I played a game of chance: Hades II. Like the first game Hades, it is a roguelike action role-playing game developed and published by Supergiant Games. It is available on Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The game targets players who enjoy challenging action combat and strategic decision-making. The game’s unique blend of roguelike elements, deck-building, and skill-based combat creates an addictive gameplay loop that masterfully balances skill and chance.
Unlike traditional games of chance that exploit psychological vulnerabilities, Hades II uses randomness as a tool for engagement rather than manipulation, demonstrating how chance can be ethically implemented in game design.
Randomness
Chance is a definitive part of Hades II’s gameplay through its roguelike structure. Each playthrough offers new abilities through random god blessings. Players have to learn how to utilize these new abilities every time from scratch.
While there is some degree of deterministic control, i.e., players can choose their weapon, accessories, and Arcana cards (Figures 1-3) to suit their playstyle, the most decisive element is the random blessings from the gods (Figures 4-7). The huge variety of blessings ensures that no two playthroughs are ever the same—after 100 hours of gameplay, I’ve never experienced identical runs. This controlled chaos forces players to adapt and learn. Because of the countless combinations of blessings, which I view as “manufactured incalculability”, understanding the system doesn’t demystify the game but rather deepens the engagement. This system differs significantly from slot machines or gacha games, where randomness is designed to create false hope and encourage spending. Instead, Hades II’s randomness serves to enhance replayability and skill development.
Figure 1. Six weapons, each with three aspects
Figure 2. Accessories
Figure 3. Arcana cards
Strategic Deck-Building and Combat Skill
The game’s brilliance lies in how it balances deterministic and random elements. As players become more skilled and gain deeper understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of different weapons, they learn to identify which blessings complement different weapons. For example, the Moonstone Axe, being a slow, high-damage weapon, pairs well with blessings that enhance damage at longer intervals, allowing for safer distance attacks. Conversely, the Umbral Flames, a high-frequency, low-damage weapon, benefits from blessings that trigger more frequently based on hits instead of time intervals. A rare blessing that lower-bounds each attack is a great complement to the Umbral Flames, allowing players to deal up to 10x damage to enemies than the original value. Additionally, if players need to stand close to enemies because their weapon doesn’t have long range, blessings that enhance their survival abilities would be a great choice. However, these optimal combinations all depend on whether players are lucky enough to meet the desired gods. This is where luck comes in and the “near miss” moments stem from. These “near miss” moments in Hades II differ fundamentally from those in gambling games. Instead of creating false hope, they teach players about the system’s possibilities, encouraging strategic thinking and skill development.
Figure 4. Boons of Zeus
Figure 5. Boons of Apollo
Figure 6. Boons of Demeter
Figure 7. Boons of Hestia
Even with optimal blessings, success, or at minimum survival, requires dexterity and quick reactions to enemy actions. Players are trained to become more skilled through endless runs. Because each playthrough is never what is expected in the beginning, players must adapt their strategies based on the blessings they receive, creating a dynamic learning experience that rewards both skill and adaptability, eventually training players to be progressively better at deck-building strategies and combat skills. In my personal experience, strangely enough, I often play the game knowing what blessings I’m aiming for, but without luck, I end up with a totally different build that still leads to unprecedented victory (Figure 8). It is these extraordinary surprises that make the game addictive, as you never get enough of the excitement and new knowledge it brings.
Figure 8. Unexpected win
Addiction and Moral Implications of Chance in Games
Hades II demonstrates how games can use randomness ethically. The game’s addictive nature stems from its positive reinforcement loop: each run teaches players something new, encouraging deeper understanding rather than blind repetition. This creates a satisfying progression where randomness enhances rather than diminishes player agency, serving clear gameplay purposes: enhancing replayability, encouraging skill development, and creating meaningful variety.
The moral distinction in using chance lies in whether it serves the gameplay experience or the business model. Unlike games like Diablo Immortal or Genshin Impact that use chance to create artificial scarcity and encourage spending, Hades II’s randomness is transparent and serves the core gameplay experience. For me, its use of chance and the resulting addiction offer a sense of control and agency, and sources of confidence that I might not find in other aspects of life, showing how chance can be a positive force in game design when used to enrich rather than manipulate the player experience.
