Hades (Game)

Hades (#Hades) is Supergiant Games’ 2020 roguelike masterpiece that sold 5+ million copies, won 100+ GOTY awards (including BAFTA Game of the Year), revolutionized roguelike narrative, and made Greek mythology horny.

Release & Critical Dominance

Released September 17, 2020 (after 2+ years in Early Access), Hades achieved near-universal acclaim:

• 93 Metacritic (PC), 93 (Switch)
• 100+ GOTY awards (2020, including BAFTA, Hugo)
• Beat The Last of Us Part II at several outlets (IGN, Polygon)
• 5M+ copies sold (2023)
• Indie GOTY king: Rare indie game to compete with AAA

The game’s combination of tight combat, endless replayability, and character-driven story proved roguelikes could have depth.

”Just One More Run”

Roguelike loop perfection:

• Death progresses story: Every death triggers new dialogue
• Zagreus escapes Underworld: Dozens of attempts to reach surface
• Permanent upgrades: Mirror of Night talents persist
• Randomized boons: Gods grant powers each run
• No two runs identical: Weapon + boon combos endless

Speedrun records:

• Sub-6 minutes: Perfect RNG + execution
• Haelian: World record holder, popularized builds
• Heat levels: Difficulty modifiers add challenge (64 max heat)

Horny Greek Gods

Hades sparked “Greek mythology is hot” discourse:

• Zagreus: Bisexual protagonist romances Thanatos (death) and Megaera (fury)
• Aphrodite: Flirtatious goddess with suggestive boons
• Dionysus: Party god with wine hangover themes
• Artemis, Athena, Demeter: Fan art explosion
• “Sigmund Freud would love this game”: Joke about Zagreus trying to escape dad (Hades)

Supergiant’s art style (by Jen Zee) created thirsting over Thanatos, Meg, Dusa (floating Medusa head).

Voice Acting & Dialogue

Logan Cunningham (Bastion narrator) voices Hades:

• 10,000+ lines of dialogue: Largest script in Supergiant history
• Context-aware: Characters react to weapons, deaths, relationships
• Never repetitive: Hundreds of hours without hearing same line twice

Darren Korb (composer) also voices Zagreus, Skelly, Orpheus.

Weapon Variety

Six Infernal Arms:

• Stygius (sword): Beginner-friendly
• Varatha (spear): Range + combos
• Aegis (shield): Captain America throwing + blocking
• Coronacht (bow): Charge shots, special arrows
• Malphon (fists): Fast combos, Zagreus goes full Doom Slayer
• Exagryph (rail gun): Machine gun, Doom Eternal aesthetic

Aspects: Hidden upgrades reference Greek heroes (Achilles’ spear, Arthur’s sword).

”Good Shade” & Dusa Romance

Dusa (floating gorgon head maid):

• Adorable: Nervous, wholesome, works for Hades
• Romance option: Zagreus can pursue her
• “I’m not good enough”: She friendzones him (you can convince her otherwise)
• Sisyphus’ “good shade” compliment: Became meme phrase

Skelly: Skeleton training dummy, sarcastic best friend.

Soundtrack & “Good Riddance”

Darren Korb’s music:

• Mediterranean instruments: Lyres, bouzoukis, modern rock fusion
• “Good Riddance”: End credits song, 50M+ Spotify streams
• “In the Blood”: Main theme, Greek lyrics
• “No Escape”: Boss fight intensity

Soundtrack won multiple awards, sold separately on Bandcamp/Spotify.

Sisyphus, Orpheus & Eurydice

Underworld characters:

• Sisyphus: Happiest character despite eternal boulder punishment
• Orpheus & Eurydice: Star-crossed lovers separated
• Reuniting them: Side quest, emotionally satisfying
• Greek mythology retellings: Humanized classic myths

Hades II (2024)

Sequel in Early Access (May 2024):

• Melinoë protagonist: Zagreus’ sister, fights Chronos (time)
• Supergiant’s second sequel ever: After Hades
• Positive reception: 93% Steam reviews
• Expanded mechanics: Magic, summoning, new gods

Social Media Presence

• Reddit: r/HadesTheGame (460K+ members)
• YouTube: Haelian speedruns, Jawless Paul no-hit runs
• TikTok: #Hades fan art, thirst posts
• Twitter: “I’ve escaped 100 times and I’m still finding new dialogue”

Cultural Impact

• Roguelike narrative proof: Death can drive story
• Indie prestige: $20 game beat $60 AAA at awards
• Greek mythology boom: Percy Jackson renaissance, Kaos series
• Accessibility: God Mode for struggling players (no shame)

Reference: Supergiant Games | Epic Games Store