Hades
An action roguelike where you fight out of the Underworld run by run. Four regions, a boss at each gate, and a boon-stacking build you rebuild from scratch every attempt. Death is the progression, not the failure.
The escape, region by region
| # | Region | Theme | Boss | Signature hazard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tartarus | Stone dungeon depths | The Furies (Megaera) | Spike traps in trap-heavy rooms |
| 2 | Asphodel | Islands over a lava sea | Lernaean Bone Hydra | Lava floors that push constant movement |
| 3 | Elysium | Verdant fields of fallen heroes | Theseus and Asterius | Shielded and reviving elite foes |
| 4 | Temple of Styx | Branching wings near the surface | Hades | Poison, the toughest standard enemies |
Hades by Supergiant Games. Full 1.0 released September 17, 2020 on PC and Switch; consoles followed August 13, 2021. A finished single-player game with no DLC, but a long tail: the true ending needs many escapes, and the Pact of Punishment scales difficulty almost indefinitely.
Top tips
- Expect to die a lot, and do not treat it as failure. Death is the progression and the story. Every run makes Zagreus permanently stronger via the Mirror.
- Spend Darkness in the Mirror after every run. Early priorities: a revive (Death Defiance or Stubborn Defiance), Dark Regeneration for healing, and an extra Dash.
- Commit to one damage source per run. Pick attack, special, cast, or a status like Doom or poison, and stack boons that scale it instead of spreading thin.
- Take a defensive boon. Athena Deflect reflects projectiles and trivializes most ranged fights.
- Read the door symbols. Each door shows its reward before you enter, so route toward what your build needs.
- Use Keepsakes to steer your build. Equip a god Keepsake to make that god appear first.
- Gift Nectar to characters to collect their Keepsakes. The Evergreen Acorn and the Lucky Tooth are strong early picks.
- Do not fear God Mode. It is built in, keeps achievements, and quietly scales up each death.
Guides
builds
- Beginner Build quick
The safe first-clear build: Athena Deflect for defense, a strong attack-based damage source, and a Mirror revive so deaths do not end the run early.
- Doom Build (Ares) quick
Stack Ares Doom for delayed burst damage: hit, re-apply, and let the explosions do the work.
- Crit Build (Artemis) quick
Stack Artemis critical chance and crit damage so your hits spike, best on weapons that land many shots.
- Lightning Build (Zeus) quick
Stack Zeus chain lightning and bouncing bolts so every hit arcs to clear whole rooms.
- Knockback Build (Poseidon) quick
Stack Poseidon knockback to fling enemies into walls and hazards while collecting bonus loot.
- Poison Build (Dionysus) quick
Stack Dionysus Festive Fog so poison-like damage over time melts tough enemies and bosses while you stay mobile.
progression
- Meta-Progression Priority quick
What to spend Darkness, Chthonic Keys, Titan Blood, Diamonds, Nectar, and Ambrosia on, in what order, plus Mirror talents, keepsakes, and Aspects.
- Heat and Bounties quick
How the Pact of Punishment, Heat, and Bounties work, and the farming loop of raising Heat to claim a reward then lowering it again.
weapons
- Stygian Blade deep
The balanced all-rounder sword, the friendliest starter and the weapon most builds work on.
- Eternal Spear deep
A reach weapon with a spin attack and a throw-and-recall special, built around zoning and safe poke damage.
- Shield of Chaos deep
The defensive weapon that blocks with Bull Rush and throws a bouncing shield, built for players who want a safety net.
- Heart-Seeking Bow deep
The ranged weapon built on charged shots, spacing, and aim, with the highest single-hit ceiling of the six.
- Twin Fists deep
The fast melee brawler with rapid combos and a dash-uppercut, built for high tempo and aggressive close range.
- Adamant Rail deep
The gun, with rapid-fire spray, a grenade special, and reloads, the most ranged crowd-clearing option of the six.
bosses
- The Furies (Megaera) deep
The first region boss, a whip-fighting Fury who guards the gate out of Tartarus and teaches you whether your build can actually win.
- Lernaean Bone Hydra deep
The Asphodel boss, a giant skeletal hydra that detaches severed heads to attack you from several angles at once.
- Theseus and Asterius deep
The Elysium boss, a two-on-one fight against the champion Theseus and Asterius the Minotaur that punishes weak positioning.
- Hades deep
The final boss, a two-phase fight against your father at the gates of the Underworld that decides whether the run becomes an escape.
systems
- The Four Regions deep
Tartarus, Asphodel, Elysium, and the Temple of Styx in order: hazards, enemies, minibosses, and the encounter types that fill every chamber.
- Mirror of Night deep
The permanent talent panel: how Darkness and Chthonic Keys unlock talents, what the red and green sides do, and which talents to buy first.
- Boons and the Gods deep
How boons build a run: the nine Olympians and their themes, rarity tiers, Poms, Duo and Legendary boons, Chaos, and committing to one damage source.
- Keepsakes deep
What Keepsakes are, how Nectar earns them, the standout early picks, and how equipping one steers which god's boons appear first.
- Resources and Economy deep
In-run Obols versus the permanent resources, what each one buys, and how the Wretched Broker converts one into another.