And when I say hopeless, I mean it: By design, you’re going to die a lot playing this game (repeated failure being a hallmark of the “rogue lite” genre; each time you die, you’ll carry over some of your strength, loot, and experience to the next run).
This is tops on every list of the best indie games of the past decade, and with good reason. You play as Zagreus, a child of Hades (yes, that one), on a hopeless quest to fight off the endless hordes of hell, escape the underworld, and reunite with your mother on Earth. And when I say hopeless, I mean it: By design, you’re going to die a lot playing this game (repeated failure being a hallmark of the “rogue lite” genre; each time you die, you’ll carry over some of your strength, loot, and experience to the next run). While a game designed to kill you over and over and over and over might sound like a slog, Hades makes it fun as, each time you set out to be slaughtered, you’ll suck a little less, and progress a little farther. And that’s not even taking into account the fantastic story, which develops slowly over time as you talk with (and occasionally slaughter) your fellow citizens of hell; the narrative is unparalleled for the genre, presented with pitch-perfect voice acting and memorable character designs.