Hades

Hades is an action roguelike by Supergiant Games in which Zagreus tries to escape the Greek underworld. The son of the god of the dead fights his way through room after room against changing enemy groups, encountering gods and other residents of the realm of the dead.

With every attempt, the combination of his powers changes. Even a defeat moves the story forward: back in the House of Hades, Zagreus can hold conversations, prepare new equipment and deepen relationships.

Hades was released on September 17, 2020 for PC and Nintendo Switch. Early Access began on December 6, 2018 on the Epic Games Store. The Steam version followed on December 10, 2019. On August 13, 2021, dedicated versions for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S were added.

An iOS version was available via Netflix Games from March 19, 2024. This mobile access ended in July 2025.

Hades has been released for Windows PC, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. On PS5 and Xbox Series X|S it targets 4K at 60 frames per second. For PS4 and Xbox One, Supergiant Games cites 1080p at 60 frames per second.

The PS4 version offers a free upgrade to PS5. Xbox Smart Delivery provides the version suited to your console. The Switch version can be played on Switch 2 via backward compatibility, but there is no native Switch 2 version.

Each escape attempt takes Zagreus through several areas of the Underworld. Along the way, enemies, rewards and decisions about the next route await. Dodging and the interplay of attacks, special techniques and divine powers shape the battles.

Gifts of the gods only apply to the respective attempt. Permanent upgrades are kept after a defeat. This changes the conditions for every escape.

On Windows, Hades requires at least a dual-core processor at 2.4 GHz, 4 GB RAM, a graphics card with 1 GB video memory and 15 GB of free storage space. Recommended are 3.0 GHz, 8 GB RAM, 2 GB video memory and 20 GB storage space.

For macOS, Steam lists at least macOS 10.13.6, a dual-core processor at 2.4 GHz, 4 GB RAM and a graphics unit compatible with Metal. The current Steam client requires at least Windows 10.

Six weapons determine Zagreus's basic fighting style. Sword, spear, shield, bow, fists and Adamant Rail differ in reach, attack sequences and special actions.

Additional weapon aspects change their properties and open up new combinations. As a result, the same weapon often feels noticeably different with another aspect.

Olympian gods grant Zagreus powers that change attacks, special techniques and other abilities for an escape attempt. Zeus can bring lightning into the game, while Athena protects against enemy projectiles, among other things.

The combination of gifts decides whether an attempt relies more on quick hits, solid defence or especially powerful single attacks. Not every gift suits every weapon equally well.

After a failed attempt, Zagreus keeps permanently unlocked upgrades. Abilities can be expanded in the Mirror of Night. New weapons, Keepsakes and further unlocks expand the choices for later attempts.

In the House of Hades, Zagreus can also rearrange rooms and continue conversations with familiar characters. The story keeps developing even if the last escape attempt has failed.

God Mode makes Zagreus more resilient and strengthens protection after further defeats. The sequence of battles stays the same. Players seeking greater challenges can choose Hell Mode.

Later, the Pact of Punishment changes the conditions of individual escape attempts. This gives Hades both easier entry options and extra challenges for experienced players.

At the heart of the story is the conflict between Zagreus and his father Hades. In his search for answers, Zagreus meets Nyx, Achilles, Megaera and the Olympian gods, among others.

The characters react to repeated visits and to the progress of your escape attempts. Conversations and relationships gradually open up new parts of the story. The story is not over even after the first successful escape.

Hades supports transferring saves between PC or Mac and Nintendo Switch. The feature connects Steam and Epic Games Store versions with the Switch version.

On Xbox, saves can be synced with a Microsoft account between the Microsoft Store version and Xbox consoles. Between PlayStation 4 and 5, or between Xbox and Nintendo Switch, there is no shared save, however.

Hades offers German on-screen text and English voice-over. Other text languages include French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Polish.

The game is designed for single player. Hades does not offer a local or online co-op mode.