Our picks, beyond the numbers
5 games like Hades we would recommend for different reasons
A failed escape from the Underworld is rarely wasted in Hades. It usually leaves you with a boon worth remembering, a weapon aspect you want to try again, or a line from Achilles or Nyx that nudges a relationship forward. The game turns that accumulation into its own kind of reward, which is part of why a single run can feel worth replaying even when it ends in the same House you started from.
We looked for games that pick up different threads of that loop rather than ones that simply resemble Hades on the surface. A couple keep the same rhythm of quick, item-driven runs; others take the idea of a changing build and set it somewhere slower, stranger or more physical than Zagreus's escape attempts.
These are the games like Hades we would point a fan toward, chosen for specific reasons rather than how closely each one scores against it.
Hades II
Our first choice for continuing the story
Hades II is the most direct answer if you are not ready to leave Supergiant's underworld. It left early access and reached full release in September 2025, putting Melinoë at the center of a fight against Chronos rather than Zagreus's attempt to escape, with her own weapons, aspects and a new home base in the Crossroads to prepare in between attempts.
We like it as the obvious starting point because the fundamentals — fast, flexible combat, a build that comes together differently every run, a cast with plenty to say when you return — are the same ones that make the original worth playing. The change in protagonist and goal is enough to make it feel like a new chapter rather than more of the same.
It is single-player only, with no co-op mode on either side of the family, so do not go in expecting to share runs with a friend. Treat it as the sequel it is rather than a reinvention, and come back to it specifically for more of this mythology done well.
Dreamscaper
For runs that lead somewhere personal
Dreamscaper splits its time between fighting through Cassidy's dreams in randomized, item-driven runs and spending her waking hours getting to know the people in her town. That second half gives each attempt a reason beyond the next boss: building a friendship during the day can open up new tools for surviving the night.
We would choose it for a Hades player who liked the way the House of Hades gave every failed run some emotional payoff, and wants that idea pushed further into a story about processing grief and anxiety rather than escaping a god's domain.
Its top-down dungeon combat is slower and more deliberate than Zagreus's dash-heavy fights, and the whole game is built around a much smaller, quieter cast. Go in expecting a more personal, reflective take on the formula rather than another mythological spectacle.
Wizard of Legend
For chaining spells back to back
Wizard of Legend strips the formula down to movement and spellcasting: you equip a handful of signature spells and relics, then see how fast you can chain them together while dashing through procedurally generated trials.
We like it for the Hades player whose favorite part is discovering a combination of boons that suddenly clicks — this gives that same thrill of experimentation to spellcasting specifically, with a faster, twitchier pace than Zagreus's weapon-based fights.
There is no overarching story pulling you back to a hub between runs, and local co-op for two players is built in if you want to try trials alongside a friend. Pick this one for the pure mechanics of building a loadout, not for conversations or a cast to grow attached to.
Dungreed
For a run you fight through sideways
Dungreed takes the item-hunting, run-based structure Hades fans know well and turns it into a 2D side-scrolling platformer, with Metroidvania-style unlocks that carry some progress between attempts even after a bad run ends.
We would recommend it to someone who wants Hades' sense of steady, cross-run progress but is curious what that feels like with jumping, aiming and positioning added to the mix instead of top-down dashing.
Local co-op for a second player is supported, and the tone leans pixel-art and arcade-ish rather than Supergiant's hand-drawn mythology. This is a pick for the platforming and loot, not for a story that develops the way Zagreus's does.
Moonlighter
For a different reason to go back down
Moonlighter gives its dungeon runs an unusual second half: the gear and materials you bring back from each expedition become stock for the shop you run above ground, where pricing them correctly matters as much as surviving the fight to find them.
We like it as a change of pace for a Hades player who enjoys the idea of returning from a run with something tangible to show for it, but wants that payoff to be a business rather than another conversation with a god.
Its dungeons regenerate on each visit rather than ending in permadeath the way Zagreus's attempts do, and there is no mythological cast waiting for you at home — just a shop counter and the numbers on your price tags. Choose it for the shopkeeping twist, not for Hades' sense of character or stakes.
