Hades

Hades is a roguelike action game where players control Zagreus, the prince of the Underworld who was raised believing he was the son of Nyx, the goddess of night. After discovering a hidden letter while rummaging through his father’s desk, Zagreus learns the truth: his real mother is Persephone, former Queen of the Underworld, whose name Hades forbids anyone to speak. The backstory reveals that Zeus, feeling sorry for Persephone’s unhappiness on Mount Olympus due to constant family bickering, impetuously “gifted” her to Hades without consent, sparking his brother’s fury over the potential for war. Hades and Persephone eventually fell in love and had Zagreus, but when their son seemingly died as a baby, the grief-stricken Persephone fled to the mortal world, refusing to return to either the Underworld or Olympus. Nyx secretly resurrected Zagreus by making a deal with the Fates, but Hades—fearing Olympian retribution if the truth emerged—told Zagreus he was Nyx’s son and hid all evidence of Persephone. Upon learning the truth, Zagreus begins his escape attempts, receiving aid from the Olympian gods who believe he’s trying to reach Mount Olympus and grant him boons—powerful abilities that enhance his combat capabilities. Each run takes Zagreus through randomly generated chambers in four regions: Tartarus, Asphodel, Elysium, and the Temple of Styx, where he must bribe Cerberus with a Satyr Sack before facing Hades himself in a climactic battle. Because Zagreus, like his father, is bound to the Underworld, he quickly dies after reaching the surface and reuniting with Persephone at her cottage in Greece. Despite this curse, Zagreus repeatedly escapes to visit his mother and eventually convinces her to return home by reminding her of their family bonds. Persephone’s return prompts a reconciliation with the Olympians through a feast where they claim Hades and Persephone eloped and that she must spend part of each year in the Underworld due to eating pomegranate seeds—a story the Olympians accept while likely knowing the truth. With the family reunited and his father’s respect earned, Zagreus continues his escape attempts as “security testing” for the Underworld, with their battles becoming friendly bonding exercises.