Hell Clock Review: A Timeless Masterpiece | The Gamerheads Podcast

Platform reviewed: PC (Steam)

Price: $19.99

Beautiful art, fun gameplay, and meaningful runs in a fantastic roguelike, that’s what Hell Clock is all about. Why more people aren’t talking about or playing Hell Clock is beyond me. It easily holds its own against games like Hades, and in many ways, it’s even more accessible. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a tough game, but the leveling system makes me feel like a total badass every time I dive into hell.

The story follows Pajeú, who dives into hell to save the souls of his village. The game takes place in Brazil in the late 1800s, set around the aftermath of the Canudos massacre. Here’s a bit of history around the setting of the game: A religious leader named Antônio Conselheiro began preaching about salvation to the drought-stricken people of Canudos. The local government thought he and his followers were sympathizers of the former monarchy. Tensions grew between the impoverished villagers and the local government, eventually erupting into a full-scale conflict between the newly formed Brazilian government and the community. After several military defeats, the government’s fourth and final campaign ended with the destruction and massacre of Canudos. Few games explore real-life tragedies like this one, which makes Hell Clock all the more powerful.

Like most roguelikes, my first dives into the depths of hell didn’t last long. What sets Hell Clock apart, though, is its timer mechanic. Each run is limited by time, and whether I die or the clock runs out, my descent comes to an end. There’s an option to disable the timer, but its inclusion adds a fascinating layer of tension. Every time I delve into the pit, I have to decide: do I stay and fight to earn gold and soul gems for leveling up, or do I push forward to reach the next layer before time expires? I love the built-in risk-and-reward dynamic, and it’s a mechanic I haven’t seen done quite like this before.

The game really opens up after defeating the first boss. That’s when I rescued the merchant and gained access to purchasing new equipment with the soul gems I’d collected. From that point on, I also began earning relics, items dropped by bosses that grant bonuses such as increased attack power, health, or mana. Relics must be slotted onto a grid, and each one takes up a certain number of spaces. This system forces me to make strategic choices about which relics to equip, making me think through how to build a character that fits my playstyle. I can also spend soul gems to level up the relics I keep.

The next feature that really expands the game is the bell tower. Here, I can spend points in a leveling tree to upgrade my mana, health, and even the amount of time on the hell clock. Each run earns experience toward increasing the bell’s level, and reaching a new level grants points that can be spent on different nodes within the tree.

The progression system in Hell Clock is handled exceptionally well. Mini-bosses and bosses that once gave me a hard time became manageable after just a few runs, which made my progress feel meaningful. This is one of the game’s biggest strengths, and other developers should take note; Hell Clock is a masterclass in how progression in a roguelike should be done.

The art style resembles Hades in many ways, while the action feels more like Diablo. When I first played Hell Clock, I used a keyboard and mouse, but I quickly switched to a controller, which suits my playstyle much better. I also appreciated the button remapping feature, since I ended up customizing all the action buttons to fit the way I play.

There are a few core abilities: a main attack, a secondary attack, a dash, and an area effect. One complaint I have is that mana is used for everything, even dodging. I would have preferred a cooldown system for the dodge mechanic, since I often ran out of mana while trying to evade an untimely death. This, in turn, left me unable to attack because I had no mana to spend. It wasn’t a problem early on, but in later boss fights,especially against enemies that relied on bombardment attacks with area affects, it became a real issue. There are relics and leveling nodes that can boost mana or increase regeneration, which helps, but with everything tied to mana, I constantly had to prioritize it over every other stat.

Like most roguelikes, Hell Clock includes level-ups that only affect the current run. This happens in two ways: either by leveling up my character during the run or by visiting shrines where I can purchase bonuses using the gold I’ve earned. These upgrades are random, which makes it harder to fully customize my build, but I’m always offered a choice of three power-ups. Most of the time, I find at least one that complements my character’s setup.

The boss battles are intense, and each one feels distinct. The first encounter with every boss begins with a short animated sequence that reveals their backstory and their role in the Canudos massacre before the fight begins. One detail I really appreciate is that the clock pauses during these moments, as well as during mini-boss encounters. Defeating a boss also restores some time, giving me a chance to extend my run.

Final Grade: A-

Hell Clock is a fantastic roguelike, featuring beautiful art, engaging gameplay, a rewarding leveling system, and an intriguing story. If you’re looking for a roguelike that feels like a love letter to Diablo, this is one you shouldn’t miss.

Review code provided by Mad Mushroom