Hades: Complete Beginner's Guide

Getting Started in Hades

You begin in the House of Hades with access to the Stygian Blade and your first Mirror of Night upgrades. Your first priority: talk to everyone before beginning a run. Speak to Nyx, Megaera, Cerberus, Achilles, and Hypnos — each has story dialogue that refreshes between runs. In the Mirror, invest in Death Defiance (extra revives) first — survivability while learning is more valuable than damage. The first biome (Tartarus) takes 5-8 rooms; learn to identify chamber rewards before choosing paths.

Core Mechanics to Master

Dash invincibility is your primary defensive tool. The dash has a brief i-frame window; dashing through attacks (not away from them) is the highest-skill defensive technique. Cast (your blood) embeds in enemies and rooms for bonus effects based on your boon choice — retrieve it by standing near your cast for a moment or unlocking Cast recall. Boon synergy is the run's win condition: identify which god is giving you the strongest boons early and prioritize their chambers.

Best Early Mirror Upgrades

Death Defiance (3 revives) is your most valuable early investment — extra lives while learning biomes is non-negotiable. Shadow Presence (bonus damage from behind) applies to almost all attacks and scales well. Thick Skin (bonus health from starting chambers) extends your health pool consistently. Chthonic Vitality (slowly heal between rooms) is the Mirror upgrade that most extends average run length for new players.

Essential Tips

1. Give Nectar to NPCs in the House of Hades — Keepsakes from relationships are the most powerful run-modifying items available.
2. Equip the Skelly Keepsake (Death Defiance) until you have 3 unlocked in the Mirror.
3. Read every boon carefully before choosing — a basic boon from a synergizing god is often better than a Legendary from a non-synergizing one.
4. Spend Darkness at the Mirror after every run, don't hoard it.

First Major Boss: Megaera

Meg is Tartarus's guardian and your first boss encounter — a Fury with a whip and trio attack patterns. Stay mobile; her spinning whip attack has a clear circular telegraph. In Phase 2 she summons her sisters Alecto and Tisiphone briefly — their attacks follow distinct color-coded patterns (red = area denial, purple = targeted). Poseidon's Flood Shot boon knocks Meg back during her charge attack for a free combo window. With Death Defiance, you can survive learning her full pattern across multiple attempts without losing the run.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many runs does it take to finish the story?
A: Approximately 50 runs for first escape + 10 successful escapes for the true ending. Most players average 80-100 runs total including failed attempts.

Q: Is Hades 2 out?
A: Hades 2 is in Early Access as of 2025. It's a separate full game, not a DLC, with a new protagonist and completely new mythology.

Q: What's the best weapon for beginners?
A: The Stygian Blade (sword) is the most forgiving — well-rounded moveset with a useful Special attack. The Shield of Chaos (bull rush) is also excellent for survivability.