50 Fun Facts About Hades (Video Game)

Which Greek hero was the planned lead of Hades before Zagreus, then stayed in as a boastful boss?

Theseus was dropped as the hero because the writers found him too generic. He survives as the vain champion who fights Zagreus beside the Minotaur.

Which science fiction and fantasy prize did Hades become the first video game ever to win?

The Hugo Award went to Hades through a special video game category introduced for the 2021 ceremony. It was also named Game of the Year at the D.I.C.E. Awards.

In Hades, which goddess is the birth mother Zagreus keeps escaping the Underworld to find?

Persephone left the Underworld after Zagreus was born, and Hades banned her name from his House. Zagreus grew up believing another goddess was his mother.

In Hades, which pet of the House wrecked the lounge in a tantrum the first time Zagreus left home?

Cerberus guards the last exit of the Underworld, and Zagreus has to bribe him with a Satyr Sack, his favourite snack, to pass without a fight.

Which condemned king in Hades treats the instrument of his eternal punishment as a close friend?

Sisyphus calls the boulder Bouldy and confides in it between shoves. He was sentenced for twice cheating his way back to life, yet he greets Zagreus with gifts.

Which god in Hades greets Zagreus with unhelpful advice when he dies and returns to the House?

Hypnos is sleep itself, and he is often found dozing at his post instead of checking newly arrived shades off his list.

In Hades, which shopkeeper sells Zagreus boons and healing for obols while speaking only in groans?

Charon is the ferryman of the Underworld, who in myth asked a single coin to carry a soul across. His prices for Zagreus run far higher.

Which hero of the Trojan War did Hades hire to teach young Zagreus how to fight?

Achilles took the job so that his lover would be admitted to paradise. He stands guard in a hallway of the House and quietly backs Zagreus against his father.

Which independent studio, earlier known for Bastion and Transistor, developed and published Hades?

Supergiant Games built Hades with a team of only about 20 people. The game spent nearly two years in early access while player feedback shaped it.

Which Olympian gives Zagreus boons in Hades that afflict his enemies with a curse called Hangover?

Dionysus is the god of wine, and his Hangover curse wears enemies down with damage over time. His other gifts keep to the drinking theme.

Which primordial goddess raised Zagreus in Hades and secretly put him in contact with the Olympians?

Nyx let Zagreus grow up thinking she was his birth mother. Once he learned otherwise, she was the first to back his escapes without conditions.

Which god in Hades appears mid-escape and challenges Zagreus to see who can slay more enemies?

Thanatos is death itself and a childhood friend of Zagreus. Match or beat his tally and he hands over a Centaur Heart on top of the room's usual reward.

In Hades, which Fury and former flame of Zagreus is the first boss he must beat in Tartarus?

Megaera torments oath-breakers for a living, and Zagreus calls her his ex. After her first defeat she turns up drinking in the House lounge.

Which legendary singer serves as court musician in the House of Hades but at first refuses to sing?

Orpheus charmed Hades with his music while still alive, which won him the post once he died. Grief for his lost muse keeps him silent until he is persuaded otherwise.

Which goddess in Hades grants Zagreus boons that give his attacks a chance of Critical damage?

Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, so her gifts reward a precise shot: a Critical hit lands for three times the normal damage.

Which sister of Zagreus takes over as the playable hero in the sequel to Hades?

Melinoë is the Princess of the Underworld in Hades II, where she sets out to defeat the Titan of Time with help from the goddess of witchcraft.

Which of the six Infernal Arms is the only weapon Zagreus can use at the very start of Hades?

The Stygian Blade is free from the first run, while the other five weapons have to be unlocked in the arsenal room with Chthonic Keys.

In Hades, which gift does Zagreus hand a character to receive a Keepsake in return the first time?

Nectar is the drink of the gods, and a first bottle earns Zagreus a Keepsake to wear on his runs. Later bottles deepen the friendship.

Which game genre, built on repeated runs that restart after each death, does Hades belong to?

Roguelike games send players back to the start on death, and Hades folds that into its story: every failed escape returns Zagreus home to fresh conversations.

The Fury Alecto nicknames Zagreus in Hades after which colour of his blood, a rarity among gods?

Red blood sets Zagreus apart because his mother was born part mortal. Alecto finds the colour so vivid that she turned it into her name for him.

Which god in Hades gives Zagreus boons that raise the speed of his attacks, specials and movement?

Hermes is the messenger of the gods, and he talks as fast as he moves. He also delivers souls to the ferryman of the Underworld, his partner in guiding the dead.

Which Olympian goddess gives Zagreus boons in Hades that slow enemies with a curse called Chill?

Demeter is the goddess of seasons, shown here as a bitter figure of winter. She only joins after Zagreus first reaches the surface, so early runs never meet her.

In Hades, what is the name of the floating gorgon's head who works as a maid in the House?

Dusa cleans the House without rest and is eventually promoted for it. She has an obvious crush on Zagreus but is far too shy to say so.

The Bone Hydra boss in Hades is the remains of a monster slain in life by which hero?

Heracles killed the Lernaean Hydra as one of his Twelve Labors. Its skeleton now lurks in a river of fire, and Zagreus must break it to climb higher.

Which region of the Underworld in Hades is a chain of rocky islands in a sea of fire?

Asphodel was once a meadow for the ordinary dead, until a river of fire burst its banks and drowned it in magma. Zagreus crosses it on small rafts of bone.

Which paradise for great heroes is the third region Zagreus fights through in Hades?

Elysium rewards its heroes with endless recreational combat, so its shades attack Zagreus for sport. The river of forgetfulness flows through it.

Which composer of the Hades soundtrack also provides the speaking voice of Zagreus?

Darren Korb wrote about two and a half hours of music for the game, built to survive hundreds of hours of play. He voices the skeleton Skelly as well.

Which actor voices both the god Hades and his brother Poseidon in the game Hades?

Logan Cunningham met the game's composer at high school in California and has worked with him ever since. He plays the Minotaur here too.

Which primordial being in Hades offers boons that hinder Zagreus for a few rooms before paying off?

Chaos is the void that everything else sprang from, and speaks with many voices at once. They watch Zagreus from a realm beyond special gates and never try to stop him.

Which earlier game by the makers of Hades led them to build a story meant for many replays?

Pyre had a branching story, but most players finished it once and never saw the other paths. A game built on dying and retrying solved that.

Which Fury in Hades, sometimes a boss in her sister's place, can say little but one word?

Tisiphone torments murderers, and the word for their crime is nearly all she can say. Zagreus keeps trying to teach her a new one.

Which oak nymph in Hades sings as she cooks treats that strengthen the boons Zagreus carries?

Eurydice died of a snake bite and now cooks over the heat of a river of fire. She has made the best of the afterlife and sounds happy in it.

Which warrior of the Trojan War sits apart from the fighting in Hades and offers Zagreus items?

Patroclus finds the endless duels of his fellow heroes an embarrassment and wants no part in them. He stays cold towards Zagreus until his name comes out.

Which creative director and writer of Hades spent over a decade at GameSpot before making games?

Greg Kasavin had loved Greek myth since childhood, and settled on the god of the dead after noticing how rarely the old stories feature him.

Which curse do the boons of Ares place on enemies in Hades, striking them after a short delay?

Doom marks an enemy and then lands a heavy blow a moment later, using up the curse. It suits Ares, whose gifts are all about piling on damage.

After Zagreus first beats his father in Hades, which contract lets players toughen each run?

The Pact of Punishment can boost enemy health and numbers or rework boss fights. Turning the difficulty up keeps the rarest rewards coming after each escape.

In Hades, which worker in the House lounge takes the fish Zagreus catches and pays him in treasure?

The Head Chef is a shade who stands in the kitchen forever slicing onions. Rarer catches earn richer pay, from a few gemstones up to a diamond.

Which of the Infernal Arms in Hades did Zeus once use to guard his siblings against the Titans?

Aegis in the game is the forerunner of the famous shield that Zeus and Athena carry in myth. Zagreus can throw it to bounce between foes.

Which keepsake from Skelly in Hades revives Zagreus once per escape when his health runs out?

The Lucky Tooth works like a spare life, restoring up to 100 health at its top rank. Skelly hands it over in thanks for a first gift.

What job does the chatty skeleton Skelly claim to hold on the payroll of the House of Hades?

Training dummy is the post he claims, though he will not say who hired him. Already dead, he simply reassembles after every beating Zagreus hands out.

Which art director of Hades drew its character portraits and won a BAFTA for artistic achievement?

Jen Zee joined the studio as its third employee and became its art director. She traces her wish to draw to the character art of Final Fantasy VII.

Which keepsake does Athena hand Zagreus in Hades in return for his first gift to her?

The Owl Pendant nods to the owl, the sacred animal of Athena. Every Olympian who aids Zagreus has a keepsake of their own to give.

Which part of Zagreus's body is constantly on fire in Hades, a trait he shares with his father?

His feet blaze like those of his father, while his mismatched eyes take one colour from each parent.

In the epilogue of Hades, which fruit's seeds become the official reason the queen must stay below?

Pomegranate seeds are the cover story the family tells the Olympians at a feast, borrowing the old myth to hide what really happened.

In Hades, what is the given name of the Minotaur, who fights Zagreus as a noble, level-headed rival?

Asterius is calm and chivalrous, the opposite of the bragging champion at his side. In life that same partner was the man who killed him.

Which trio in Hades had decreed that the god of the dead would never have an heir?

The Fates are daughters of the goddess who raised Zagreus, and she struck a deal with them to bring him back after he was stillborn.

In Hades, how is Zeus, king of the Olympians, related to the escaping prince Zagreus?

Uncle Zeus is the younger brother of Hades, and his lightning boons leap from enemy to enemy. Like the other Olympians, he treats Zagreus as a young godling.

What is the name of the book in Hades whose entries grow as Zagreus meets characters and slays foes?

The Codex is written in the voice of the hero who mentors Zagreus, so its entries carry his opinions. He hoped it would feed the prince's love of history.

What does Zagreus wear on his head in Hades as the mark of his royal status in the Underworld?

A burning laurel crown marks Zagreus as underworld royalty, and the skulls on his shoulder have three heads, like the family hound.

The boons of Athena in Hades are best known for adding which defensive effect to Zagreus's moves?

Deflect sends enemy projectiles and melee blows back the way they came. Her curse, Exposed, makes foes take extra damage when struck from behind.