Hades Beginners’ Guide

After several months of Early Access, Supergiant’s Hades is officially out as a 1.0. It’s on Switch, it’s on PC, it’s a finished (but living like any other) game. So with plays coming in for the first time, and with the initial launch content in a complete state, now’s a perfect time for some tips and tricks. Hades is easily a game of the year contender for 2020, for its awesome visuals and music, fast and furious gameplay, and compelling roguelike systems. Not to mention the fascinating interpretations of Greek mythology. But roguelikes are tough! So where should we start?

Hades Tips and Tricks

Talk to Everyone

As much as Hades is a run-based action/roguelike, it’s also a story. And some of Hades’ progression systems are woven into the story. But the story doesn’t develop unless you talk to each character between your runs. This will fill out your codex, teach you more about the story, and can lead to more permanent bonuses. You also want to make sure you’re gifting Nectar to people when you get it, as that’s one of the major keys to building relationships and powering up.

Always Stay Mobile

Hades can be overwhelming, especially when you find rooms that are just full of enemies. Boss fights can get super nasty as well. But Hades is also all about visual cues. Projectiles you can deflect are purple. Enemies flash white before they attack you. If a health bar is a different color than the usual red, that means you’ll have to get through a layer. You’ll learn that traps can also be found on the floor, which can work for or against you, and your dash is fully invincible while it’s active. As you stack more and more complexity on your build as you go, knowing the basic tells and being able to digest visual information quickly is key.

Related: Hades leaves Early Access and Lands on Nintendo Switch Today

Learn the Door Symbols to Plan Your Build

Obviously, Hades doesn’t have a linear structure. Each run can produce different rewards in different orders. But if you can get a solid grasp of what each door symbol means, you’ll be able to make more informed decisions when you have multiple doors to choose from. It’s possible to stretch yourself too thin and simply burn out as you get further in, so it’s a good idea to pay attention to what the Boons and Aritfacts do. That way you can react to your choices with more purpose.

Utilize Dark Thirst

There is an assortment of different weapons you can choose before you leave for a new run. You may notice one of the weapons is surrounded by a purple mist. That means using that weapon will apply Dark Thirst to your build, which boosts your Darkness pickups by 20%. Sometimes this means stepping out of your comfort zone with a weapon you don’t gel with as much, but it might be worth the extra effort if you’re trying to buy some upgrades.

Check Your Build!

This sounds obvious, but it isn’t something Hades tells you outright. If you press the “select” button (defaults to “b” on keyboards), you can check the status of your build. This doesn’t pause the game so be careful, but if you’re new and still trying to keep track of what everything does, this is the way to check. Remember, getting the most out of your Boon options requires some on the go planning, so this option is important.

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Are you jumping into Hades for the first time with the official launch, or have you been around through Early Access? Are you enjoying it on the Switch or staying with the PC version? Let us know what you think of Hades and any of your own, personal tips over at the Prima Games Facebook and Twitter channels!