A Beginners Guide to Hades

Roguelike games are hard for a wide variety of reasons. Typically they have a large set of rules, most of which are hidden, with all kinds of tips, tricks and secrets players aren’t even aware of. Simply overlooking one thing in Hades could make a that run significantly more difficult, so we wanted to make a beginners guide to Hades.

Here is our Beginners Guide to Hades:

Always Think Long Term

Hades and games of the like are less of a race and more of a marathon. Odds are you’ll not finish the game on your first, second, third, fifth, seventh or even 10th attempt. For this reason I suggest giving priority to Nectar, Keys, Gemstones and then Darkness in this order. These will unlock resources and other benefits to make later runs significantly easier.

Build Around Your PlayStyle

After a couple runs and using several different weapons, it should be clear that every boon has some kind of use. It might not be the weapon or configuration you’re using but they absolutely exist. For this reason, I strongly suggest thinking about what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it before selecting any boon. Over time these get easier and you’ll be able to select the perfect set of skills to escape.

Don’t Be Afraid to Invest in Upgrades

Speaking pragmatically, Death Defiance seems like the best talent to focus on. However, after the second upgrade you’re often better off investing in different talents. Later stages are less about defense and are more offense based. It’s easier to burn a boss or even stay alive for a shorter period of time than it is to have a longer more drawn out battle.

Unlock Every Infernal Arm (Weapon) and Look Into Upgrades

Every player is going to have a different weapon that matches how they play. We can’t predict what that will be, but we suggest trying them all and at least beat the first boss. By doing this you’ll know which weapon works best for you and if the boss is defeated, several Titan Blood drops. These can be used to upgrade weapons to have different benefits, attacks or uses. Many of these are invaluable offering massive advantages.

Learn Kill and Boon Orders

With the basics covered, one of the best tactics to beat Hades is to learn what to prioritize. Every stage will have different enemies and struggles, some of which are very deadly, so you’re going to want to focus on the most deadly enemy and move from there.

Similar things apply to boons. Since every god has some kind of gimmick, you’re best focusing on the more practical one for your skills. For example, I like using Curse of Agony from Aries (normal attack inflicts doom) or Dionysus’ Drunken Strike, since they add a lot of passive damage. These choices will depend on the player and since it isn’t possible to have both, focusing on that god isn’t always worth it in the long run.

Use Traps

Even though traps are intended to cause damage for you, they’re a great source of free damage against enemies. Often times they can do significant damage and are great for taking care some of the more annoying enemies in Hades.

Losing is Part of the Game

While there is a lot more to Hades, we don’t want to ruin the surprise or take away from the adventure, so we wanted to end our beginner guide to Hades with a simple reminder that losing is part of the journey.

Some elements unlock through progression, death, or just trial and error. Earlier runs are less about beating Hades and just getting a feel for the mechanics. It’s a slow burn that gets easier over time. So, don’t get discouraged and give it another go.