIRIT LIFT: Fastest Way to Level Up (Card & Progression Guide)

Quick Summary