Hades God Mode and Hell Mode: how to make the game easier or harder
Learn how God Mode and Hell Mode work in Hades
What are God Mode and Hell Mode in Hades? If you've sunk any time at all into Hades, the magnificent roguelite from Supergiant Games (and our favourite game of 2020), you'll know by now that it's a pretty challenging game. But one size does not fit all, and Supergiant have given you the ability to make the game either easier or harder for yourself with the God Mode and Hell Mode settings. Learn everything you need to know by reading our Hades God Mode and Hell Mode guide below.
On this page:
What is Hades God Mode?
God Mode in Hades is a setting that you can turn on if you are struggling with the challenge of the game, or if you want an easier time for any other reason.
Turning God Mode on gives you a permanent 20% damage reduction buff, and each time you die with God Mode enabled, that buff will increase by 2%. So each time you die, you'll take less damage for the next run, and the next, until the buff maxes out at 80% damage reduction after 30 deaths.
And in case you were worried, turning on God mode does not disable achievements in Hades, or carry any other sort of penalty. This is true for every platform that has an achievements system, incidentally, so Xbox and PlayStation players can join their PC brethren in turning on God Mode whenever they feel the urge.
How to turn on God Mode
You can turn God Mode on at any time by opening the menu, and navigating to Settings. Check the box next to God Mode to make yourself stronger. You can also turn God Mode off at any time, even during a run. Note that this doesn't reset the God Mode bonus you've accrued. So if you reach 80% damage reduction, then turn God Mode off and on again, then you'll still be at 80%, rather than back at 20%.
What is Hades Hell Mode?
While God Mode is for making the game easier, Hell Mode is a great way to make Hades more challenging for veteran players or those who find the game too easy.
If you've already beaten the game once, you'll know about the Pact of Punishment, which allows you to customise various aspects of your next run to make it harder in exchange for rare resource drops after defeating each boss. Hell Mode gives you a Pact of Punishment from the very beginning of a save file, and makes five Pact conditions mandatory for every single run:
- Hard Labor 1 (Each rank makes your foes deal +20% damage)
- Lasting Consequences 1 (Each rank makes any sources of HP restoration less effective by 25%)
- Jury Summons 1 (Each rank makes you face +20% additional enemies in standard Encounters)
- Calisthenics Program 1 (Each rank gives your foes +15% HP)
- Personal Liability (Removes Zagreus's ability to briefly turn impervious after sustaining a large amount of damage in a short space of time).
That final condition is unique to Hell Mode, and doesn't appear in any save file that doesn't have Hell Mode enabled. Note also that the other conditions are just given 1 rank as mandatory; the player can feel free to add and remove subsequent ranks to these and other conditions as per usual.
So in essence, Hell Mode makes enemies stronger, healthier, and more plentiful; healing items weaker; and Zagreus less impervious to high damage situations.
How to turn on Hell Mode
Unlike God Mode, Hell Mode in Hades cannot be enabled or disabled at any time. Instead, it is a choice you must make when starting a new save file. After selecting a new save slot, a box will appear below the slot with the words "Hell Mode" next to it. Check this box and then select the save slot again to start a new journey with Hell Mode enabled. Make sure this is what you want, because you can't change it later!
And that's all there is to know about both God Mode and Hell Mode in Hades. While you're here, you may be interested in our Hades boons and Hades weapons guides.