Hades is a fast-paced action game by Supergiant Games that features familiar characters from Greek mythology. Players take control of Zagreus, the son of Hades, who is on a quest to escape the treacherous Underworld and venture to the surface. This daunting task takes many tries, as befitting of the roguelike genre. Fortunately, the many Greek Gods and Goddesses offer a myriad of blessings to help along the way. Unfortunately, they are lost every time Zagreus falls in battle.
Though this progress is lost, there are permanent upgrades that players can continually build up over the course of their many attempts. These additional perks and arms are unlocked using a resource known as Chthonic Keys, which are retained after every death. To improve the success of future runs, here’s where the keys can be found and how they are used in the House of Hades.
Finding Chthonic Keys in Hades
There are several ways for Zagreus to obtain Chthonic Keys in the depths of the Underworld. These methods include:
- Room Rewards – After completing a room full of enemies, the keys have a chance to be earned as loot. The more players play, the more keys they’ll earn. This is the most consistent method of obtaining keys.
- The Fated List of Minor Prophecies – One of the many renovations the House Contractor can make, this desk lists achievements for players to complete. Some of them reward Zagreus with keys when fulfilled, so check the desk frequently to see how close the prophecies are to completion.
- Fishing Rewards – Once a room has been cleared of monsters, there are some places Zagreus can fish. As before, the House Contractor is needed to utilize this mechanic, as a fishing rod can be bought from them. These fish can then be exchanged with the Head Chef in the lounge area who will offer rewards depending on the quality of what was caught; this sometimes includes Chthonic Keys. In particular, the fiery-looking ones caught in Asphodel yield keys based on their rarity.
Using Chthonic Keys in Hades
Chthonic Keys are used by Zagreus to obtain more abilities and weapons in the House of Hades. In Zagreus’ bedroom, they can find the Mirror of Night; a gift from Nyx herself. The keys unlock permanent upgrades that the player will have for future runs. Once that passive power has been unlocked by the Chthonic Keys, it must then be purchased using the Darkness resource that is collected during playthroughs. After a certain point in the game, players can refund the darkness they spent and reallocate it towards other upgrades. Doing so requires the use of another Chthonic Key, so those that wish to experiment with new combinations of upgrades must conserve their Keys wisely. The other use for the keys is to acquire new weaponry to tear through the Underworld. This is done in the arsenal, where all the arms are floating. They also display how many keys are required to get them, so players can calculate how much they need to save up.
There is another use for the keys, as well as another way to find more, and that is through the Wretched Broker. Found in the same lounge area as the Head Chef, this character offers different deals over time. Some of them involve trading away the Chthonic keys, while others can add more keys to Zagreus’s inventory. Return to the Broker frequently, found by their stall, to see if their current trades satisfy the player’s needs.
Hades is available for Nintendo Switch & PC.