Hades Door Symbols Guide: Boons, Artifacts and More
Hades, like other roguelike genre hybrids, is a run-based game that lets you build your character in real-time, one upgrade at a time. Each game in this space tries something different when it comes to doling out said upgrades, and Hades is no exception.
In this game, you can usually see what you’ll get after clearing a room, or Chamber, before you enter. Doors feature symbols, which communicate what the reward will be. Sometimes there’s only one path forward, and other times you have to choose from multiple doors. Of course, Hades can be deliberately conservative with information, especially early on.
Hades Door Symbols and Rewards
There are several different kinds of door symbols, each one specifying a certain type of reward. We can separate those symbols into three basic categories, one of them being an “everything else” sort of deal.
But the other two categories will be your primary progression tools while attempting a run, and those are split between Boons and Artifacts. In this guide we’ll go over what each one means, accompanied by images. We’ll start with Boons, the way in which you obtain more abilities and powers for combat.
Related: Hades Beginners’ Guide
Boons
Aphrodite – Grants powers based on Weak and Charmed status effects, passive defensive buffs
Ares – Provides and boosts Doom status effect, and increases offensive stats
Artemis – Buffs based on critical hits and upgrades to Cast ability
Athena – Defensive buffs and Deflect properties applied to abilities
Demeter – Chill properties, healing, and debuff skills! Demeter doesn’t appear until you’ve cleared the game for the first time
Dionysus – Damage reduction and the Hangover effect, which is effectively a poison-like status
Hermes – Everything to do with speed. This includes upgrades for Dash, speed, cast time, animation recovery, and more
Poseidon – Abilities that provide knockback properties, and boosts to reward values and/or quantity
Zeus – Lightning powers, surprise! Zeus gives abilities that cause chain lightning after-effects, or singular lightning strikes depending on the Boon
Artifacts
Chthonic Key – These keys unlock new Infernal Arms/weapons, and new abilities from the Mirror of Night
Darkness – Currency that purchases upgrade ranks from the Mirror of Night
Gemstones – Currency used for renovations from the House Contractor
Nectar – A gift you can give to various characters you interact with to boost your relationship and earn Keepsakes
Ambrosia – A higher-tier gift you can give after you perform a favor for a character. Only earned via bounties.
Diamond – The next step up from Gemstones; also a bounty reward
Titan Blood – Bounty reward that can pay for Infernal Arm upgrades
Centaur Heart – Increases max HP by 25 for the run’s duration
Charon’s Obol – Money! You can spend these at the two types of “shops” you can find
Daedalus Hammer – These apply modifications or boosts to your Infernal Arm for the run’s duration
Pom of Power – You can pick one of your Boons to level up with these
Misc
This skeletal money bag signifies Charon’s shop, where you can spend those Obols for additional Artifacts or Boons
The grey orb with the exclamation point means you’ll have an encounter with one of three special NPCs (Sisyphus, Eurydice, and Patroclus) that provide a special boost for the run
Technically these Chaos Gates aren’t doors, but you can pay some health to drop into these to find Chaos, who provides special Boons that start as detrimental curses but transform into some seriously powerful Blessings after enduring the Curse for a few rooms.
Finally, if the door has a little skull icon on the symbol, you’re going to be facing a powerful enemy or other special combat encounter on the other side. If the skull is paired with a Darkness symbol or one of the bounty-only Artifacts, you’re looking at a full-on boss fight. Good luck!
Those are all the basic door symbols for now! Using this guide as a reference, if you’re just starting Hades (or need a reminder) you’ll be able to better plan what your run may look like based on the choices the game gives you. Of course, there are other Artifacts and special items you can’t just find as room rewards, but it’s up to you to find those!
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