Getting Started

Getting Started: A Beginner's Guide to Hades

Welcome to the Underworld! Hades is a fast-paced action roguelike where you fight your way out of the Greek underworld as Zagreus, son of Hades. This guide will get you through your first hour, explain the interface, and set you up for success.

What to Expect (No Character Creation)

• No character creation. You play as Zagreus – his appearance is fixed, but you unlock cosmetic items later (keepsakes, weapon aspects).


• Roguelike structure: You will die many times. Each death sends you back to the House of Hades, where you can upgrade and interact with characters. Progress is permanent (Darkness, Keys, Gems, Nectar).


• Narrative unlocks gradually. Talk to everyone after each run to advance story.

First Hour Walkthrough: Step-by-Step

1. The Opening Cutscene – You’ll wake up in the House of Hades. Your father, Hades, is at his desk. Ignore him for now.
2. Talk to Skelly – He’s near the courtyard entrance (left of Hades). He’ll give you your first weapon: Stygius (the sword). Equip it if not already.
3. Enter the First Door – The green portal in the courtyard leads to Tartarus. This is where the run begins.
4. First Room – Follow the on-screen prompts: move with left stick/WASD, attack with A/X/Square, dash with B/O/Circle, special attack with Y/Triangle. Kill the few shades.
5. Collect the Boon – After clearing, a god will appear (likely Zeus or Athena). Choose a boon – for beginners, Athena’s Divine Dash or Zeus’s Lightning Strike are safe.
6. Continue through Tartarus – Each room has enemies. Clear them, take the reward (Darkness, Obols, Keys, etc.). Avoid lava and traps.
7. First Boss (Meg) – At the end of Tartarus (around room 11-15), you’ll fight Megaera. She’s tough. Don’t worry about dying – it’s expected. Learn her patterns: three-hit combo, spin attack, and bullet hell.
8. Death and Return – After defeat (or win), you return to the House. Talk to everyone: Skelly, Hypnos, Nyx, and especially Dusa (the floating Gorgon head).
9. Spend Your Darkness – Go to the Mirror of Night (left of the courtyard entrance). Apply Darkness to upgrades like Chthonic Vitality (health) and Death Defiance (extra lives).
10. Talk to Hades – He will taunt you. This progresses the story.

Controls on All Platforms

Default Controls (Action-Oriented)

Tip: You can remap most controls in Settings. For keyboard, consider binding Dash to a mouse side button for quicker reactions.

UI Overview

• Top Left: Health bar (green), Death Defiance uses (if any), current Darkness amount.


• Top Right: Room rewards icons (you’ll see what each door offers before entering).


• Bottom: Weapon gauge (attack/special cooldowns), Cast ammo (purple diamonds), God Gauge (fill by dealing/taking damage).


• Inventory (Pause): Shows your current boons, poms, Daedalus Hammers, and buffs. Tab/trigger to switch between boons, weapon upgrades, and keepsakes.


• Map (M): Shows the room layout (only after unlocking the “Fated List” or certain items). Early on, it’s hidden.




Essential Early Objectives




• Escape once (actually, you need to escape many times for full story).


• Unlock all weapons – Spend 1 Key on each weapon (Stygius, Varatha, Aegis, Coronacht, Malphon, Exagryph). Buy them from the courtyard weapon rack after first Key earned.


• Upgrade the Mirror of Night – Focus on Death Defiance (cost 10 Keys total, but worth it) and Chthonic Vitality.


• Talk to everyone after each death. This unlocks quests, keepsakes, and progress.


• Give Nectar to characters – The first Nectar you find, give it to Skelly (he gives you an extra Life) or Cerberus (unlocks a keepsake). Prioritize: Skelly > Cerberus > Nyx > others.


• Spend Gems – Unlock the “House Contractor” jobs: the Lounge renovation first (unlocks a fishing spot and more social interactions).




What to Do First vs. What to Avoid



Do First:

• Grab the first Darkness room if offered – you need 10 to upgrade Death Defiance.


• Always take a god boon over poms early game – boons are more impactful.


• Explore the House thoroughly after each death – talk to everyone, interact with glowing items (e.g., the healing pool).


• Use the “Fated List” (if you have it) – gives prophecies that reward permanent resources.


Avoid:

• Ignoring the “House Contractor” – upgrading your home gives permanent benefits (like more starting Gold, extra lives).


• Spending Titans Blood or Diamond early – save them for unlocking weapon aspects (after first escape).


• Skipping the “Styx” (the final area) if you reach it – even if you die, you learn patterns.


• Over-investing in one weapon – all weapons are viable; try each one to find your style.




Early Resource Priorities




• Darkness – Top priority. Use on Mirror of Night (Chthonic Vitality, Death Defiance, Ravenous Will).


• Keys – Second priority. Unlock weapons first, then upgrade Mirror (you need 4 Keys for two more Mirror upgrade tiers).


• Gems – Spend on “House Contractor” upgrades (not renovations for cosmetics, but functional ones like “Fated List” – cost 20 Gems).


• Nectar – Give to characters systematically. Start with Skelly (gives keepsake that gives you a Second Life), then Cerberus (Keepsake: Old Spiked Collar – +50 max HP), then Nyx (gives you +2 starting Death Defiance charges).


• Obols – In-run currency. Save for the mid-shop (Charon’s well) – buy Darkness, Keys, or Boons. Avoid buying fish bait early.


• Titans Blood – Extremely rare. Don’t use until you know your favorite weapon. Save for unlocking aspects that boost damage.


• Diamonds – Spend on “House Contractor” functional upgrades like the “Fated List of Minor Prophecies” (cost 20 Gems, 1 Diamond) – this unlocks special resource tasks.




Common Beginner Mistakes



1. Ignoring the Mirror of Night – Spend your Darkness there, not on random items. The Mirror is your main permanent power source.
2. Holding onto Obols too long – Spend them in Charon’s shop during runs. Dying with unspent Obols is wasted.
3. Skipping story dialogue – The narrative is the main driver. Talk to characters multiple times to unlock keepsakes, trinkets, and new areas.
4. Using all Death Defiances early – Don’t burn them on trash mobs. Save them for bosses.
5. Avoiding Daedalus Hammers – These upgrade your weapon drastically. Always take them if offered.
6. Ignoring the Codex – Press [button] to read enemy lore and tips. It tells you resistances and weaknesses.
7. Rushing through rooms – Enemies respawn if you backtrack, but traps like lava and spikes can one-shot you. Be methodical.
8. Not giving Nectar – It’s the only way to unlock keepsakes, which give huge boons early game (e.g., +2 Death Defiance from Skelly).



Day-One Checklist




• [ ] Complete the tutorial (first run) – die to Megaera or escape (very unlikely).


• [ ] Talk to all characters in the House: Skelly, Hypnos, Nyx, Dusa, Hades, Cerberus.


• [ ] Spend your first Darkness on Chthonic Vitality (extra HP) and Death Defiance (if you have 10 Darkness and 4 Keys for the second tier).


• [ ] Give your first Nectar to Skelly (unlocks Lucky Tooth keepsake – revives you once per run).


• [ ] Unlock a second weapon (spend 1 Key). Try the spear (Varatha) for range.


• [ ] Equip the Lucky Tooth in your keepsake slot (before starting a run).


• [ ] Start another run – aim to get to the mid-boss (the bone hydra or the rats) to learn patterns.


• [ ] After dying, talk to Nyx – she will eventually offer you a mirror upgrade.


• [ ] If you have Gems, unlock the “Fated List” from the House Contractor (requires 20 Gems, 1 Diamond – if you don’t have Diamond yet, save).


• [ ] Watch for “Dark Side” rooms (pact of punishment) – you won’t unlock that until after first escape, so ignore them.




Final Tips




• Don’t be afraid to die. Every death brings progress (resource drops, story advancement).


• Learn enemy telegraphs. The glowing attacks signal heavy damage – dash away.


• Experiment with boon combinations. Zeus + Poseidon = strong duo boons later.


• Talk to Dusa often – she gives you ambrosia and gems for home renovation.


• Use the “God Mode” option in settings if you get stuck. It reduces damage by 20-80% based on death count – no shame in using it.

Welcome to the Underworld. Now go make Hades proud (and maybe stick it to him once you escape!).