Hades 2 is at last in early access, and believe me–there is a great deal more to take in even if you played the first game. This Hades 2 beginner guide will educate you on all the fundamental mechanics and concepts so you can really squeeze the most out of those first few runs.
Don’t Sweat Dying – It’s Expected
Let’s start with the biggie: you’re going to die. A lot. Like, a whole lot. But that’s just par for the course in a roguelike game like Hades 2. When your health hits zero, you’ll respawn back at the hub area called the Crossroads. You’ll lose any boons, coins, and temporary upgrades you had, but you get to keep all the resources and crafting materials you collected. So every “death” is really just a step towards permanently upgrading Melinoe’s capabilities.
Get Acquainted With Boons
The gods of Olympus are back, ready to bless you with their signature boons as you fight your way through the underworld. Boons come in different rarities from common to heroic, and grant abilities that upgrade your attacks, special moves, dash, and more. There are also passive boons that provide bonus effects. You’ll have to choose between three random boons each time, so think about synergies that will work with your build.
Unlock Those Arcana Cards
Your permanent upgrades in Hades 2 come from the Arcana Cards, which you can unlock at the Altar of Ashes using the ash resources you collect. These cards give you passive bonuses like extra health, faster cooldowns, stronger attacks etc. One of the first you’ll want is the Eternity card for an extra life per run. You’ll also want to increase your Grasp limit using psyche so you can equip more bonuses from the cards.
Master The New Weapon Types
The witchy protagonist Melinoe has some new trickery up her sleeve compared to Zagreus. Your main weapon types are things like witch staves for ranged magic, throwing knives called sister blades, and big two-handed axes. You’ll also have to manage a magic meter alongside your health bar. Using your basic attacks, special moves, dashes, and “omega” powered-up versions of each move will drain magick. Get comfortable juggling both resources.
Gather up Materials and Craft Tools
Unlike the first game, Hades 2 has a big emphasis on gathering materials through mining, fishing, digging, and more. You can’t do any of that without first crafting tools at the Silver Pool like picks, shovels, and rods. Make sure to spend some of your early resources unlocking these tools – the crescent pick is a top priority so you can start mining silver right away. You can only bring one tool per run, so choose wisely.
Pay Attention to Keepsakes 
As you meet NPCs and gift them nectar, you’ll earn keepsakes – accessories you can equip that provide unique perks. The ghost onion keepsake from Dora is amazing for new players since it gives you a nice health top-up at the start of each area. Try to spread out your nectar gifts among multiple characters so you get more keepsake choices early on. And remember keepsakes level up and get stronger bonuses as you keep using them.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to mastering Hades 2. But hopefully, these Hades 2 beginner guide give you a solid foundation to build upon. The most important things are understanding the roguelike cycle of dying and upgrading, choosing boons wisely, and gathering all those juicy crafting materials. Master those core gameplay loops and you’ll be breezing through the underworld in no time. Good luck!
