Hades is an isometric, roguelite that puts players in control of a Greek demigod called Zagreus, the son of the titular god, as he attempts to fight his way out of his father's underworld. During his quest, Hade's errant son will probably die many times but each attempt will yield new weapons and abilities that can be used on the next run.
There are four main bosses in Hades who need to be defeated to reach the end of the game, as well as some optional ones. The Mirror of Night is an item in Zagreus' room that allows him to trade darkness for new perks and abilities. Each ability has two versions, and later on, in the game players can refund their spent darkness to swap out powers and try new ones. The second version for each ability is unlocked after having a conversation with Nyx once, Zagreus has earned at least 300 darkness.
Dark Foresight - Better Rewards Upon Finishing A Level
Throughout the game, the main character travels between chambers of the underworld. These large cavernous rooms can often contain enemy encounters but can also house non-hostile NPCs. Chambers will have rewards above their entrance doors that the player can win if they complete all the challenges a room has to offer.
The Dark Foresight perk adds a 2% chance for chambers to have gold laurel rewards, which include new boons and centaur hearts among other things. Players will keep most of their items and abilities from run to run, making each attempt at escaping the underworld makes Zagreus stronger and closer to achieving his quest.
How Much This Ability Costs
- 20 Chthonic Keys
- 10 Ranks
- 150 Darkness per rank
Family Favourite- Extra Damage Per Upgrade
As Zagreus repeatedly attempts to reach the surface he will encounter numerous creatures from Greek Mythology, including the mighty gods. While the game doesn't include every deity in the Greek pantheon, the gods who are present can help the player with powerful buffs called boons.
Purchasing both ranks of the Family Favourite ability will grant the player 5% more damage for each boon they possess from a different Olympian. Sadly this perk is only useful if players make an effort to choose boons from various different gods, which may compromise their chosen build.
How Much This Ability Costs
- 20 Chthonic Keys
- 2 Ranks
- 50 Darkness for rank one/ 150 for the second
Olympian Favour- Better Boons
Of the many ways for players to improve Zagreus's combat abilities, boons are some of the most useful. Zagreus can add a single boon to his attack, special, cast, dash, and call slots, as well as picking up other ability boons throughout the dungeons. Boons are lost upon death and must be replaced each run.
If players choose to max out Olympian Favor, they will receive a 40% chance of receiving rare boons instead of common ones. However, this is expensive and overall not worth the investment given there other abilities available later on that make boons even better
How Much This Ability Costs
- 20 Chthonic Keys
- 40 ranks
- 50 Darkness per rank for an additional 1% chance of Epic boons
Fated Authority- Change A Chambers Rewards
Chthonic keys are one of the more important collectible items in Hades, as they unlock new infernal arms as well as abilities from the mirror of the night. As such players should use their keys wisely especially in the early game.
Fated Authority is one of the final perks that can be purchased from the mirror and provides the player with a dice that will randomly alter the reward for a single chamber. While an expensive ability, these dace can be very useful if players are on a good run and get offered a bad boon.
How Much This Ability Costs
- 30 Chthonic Keys
- 500 darkness for the first rank
- 11,000 darkness for all 8 ranks
Golden Touch - More Obols For Clearing A Chamber
Obols are the main currency in the game and can be used to purchase items from Charadon's shop or the well of Charadon. Unlike darkness and Chthonic keys, Zagreus will lose all of his obols upon death.
Golden Touch provides the player with an extra 5% of their total obols upon finishing a chamber per rank. The extra obols from this perk can be useful for high-level players, however, if players are still struggling with the early levels then the alternative power Deep Pockets is significantly more useful.
How Much This Ability Costs
- 10 Chthonic Keys
- 70 Darkness for the first rank
- 270 Darkness for all 3 ranks
Abyssal Blood - Slow Down Hordes Of Enemies
As well as a variety of powerful weapons, Zagreus also has a cast ability that he can use to harm enemies with magical projectiles. Casts will remain embedded in monsters for up to 15 seconds or until they are slain.
With the Abyssal Blood perk, enemies with a cast in them will have their speed and damage reduced by 6% per rank. This will help with large groups of hostiles by giving the players more time to maneuver around them and deal damage. Ranged builds may find this perk particularly useful for keeping distance between them and the oncoming horde.
How Much This Ability Costs
- 5 Chthonic Keys
- 20 Darkness for the first rank
- 300 for all 5 ranks
Stubborn Defiance - Regenerate Once Per Chamber
As with many games in the roguelite genre, frequent death is an inevitability when playing Hades. There are 69 chambers and countless hazards for Zagreus to traverse before tackling the final boss. The mirror of night offers two powers that will allow players to temporarily defy death.
Players can come back to life once per chamber with the Stubborn Defiance ability. Although this power only restores 30% of Zagreus' hearts, which is significantly less than its alternate version Death Defiance, it can be good for players in the early game who are struggling.
How Much This Ability Costs
- Available from the start
- 600 Darkness for a single rank
Gods Pride - Higher Chance To Receive Epic Boons
Zagreus can receive boons from ten different Greek gods and these abilities are arranged into 6 tiers from standard to Legendary and Duo boons. When combined with the right weapon, some of these divine gifts can be truly devastating.
God's Pride is another perk that is probably too expensive for what it does, providing an extra 1% chance for a boon to be epic, per rank. Epic Boons are significantly more powerful than common ones and may help in the early chambers however, they are far from the best in the game.
How Much This Ability Costs
- 30 Chthonic Keys
- 20 ranks
- 100 Darkness per rank
Deep Pockets - Obols For Every Restart
What makes Hades one of the best Roguelites is the way it balances gameplay and story so that neither one is left out. Zagreus' numerous deaths throughout the course of the game are an essential part of the plot however, as the player gets more abilities they will eventually be powerful enough to beat all of the chambers and reach the end.
The Deep Pockets perk is cheap and very useful for players at the beginning of the game. This power gives the player 10 free Obals at the start of each run. Once players have bought all 10 ranks of this perk they will have a surplus of obols that can be used for buying new items from the shop.
How Much This Ability Costs
- 10 Chthonic Keys
- 30 Darkness for the first rank
- 525 Darkness for all 10 ranks
Infernal Soul- More Casts
One limitation of the cast ability is the fact that bloodstones will fall to the ground after being dislodged from an enemy. This means the player has to pick the projectiles back up in order to fire them again.
Zagreus can increase his number of casts to a maximum of three with the Infernal Soul perk. This ability isn't very expensive and will help with hectic fights by giving players a few extra shots before they have to pick up their bloodstones. The only drawback is keeping track of where all the casts land so they can be retrieved, especially in a room full of enemies.
How Much This Ability Costs
- 5 Chthonic Keys
- 2 Ranks
- 20 Darkness of the first rank/ 80 Darkness for the second
Fiery Presence - Extra Damage On The First Hit
A good tip for Hades is to prioritize any boon, buff, or ability that grants extra damage. Playing defensively will only work so well against hordes of enemies and often the best builds will be those that are extremely aggressive.
Fiery Presence allows Zagreus to deal 15% extra damage against unwounded enemies per rank. If players have the type of build that specializes in one-shotting monsters before they have a chance to retaliate then this perk will help. However, this ability has almost no utility in boss fights where the extra damage will only occur once.
How Much This Ability Costs
- Available from the start
- 10 Darkness for the first rank
- 100 Darkness for all 5 ranks
High Confidence - Become More Deadly At Full Health
While having the outward appearance of a rebellious teen, Zagreus is actually remarkably polite to many of the greek gods he encounters, except his father of course.
Not only does the High Confidence perk reflect the protagonist's arrogant demeanor, but it also makes the player more lethal at full health. This ability grants a bonus of 5% damage per rank while Zagreus is above 80% health. To get the most from this power, players will need to have enough hearts to use it, meaning they will need to be well-practiced at the game's combat.
How Much This Ability Costs
- 10 Chthonic keys
- 50 Darkness for the first rank
- 750 Darkness for all 5 ranks
Ruthless Reflex - Devastating Attacks After A Dash
Dashing is one of Zagreus' more essential abilities as it is the player's primary means of crossing longs distances and evading attacks. At the beginning of the game, players will only have one dash, however, there are a few ways for players to improve this ability.
Ruthless Reflex is a powerful perk that will require skill to use effectively. After dashing players will have 2 seconds where their damage and Dodge chance are boosted by 50%. While this power requires precise timing to wield, it can be incredibly lethal in the right hands
How Much This Ability Costs
- Available from the start
- One rank that costs 75 Darkness
Dark Regeneration - Regain Health By Collecting Darkness
As well as Obols and Chthonic keys, players will also accumulate darkness as they travel through the hazardous chambers of the underworld. Darkness is not lost upon death and is the primary currency players can use to buy new powers from the Mirror of Night.
With the Dark Regeneration perk, players will regain 30% of their accumulated darkness as hearts upon entering a new chamber. Naturally, the ability is more useful for skilled players who will be able to survive more chambers, collecting more darkness and thus regenerating more hearts.
How Much This Ability Costs
- Available from the start
- 30 Darkness for the first rank and 60 for the second
Thick Skin - Double Starting HP
At the beginning of the game, Zagreus has 5 hearts which are very easy to lose when battling the minions of the underworld. Health upgrades are essential for tanking more damage and taking on bigger threats such as bosses.
For every rank of the Thick Skin perk, players will receive 5 extra hearts of health. This is one of the main perks worth upgrading throughout Hades, especially if players being one-shot by late-game enemies. Given how cheap this perk is, it is worth paying the darkness for all 50 hearts offered by this ability.
How Much This Ability Costs
- 10 Chthonic Keys
- 40 Darkness for the first rank
- 625 Darkness for all 10 ranks
Boiling Blood - Kill Enemies With Casts In Them
Players can upgrade their cast in a number of ways including Mirror of Night perks and special boons that allow magical projectiles to do elemental damage.
One way to make casts extremely lethal is to purchase the Boiling Blood ability. This power grants plus 10% damage and special attack against enemies with projectiles embedded in them. With all five ranks, this power can be used to mark priority targets with casts and kill them with extremely lethal attacks.
How Much This Ability Costs
- 5 Chthonic Keys
- 10 Darkness for the first rank
- 250 Darkness for all 5 ranks
Stygian Soul - A Single Regenerating Cast
In order to reach the final chamber of the underworld, players will need to use every tool at their disposal. While the Infernal Soul power grants the player more casts, its alternate version provides a single cast that is automatically recovered after being dropped by an enemy.
Choosing Stygian Soul will save the player from having to pick up their three projectiles before being able to fire again. Maxing out this perk will reduce the time taken for the cast to regenerate by 1 second. This will be especially useful in hectic fights, where locating and reaching discarded bloodstones can become very challenging.
How Much This Ability Costs
- 5 Chthonic Keys
- The first rank for this perk is free
- 180 Darkness for all 3 ranks
Death Defiance - Come Back From The Dead
Being the son of an Olympian, it is impossible for Zagreus to properly die. As such, the roguelite style of gameplay makes sense within the story and what genre of game would be more appropriate for a character with such a Sisyphean quest.
Death Defiance is a very useful power that gives Zagreus a one-time regeneration, returning him to life with 50% of his health. This perk is available from the start of the game and is very useful for those struggling to master the game's combat. Fully upgrading this ability will give the player a total of three regenerations per run.
How Much This Ability Costs
- Available from the start
- 30 Darkness for the first rank
- 1530 Darkness for all three ranks
Fated Persuasion - Randomise Items In The Shop
Players can find Charon's shop in Hades' house, the main hub area of the game. The well of Charon is a portable version of this shop that can be found in certain chambers. Both versions of the shop will sell various healing items as well as boons.
Like its alternate version Fated Authority, Fated Persuasion gives the player special dice that, in this case, can be used to randomize items in the shop. Zagreus can only acquire four of these dice however, they are much more useful as getting better items from the Well of Charon in the middle of run could make the difference between life and death.
How Much This Ability Costs
- 30 Chthonic Keys
- 1000 Darkness for the first rank
- 10,000 Darkness for all 4 ranks
Gods Legacy - The Greatest Gifts The Gods Can Give
Collecting boons from a particular god makes it more likely for players to unlock their legendary boon (often the best ability they have to offer). Alternatively, if players have a combination of boons from two different gods, they may be granted a Duo boon which combines the powers of both deities.
The God's Legacy perk gives players a 1% higher chance of receiving legendary or duo boons per rank. While this doesn't sound like a lot, purchasing all ten ranks will significantly boost the quality of boons Zagreus finds in the late game.
How Much This Ability Costs
- 30 Chthonic Keys
- 10 Ranks
- 250 Darkness per rank
Greater Reflex
While it is important to prioritize damage over other stats, players shouldn't completely ignore defensive abilities. Upgrading Zagreus' dash is a great way to improve his survivability by ensuring he doesn't get hit by his opponents in the first place.
As well as the boon from Hermes, Greater Reflex is one of the only powers in the game that provides an extra dash move. This is very useful as it gives the player more invincibility frames to dodge enemies and position themselves for devastating counterattacks.
How Much This Ability Costs
- Available from start.
- This perk has one rank that costs 50 darkness.
Chthonic Vitality - Regain hearts Upon Entering A New Chamber
Even the most skilled players are likely to lose health as they make their way through the underworld. As with many successful roguelites, players can improve their maximum health but options for doing so are limited.
Chthonic Vitality is will often be the first perk most players buy. When fully maxed out, it allows players to recover up to 3 hearts every time they enter a new chamber. While many enemies in the final chambers can remove three hearts with ease, this power is almost essential for completing longer runs at the start of the game.
How Much This Ability Costs
- Available from Start
- 10 Darkness for the first rank
- 70 Darkness for all 3 ranks
Shadow Presence - Extra Damage For Backstabs
Speed and positioning are both very important in Hades. Players should utilize their dash move and quickly maneuver around enemies to strike at their weak spots, or get out of the way of their attacks.
With the Shadow Presence perk, Zagreus will deal 10% more damage per rank when attacking enemies from behind. Thanks to his speed and range of optional movement abilities, this ability is easy to make the most of and is one of the cheapest powers available from the Mirror of Night at the beginning of the game.
How Much This Ability Costs
- Available from the start
- 10 Darkness for the first rank
- 100 Darkness for all 5 ranks
Privileged Status - Kill Cursed Enemies Faster
The boons from each god will provide different status effects. For instance, many of Zeus' gifts will give the player's attacks chain lightning damage.
These elemental buffs can be made even deadlier by purchasing the Privileged Status perk. This power makes Zagreus do 20% more damage to enemies afflicted by two status effects. Given how quickly the player will acquire boons, racking up multiple status effects on monsters can be very easy, making this perk a very effective way of dealing more damage.
How Much This Ability Costs
- 20 Chthonic Keys
- 2 Ranks
- 50 Darkness for the first rank/ 500 for the second