Idle ARPG
An idle ARPG where you build the killing machine
In Hellwake the fighting takes care of itself. Heroes march down a lane of the damned and cut through wave after wave on their own. Everything that decides whether they live is yours: the callings you recruit, the skills they learn, the gear they wear, and the moment you decide to push one zone deeper.
How a run plays
A run starts with one hero in the first zone of Act I. Each zone is a string of waves; clear it and the next one opens, until the act's master waits at the end of the road. Gold and souls come in with every kill and raise the Sanctum behind the party: a Forge for honing gear, a Chapel, a Market to gamble at, and a Hall of Heroes that makes room for recruits, up to a party of five.
Heroes level as they kill. Every level brings attribute and skill points; every drop could replace a piece of gear. Push too fast and the party wipes. Farm too long and the run crawls. Knowing when to push is the game.
What you actually do
- Pick a build for each hero, or ignore the builds and plan every point yourself. There are 26 named builds across the seven callings.
- Set the skill bar. Skills fire by priority, so the order is part of the build.
- Read every drop. Rarity, rolls, sockets and set bonuses all feed the numbers, and the tooltips show them.
- Step in as a god. Smite a champion, call down Hellfire, or bless the party for war.
- Decide when a run is over, and Rekindle it for Embers. The prestige guide explains what carries over.
Automation, when you want it
The Decrees are Hellwake's automation. Once the Pantheon grants them, they can spend points, learn skills, equip upgrades, recruit, build the Sanctum, cast god powers, salvage junk, sort the stash, work gems and runes, spell the runewords you pick, push the run forward and even Rekindle it. Every Decree starts switched off: turn on only what you are tired of doing by hand.
Sitting in pays
Leave the game running and the party keeps fighting. Sit in and more happens: Portents only come to a god who is watching, elite packs and rare encounters break up the grind, and a well-timed Smite on the right champion can turn a wipe into a clear.
No rewards for time away
Hellwake moves only while it runs. It does not hand out rewards for hours spent away; loading a save picks your run up exactly where you left it.
Questions
Is Hellwake an idle game or an action RPG?
Both, in a way: an action RPG's loot, classes and bosses, with the battles running on their own like an idle game.
Does the game progress while it is closed?
No. There are no offline rewards; your run continues when you load it.
How many heroes can I have?
Up to five in the party at once, recruited as the Hall of Heroes grows.
What does it run on?
Windows, through Steam.
Hellwake on Steam
A dark fantasy incremental ARPG for Windows. Wishlist it to hear when it comes out.
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