Just like every other game made by “Supergiant Games,” Hades is a stellar game in every aspect. You have a banging soundtrack, fun gameplay and enough deep cuts to Greek mythology to make the most studious of Classics majors geek out while traveling through Tartarus, Asphodel, Elysium and even the surface of Greece. In a game that is an embarrassment of riches for gamers and Classics nerds, it can be a bit daunting to figure out which path to take among the many forking options Zagreus can choose to take because; one path may offer darkness while another may yield keys for Zagreus and the best decision to take likely hinges upon how much progress you have already made.
This article has been written to give a better assessment of each possible resource you can gain in Hades so that you have a good idea of when to stop going after a particular resource. Note that this guide will account for instances where a particular resource can be given to the House Contractor or Resource Director if those instances result in entirely cosmetic offerings, such as spending 200 Cthonic Keys to unlock the Cthonic Theme. Also remember that just because you are “done” with a particular resource, you can still possibly trade some of them with the Wretched Broker in exchange for something you need far more.
Charon’s Obol
This is one of the few resources Zagreus loses after an escape attempt ends, making it very fleeting. While obols are earned through a large variety of means, you need to be mindful of a few thresholds before considering a visit to Charon’s shop.
- 25 Obols is enough for 25 Darkness. While this is a fluid exchange ad its benefits stack with Dark(er) Thrist, there are far better things you acquire with cash.
- 50 Obols can buy a single key, 30% healing and/or a Pom Slice.
- 75 Obols can buy 20 Gemstones.
- 100 Obols can buy a Pom of Power.
- 125 Obols can buy either a Centaur Heart, increasing your health maximum for the run, or a Boon from a random god.
- 150 Obols can buy a boon from one of the Gods, the difference between this and the 125 Obol tier is that you can see who it will come from.
- 200 Obols can buy either a Nectar, for befriending other characters, or a Daedalus Hammer.
Charon “rewards” your hard work in making it all the way to the Temple of Sty by opening a more robust shop with six items for sale. These items range in price from a modest 100 (Pom of Power) to a staggering 1,200 (Titan Blood). The good news is that these prices and offerings stay the same while you go through the side areas in the region so you can plan accordingly. Remember that Charon loves money so much that you can even sometimes find his wells in those side areas. While the well offers a variety of temporary benefits or resources in exchange for a handful of Obols, you can also buy a Centaur Soul, boosting your max health without accompanying healing, for 100 Obols and 200 Obols is enough to purchase a Kiss of Styx, giving you back a single Death Defiance.
Cthonic Key
This item’s primary uses are to unlock Zagreus’ Infernal Arms, reveal new abilities in the Mirror of Night and withdraw all Darkness spent on Mirror abilities to redistribute. Ignoring the option of reallocating skill points, you only need 89 of this resource; 24 for Zagreus’s five other weapons and 65 for all skills offered by the Mirror of Night. Note that the Fated Keys ability you can acquire from the House Contractor in exchange for three Diamonds gives you an additional Fated Authority or Fated Persuasion reroll, whichever ability you have Zagreus with, whenever you acquire a key. Note that keys can also be gained from fishing and completing certain goals on the Fated List of Minor Prophecies.
Darkness
Put bluntly, Darkness serves as Zagreus’ experience points. While you need Darkness to upgrade Zag’s abilities and earning Nyx’s favor, you also can also use it in exchange for other offerings of the Wretched Broker and to unlock various themes from the House Contractor and ranks fro the Resource Director. While you can only have one of two talents along each talent line, fully upgrading each ability on both sides of the mirror requires a daunting 35,365 Darkness. Earning Nyx’s favor entails gifting her 6 Nectar and then buying a specific upgrade from the House Contractor for 3,142 Darkness. Notably, the Pitch-Black Darkness upgrade from the House Contractor, which costs 3 Diamonds, adds a healing aspect to Darkness; every time Zag collects this resource, he heals 5 hit points.
Supergiant knows that Darkness is used to unlock a lot of things and so there are a lot of ways to go about gaining it.
- Infernal Troves can sometimes provide Darkness, based on how well you have upgraded them and how well you do on the challenge.
- The Dark Thirst or Darker Thirst abilities will boost Darkness gained by 20% or 40%.
- The Tinge of Erebus, offered in the Well of Charon, can provide anywhere from 12-26 Darkness in exchange for Charon’s Obols.
- Turning in fish caught within Chaos’ domain rewards you with Darkness.
- Poseidon offers two boons relevant to Darkness: “Ocean’s Bounty” increases Darkness gain 50% to 65%, depending on the rank, and “Sunken Treasure” rewards several resources, including 50-220 Darkness. Note that Ocean’s Bounty stacks with the effects of Dark(er) Thirst.
Gemstones
This bottom-rung resource can be exchanged for a lot of things and the Brilliant Gemstones ability from the House Contractor, which costs 3 Diamonds, makes every gemstone also provide 20 Obols. The main benefit to Gemstones is talking to the Wretched Broker to exchange them for Cthonic Keys, Nectar, Diamonds, Ambrose and Titan Blood.
