Supergiant Games' rogue-like masterpiece Hades tasks players with escaping the Underworld, a feat that requires both marital prowess and strong relationships. Throughout your escape attempts, you will collect a rare currency known as Nectar, which serves as the primary currency for building affinity with gods and underworld residents. Gifting your first bottle of Nectar to a character rewards you with a unique Keepsake, providing powerful passive upgrades that can drastically change your strategy. Knowing exactly who to prioritize with your limited resources can easily make or break your early runs.
Essential Early Game Keepsakes
When starting your journey, your immediate priority should be securing items that bolster your basic survivability. Cerberus is an excellent initial choice, as his Old Spiked Collar grants a substantial flat health boost right from the start of an escape attempt. Similarly, gifting Nectar to Skelly unlocks the Lucky Tooth, which provides a critical extra Death Defiance to revive you when your life total hits zero. Securing these two defensive tools gives you the necessary cushion to learn enemy attack patterns without suffering quick, punishing deaths.
Prioritizing the Olympian Gods
Once your basic survival is secured, you should shift your focus toward controlling the type of divine upgrades you receive during a run. Giving Nectar to Olympian gods like Zeus, Poseidon, or Artemis rewards you with their specific signet keepsakes, which force their boons to appear more frequently. Olympian keepsakes are incredibly versatile because they allow you to deliberately plan your build synergies before even leaving the House of Hades. Experienced players often swap these items between distinct underworld regions to guarantee powerful duo combinations that tear through bosses.
Unlocking Underworld Story Progression
Beyond the initial acquisition of items, continuing to invest Nectar into key characters unlocks vital narrative paths and fated prophecies. Characters like Nyx, Achilles, and the House Contractor require multiple gifts to advance their personal storylines and reveal hidden weapon aspects. While these subsequent investments do not immediately provide new trinkets, they are essential for maximizing your long-term progression. Balancing your gifts between the active Olympian gods and the permanent residents of the House ensures steady mechanical and narrative advancement.
