Hades

As someone that is quite the amateur when it comes to the roguelike genre, I tend to struggle a lot with staying alive and making it as far as possible. However, Hades is one of the most approachable roguelikes I have ever played, so much so that I have played it repeatedly since completion.

It's the perfect game for anyone that wants a straightforward game who also has a love of Greek mythology as I surely fangirled multiple times encountering various Greek gods and heroes.

The gameplay loop is addictive, the art is gorgeous, and the writing is phenomenal. The Achilles and Patroclus questline delayed my Platinum by 10 hours, but honestly, I didn’t even mind—it’s just that good. This is one of those rare games where everything clicks perfectly.

I'm a huge fan of the roguelike genre, but if there's one thing that often holds such titles back, it's the lack of an overarching story that drives you forward.

The gameplay loop is typically taking on runs, collecting various types of currency, and using them (where applicable) to power yourself up a bit for a hopefully-more-successful next run. A deep and satisfying narrative isn't typically needed for such an experience, but this can alienate those gamers who love such things. This is what Hades did so well.

It boasts super solid combat, varied weapons, a great progression system and everything else a good roguelike demands. The true brilliance of Supergiant's title, though, lies in the relationship building between Zagreus and his fellow denizens of the House of Hades, the between-runs hub. By adding this aspect, and an engaging narrative that ties everybody together, the game was able to also bring in those who typically find the genre's pure action focus offputting.

One of the most challenging roguelikes that I've played. Of course, not as difficult as Dead Cells, but Hades is still a hardcore experience and really needs nerves of iron!

That said, I enjoyed both the story and the combat, though never managed to finish it.

For a fan of Greek mythology, Hades delivers one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Beyond its incredible gameplay—which, while repetitive, has such a fun loop that it never feels tiresome—the characters and artistic direction truly shine. The design of each god, along with their distinct personalities and those of other characters, is undoubtedly the game’s strongest point.

This is the game that made me love rogue-likes. The characters and storyline are also wonderful, it's gorgeous to look at, and the soundtrack is unreal.

Hades should go down as one of the best roguelike games ever. The gameplay is challenging enough to keep the blood pumping, but not so hard that it causes a rage quit. The story dives deep into connections between different figures of Greek mythology, and the characters each feel real enough to remember their personalities. The story never seems to end (in a good way). Even after beating the game, it still begs for more playthroughs and never grows stale.