Hell Claims You

What is Hell Claims You?

Hell Claims You is a free HTML5 roguelite from solodevim, set in a two-color Hell rendered in ash black and bone white. The starting knight has already lost, and the Devil's offer is the central bargain: each spell is genuine power, but it takes something back, whether a slice of flesh or a curse on the body.

The goal is to descend through four floors of Hell, die, crawl out of the grave stronger, and fight again until the Devil himself stands in the way. It is a 2D dark fantasy pixel-art roguelite made in Unity and currently in development.

The project was built for 1-Bit Jam 15 around the theme that everything has a price, which explains the tight palette and the cost-driven card play.

How to play

The knight handles basic combat automatically. Left alone, the knight walks toward the nearest enemy and strikes, so attention goes to positioning and spell timing. Spells are cast by dragging cards from the tray into the arena. Tapping a card reveals its effect and its cost before committing.

Some cards take part of maximum health; others apply curses for a few seconds, such as slowed hands, bleeding, heavy chains, or a seal. Killing enemies grants levels, and each level the Devil stops time to offer a new card.

When all five card slots are full, the offer switches to faster cooldowns or stronger effects, each with a steeper price. Death is part of the loop. Souls collected during a run are spent at the grave on permanent upgrades, and the knight rises again on the same floor. Cards and level are retained, so each death adds power rather than wiping the build.

Controls

The control scheme is built for a single finger or a mouse, with the keyboard as an optional alternative. Tap or click the arena to send the knight to that spot; from there, the knight attacks the closest enemy. Dragging a card from the tray into the arena casts that spell. Tapping a card opens its details so the effect and the cost can be checked before casting.

WASD or the arrow keys steer the knight directly. Releasing those keys lets auto-attack take over again. Because attacks are automatic, the hands are free for card management and movement.

The browser build is fully playable with one finger or a mouse, and the keyboard is optional. That makes the control layer compact: point, drag, tap, or steer, then let the knight handle the strike.

Tips for your first run

Read before casting. Tapping a card shows both its effect and its price, so check the cost before dragging it into the arena. If a card cuts maximum health, weigh that loss against the spell's value. Temporary curses last a few seconds, so cast around them rather than stacking trouble.

The Devil's level-up offer is a decision point: take a new card until all five slots are full, then expect faster cooldowns or stronger effects at a higher price. After death, spend collected souls at the grave on permanent upgrades, then rise on the same floor. Cards and level stay in place, so a bad run still leaves a stronger starting point. Watch for health potions dropped at random by fallen enemies, and use the auto-attack behavior to keep attention on card timing.

• Tap a card before casting to see its effect and its cost.
• Treat maximum health as part of the spell budget, not just a buffer.
• Respect curses such as slowed hands, bleeding, heavy chains, or a seal for their few seconds of duration.
• When all five card slots fill, weigh faster cooldowns against stronger effects and the higher price.
• Spend souls at the grave after death; the same floor, cards, and level return.
• Watch for random health potion drops from defeated enemies.

Content and replayability

The content is compact but specific. There are 10 spell cards, 7 curses, and 30 card upgrades to find across the run. The descent covers four floors: Gate of Ash, Bone Pits, Hall of Chains, and the Throne of Hell. Six enemy types and four bosses stand in the way, with the Devil as the final fight.

Six permanent upgrades wait at the grave, spanning damage, attack speed, max health, armor, and potion-related gains. Health potions can drop at random from fallen enemies.

Replayability comes from the death loop: souls buy permanent gains, the knight returns to the same floor, and cards plus level are never removed. Each run can therefore push a little further while the card pool and upgrade choices shape the build. The five-slot limit and the switch from cards to upgrades give the level-up offer a different role later in a run.

Presentation and performance

Presentation is deliberately narrow. The game uses only two colors, ash black and bone white, and the art is 2D pixel art. The soundtrack is chiptune, paired with 8-bit sound effects. Settings cover music, sound, screen shake, and reduced flashing, so the visual and audio intensity can be adjusted.

The build is HTML5 and made with Unity, which places it in a browser frame. Progress is saved in the browser. The dark fantasy theme is carried by the knight, the Devil, the four floors of Hell, and the spell cards that trade flesh or curses for power.

The two-color palette keeps enemy shapes and card details readable against the arena. The practical details before starting are the HTML5 browser build, the browser save, and the four adjustable settings.

Who should play it

Players who enjoy a dark fantasy pixel-art roguelite with a cruel bargain at its center are the natural audience. The knight attacks automatically, so the appeal is less about twitchy attack buttons and more about movement, card timing, and deciding which price is worth paying.

The four floors, six enemy types, and four bosses give the run a clear march toward the Devil, while grave upgrades and retained cards carry progress forward. The control scheme suits a player who wants one finger or a mouse and does not want to manage a keyboard.

The game is free, in development, and built for a jam, so its scope is compact: 10 spell cards, 7 curses, 30 card upgrades, and a two-color look. Players who want a small, cost-driven browser roguelite with permanent progress should find the loop easy to start.