Sisyphean Poetry: Embedding the Greek Myth

Introduction

Since the inception of the Roguelike genre, its underlying tenets of permadeath, procedural generation, run variance, resource management, amongst others (RogueBasin, 2008) have been constantly challenged and expanded by recent titles such as Spelunky, Bastion, Transistor, and more. However, there tends to be a disconnect between game mechanics and narrative development, where mechanics such as player-death or resource management is often viewed as a siloed necessity for gameplay rather than as an integral component of narrative development.

With the release of Hades (Supergiant Games, 2020), the 4th iteration of the action Hack’n’Slash role-playing Roguelite by Supergiant Games, the divide between game narratives and mechanics have been reconciled and embedded within Greek myth. Hades features the player as Zagreus, the supposed son of the game’s namesake, as he rampages through the Grecian underworld aided by feuding relatives in an attempt to reach Mount Olympus. Hades is unique in how it leverages gameplay mechanics to limit and influence both player experience and narrative development, in utilising player death to control narrative progression, it immerses players in a feedback loop that further incentivizes continued play (Wiltshire, 2020). Alongside paradoxical deference to and subversion of the Greek Myth it is based on, it references existing narratives and characters of myth, weaving them into a modern epic of rebellion, reconciliation, and reunification.

Hades’ success, nominated for “Game of the Year”, alongside “Best Narrative/Art Direction/Score and Music”, and winning “Best Action and Indie” game for the 2020 iteration of The Game Awards amongst a flood of glowing reviews and die-hard fans, proves that it possesses a winning template for a Roguelite (Hawkes, 2013) experience that utilizes narratively-diegetic embedding of game mechanics in Greek mythology to immerse players in a rich gameplay and narrative experience. With a thorough examination of its design best conducted through an embodied experience, the act of close reading can provide valuable insight that informs the design of immersive player experiences beyond just the Roguelike – or games for that matter.

Literature Review

This literature review will serve to evaluate existing theories of player immersion, narrative design, narratively-diegetic embedding of game mechanics, and themes in Greek myth to establish a context in which an examination of Hades will be conducted.

Roguelike and Roguelites

Hades has its roots in the Roguelike genre that – as per the Berlin interpretation – is characterized by several game mechanics such as procedurally-generated dungeons, permadeath, resource management, Hack’n’Slash gameplay and complexity/run variance (RogueBasin, 2008). Drawing from such elements, Hades resembles a more forgiving offshoot of the Roguelike genre, the Roguelite. Differing from Roguelikes mainly in permadeath mechanics, Roguelites allow players to retain some resources for character upgrades post-player-death (Hawkes, 2013). This allows the player’s character to grow stronger after each run, reducing the difficulty of future runs, and enabling all players to eventually clear the dungeon regardless of skill level (Klepek, 2020).

Immersion

Prior literature on immersion in games have primarily been concerned with its definition and measurement within game experiences (Jennett, et al., 2008), how it is correlated with positive game experiences, (Reid, Geelhoed, Hull, Cater, & Clayton, 2005) or how it can be distinguished as a game experience separate from but related to Csíkszentmihályi’s Flow (Nacke & Lindley, 2008). Working definitions of immersion in games include Jennett’s view which involves a lack of awareness of the passage time, a loss of awareness of the real world, involvement, and a sense of being “within” the task environment (Jennett, et al., 2008). A more granular view of immersion in games separates it into either three levels of intensity: Engagement, Engrossment, and Total Immersion (Brown & Cairns, 2004) or into three forms: Sensory, Challenge-based, and Imaginative Immersion (Ermi & Mayra, 2005). Flow and immersion in games share similarities in requiring focused player attention in altering one’s sense of time, and self being lost, and in how experiential interruptions can result in disorientation (Emily & Carins, 2004). Ortqvist and Liljedahl proposes a contingency framework that reconciles the separation between Flow and immersion in games, arguing that the mechanism that transfers immersion to gameplay experience is based on Flow, of which is mediated by gamer characteristics such as age, experience, and understanding of the game (Örtqvis & Liljedahl, 2010).

Narrative Design – Themes, Structure, and Reactivity

Previous work on narrative structures offers a framework for classifying and understanding interactive narratives, covering the four primary elements of Structure, Narrative Mechanics, Interaction and User Experience (Carstensdottir, Kleinman, & El-Nasr, 2019) and their corresponding variants. Other approaches include those of semantic nature, Newman suggests that narratives, albeit those of television, can be structured into Beats, Episodes and Arcs (Newman, 2006); despite so, the definitions of each unit of storytelling provides a means to scaffold any narrative. Reactivity also plays a central part in most interactive non-linear narratives, of which the application and structures of the governing priority system that impact story threads can be defined and understood in terms of a governing Encounter Manager, Story Knots and Weighted Picks (Kline, 2009).

Narratively-diegetic Embedding of game mechanics

The concept of the narratively-diegetic embedding of game mechanics involves the embedding of game mechanics within the game’s narrative/lore. The relevant concepts of game mechanics and embed(ding) (within game’s narrative) are defined through a review of definitions from existing literature. Despite no widely accepted definition of game mechanics (Lim, et al., 2013) competing definitions include the view of game mechanics as "systems of interactions between the player and the game", that they "are more than what the player may recognize…those things that impact the play experience" (Rabin, 2009), while "In tabletop games and video games, 'game mechanics' are "the rules and procedures that guide the player and the game response to the player's moves or actions" (Boller, 2013). With the consideration that player interaction is synonymous with player choice, the concept of embed(ding) in the context of game mechanics can be augmented with Chen’s view of “embed(ding) the player’s choices into the core activities of the interactive experience” (Chen, 2007). This encompasses the act of embedding of game mechanics into game lore, what is termed as narratively-diegetic embedding of game mechanics in this paper.

Research Design

This study examines how the myths Hades is based on affords the narratively-diegetic embedding of game mechanics as narrative devices that function to create an immersive gameplay experience. This study involves the conduct of a close reading of the narrative design in Hades, in terms of its structure (constraints, pacing and organization) and reactivity framework (responsive Non-Player Characters (NPCs) and prioritized dialogue/voiceover events). Next, I cover Hades’ narrative itself, explicating how Hades soothes over the themes of tragedy and strife present in Greek mythology, while with cautious deference, extending and subverting the mythologies it is based on. Further, I cover how Hades’ grounding in Greek myth allows for the narratively-diegetic embedding of Roguelite game mechanics. Finally, I conclude how the above aspects of game design immerse players into the Sisyphean experience of uncovering narrative through continued death, placing their experience parallel to the lore and characters Hades’ narratives is based on.

Methodology

Close reading is an approach that explores the relationship between the ‘text’ (in this case, Hades) and the reader or player (Bizzocchi, 2011). Necessitating multiple playthroughs of a game, with an accompanying lens in which the process-driven practise of close reading is conducted, each subsequent playthrough deepens the researcher’s understanding of the game and allows for a rich, nuanced analysis of the gameplay experience, in so far as how it relates to their scope of research (Mitchell Alex, 2020). The lens of the Naïve Imagined Reader is adopted in the close reading of Hades, to simulate the first-hand experience the revelations Hades provides; in doing so mimicking the play experience of an initial playthrough in terms of its associated levels of immersion, gameplay motivations, emotional response, and player action. Cognizant of my prior experience with Hades, I adopted a process-driven approach, taking actions a new player would, acting upon the guidance that Hades provides to new players. This was modelled as faithfully as possible after my own initial exploration with Hades. Notably, my prior interest in Greek mythology inadvertently caused deeper scrutiny on how Hades interprets its version of the Grecian Underworld; from how its biomes are organized/designed, to its choice of soundtrack and art direction and ultimately how it changes characters from Greek Myth by the telling of stories beyond where myths of origin end.

Narrative Progression and Reactivity

Hades utilizes an Opportunistic narrative structure that leverages dynamic processes such as “responding to” player input to structure story content (Carstensdottir, Kleinman, & El-Nasr, 2019). Narrative progression is built on dialogue events, Story beats/knots, with NPCs that Zagreus can interact with, limited to one interaction per escape attempt or death. Whereas Narrative Reactivity is governed by an algorithmic Encounter Manager that gates and prioritizes dialogue events based on a combination of player and designer input to construct a unique narrative for each player. With a Weighted Pick (Kline, 2009) that, in a pre-determined but mutable sequence, favours prospective Story beats/knots based on prior input, the continuity and integrity of story threads, save events of greater priority, is upheld. This takes the form of NPCs apparently ‘picking up’ a conversation, referencing past dialogue in their current one or commenting on a player’s prior action. Such events range from being defeated by a specific boss, having spoken to another NPC, or equipping a particular loadout, and so on. This adds a level of reactiveness and weighted non-linearity to narrative development, personalizing the play experience of each player, immersing them into their version of Hades.

Narrative Components and Themes

The components of Hades’ narrative can be segregated into various levels. On a micro-level, once-per-run dialogue events constitute a Story Beat or in an interactive sense a Story Knot, the dialogue boxes that make up the event unfold as per fixed order. On a meso-level, a series of dialogue events delivered consecutively as per set order that collectively progresses or inflect the narrative without offering closure loosely defines an Episode or Story Thread; unlike beats, the order in which the beats that constitute the episode is not presented in a fixed order and is subject to player input and the Encounter Manager. On a macro-level, the main narrative of Hades is governed by three primary Arcs, encompassing a series of Episodes with distinct conclusions (Newman, 2006). The three Arcs can be classified into Rebellion, Reconciliation/Forgiveness, and Reunification. The findings are presented in the following sections. Further details of each narrative arc have been provided in Appendix A.

Hades: Rebellion

This Arc begins with an escape attempt being made by the disgraced prince of the Underworld, Zagreus. Without a tutorial of the controls, I attempt to familiarize myself with the controls and attempt my escape.

During my efforts, various elements of gameplay such as different foes, boons, powerups, and resources (artifacts and bounties) are collected. Throughout the run, I became acquainted with various NPCs ranging from Olympian Gods to Charon (Ferryman of the dead). Cleary lacking in experience and upgrades, I died without leaving Tartarus – as the game intended, I was sent back to the House of Hades by the River Styx emerging from a pool of blood. I was struck how apt the central mechanic of a Roguelike, player death, was embedded as a lore-based fact amongst Chthonic Gods/Godlings of the Grecian Underworld. Through speaking to the NPCs, I was given the context of the world Zagreus inhabits, however was unable to speak to them more than once; this leads me to believe that I had to fulfil certain criteria to speak each NPC again. In my uncertainty, Hades, Zagreus’s father, belittles my efforts, while Nyx (Zagreus’s foster mother) and Achilles (Zagreus’s mentor and warrior of myth) encourages me to attempt escape again.

Having explored the House of Hades and left with few choices I move to attempt another escape. Beginning my next run, the cycle of death and discovery repeats. Each run I unlock new weapons, meet new foes, defeat new bosses, meet other Olympians/Primal powers alongside NPCs found in each biome of Tartarus, Asphodel, Elysium, and Temple of Styx. I found myself eager to attempt the next run driven by a sense of novelty afforded by the high-run variance of combining different weapons/playstyles with different boons while making different choices in my exploration of the Underworld. Here I began to gain an awareness of how a feedback loop motivates continued attempts. Subsequent failed escape attempts confirmed that narrative progression was tied to dialogue events, of which is limited to once per escape or death. Incentivized by novelty and the opportunity to both test new strategies and make progress to the Underworld’s end, I found that further failure in escape attempts are rewarded in both narrative progression and resource collection for accompanying character upgrades, while simultaneously presenting the opportunity to attempt, and perhaps succeed, in escaping with a now stronger player character. Combined with the unlocking for new features (keepsakes and weapons aspects), these incentives maintain player engagement as the average difficulty of their runs are lowered, allowing for further progress in the Underworld till they succeed in their (for me it was 30th) escape attempt.

The first significant plot point of this Arc arrives when I was prompted to take a rest. Previously, past attempts to do so restrict players to only interacting with a chair/bed but not actually sitting/resting in/on it. Here the significance of finally being allowed to act on an action signposts the changing of the status quo. At this point, attempting to interact with Zagreus's bed triggers an ‘Earlier…’ flashback sequence. In this sequence, Zagreus discovers the truth about his parentage and how his real mother, Persephone, who he believed to be dead, had instead escaped to the surface. Furious, he confronts Nyx for lying to him, here the flashback ends. With this knowledge, his previous motivations for attempting escape are replaced by a deep yearning to be reunited with and to receive answers from his birthmother. This signals the transition to the next narrative arc of Forgiveness and Reconciliation.

Hades: Forgiveness and Reconciliation

At this point, I managed to reach the surface (Greece), overwhelm Hades, the final boss, and meet Persephone for the first time. After a joyous reunion, a recap of my journey and an update of the happenings in the Underworld. I learnt of how Hades and Nyx have kept Persephone in the dark of Zagreus’s survival for her safety; even with so much left unanswered, I was taken by the Styx due to being bound to the Underworld and unable to leave it for long. Emerging from a pool of blood, I confronted Hades who pretended the fight never happened. Convinced that the only way to get answers was to speak to Persephone again, I was given new reason to attempt escape. For brevity, a detailed breakdown of each dialogue event per successful escape attempt can be found in Appendix B.

After a total of ten successful escapes and the accompanying nine victories over Hades and accompanying meetings with Persephone, the tenth time Zagreus reaches the surface, Hades finally admits his mistakes and allows Zagreus to pass without a fight. This apparent breaking of the typical flow of an escape attempt seemingly signals a shift in the narrative, which is realised when Persephone agrees to Zagreus’s request to return to the Underworld and re-assume her role as Queen, risking being discovered by Olympus to rekindle her bonds with Hades and other members of his House. After being ferried by Charon down River Styx, Hades uncharacteristically apologizes and commends Zagreus for bringing Persephone home. In contrast to his prior disapproval, his acknowledgement of Zagreus role in Persephone’s return signals the mending of familial relations and change in the attitudes of the characters within. This concludes the main narrative Arc of Hades. However, with many loose ends such as the deception of Olympians required to be tied up, Hades enters its final Arc and epilogue of Reunification.

Hades: Reunification and Acceptance

The final arc involves reuniting Mount Olympus and the House of Hades defusing the threat of war and reconciling Hades and his brother, Zeus. This tale connects Hades to the existing Abduction myth, in this deference and subversion, placing it chronologically within its lines of the original Homeric Hymn.

After returning to the Underworld, Persephone saw an opportunity to tie up loose ends, avoid war with Olympus, and announce her return/safety. With Zagreus’s growing bond with his Olympian relatives, she proposes for Zagreus to invite each Olympian to a feast in the Underworld, using this opportunity to tell the Olympians “what they need to hear” about her personal history and the truth of Zagreus’s parentage. By design the longest arc, I had to collect gifting resources(Nectar & Ambrosia), unlock and fill the affinity meter of eight Olympians, and eventually invite them to said banquet while entirely reliant on the procedurally generated Underworld to provide me with the opportunities to do so. To maintain player engagement, new weapon aspects, side-quests, game mechanics, and loadout options are incrementally introduced to expand the play experience.

The Myth (and Rumour) of the Pomegranates

(Fig 1-3 Dialogue of “What they needed to hear”)

With Zagreus’s help, Persephone’s plan was a success. The Olympians accepted her explanation for what happened after she was ‘abducted’ by Hades. However, she also slipped in this ‘fact’ about the pomegranates.

(Fig 4-6. Dialogue of “Rumour of the Pomegranates”)

Doing so to protect her time in the Underworld, Persephone believed that if the Olympians knew she was alive, they might have expected her to return with them, regardless of her wishes. Needing an alibi, she then started spreading the rumour of how consumption of Underworld Pomegranates causes one to have to spend one year in the Underworld per seed consumed. This ties into the origin of the bi-yearly arrangement at the end of the original Abduction myth, caused by Hades allegedly ‘tricking’ her into consuming the pomegranates. Hence, by necessity, the Gods, agreed that Persephone was to split her time between Olympus and the Underworld.

This arc concludes after the feast where we are shown a cutscene of Zeus and Hades forgiving past ills and after which a ‘Family Reunited’ banner is bequeathed. In tying up loose plot points, this brings Hades’ narratives to a close, and with paradoxical deference and subversion, places it within its myth of origin.

Extending and Subverting the Myth

Reframing the Abduction Myth

In reframing the Abduction myth, Supergiant, for the most part, remains true to its source material. However, in positioning the events in Hades as occurring after the Persephone was abducted by Hades and ending when the arrangement, facilitated by pomegranates, of having her spend half of each year in the Underworld and Olympus was reached; Hades subverts the Abduction myth by telling a deeper, more complex story within its lines. In reframing its actors, Hades rejects the supposed tragedy of Persephone’s plight, instead, construing her as both a willing party and primary agent, as per many other female NPCs, Nyx, Athena, and more, in the arrangement at the Abduction myth’s end. Hades is not a typical antagonist but a poor (but improving) father, strict ruler, and caring husband. A mix of characters of myth, Zagreus, Achilles, Sisyphus, Orpheus, and more were ‘crossed-over’ bringing their histories into this modern retelling of Persephone ‘plight’. Even so, it defers to and draws on the original characterizations of Olympians and details from the Abduction myth, from Demeter’s rage at the loss of Persephone, to the dysfunctional and all-too-human bickering of the Olympians.

Originally believed to be ‘abducted’ by Hades, Persephone was believed by the Olympians, besides Hades, Zeus, and Persephone herself, that she was trapped in the Underworld. This leads Demeter, Persephone’s mother, to grieve over the loss of her daughter and plunge the surface into a deep winter, as per the Abduction myth (To Demeter, 1914). It was during this time where Hades tells its tale. We learn that Hades did not abduct Persephone but was ‘given’ to him by Zeus, of which she willingly agreed to, in order to escape Olympus and her detestable relatives; only to escape to the surface at the loss of her son – but return through his persistence. It was only during the feast where Persephone announced her return, offered a suitable explanation for her disappearance, and started the rumour of the Pomegranates where we return to the familiar arrangement at the Abduction myth’s end.

This position of the game’s narrative in larger Abduction myth highlights how Hades defers to and yet subverts the myths it is based on, leaving players with a new perspective on familiar myths. In line with Ortqvist and Liljedahl’s findings of player characteristics informing depth of immersion. In utilizing existing myth, Hades was able to leverage my prior knowledge and familiarity with said myths, heightening my experience of immersion and investment within such games.

‘Side-Quests’ and other References

This effort to extend and subvert the Greek Myths Hades is based on goes beyond the main narrative arcs and into the ‘side-quests’ that involve freeing of Shades from their servitude. These Shades, Sisyphus, Orpheus, and Achilles are bound to the House of Hades and grow to become friends with Zagreus, supporting his attempts to escape.

In a “Even Earlier...” flashback cutscene which depicts Zagreus being late for work in the Administrative Chamber; in which he was reprimanded by Hades for both his tardiness and poor performance while on the job cumulating in his firing from his job. This scene sheds light on the thorny relationship between Zagreus and his father. Post-flashback, I was allowed to purchase access to the Administrative chamber from the House Contractor and thus embark on the various ‘side-quests’ as contracts binding the shades in question, Orpheus, Achilles, Sisyphus are found in the Administrative chamber.

After the above, and in addition to Affinity Gauges with each shade with Nectar and Ambrosia, Zagreus will be offered the opportunity to free them from their sentences through separate but thematically similar ‘side-quests’. Each Shade, even Sisyphus doomed to roll a boulder uphill for eternity and Orpheus lost to Eurydice; is re-characterized as a kind, likeable and even thoughtful friend of Zagreus that root for his success, they are shown to have both matured from past mistakes but resigned to their fate in the Underworld. This ties into the overarching themes of Forgiveness and Reconciliation/Reunion in Hades’ main narrative and runs contrary to the tragedy present in these character’s origins. I have included a detailed overview of these narratives in Appendix C.

Beyond the Tragedy

Beginning where origin myths end, these ‘side-quests’ extends on each character’s story, redefining prior tragedies as mere inflexions in a larger narrative of forgiveness/reunification; subverting themes of loss with contrarian conclusions. Illustrative of the narrative depth that Hades provides, especially when placed in the context of respective origins, narrative progression on such ‘side-quests’ is pegged to escape attempts and dependent on random encounters or certain NPCs during each attempt; as such I was given greater reason to play Hades, reinforcing the established feedback loop.

Imagining Sisyphus Happy

“One must imagine Sisyphus happy”, Camus’s quote in the Myth of Sisyphus entails Sisyphus acknowledging the futility of his task and certainty of his fate, thus freeing him to realize the absurdity of his situation, attaining a contented acceptance. This could be observed reflected in Sisyphus’s story and character, from his easy-going nature to his decision to stay with ‘Bouldy’ even opting to occasionally “take him out for a roll”, after being freed from his sentence. Here, Sisyphus’s story is mirrored the player experience of Roguelikes; where players, like Sisyphus, attempt to clear a dungeon, only to be sent back to where they started, regardless of the success or failure in their attempts. However, in finding meaning in their efforts the player comes to contend with their circumstances, enjoying an apparently futile task.

After the final narrative arc, Zagreus has no real motivation to make further escapes. However, given employment as an Underworld warden and charged with the testing of its security, this gives him reason to continually attempt escape. Like Sisyphus deciding to stay in his chamber with ‘Bouldy’, the player sees meaning in and chooses to attempt the absurd task of escape.

Immersion and Narratively-diegetic Embedding of game mechanics

Through narrative design, reactivity, narratively-diegetic embedding of game mechanics, and overall gameplay experience, Hades was built for player immersion. I resonated most with Imaginative Immersion, empathizing deeply with the struggles of each character, playable or otherwise (Ermi & Mayra, 2005). This is largely attributed to my prior appreciation for Greek myth and how Hades offers an opportunity to rewrite the Greek tragedy.

Narratively-diegetic embedding of game mechanics aid in ensuring consistency of the play experience, preventing the player from questioning the appropriates in style and presentation of game mechanics. Resources management feature heavily in most Roguelikes and in Hades, they either stem from Greek Myth or reflect the relationships Zagreus has with others. From ‘Nectar’ and ‘Ambrosia’, referenced as the food/drink of the Gods (Chisholm, 1911), being used as gifting resource to unlock/raise the ‘Affinity Meter ‘of its recipient to ‘Poms of Power’, representing pomegranates are used to upgrade Boons(Blessings from each Olympian that modify Zagreus’s weapon and playstyle) during runs, relating to the Abduction myth (Gantz, 1996). Even ‘Charon’s Obol’, an in-game currency used to purchase items from Charon’s shop, references how one can pay Charon for safe passage down the River Styx (Stevens 1991).

Within the House of Hades, narratively-diegetic embedding is further observed in how the Character Upgrade mechanic is represented by the ‘Mirror of Night’ in Zagreus’s room, referencing Nyx, the Mother of Night, from which the ‘Darkness’ resource also stems form, reflective of her support and empowerment of Zagreus.

While ‘Achilles’s Codex’, a representation of the ‘Encyclopaedia/Codex’ element in games and written from Achilles’s perspective, it contains various aspects of game lore. It starts out with scant information and fills up as one uncovers more of the Underworld, this illustrates further embedding of game mechanics into game lore, and is heightened by how information within said Encyclopaedia/Codex is derived from Achilles’s own experience, such as his view on Zeus, Hades, and in particular, Patroclus. Patroclus’s entry within the Codex echoes and evolves with Achilles’s inner thoughts, as he comes to terms with the mistakes of his past, and Zagreus works to bring the estranged companions together. Moving from the inner turmoil of denial and regret over mistakes and choices of the past to one of release, elation, and contentment of finally reconciling with it; in this manner acting as companion to the unfolding 'side quest'.

Weapons loadout is represented by a courtyard housing various ‘Infernal Arms’. These weapons are based on various myths and legends, Beowolf, Gilgamesh, Rama Guan Yu of the Three Kingdoms, King Arthur Pendragon, Lucifer, and other Greek Gods (Hestia, Eris, Chiron, Hera, Nemesis, Talos), some of which were used by their original owners to imprison the Titans (Gantz, 1996), appropriately, they can also be upgraded with the resource of ‘Titan’s Blood’. The training dummy, ‘Skelly’, doubles up as an NPC.

The ‘Administrative Chamber’ also houses the player stats represented by two large filing cabinets. Dynamic Difficulty Adjustments (DDAs) (Ang, 2017) are represented by a ‘Pact of Punishment’ with alterable conditions that make the escape attempt variably more difficult, in a way ‘punishing’ the player, but earning them rewards per successful biome cleared. This not only embeds DDA within Hades but also references a larger theme of how pacts, or oaths, with Greek Gods precludes consequences if broken and possibly reward if fulfilled (Alan H. Sommerstein, 2014).

Boons, godly blessings from the Olympians, reflective for their support for their nephew, empower Zagreus in his escape. Sometimes presented as unity in Duo boons, Boons that combine the characteristics of two Olympian Gods, or as a choice in a ‘Trail of the Gods’ encounter, where players are presented with two boons but can only choose one, after making their choices, they would have to survive the wrath (or trail) of the other before receiving the boon from the spurned but grudgingly respectful Olympian. These highlights the fickle nature the Olympians flitting between cooperation to conflict. Best of all, in-game achievements are represented by a fourth-wall-breaking ‘List of Minor Prophecies’ which not only relates to the Fates of Greek Myth but also plays on how the player will eventually fulfil each achievement as if it were prophecy.

Immersion and Narrative Reactivity

Narrative reactivity helps further player immersion in two ways. One, while Hades’s narrative may be non-linear, its order of beats in each episode, for the most part, unfold as per predetermined order once started. However, the ordering of these Episodes in the wider Narrative Arc is subtly directed and determined by the Encounter Manager accounting for player input. Two, Hades employs the use of reactive environments, such as voiceover interjections by both the omnipresent narrator (like those of Bastion) and NPCs, who react when Zagreus interacts with the Underworld, catching a Fish, reading a tibbit of lore, trying to attack them, and so on . These designs cultivate an immersive experience via mimicry of reality, adding a level of fidelity to the interactive experience. Combined, this leads to a level of personalization and lore-based realism that draws players into the role of protagonist in an interactive experience that is both built for and shaped by their input. Acting through Zagreus, I noticed how this interactive experience mirrors my personal view of ‘Self as Protagonist’, which sees one’s self as the titular protagonist in our own real-world narratives (Vice, 2003). Although not unique to Hades, these parallels encourage players to view Zagreus as an extension of their will, and through shared empathy, inhabit his story with Imagined Immersion.

Challenge-based and Sensory Immersion

Aside from Hades’ narrative design, its gameplay and design also contribute to a player’s challenge-based Immersion. After the first successful escape attempt, players unlock the ‘Pact of Punishment’, a form of DDA, which allows adding difficulty modifiers to subsequent runs in order to earn ‘Bounties’, rare resources such as, Titian’s Blood, Ambrosia and Diamonds. This is limited to once per weapon aspect and heat level. This helps keep players engaged by raising the difficulty level of the dungeon to match their increasing proficiency. Such adjustments are necessary to stave off the tedium of ‘grinding’ in the second and third arc of Hades due to their increasing length caused by the randomness of encounters and an increased number of escape attempts taken to complete such arcs. Beyond which, players are offered a quest by Skelly that has them unlocking commissioned statues of (supposedly) Zagreus for successful escape attempts at specific heat levels, further motivating the player to attempt increasingly high heat clears motivated to a drive for quest completion and curiosity.

Hades was built to resemble closely Supergiant’s interpretation of the Grecian Underworld, be it through a self-described “Mediterranean Prog-Rock Halloween” (Krob, 2018) soundtrack that contains everything from soulful ballads to pulse-pounding heavy-metal riffs, or a distinctly vibrant pen-and-ink style of visual presentation that encompasses everything from environment design to character portraits, and even smooth animations that add the necessary ‘weight’ and vibrancy to every action. The consistency and strength of Hades’ audio-visual experience served to impress on players a deep sense of sensory immersion. Sensory immersion here is tied to the player’s expected challenge-based immersion, with heart-pounding distorted rock and metal heralding the start of a boss fight and soft ballads providing a moment’s respite in friendly encounters.

Narrative Design, Game Mechanics, and Immersion

Designed from Greek myth, Hades, serves as a modern interpretation (and continuation) of the Greek pantheon set in a Grecian Underworld and bound by familiar myths. In terms of its narrative design (themes, structure) of its main arc and side quests, narrative reactivity of the game world, narratively-diegetic embedding of game mechanics, and even its audio-visual execution work towards creating a consistent play experience that players can experience as a ‘playable extension’ to Greek myth. Designed to dissuade players from questioning the game’s consistency of audio-visual and narrative presentation/style. Supergiant’s use of narratively-diegetic game mechanics as both narrative devices for myths old and new supports player immersion as audience and actor to a responsive narrative personalized to their pace. From its resources having narrative significance (Darkness and the Mirror of Night), narrative consistency (Administrative Chamber and Player Stats), precedent in lore (Charon’s Obol, List of Minor Prophecies, Nectar and Ambrosia), or all the above (Pomegranate/Poms of Power), the designers of Hades have gone to great lengths to cement players into an unquestioning immersive experience.

The Underworld Pomegranate, or Poms of Power, fulfils the role of a ‘levelling’ mechanic for Olympian boon that aids Zagreus in his escape. With Poms of Power being suggested to have been cultivated by Persephone, they are reflective of her existing perigee as an Olympian(In a way, Poms of power when combined with any Olympian’s blessing is its own form of ‘duo’ boon) through how they interact with boons and act as a symbol of her desire to assist her son’s escape to speak to him. Beyond acting as a narratively-diegetic embedded game mechanic, it also had significance as a narrative device that through the later rumour about the pomegranates, reframing its purpose and meaning in its origin myth. The conscious choice of using representations of the pomegranates as a game mechanic, given its lore precedent, creates layers of meaning that compel players to immersion within a consistent and ‘believable’ play experience.

From Engagement to Engrossment and Beyond

Due to my own player characteristics, I was already deeply engrossed and emotionally invested in Hades (Örtqvis & Liljedahl, 2010). However, my experience revealed another means in which Hades engages the player. By incorporating investment, resource collection and character upgrades, and opportunity, alternate strategies, and loadouts, into the previously identified feedback loop, players are continually incentivized to invest time, effort, and attention into Hades. For despite success or failure, they are rewarded with resources that make the next run less challenging, bringing them one step closer to a successful attempt and continued narrative progression. With investment and associated rewards breaking the initial barrier of Engagement, emotional attachment to Zagreus and accompanying NPCs moving players into Engrossment and beyond.

Conclusion

The confluence of immersive design along with my own appreciation of Greek myth drew me into a state of total immersion in which I discovered only when I managed to clear the entire Forgiveness and Reconciliation Arc in one session. With the help of the ‘side-quests’, DDA, constant opportunity to attempt novel strategies, weapons, powerups and quests; my experience was fundamentally driven by the feedback loop that incentivized further play with narrative progression on several narrative branches. While still halfway through an escape attempt, I was already thinking of the strategies and objectives of my next one. With my specific player characteristics, Hades proved to be an Achilles’ heel to my sensibilities, as proven in also the sheer time I devoted to playing and writing about it.

Through this close reading of the designs of Hades, I have explored how Hades designs for an immersive experience, from narratively-diegetic embedding of game mechanism to drawing on existing lore and characters of myth in the telling of new stories and reframing of old ones. I have also highlighted how elements of narrative structure and reactivity when held in tandem with other means of immersion reinforces a feedback loop that powers player immersion.

It is important to note that findings from close readings are reflective of one’s rich, specific experience of encountering a work. With the nature of narrative reactivity and the personalized non-linear narrative, it is unlikely that each player would come to have experiences identical to my own; even as they, by design, come to experience similar narratives – albeit in a different order. With the very nature of a Roguelike evolving with each iteration of the classic genre, I am not stating that all Roguelikes should emulate, or be limited by, the designs of Hades for player immersion but instead recognize, learn, and iterate of its successes.

As such, I present my findings not as generalisable observations but as observations grounded by personal experience. Future work can include further examination of game design for player immersion, specifically the exploration of the use of immersive interfaces, such as those of Dead Space and an examination of other games steeped in established lore such as The Witcher, God of War and Diablo series.

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Appendix A – Summary of Narrative Arcs

Rebellion: Open with Zagreus attempting to leave the Underworld motivated by both an escape from his suffocating existence and to spite his father, Hades, who views him as an incompetent disappointment. Having learnt of Mount Olympus, he yearns to explore the surface world and eventually reach his (more agreeable but dysfunctional) relatives on it. Notably, his efforts are supported by his foster mother, Nyx the Night Incarnate, who he believes is his real mother. It is alluded to that Zagreus has been deceived of the truth of his parentage by Hades, Nyx, and other members of the House. In actuality, his birth-mother is Persephone, Goddess of the Verdure, and daughter to Demeter.
1. It was believed by the Olympians that Zagreus was the son of Nyx; for it has been prophesied, that the god Hades was never to have an heir. This prophecy appeared to come to pass as Zagreus, the actual son of Hades and Persephone was stillborn. This, amongst other reasons, led to Persephone ‘abandoning’ her son and leaving the Underworld for the surface. However, Nyx, also mother to the Fates, managed to petition her daughters to twist the strands of fate, reviving Zagreus in a lengthy and exhausting process. Uncertain if Zagreus would survive the process and to protect both Persephone, who from living on the surface and Zagreus from the knowledge of his true parentage, she raised him as her own.
2. Arc Conclusion: After a set number of failed escapes, Zagreus discovers that Persephone, is still alive and has escaped the Underworld to live on the surface. This collapses his numerous motivations for escape into a one, set on seeing his birth mother again.
Reconciliation/Forgiveness: Zagreus reaches the surface, defeating Hades and meeting Persephone for the first time. He discovers that Persephone had felt trapped in the Underworld and had fled to the surface when she learnt that her son was ‘stillborn’, leaving Zagreus and her life as Queen behind. Despite having so much to say, he expires shortly after due to being bound to the House of Hades and is thus unable to leave the Underworld for long (not caused by Underworld Pomegranates, which effects were mere rumour).
1. He wakes back in the House of Hades and attempts to see Persephone again keen to unravel the web of familial ties between Son, Mother, Foster-mother, Father, Olympus, and the Underworld. He attempts to escape repeatedly, fighting past his father each time, speaking to Persephone briefly before dying and repeating the process all over again. Each time he meets her, he learns of the tenuous relationships between the Underworld and Mount Olympus, how her personal history ties into it and why she did not return to Olympus after having left the Underworld. Eventually, Zagreus grows convinced he can persuade her to return to the Underworld.
2. Arc Conclusion: The tenth time Zagreus reaches the surface, his father opts not to fight him, letting him go to Persephone. Where he successfully convinces Persephone to return to the House of Hades. Familial ties are mended, Persephone forgives Hades, Zagreus’s relationship with his father improves. The game credits roll.
Reunification: Central to Arc is the notion of mending the relationship between Hades and Zeus and tying up any loose plotlines opened by the previous Arc. It is revealed that Persephone had left Olympus willingly, but technically was forced to the Underworld by Zeus. Hades was similarly manipulated into the situation by his scheming brother, although he had been smitten with the goddess, and to this day resents him for it. Besides Zeus, Hades, and Persephone the other Olympians assumed that Hades have abducted Persephone and she has ‘died’ and is thus trapped in the Underworld. With the relations between the Underworld and Olympus on thin ice and further complicated by the motivations of other Olympian Gods and the cold rage of Persephone’s mother, Demeter; Zagreus keeps up the pretence of fighting out of the underworld in an attempt to fool his relatives on Mount Olympus. Prevent them from learning of Persephone’s return and avoiding the supposed war between the Underworld and Olympus if the truth came to light.
1. However, determined to resolve this predicament, Persephone hatches a plan to reconcile the House of Hades and Gods of Mount Olympus with a banquet where she intends to announce her return to the Underworld and offer a cover story of what happened when she was ‘abducted’. Zagreus is tasked to build rapport with each Olympian God (Through the gifting of Nectar and Ambrosia) and ultimately invite each God to a banquet in the House of Hades.
2. Arc Conclusion: During the banquet, Persephone announces her return to the Underworld and enlightens unknowing Olympians, as much as possible, to events of the past. Despite not telling the truth in its entirety, and using the Pomegranates as an excuse to stay in the Underworld, this ultimately serves to mend larger rifts between Hades and Zeus, the Underworld and Mount Olympus.

Appendix B – Forgiveness/Reconciliation Narrative (2nd to 9th meeting)

2nd Meeting: The second meeting uncovered Persephone’s motivations for leaving the Underworld in addition to how she was ‘lied’ to that Zagreus was stillborn.
3rd Meeting: Before my third meeting, I learn how Nyx, who was also mother to the Fates, had managed to revive Zagreus and Hades seems to grudgingly acknowledge, but not answer, my questions of his history with Persephone. Meeting Persephone, Zagreus asks if she would return to the Underworld with him, convinced that Hades and Nyx cared for her and wanted to see her return.
4th Meeting: The fourth meeting reveals a conflict between Hades and Nyx over the handling of unfolding developments; whereas my meeting with Persephone reveals her disdain for the other Olympians and why she did not return to Olympus after leaving the Underworld. It also hints that the other Olympian Gods thought Persephone had ‘died’ after being ‘abducted’ by Hades.
5th Meeting: In the fifth meeting Persephone learns of how Olympus was under the impression that they aided Zagreus in his attempt to reach the surface in order for him to join them on Olympus. This causes her to fear the repercussions if Olympus were ever to find out how both herself and Zagreus have deceived them.
6th Meeting: In the sixth meeting Hades claims that he abducted Persephone to be his bribe, however, Persephone reveals that tired of the squabbling Olympians, she went with Hades willingly. She also iterates her worry about how the Olympians would react if they found out she not only alive but also willingly turned her back on Olympus to live in the Underworld. Reading between the lines might suggest, if discovered the Olympians may view Persephone’s actions as a form of betrayal.
7th Meeting: During the seventh meeting, Persephone is hesitant of returning to the Underworld, fearing if discovered by the Olympians, their pride might spark a war between the House of Hades and Mount Olympus.
8th Meeting: In the eighth meeting, she contends that there are no more mutual feelings between Hades and her and seems to reject Zagreus’s suggestion of returning to the Underworld. She also urges Zagreus to stop visiting her lest the Olympias uncover the truth of his attempts and her ‘betrayal’ of Olympus.
9th Meeting: Convinced she was mistaken, Zagreus sneaks into Hades’ chamber and discovers that he keeps a picture of Persephone at his bedside ever since she left. In his ninth meeting, Zagreus was able to remind Persephone of the treasured bonds she shared with both Hades and other members of the House of Hades, she considers returning to the Underworld but wavers due to her ever-present worry of being discovered by Olympus.
10th Meeting: Covered Above.

Appendix C – ‘Side-Quests’ and other References

Eurydice and Orpheus

After being dammed to the Underworld by Orpheus looking back when he was told specifically not to, Eurydice is understandably pissed with Orpheus. For Orpheus, that mistake haunts him and he believes that Eurydice, his muse, was lost to him forever. As a result, he refuses to sing; which for a court musician defeats his purpose of employ. Zagreus begins to inform Eurydice of Orpheus’s sorry state and desire to see her again. Initially, she reacts with disdain but at Zagreus’s insistence, is convinced to relinquish one copy of her songs, ‘Good Riddance’, for Orpheus to coax him into singing again. Moved, Orpheus sing again, beginning with ‘Good Riddance’. In the next meeting, Eurydice is depicted not singing but instead pensive and filled with a longing to see Orpheus again. With the help of Nyx, Zagreus locates Orpheus contract and voids it, reuniting the lovers. The next time Zagreus encounter Eurydice in Asphodel, Orpheus will be by her side performing a duet of ‘Good Riddance’.

Sisyphus (and Bouldy?)

(Figure 7-10 Sisyphus rejecting freedom)

For spiting the Gods and attempting to cheat Death (Thanatos), Sisyphus was sentenced to an eternity of rolling a boulder up a hill only to have it roll back down just before he summits it – all while being tortured by the Furies, Megaera(Eldest of the Fury Sisters, also Zagreus’s on again off again lover) included. When we meet him in Tartarus, he appears jovial and morosely cheerful, albeit resigned to his circumstances; nonetheless, he remains supportive of Zagreus’s efforts. Building a relationship with him will lead him to introduce Zagreus to ‘Bouldy’, the name he christened his boulder with. Afterwards, Zagreus will offer to help with his predicament which Sisyphus will gently turn down, stating that he deserved his punishment. Despite so, Zagreus petitions Nyx and Megaera, the eldest Fury, to allow him to access to Sisyphus’s contract. If prior conditions, Affinity Meter with these NPCs are required levels are met, they will agree to his request and Zagreus will be able to free Sisyphus from his punishment. However, when telling Sisyphus that he was free to leave, Sisyphus instead opts to stay in Tartarus, having come to see his chamber as home and unwilling to leave ‘Bouldy’ behind.

Achilles and Patroclus

Similarly, the reunion of Achilles and Patroclus unfolds in a similar vein. Assembled from parts of Homer’s lliad, Achilles and Patroclus were in the employ of King Agamemnon, commander of the Achaean forces. Having had his lover stolen and even scorned and dishonoured by Agamemnon, Achilles refuses to fight or lead the Greek forces against the Trojans, causing them to lose ground. Patroclus, believing it necessary that the soldiers rally around the symbol of Achilles, pressured Achilles to let him don his armour to lead the soldiers in his stead despite being able to push back the Trojans, he was ultimately killed by Hector, a Trojan champion. Learning of his death, Achilles was equal parts enraged, remorseful, and anguished. Thus, he joins the war, slaying Hector, and avenging Patroclus’s death.

When we meet him in the House of Hades, Achilles has signed a contract with Hades entering his employ in return for allowing Patroclus into Elysium while Patroclus has apparently drank from River Lethe(One of the five rivers of the underworld of Hades, all those who drank from it experienced complete forgetfulness) and forgotten details of his past. Achilles still carries his shame and regret of his past mistakes and yearns to see Patroclus again, of which Patroclus concurs as Zagreus’s continued interactions with him remind him of who and what Achilles meant to him. Despite his desires, Achilles fears the repercussions of leaving his post in the East Wing. After building up a relationship between these characters, Patroclus will ask Zagreus to pass on the message to Achilles, reminding him to “Risk it all.” After hearing that phrase, Achilles reminisces the last time he heard that from Patroclus and agrees to have Zagreus help him reunite with Patroclus. With Nyx’s help and access to the Administrative chamber, Zagreus locates and voids Achilles’s contract allowing him to go to Patroclus. The next time Patroclus is encountered in Elysium, Achilles will be with him, reminiscing the old times. Below is an entry in Achilles’s Codex which illustrates the evolution of Achilles’s inner turmoil and serves as companion to this narrative.

(Figure 11 Achilles's entry in his codex about Patroclus)

Zagreus and Dionysus

Notably, Zagreus, our titular protagonist lacks a concrete myth of origin. Orphism, a religion associated by the literature of Orpheus, identifies him as the ‘first Dionysus’, a son of Zeus and Persephone, who was dismembered by the Titans and from which his heart was reborn to the Dionysus of ‘modern’ Greek myth. Other myths links Zagreus to Hades, as possibly his son, or even Hades himself. Hades is largely based on the latter but it also references Zagreus’s Orphic origin through a prank Dionysus and Zagreus pulled on Orpheus.

(Figure 12-17 Zagreus and Dionysus pranks Orpheus)

When placed in a wider understanding of Greek Mythology, this exchange creates for its audiences(players) a sense of dramatic irony. In so much as, the confusion around Zagreus’s origin were orchestrated by Dionysus and Zagreus himself.