Hellslave news & patch notes

Hey everyone,

Tomorrow, HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon releases on August 4th at 4pm CEST, with a 15% launch discount. 😈

Wherever you are in the world, here's when the gates open:

If you haven't tried the demo yet, it's available now, so you're ready the moment it unlocks.

See you tomorrow. 🔥

🔥 Play the demo:

😈 Wishlist HellSlave II:

~ Baptiste (solo dev)

Hey everyone,

See you in 2 days. 🔥

It's getting hotter! Just 2 days until HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon releases on August 4th at 4pm CEST, with a 15% launch discount. 😈

If you haven't tried the demo yet, it's available now, so you can be ready for launch day.

🔥 Play the demo:

😈 Wishlist HellSlave II:

~ Baptiste (solo dev)

Hey everyone, quick focus on one of the Sorcerer subclasses: Black Death.

Spread disease and pestilence, then sit back at a safe distance and watch as your enemies die a slow and painful death. This one is for the players who love to see their enemies fade with no hope of surviving.

Plague Gameplay

Black Death is built around poison and disease, with plenty of morbid tools to play with.

• The Obvious Options: your bread and butter, with spells like Rain of Spores, Plague-ridden Blade, and Poison Explosion.

• Offensive Synergies: complete your offense with Arterial Drain, Leper's Shield, and Infection of Wounds.

• Morbid and Tricky Spells: get creative with Devastation, damage-over-time from Nocturnal Sidekick, and control from Prison of Thorns, Mood Sucker, or Haunting Death Rattle to become your enemies' worst nightmare.

You Choose: Pure Poison or Tricky Control?

You can pick your path. Stack disease and watch enemies rot from a safe distance, or lean into control and morbid tricks to dictate the whole fight. Adapting your build is key.

Hope this subclass gets you hyped! Feel free to share your favorite way to play dirty.

Don't forget to wishlist!

- Baptiste (solo dev)

Hey everyone, time for the next Demonic Path.

As a reminder: after clearing the first dungeon, you'll get to pledge yourself to one of six demonic powers (Satan, Leviathan, Mammon, Baal, Asmodeus, or Belzebub).

Each Path is a permanent set of spells that stacks on top of your base class and shapes the rest of your run. The choice is locked in once made, so pick wisely! 😈

Leviathan, the heavenly beast.

Leviathan unleashes the elements and annihilates everything in its path using the raw power of the elements and nature.

The Leviathan Spell Set

A magic-focused Path built around critical spells, explosions, mana regeneration, and AoE damage:

• Blast: deals a portion of the attack's damage to your other enemies.

• Infernal Death Rattle: when your life is low, your damage increases significantly.

• Chain of Explosions: if this attack kills the target, a magic explosion deals the same damage to all other enemies.

• Lightning Shock: deals extra lightning damage to all enemies, plus a few seconds of fatigue.

• Supreme Power: when your mana is nearly full, your damage increases significantly.

• Mental Evisceration: if this attack kills the target, you recover a large chunk of your maximum mana.

Hope this Path gets you hyped! Let me know in the comments which Demonic Path you're leaning toward. 👀

Don't forget to wishlist! it helps a lot, thanks. :)

- Baptiste (solo dev)

Wishlist Hellslave II 🔥and join the Discord before the gates of hell claim you.

Hey everyone,

Just 5 days until HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon releases on August 4th at 4pm CEST. 😈

And now you know the damage: HellSlave II launches at $19.99 / €19.99 / £17.99, with a 15% launch discount at release and regional pricing set for everywhere else too.

If you haven't tried the demo yet, it's available now, so you can be ready when the gates open.

See you in 5 days. 🔥

Play the demo!

Wishlist HellSlave II 😈

~ Baptiste (solo dev)

Hey everyone,

HellSlave II just crossed 50,000 wishlists. 😈

I don't really have the words for it. Every single one of those means someone out there is waiting to descend into this world I've been drawing & coding by hand, alone, for a long time. That still doesn't feel real.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. ❤️‍🔥

Now let's keep raising some hell together. 🔥

Got questions?

A few days after launch, I'll be putting together an FAQ to answer the questions that come up most. Drop yours in the Steam discussions, over on Discord, or on social media, and I'll do my best to get to them.

💬 Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/gz3TCBM97F

(i'm always there 👀)

😈 Wishlist HellSlave II:

~ Baptiste (solo dev)

Hey everyone, quick focus on one of the Sorcerer subclasses: Mind-Bending.

Twist time and space to annihilate any resistance and crush your enemies in your terrifyingly agonizing grip. This class takes advantage of time, gravitation, pressure, and magic overall to get rid of opponents.

Reality-Bending Gameplay

Mind-Bending gives you offensive, defensive, and reality-warping tools to build around.

• Offense: hit hard with spells like Psychic Storm, Implosion, or Blades of Ether.

• Defense: protect yourself with Satanic Mirror, Shield of the Void, Psychic Repercussions, or Space-time Explosion.

• Bend Reality: pull off tricks like Time Leap, Soul Siphon, Mental Annihilation, or Increased Gravity.

You Choose: Aggressive or Tricky?

You can pick your path. Lean into pure offense, build a defensive wall that punishes attackers, or warp the fight itself with time and gravity. Adapting your build is key.

Hope this subclass gets you hyped! Feel free to share how you'd bend the rules.

Don't forget to wishlist!

- Baptiste (solo dev)

Hey everyone,

One week. That's all that's left before HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon releases on August 4th at 4pm CEST. 😈

If you haven't tried it yet, the demo is available now, so you can be ready when the gates open.

See you in a week. 🔥

Play the demo now and wishlist HellSlave II so you don't miss launch day.

~ Baptiste (solo dev)

Hey everyone, time for the next Demonic Path.

As a reminder: after clearing the first dungeon, you'll get to pledge yourself to one of six demonic powers (Satan, Leviathan, Mammon, Baal, Asmodeus, or Belzebub).

Each Path is a permanent set of spells that stacks on top of your base class and shapes the rest of your run. The choice is locked in once made, so pick wisely! 😈

Mammon, the Sparkling Lord.

Mammon is an immortal tyrant who reigns alone over mortals. His golden shell is unbreakable, and his scepter is merciless.

The Mammon Spell Set

Mammon is the emperor, and he intends to stay that way, which is why he's very, very solid. He has tons of synergies to absorb, resist, and deflect damage, and to pile fatigue on his enemies to make them irrelevant. He's a magic-focused demon who obliterates you from his untouchable tower.

• Tyrant's Lightning Bolt: increases damage based on your shield points.

• Fascination: increases damage based on your resistance and armor points.

• Golden Shield of Mammon: you gain shield points equal to a portion of the damage you deal.

• Supreme Execution: if this attack kills the target, it also deals magic damage to all other enemies.

• Crushing the Weak: if your target is low on life, you pile fatigue onto them.

• Destruction of the Idle: damage increases for every second of fatigue on the target.

Hope this Path gets you hyped! Let me know in the comments which Demonic Path you're leaning toward. 👀

Don't forget to wishlist! it helps a lot, thanks. :)

- Baptiste (solo dev)

Wishlist Hellslave II 🔥and join the Discord before the gates of hell claim you.

Hey everyone, quick focus on one of the Sorcerer subclasses: Nature's Rage.

You are the catalyst of a terrible rage, an immense power that will vaporize your enemies before they even notice. This class focuses on the three elements: fire, frost, and thunder. Pick one, pick two, or pick all of them. Work on synergies, freeze your enemies, stun them with thunder, or melt them before they can breathe.

Elemental Gameplay

The core of Nature's Rage is choosing your element (or elements) and building around it.

• Fire: raw destruction. Spells like Fire Ball, Spontaneous Combustion, or Whirlwind of Fire.

• Frost: control and lockdown. Spells like Ice Nova, Glacial Grasp, or Shield of Ice.

• Thunder: shock and stun. Spells like Shield of Lightning, Chain of Lightning Bolts, or Lightning Burst.

• Mana and Utility: you'll also have ways to refill your mana and complete your tricks with Fogging and Energy Focus, plus strong passives to stay topped up on mana.

You Choose: One Element or All Three?

You can pick your path. Go all-in on a single element with specialized passives, or spread across fire, frost, and thunder and play the synergies between them. Adapting your build is key.

Hope this subclass gets you hyped! Feel free to share which element you'd main.

Don't forget to wishlist!

- Baptiste (solo dev)

Hey everyone, time for the next Demonic Path.

As a reminder: after clearing the first dungeon, you'll get to pledge yourself to one of six demonic powers (Satan, Leviathan, Mammon, Baal, Asmodeus, or Belzebub).

Each Path is a permanent set of spells that stacks on top of your base class and shapes the rest of your run. The choice is locked in once made, so pick wisely! 😈

Baal, the king of darkness.

Baal annihilates his enemies through poison and disease, and his shadow is the last thing you see before you succumb.

The Baal Spell Set

A melee-focused Path built around poison, dodge, and assassination, with a balance between magic and melee:

• Infectious Sting: doubles the current number of poison points on the target (after applying any melee poison damage from your weapon).

• Shock of Baal: if this attack kills the target, you deal poison points to all enemies.

• Shadowy Technique: after this attack, you disappear, giving you a guaranteed dodge on the next attack you'd receive.

• Assassination: damage increases for each dodge point you have.

• Eternal Suppuration: adds a poison point to the target for each poison point they've received since the start of the fight.

• Terrifying Execution: if this attack kills the target, you gain a large chunk of mana and inflict Weakness on all enemies for a short time.

Hope this Path gets you hyped! Let me know in the comments which Demonic Path you're leaning toward. 👀

Don't forget to wishlist! it helps a lot, thanks. :)

- Baptiste (solo dev)

Wishlist Hellslave II 🔥and join the Discord before the gates of hell claim you.

Hey everyone,

The wait is almost over. 😈

HellSlave II releases on August 4th at 4pm CEST.

The date was just revealed at the Convergence Games Showcase, alongside a brand new trailer:

Six demon lords, locked in an endless war, have brought ruin to all. Tired of this infernal chaos, the heavens have unleashed the Archon of Judgment, an unstoppable force set to destroy everything.

But before annihilation can begin, you’re given a final chance at salvation: destroy all the demons yourself or perish with the rest of the world and creation.

Welcome to HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon, a dark fantasy dungeon crawler RPG where you're humanity's last twisted chance. As the spiritual successor to the critically acclaimed Hellslave, this sequel takes everything fans loved, gritty lore, comic book style hand-drawn art, and tactical combat that raises the bar to hell.

If you haven't tried it yet, the demo is available now, so you can jump in before launch and get a taste of what's waiting for you.

Thank you all for the incredible support on this journey. It means the world to me as a solo dev. See you on August 4th. 🔥

Catch the full Convergence Games Showcase:

📺 Twitch: ConvergenceShow - Twitch ▶️ YouTube: Convergence Games Showcase

Bringing together top-tier streamers and the finest, hot-off-the-press playthings, Convergence champions gaming's soon-to-be greatest across two hours of indie-game reveals and fun-filled discovery.

🔥 Play the demo now and wishlist HellSlave II so you don't miss launch day.

~ Baptiste (solo dev)

What if supporting HellSlave II was the best way to get a free Steam key for HellSlave?

To enter:

• Wishlist HellSlave II on Steam

• Head over to our X post and share your wishlist there!

You can play the demo too!

Hell'o dear humans,

We're thrilled to bring HellSlave II to Steam Next Fest this June.

Step into a grim, hand-drawn world torn apart by thousands of years of demonic war. Explore an open zone, descend into lethal dungeons, and build your character your way before the Archon of Judgment wipes everything. The clock is ticking.

Play the demo here:

If you enjoy the demo, leaving a review and sharing your feedback means the world to a solo-built project like this. And come join us on our Discord, we have cookies (they're cursed, obviously).

Thanks for playing, and good luck out there.

~ Ars Goetia Games

Six demon lords. One thousand years of war. One last chance.

The new HellSlave II gameplay trailer is live.

The heavens have dispatched their judgment. Everything ends, unless you move first

The Archon is coming whether you're ready or not.

The demo is available now.

Can you defeat the demons and save what's left of the world?

~ Baptiste (solo dev)

Play the demo here🔥

Wishlist HellSlave II 😈

Join the HellSlave Discord Server!

Hey everyone, quick focus on one of the Warrior subclasses: the Art of Combat.

We wanted this class to be the most technical of the warriors: a fighter who leaves no chance to his enemies, deploying a full arsenal of techniques to annihilate the monsters that get in his way. It's a more tactical class compared to Unleash Hate, and out of the warriors, it's clearly the least "glass cannon" of the bunch.

Tactical and Defensive Gameplay

The Art of Combat isn't just about hitting hard. It has synergies on blocking and defense, but also on bleeding, so you can pair raw damage with serious survivability.

• The Bleed Angle: A big part of the class. You can land massive damage, then drain life proportional to the bleeding you've inflicted, and finish with a special attack boosted by every bleed you stacked up beforehand.

• Damage Mitigation: This is where Art of Combat shines. A build that reflects a ton of damage while heavily reducing what you take. Forget dodging - here it's about blocking, parrying, and punishing.

• Technical Moves: Quick options to slow or stun enemies, land small precise hits, or fire off fast AoEs at the right moment. Specific powers like Kick, Hamstring, Interruption, or Destruction.

• Blood-based Synergies: Powers that play directly into bleeding, like Furtive Throat Slicing, Jugular Drain, or Blood Spear.

• Defensive Powers: Strong defensive options like Trance-like State and Ambush.

You Choose: Reflect or Bleed?

You can pick your path. If you want to lean into a defensive build that punishes every hit you take, you can, but you can also go full bleed and stack up damage over time before unleashing a finisher. Adapting your build is key!

Out of the three melee classes, each has a different damage mitigation strategy: for Art of Combat it's block/parry/defense, for Wild Tracker it's more dodge/enemy debuffs, and for Unleash Hate it's no mitigation but life recovery by dealing damage.

Hope this new subclass gets you hyped! Feel free to share your thoughts on Reflect vs Bleed approach.

Don't forget to wishlist!

- Baptiste (solo dev)

From May 31 to June 14, HELLSLAVE is available at 85% OFF during our annual Publisher Sale.

If you've been waiting for the right moment to jump in, now's the perfect time!

The discount is only available for a limited time, so make sure to grab your copy before June 14!

👉 ALL DEALS HERE

Free Demo Out Now!

What's in the Demo? 🔥

Get a first taste of the divine apocalypse in the official HellSlave II demo:

• Explore the First Open-World Zone: Roam a ruined land on the brink of judgment.

• Conquer 2 Lethal Dungeons: Descend into hand-drawn depths filled with secrets, lore, and demonic monstrosities.

• 100% Human-Made: Experience the unique, visceral atmosphere of a world entirely hand-drawn by a solo developer. No AI, just passion.

• 3 - 4 hours of Playtime: More replayability thanks to builds, classes and difficulty.

• 3 Difficulty Levels: Available for those seeking for a challenge.

Hell’o dear little humans,

Today is a very special day for me… HellSlave turns 4 years old. 🔥

4 years ago, HellSlave opened the gates of Hell… and you answered the call.

From the bottom of my damned heart: thank you ❤️

You already know this story isn’t over and I can't wait for you to discover HellSlave II!

- Baptiste (solo dev)

Wishlist Hellslave II 🔥and join the Discord before the gates of hell claim you.

Hey everyone, today I want to introduce a new system in HellSlave II: the Demonic Paths.

After clearing the first dungeon, you'll get to pledge yourself to one of six demonic powers: Satan, Leviathan, Mammon, Baal, Asmodeus, or Belzebub.

Each Path is a permanent set of spells that stacks on top of your base class and shapes the rest of your run. The choice is locked in once made, so pick wisely!!! 😈 Let's start with the first one:

Satan, the Pretender to the Demon throne.

Satan is the master of subversion and lies, capable of manipulating time and reality, and reversing the course of events.

The Satan Spell Set

The Satan Path focuses on critical hits and random effects, with spells that manipulate the flow of a fight:

• Unblockable Hit: an attack that cannot miss, be dodged, parried, or blocked, and is a guaranteed critical hit.

• Satanic Demolition: damage increases for every critical hit you've already landed in the fight.

• Reversal of Suffering: deals a bit of extra damage for every second of recharge remaining on your powers.

• Time Glitch: if this attack kills the target, the recharge time of your powers is reduced significantly.

• Erratic Phenomenon: immediately after this attack, you cast a random spell with no cost or recharge time.

• Satanic Vengeance: after this attack, a Satanic mirror protects you by reflecting all damage sustained during the next attack (once per fight).

Hope this new system gets you hyped! Let me know in the comments which Demonic Path you're leaning toward. 👀

Don't forget to wishlist! it helps a lot, thanks. :)

- Baptiste (solo dev)

Wishlist Hellslave II 🔥and join the Discord before the gates of hell claim you.

Hell’o dear humans,

You may have spotted me (Baptiste, the dev of HellSlave II) during the Games Made in France event this past weekend. It’s an event hosted by French streamer MisterMV on Twitch, showcasing (as the name suggests) a selection of French indie games.

I was there to share more details about HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon, and to talk about what’s been improved since the first game. Most importantly… I’m really happy to finally reveal something I've been holding onto 👀

I unveiled a brand-new trailer featuring the gameplay footage, along with the game’s release window.

I’m excited to announce that HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon is coming in Q3 2026! 🔥

Thank you so much for your continued support. It truly means everything during development!

If you haven’t yet, make sure to wishlist the game:

See you soon… 😈

Hey everyone, quick focus on one of the Warrior subclasses: the Wild Tracker.

We wanted this class to be pretty hybrid - you can play it in full aggro mode or go way more sneaky. It's kind of a savage who takes inspiration from how animals work. The main idea is that a wolf and a bear don't have the same hunting strategies, and it's the same here for your build.

Hybrid and fast-paced Gameplay

The Wild Tracker isn't just some guy who hits things in melee. There's a whole mystical side with nature spirits that can boost you temporarily.

• The Poison Angle: This is a big part of the class. You can really lean into damage over time to whittle down enemies.

• Damage Mitigation: Unlike other warriors, forget the shield here. Everything's about dodges and heavy debuffs so mobs don't even touch you anymore.

• Temporary Buffs: You're connected to spirits, so you can take their power. We've got specific spells like Thunder Strike, Beast Power, or Spirit of the Guul.

• Synergies: You can also throw out mage-centric stuff like soul bombs or will-o'-the-wisps for crowd control.

You Choose: Aggro or Stealthy?

You can pick your path. If you want to go full in with buffs, you can, but you can also play with debuffs and poison to be more "subtle". Adapting your build is key.

Out of the three melee classes, each has a different damage mitigation strategy: for Wild Tracker it's more dodge/enemy debuffs, for Art of Combat it's block/parry/defense, and for Unleash Hate it's no mitigation but life recovery by dealing damage.

Hope this new subclass gets you hyped! Feel free to share your thoughts on Brutal vs Subtle approach.

Don't forget to wishlist!

- Baptiste (solo dev)

Hell'o dear humans,

I'm super excited to announce that I will be part of the Games Made in France 2026 showcase. It’s an amazing opportunity for me to share what I’ve been working on and what makes this sequel so special.

See you there on Saturday, April 25 (or in hell),

Hey everyone, time for the next Demonic Path.

As a reminder: after clearing the first dungeon, you'll get to pledge yourself to one of six demonic powers (Satan, Leviathan, Mammon, Baal, Asmodeus, or Belzebub).

Each Path is a permanent set of spells that stacks on top of your base class and shapes the rest of your run. The choice is locked in once made, so pick wisely! 😈

Belzebub, the cruel brute.

Belzebub is a cruel, hateful brute, thirsting for destruction. Unleash your rage to destroy your enemies with fire and power.

The Belzebub Spell Set

A melee Path built around fire damage, rage building, and pure destruction:

• Zebbean Stun: doubles the fatigue on the target you hit.

• Enraged Execution: if this attack kills the target, you gain a large chunk of your maximum rage.

• Infernal Impact: on impact, an explosion of fire deals a portion of the attack's damage to adjacent enemies.

• Power of Hell: increases damage based on how much rage you have.

• Frenzy of Hate: reduces the recharge time of your other powers.

• Massacre Dance: if this attack kills the target, your next melee attack gets a big damage bonus.

Hope this Path gets you hyped! Let me know in the comments which Demonic Path you're leaning toward. 👀

Don't forget to wishlist! it helps a lot, thanks. :)

- Baptiste (solo dev)

Wishlist Hellslave II 🔥and join the Discord before the gates of hell claim you.

Hey everyone, quick focus on one of the Warrior subclasses: Unleash Hate.

This one is all about melee, fire damage, and using rage to destroy your enemies with a purely offensive strategy. No subtlety here, just forward momentum and building rage into bigger and bigger hits.

Aggressive Gameplay

Unleash Hate is built around rage, and everything feeds into your next big swing.

• Iconic Power: Enraged Strike, a heavy melee attack that adds damage for each rage point you have.

• Bread and Butter: Broad Hit to strike several targets and gain rage, Charge to build rage and stun a target, and Bloody Execution to finish a low-life enemy while building rage and life for your next attack.

• Going Hardcore: Annihilation to destroy enemy resistance, Sacrificial Ritual to sacrifice blood and boost your next attack, Flaming Blade to raise your damage in exchange for mana, and Fury to speed up your build even more.

• A Bit of Magic: Fire Breather, Fire Shield, and Explosion of Rage all combo with your current rage level for a wider range of options.

Pure Aggression

Out of the three melee classes, each has a different damage mitigation strategy: for Unleash Hate it's no mitigation but life recovery by dealing damage, for Wild Tracker it's more dodge/enemy debuffs, and for Art of Combat it's block/parry/defense.

Hope this subclass gets you hyped! Feel free to share how you'd build your rage.

Don't forget to wishlist!

- Baptiste (solo dev)

How to vote?

Hey everyone, time for the next Demonic Path.

As a reminder: after clearing the first dungeon, you'll get to pledge yourself to one of six demonic powers (Satan, Leviathan, Mammon, Baal, Asmodeus, or Belzebub).

Each Path is a permanent set of spells that stacks on top of your base class and shapes the rest of your run. The choice is locked in once made, so pick wisely! 😈

Asmodeus, the Queen of Lust.

Asmodeus allows her worshippers to drink the blood of their enemies once they've been bewitched or torn apart.

The Asmodeus Spell Set

A melee Path built around life stealing, bleeding, and fast, brutal attacks:

• Vampiric Execution: if this attack kills the target, the recharge time of your other powers is reduced significantly.

• Taste for Blood: when your life is low, your bleeding damage is multiplied.

• Storm of Blood: if this attack kills the target, lightning bolts of blood strike all enemies for lightning damage.

• Frenzy of Asmodeus: an attack that cannot miss, be dodged, parried, or blocked, and grows stronger the longer the fight has lasted.

• Blood Ritual: damage increases for every life point you've lost since the start of the fight.

• Evisceration: the damage you deal comes back to you as life.

Hope this Path gets you hyped! Let me know in the comments which Demonic Path you're leaning toward. 👀

Don't forget to wishlist! it helps a lot, thanks. :)

- Baptiste (solo dev)

Wishlist Hellslave II 🔥and join the Discord before the gates of hell claim you.

We’re thrilled to announce that Hellslave is part of the Lunar New Year event! 🎉

There’s no better time to descend into darkness, forge your pact with the Devil, and fight back against the demonic invasion threatening humanity.

The Lunar New Year celebration is all about fresh beginnings, so why not start yours with a devilish twist?

Happy Lunar New Year, and see you in Hell! 🐎