Hellslave
Developer Ars Goetia
Hellslave is a dark fantasy dungeon crawler where you make a pact with the Devil to fight back a demon invasion. Customize your character with powerful demonic abilities, explore a cursed world, and battle nightmarish enemies to save humanity if you can resist the darkness. From the Steam store page
239 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 2, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
167 positive · 35 negative
95% range 77–87%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 167 | 35 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 5 | 0 | 23 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
What players are saying
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 200 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (2,919 of 3,436 positive).
Players praise the dark atmosphere and art style. [1][2][3] Some find the combat repetitive and the story lacking. [4][5][6] Many recommend the game for fans of dark fantasy dungeon crawlers. [7][8][9]
- [4]
The only truly outstanding thing about this game is the artwork, the artist did a really good job depicting the demons and the environments. Unfortunately, the game itself is painfully mediocre and mostly just dull. You see everything the game has to offer in the first 30 minutes, and the rest of the 6-9 hours are the same process but with bigger numbers. The lore is interesting enough but to collect all of it you …
- [1]
Hellslave was a surprising experience for me, especially since I’ve usually found the turn-based combat genre a bit "weird" in the past. It served as a great introduction to the dungeon crawler genre, and I was honestly impressed by how much I enjoyed the core gameplay loop. The art style is very well-done and adds a lot to the dark atmosphere, and experimenting with the various abilities is fun, even if things …
- [2]
I expected a dark dungeon crawler. What I got was depression with a skill tree. Hellslave drops you into a ruined world and immediately asks which demon you’d like to make bad life decisions with. Everything is bleak, hostile, and absolutely committed to ruining your mood. The combat is simple but satisfying, the builds are fun, and the atmosphere is doing most of the heavy lifting. You’re not here to feel powerful …
- [8]
Hellslave is a gripping and atmospheric dark fantasy dungeon crawler that masterfully captures the grim energy of games like Darkest Dungeon and Diablo. The game hooks you instantly with its edgy premise, forcing you to fight fire with fire by making a pact with one of six demon lords to save a crumbling world from an impending apocalypse. Its turn-based combat is incredibly deep and satisfying, placing a massive …
- [3]
What a wonderful game! The art style is simply a masterpiece and will leave a mark on my heart for a long time. The story is captivating, the variety of monsters is a delight, and crafting is a particular joy! I'm glad I managed to finish it, even on the moderate difficulty setting, because I've always struggled a bit with choosing abilities ;)
Summarised from 34 of the 241 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
82% of the 200 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Hellslave. The complaint that keeps coming up: combat can become repetitive. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 239 · most liked firstHellslave free on Steam until 16 Jun..
neutral · AI labelView post →---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☐ Beautiful ☐ Good ☑ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☑ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☐ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☑ Check if you can run paint ☐ Potato ☐ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer ---{…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Back in the golden age of browser gaming, when sites like Kongregate ruled the roost, a peculiar breed of mini RPGs started popping up everywhere hybrids of old school dungeon delvers and loot grinding ARPGs like Diablo. They'd overload you with attributes, secondary stats out the wazoo, total freedom for wild character setups, generic pixel sprites, and that satisfyingly complex turn based battling. Time's blurred the titles from my memory, but anyone itching to dive in should check out the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Steam] Hellslave (Free from June 2 - 16). Source: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1608450/view/524217913946670668 " From June 2 to 16, don’t miss our HellSlave giveaway on the Plug In Digital Publish Landing Page! (link available starting June 2)" For more information: https://hellslavegame.com/
neutral · AI labelView post →Hellslave is free to keep to celebrate its publisher's sale, and it's a great game to add to your #SteamDeck libraries: steamdeckhq.com/hellslave-is...
positive · AI labelView post →While doing some things right the genre - an old-school top-view turn-based dungeon crawler - requires, Hellslave has flaws at its roots: lengthy, boring gameplay centered around levelling and equipment. It has a simple plot with decent amounts of additional information and set dungeons, but enemy encounters and loot are randomized. Death has no consequence and enemies always respawn upon leaving dungeons - another 2 things which are unappealing. As demonic forces invade the land,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The only truly outstanding thing about this game is the artwork, the artist did a really good job depicting the demons and the environments. Unfortunately, the game itself is painfully mediocre and mostly just dull. You see everything the game has to offer in the first 30 minutes, and the rest of the 6-9 hours are the same process but with bigger numbers. The lore is interesting enough but to collect all of it you have to play the game twice, on NG and NG+, and I couldn't get myself to even…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hellslave was a surprising experience for me, especially since I’ve usually found the turn-based combat genre a bit "weird" in the past. It served as a great introduction to the dungeon crawler genre, and I was honestly impressed by how much I enjoyed the core gameplay loop. The art style is very well-done and adds a lot to the dark atmosphere, and experimenting with the various abilities is fun, even if things start to feel a little repetitive toward the end of the journey. While there are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I got this game for free and it was worth it. It's not bad, just aggressively mediocre. The story is bland and poorly written. The game is fairly easy and becomes repetitive. The various abilities and equipment are kind of interesting but there's not enough meat for them to chew on. Not a terrible way to kill time over a weekend but I wouldn't recommend spending actual money on it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dark fantasy dungeon crawler Hellslave is free to keep for a limited time https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/06/dark-fantasy-dungeon-crawler-hellslave-is-free-to-keep-for-a-limited-time/ #Hellslave #FreeGame #Steam #Gaming #PCGaming
neutral · AI labelView post →peanut would love some pets and treats :) 🌸> フ | _ _ l /` ミ_xノ / | / ヽ ノ │ | | | / ̄| | | | | ( ̄ヽ__ヽ_)__) \二つ
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Right, so I got this for free - which immediately made me suspicious, because free things are usually free for a reason, aren't they? Like those samples at the supermarket that taste of cardboard and desperation. But blimey, this one actually delivered. Look, the opening's about as exciting as watching someone explain cryptocurrency at a dinner party -slow, confusing, bit of a slog. But after mucking about with different character builds (because obviously the first one you pick is always…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[GOG via Prime] *Hellslave*, a dark fantasy RPG. > The world of Hellslave > * The world is coming to an end and humanity is on the brink of extinction. Save it from a demon invasion by making a pact with the Devil and choosing one of six demons to worship. Use your newly acquired demonic power against the invaders, but it may have a bigger impact on you than you thought... > A dark fantasy dungeon crawler > * Hellslave is a dungeon crawler following on the footsteps of classic dungeon crawlers…
neutral · AI labelView post →You can currently get 3 nice games for free on Steam: -Coop shooter Borderlands 2 (free until June,8) store.steampowered.com/app/49520 -Dungeon crawler Hellslave (until June,16) store.steampowered.com/app/1608450 -Episodic adventure game Tell Me Why (until July,1) store.steampowered.com/app/1180660
neutral · AI labelView post →[Steam] Hellslave (100% off/Free).
neutral · AI labelView post →[Game Bundle] FUNgeon Crawlers. $7: | Game | Steam Link | |-------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | Devil Spire | https://store.steampowered.com/app/1861290/Devil_Spire | | Hellslave | https://store.steampowered.com/app/1608450/Hellslave | | Going Under | https://store.steampowered.com/app/1154810/Going_Under | $11: All above, plus: | Game | Steam Link…
neutral · AI labelView post →I really wanted to love this game, but had to give up halfway. I just keep getting two-shot by hordes of enemies and praying for RNGsus for the evasion chance. Got to level 13 playing a mage build.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hellslave is a dark dungeon crawler RPG with a strong focus on atmosphere and player choices. The occult world, harsh tone, and old school gameplay create a consistently grim experience. Not for everyone, but a great fit for fans of dark, uncompromising RPGs.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I expected a dark dungeon crawler. What I got was depression with a skill tree. Hellslave drops you into a ruined world and immediately asks which demon you’d like to make bad life decisions with. Everything is bleak, hostile, and absolutely committed to ruining your mood. The combat is simple but satisfying, the builds are fun, and the atmosphere is doing most of the heavy lifting. You’re not here to feel powerful — you’re here to survive and regret your choices. If you like dark fantasy,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hellslave is a gripping and atmospheric dark fantasy dungeon crawler that masterfully captures the grim energy of games like Darkest Dungeon and Diablo. The game hooks you instantly with its edgy premise, forcing you to fight fire with fire by making a pact with one of six demon lords to save a crumbling world from an impending apocalypse. Its turn-based combat is incredibly deep and satisfying, placing a massive emphasis on theorycrafting and discovering overwhelming capability synergies like…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had hopes. And I still have them for the sequel. But I'd recommend skipping this one, unless you're absolutely desperate for it for some reason. The problems I have with Hellslave are not with its barebones presentation or its vague hints of a story nobody cares about here, because this simply isn't a story focused game. It's also not generally with the ugly and often unhelpful UI or even the plethora of useless items you find ... or the combat system in general ... but with all those…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An very good turn-based dark fantasy RPG where build creation and skill choices are extremely important. The different abilities and synergies make progression very satisfying. The game maintains a constant sense of progression without noticeable downtime and never felt repetitive. 100% steam achievements Time : 16H Completion Difficulty : 3/10 Playthroughs : 2 Missables : None Guide recommended : Optional - useful for craft Notable requirements : Complete the game twice, craft all recipes and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →25th January 2026 - presumed version 1.5 of the game with 42 hours of active playtime. Well thematically the game is solid, nice story Dark as it actually seeks to be, filled with gruesome monsters everywhere. Mechanically it's a dungeon crawler, focused on random loot with simple skill trees (in my opinion). Rather than the Stat level up system with staple equipment per area/zone/shop. Pros - You can acquire good gear suitable to your build path quite fast; - Good music and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🖱️ My next game! "Hellslave is a dark fantasy dungeon crawler where you make a pact with the Devil to fight back a demon invasion. Customize your character with demonic abilities, explore a cursed world, and battle nightmarish enemies to save humanity if you can resist the darkness." 👹 — From Steam
neutral · AI labelView post →🚨 FREE GAME ALERT 🚨 🔔 Hellslave 💥 Is on a #Giveaway on #Steam 📅 Claim it until the 16th of June 📝 Type: Dark Fantasy Dungeon Crawler ☑️ Reviews: Very Positive ✅ SteamDB Rating: 76.99% 🔗 Links:⬇️ store.steampowered.com/app/1608450/... #Gaming #GamingNews #IndieGameDev #indiegames
neutral · AI labelView post →Hellslave: Project Z-treme has gotta be the most graphically impressive #SEGASaturn game (and homebrew!) I've ever played. Smooth framerate, excellent controls, deathmatch shooter. This team truly knows how to push the hardware without sacrificing anything! #SEGA #retrogames
positive · AI labelView post →---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☐ Beautiful ☑ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☐ Kids ☐ Teens ☑ Adults ☐ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☑ Check if you can run paint ☐ Potato ☐ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer ---{…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The intro art style is cool but the game itself is 3/10. Monotonous and uninspired combat, the story's tone is incredibly repulsive for my taste that I might cut my tongue from how edgy it is. The one thing I liked about the game is the fact that you can see the equipment you have. I like the different kinds of ways I can see my character getting geared up. It's cute. I've only gotten past the mines quest and got bored after. This game costing that much money is incredibly off-putting. Do…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →That stuff that looks like AI art, isn't. It's just art in a style that AI likes to rip off. The illustrations here are intentional, and they're well composed. In fact, the game overall is pretty solidly designed---it just suffers from looking like things it isn't. For all the Darkest Dungeon trade dress on this thing, it's actually a pretty by the numbers jank indie dungeon crawl. You navigate maps, explore interaction nodes, do quests, churn gear. Combat is turn-based but on a timeline, and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EES... Good morning folks, today's First 10 features an indie dungeon crawler called Hellslave, enjoy! #hellslave #videogames #indiegames #rpg #gameplay
neutral · AI labelView post →Heya folks, here's a short featuring Hellslave by Ars Goetia, Dear Villagers, an Gamersky Games. I started this game yesterday, and it's honestly quite a lot of fun. I like the art style used as well. #hellslave #videogames #indiegames #rpg #shorts
positive · AI labelView post →An enjoyable game that took me almost 20 hours to finish a first run of. I enjoyed the art and the gameplay and the exploration, though I wish the ending wasn't so abrupt and anticlimactic since I thought the world-building had some really interesting elements. Still, it's a fun game to get on sale and I'm definitely going to pick up the sequel.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Review after 100% ♡♡♡ I like the artwork of this game but I dont enjoy playing this game. "Don't waste your life, I did. Go home," -John Rambo ⣴⣿⣦⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣼⣿⣿⣿⣷⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⣄⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣤⣤⣶⣶⣿⣿⡗ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠀ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃ ⣿⣿⡇⠜⠙⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀Got a cat here ⣿⣿⣿⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠋⡹⠙⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀ Friends passing ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣾⣿⣿⠛⠀⠀by can touch her ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠛⠁⠀⠀and click Like to pet ♡ ⣿⣿⡿⠻⠿⠿⠿⠿⠛⠹⠑⠀⠀ Award for good luck, Take My Points for infinite pets ♡ ⠟⠁⠀ "Don't waste your…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hey guys, i really like your game so far! Great artwork and combat. The only Thing i'd wish for is necromancy. I mean: in a game where you're literally a warlock, necromancy should be a thing. Hope you'll think about that for the next one.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A decent, if somewhat amateur and unfinished dungeon crawl. It feels like a browser games, at time, and the presentation of anything except combat is lacklaster, the combat can get stale occasionally, and the loot system barely works. That being said, its still decently fun, the visuals and atmosphere basically carry this game. Very disappointed by a lack of Buers in this game tho, hopefully sequel redeems that.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Steam] Hellslave (Free / 100% off).
neutral · AI labelView post →Let's look at some amazing homebrew FPS efforts on the Saturn, including fixing Doom, a homebrew deathmatch game called HELLSLAVE, an ambitious port of Unreal, and a brand new game from 2025, Vigilant Paradise! Live now! twitch.tv/profbloomvtu...
neutral · AI labelView post →The game was fun and intriguing with art style and story. I understand peoples complaints about it and the gameplay loop but the final boss holding Jesus Christ decapitated head on a spear was really appalling and huge turn off from this game. That went way too far and is repulsive to witness.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →got a late night #indiegamedev shoutout for Hellslave 2 youtube.com/shorts/9ZZO3... that feels like a solid successor to the first game store.steampowered.com/app/3399900/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Very cool little game, I enjoy the build system and the items definitely tempt you to take your build in different directions, free rerolls make it very easy to build around The crafting system and syllables could use some refinement, look forward to the sequel
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Proof even okay gameplay needs at least some good setting or design to make it bearable. Right off the bat it does a half attempt at a story/narrative. The setting being introduced and expressed in a very dull and uninteresting tone and manner. The art is detailed, but also very... off, stale, and unappealing. That said the gameplay was okay, I even slightly got into it after a couple dungeons. However I think I could only really invest my time into it if everything else surrounding it was…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Didn't like it. *Skills are boring and you need to do annoying setups in combat. *Story is meh, we've seen plenty of demonic shenanigans before. *Pretty good grimdark world, liked it, but this alone can't carry the game. *Forced to play as a dude. Not being able to create female mc is a missed opportunity in my opinion, since we even got Asmodeus as a patron. Totally would prefer playing as a horny succubus mc instead of some hairy monke lol. And since steam allows horny games now, there isn't…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Trashiest and clunkiest game I ever played.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game caught my attention and I really liked the art style and the story, but something about the battles and the loot system doesn't quite sit right with me. I feel like the game can be very addictive, but at the same time, it bores me quickly. I'll give it another chance later, but for now, I'll switch to another game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →pros: - Pretty cool comics-art style. - Doesn't really throw you too deep, too fast, so you will have time to learn what is what and how the mechanics work. - The story is pretty engaging and interesting. cons: - The music in the first village how an annoying high pitches part that will make you lower the music volume or turn it off overall - The crafting is annoying, because you have to screenshot the Lore and take a look at every item you get in hopes to get what you need. - The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What a wonderful game! The art style is simply a masterpiece and will leave a mark on my heart for a long time. The story is captivating, the variety of monsters is a delight, and crafting is a particular joy! I'm glad I managed to finish it, even on the moderate difficulty setting, because I've always struggled a bit with choosing abilities ;)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played on very hard (Asmodeus Patron) up until I got to hell which was the end of the game (switched to normal) because the enemies were so spongy (I'm talking like 8x health + resistances) felt like my guy was hitting enemies with a literal butterknife also he couldn't take more than 2 hits so I dodge stacked. I could've grinded to max level 30 for that area to tough it out on very hard but honestly the combat was starting to get very repetitive once I hit mid-game. The story is pretty…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →From now until the end of Publisher Week, you can claim Hellslave and keep it forever – no strings attached. www.indiegamebundles.com/get-hellslav... #gaming #freesteamkey #steam #indiegame
neutral · AI labelView post →2/10 TL;DR Bland combat and grindy gameplay that doesn't become more rewarding but remains the same. -------------------------------- Pros: Overall look and feel Stunning art style Gameplay A few nice abilities in the skill tree Difficulty can be changed on the fly -------------------------------- Cons: Gameplay Every single animation and loading screen is incredibly slow walk speed is infuriatingly slow Closing any menu takes ages No option to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →unfinished broken mess devs have abandoned it. shop wise don't waste your money on unfinished broken mechanic products.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bought this to support the devs after enjoying the demo for the sequel (almost free) can confirm the sequel is significantly better and there isn't much point in buying this other than supporting the devs or if you get super into the lore. It has less quality of life, and worse balancing compared to the demo for pt2. The health of enemies ramps up fairly quickly and I'm not a fan of that, so will be stopping my journey here but I did enjoy the first day and don't regret buying this at 85%…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →ive never played this genre before Hellslave, but i really loved the game. it's a little rough around the edges, but forgivably so. there's no real economic challenge, i ended up with thousands of gold pieces with nothing to spend them on. i never found myself needing or wanting, or... really knowing how to interact with the crafting. it could also do with explaining a lot more to player, such as with the demon shrines only vaguely hinting at the bonuses they give you. it's fun, though, to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Clicks button that says next attack will be an automatic crit, swings and misses. Uninstalled.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love the artwork of this game, but i dont really get the "loot-table". Nicely short game if you like dungeon-crawlers.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall/TLDR, I had a great time and I'm excited about the sequel. The art deserves more praise. Took a while to 100% the achievements, but if that's not something you're worried about then it's several hours of great gameplay. I can understand some people griping about the UI but most of it is easily ignorable since there are no difficulty achievements. (Inferno mode is just NG+) The only real problem I had was the low drop rate for a specific staff and ring for recipe 15. I got the ring…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A great old-school, solo RPG with a dark atmosphere that I really enjoyed. The only things that bothered me were the combat mechanics, which could have been much better, and the fact that you have to beat the game again on Hell Mode after finishing it. The good thing is that it never feels boring. Would I recommend it? I'm not sure—probably not(but i will thick yes bec it is good { meh status}).
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hidden gem. Turn based dungeon crawler RPG with gorgeous art and atmospheric music.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Story is perfect 10/10, gameplay is great especially first playthrough, loved how it feels like GM is taking you through the dungeon like you are playing real TTRPG, design is good, music is good too, new game+ is ok-glad its there but not as balanced as first playthrough. Story is actually so deep and so good i cant even comment on it further, its just perfect, for those who are unfamiliar with what is going on and wanna start you occult journey just google any of the mentioned: demiurge,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Slaving away in hell in the hit video game Hellslave! -> twitch.tv/endaline
neutral · AI labelView post →Quite a nice Rpg game with nice athmosphere... but WARNING, there is a critical bug when you start the game with one of the classes, where you dont get the potions or the demon form... you play without realizing that its permanently bugged, and that life will be tough without these critical features... needed to restart the game after 8h! But other than that, good game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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