House of Hades

Key takeaways

• Return here after every run Most permanent progression takes place in the House rather than during an escape attempt.
• Explore before leaving Character locations change after runs, and important conversations can be available only after particular events.
• The House is larger than the Great Hall The west wing, east wing, Lounge, bedroom, armory, courtyard, Hades’ bedroom and Administrative Chamber all belong to the same location.
• The House Contractor controls much of the location’s development He can unlock functional rooms, decorative upgrades, the keepsake system’s between-region utility and other House facilities.
• Most named House residents are part of progression Nectar, Ambrosia, conversations and story events can unlock keepsakes, companions, music, prophecies and further access.
• The Administrative Chamber and Hades’ bedroom are progression-gated They are not simply alternate routes through the opening layout.

About this guide

Overview

The House of Hades is the administrative centre, residence and persistent hub of the Underworld. Zagreus returns here whenever an escape attempt ends, whether he dies during a run or completes the game’s main escape objective. Between attempts, the House is where players improve Zagreus, manage weapons and keepsakes, progress character stories, exchange resources, inspect records and uncover much of the game’s narrative.

It is not merely the large entrance hall shown at the beginning of a run. The location includes the Great Hall, both connecting wings, the Lounge, Zagreus’ bedchambers and training area, Hades’ bedroom, the Administrative Chamber, the courtyard and several unlockable or decorative spaces. Some rooms are available immediately, while others require House Contractor purchases or story progression.

The House’s role is deliberately contradictory. It is both a royal palace and a workplace, a family home and a bureaucratic institution, a place of punishment and a place where Zagreus gradually builds relationships. Hades rules from here, the House staff maintain it, shades process administrative work nearby, and Zagreus repeatedly turns the household against its own rigid order by trying to escape.

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Great Hall

The Great Hall is the large entrance area and the first part of the House most players learn. Zagreus returns here from the Pool of Styx after a failed escape attempt. Hypnos is associated with the pool and comments on Zagreus’ latest death, while Hades normally occupies his administrative seat further inside the hall.

Hades may be absent after particular runs, especially following late-run events. Cerberus, Hypnos and Orpheus can also be absent temporarily. These absences are usually narrative or dialogue variations rather than permanent changes to the room.

Named entries: Great Hall

• Hades
• Cerberus
• Hypnos
• Orpheus
• Nyx
• Zagreus

West wing

The west wing is the long corridor leading away from the Great Hall towards the Administrative Chamber and Hades’ private quarters. Achilles usually stands guard here, reinforcing the House’s sense of restricted access and hierarchy. Thanatos often appears near the balcony overlooking the River Styx when he is present in the House. Dusa may also be found cleaning in this corridor or elsewhere nearby.

The corridor is one of the House’s most visibly customisable spaces. House Contractor purchases can add or alter rugs, sculptures, seating, paintings and regional displays. The viewing area outside Hades’ chambers contains urns and decorative objects associated with the Underworld regions.

Named entries: West wing

• West Hall
• Achilles
• Thanatos
• Dusa

Administrative Chamber

The Administrative Chamber is an office complex where shades carry out bureaucratic work for the Underworld. It is shown during an earlier flashback sequence before Zagreus regains permission to enter. In the present, access is restored through a House Contractor purchase that becomes available as the story progresses.

The chamber is not a shop or combat area. Its importance is administrative and narrative. Zagreus can inspect records connected to escape attempts, House operations and various character storylines. The shades working there react negatively to his presence, reflecting that the room is a controlled workplace rather than a public lounge.

The Eldest Sigil is especially significant to Hades’ movement through the Underworld and later becomes relevant to Nyx’s story. The chamber also supports several relationship and story developments, so unlocking it is worthwhile even though it does not directly improve Zagreus’ combat statistics.

Access

1. 01
   Continue playing until flashback scenes and the relevant Contractor work order become available.
2. 02
   Purchase the Administrative Chamber renovation from the House Contractor.
3. 03
   Enter through the west wing, beside Achilles’ usual position.
4. 04
   Inspect the records and interact with available story objects when prompted.

Named entries: Administrative Chamber

• Administrative Chamber

Hades’ bedroom and private overlook

Hades’ bedroom is a restricted private room reached from the west wing. It is unavailable during the opening portion of the game and becomes accessible after Persephone returns to the House. The area includes a private chamber and an adjoining view over the House and River Styx.

The room is primarily narrative. It contains no ordinary shop and does not become a second training area. Its importance lies in the conversations and relationship developments that occur after the central family conflict begins to resolve.

A later installation allows the Resource Director to appear in this area. The Resource Director provides a system for spending accumulated resources on ranks or badges, giving long-term value to currencies that may otherwise have become surplus.

Named entries: Hades’ private area

• Hades
• Persephone

East wing

The east wing is the shorter corridor leading from the Great Hall towards the Lounge and Zagreus’ private rooms. Nyx is commonly found near the entrance to Zagreus’ bedroom, while Dusa may appear cleaning along the route. Before the Lounge is restored, Megaera can sometimes be found near the closed entrance after a suitable encounter.

The Contractor can add flooring colours and flower vases to this section. These changes are cosmetic, but they contribute to the House’s gradual transformation from a stark royal facility into a more lived-in home.

Named entries: East wing

• Nyx
• Dusa
• Megaera

Lounge

The Lounge is a large dining and social area. It includes a kitchen, tables, seating, decorative installations and several of the House’s useful service characters. It is not necessarily available from the first visit. The room can be reopened and improved through House Contractor work orders.

Named entries: Lounge

• Lounge
• Dusa
• Achilles
• Megaera

Zagreus’ bedroom and bedchambers

Zagreus’ bedroom is one of the most important gameplay rooms in the House. It contains the Mirror of Night, the Fated List of Minor Prophecies after it has been purchased, and Zagreus’ bed. The bedroom is also a recurring narrative location where dreams, memories and conversations occur.

Named entries: Zagreus’ bedroom

• Zagreus
• Nyx
• Persephone

Armory and training room

Past Zagreus’ bedroom is the armory and training room. It contains the Infernal Arms, Skelly and the exit used to begin an escape attempt. Skelly serves as an undead training dummy, allowing players to test attacks, Special moves, Cast effects, dashes and weapon Aspects without entering a run.

The Infernal Arms are persistent unlockable weapons. Chthonic Keys are used to unlock weapons, while Titan Blood is used to develop their Aspects after the relevant progression becomes available.

Skelly can also provide a Keepsake when given Nectar and later becomes involved in further relationship and Companion progression.

Named entries: armory

• Skelly
• Zagreus

Courtyard and escape exit

The courtyard is the preparation area immediately before an escape attempt. It contains the weapon selection point and a Keepsake display case. Zagreus chooses an Infernal Arm and equips a Keepsake here before entering Tartarus.

The courtyard is functionally separate from the combat regions. It is the final preparation space rather than a region with rooms, enemies or random rewards.

After the appropriate Contractor renovation, additional Keepsake cases can appear between Underworld regions. This allows a player to change Keepsakes after major area transitions, although the initial Keepsake is still selected in the House before the run.

Named entries: courtyard

• Courtyard
• Zagreus

Initial access

The House is available from the beginning. Zagreus starts and ends escape attempts here, and the player can walk around the available areas before selecting a weapon and leaving.

Not every facility is operational immediately. The House Contractor’s menu expands as Zagreus fulfils story and gameplay conditions.

Unlockable areas and facilities

The game does not present every unlock as a simple linear checklist. Some work orders appear only after enough runs, conversations or story progress. If a desired renovation is missing, continue escaping, speak to available characters and inspect the Contractor after returning.

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Unlockable areas and facilities

Permanent or House-associated residents

These characters are closely associated with the House and can usually be found there at least some of the time.

The House’s character list is broader than its permanent furniture layout. Characters move, take breaks, disappear after particular events and appear in different rooms depending on recent runs. The House guide should therefore distinguish usual locations from guaranteed spawns.

Visitors and story-associated characters

The following characters are not normal House residents, even when their stories are strongly connected to the House:

They belong to other locations or encounter contexts. For example, Sisyphus is associated with Tartarus, Eurydice with Asphodel, Patroclus with Elysium and Charon with the River Styx. Their House relevance comes from relationship progression, dialogue, keepsakes or story consequences, not permanent residence.

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Visitors and story-associated characters

• Alecto
• Tisiphone
• Sisyphus
• Eurydice
• Patroclus
• Charon

House Contractor

The House Contractor sits in the Great Hall and manages the development of the House and wider Underworld. Zagreus pays with Gemstones, Diamonds and other resources for both cosmetic and functional work orders.

Do not assume that every purchase is cosmetic. Some work orders materially affect runs, such as additional keepsake access or Underworld room renovations.

Wretched Broker

The Broker’s rotating trades are useful for converting resources. Before trading, check the Contractor menu and weapon requirements so that a short-term exchange does not delay a more important purchase.

Head Chef

Hand over fish after a run. The reward is determined by the fish rather than by a cooking recipe. Since fishing spots are found during escape attempts, checking the Chef after a successful return prevents unused catches from accumulating in Zagreus’ inventory.

Mirror of Night

Spend Darkness in Zagreus’ bedroom. The Mirror is permanent progression, unlike most run-specific Obols, temporary boons and ordinary room rewards.

Infernal Arms

Unlock and select weapons in the armory. Each weapon changes the rhythm of a run, and later Aspects provide alternative forms with different priorities and mechanics.

Keepsakes

Give Nectar to characters to obtain their Keepsakes. The first gift normally produces the character’s Keepsake, while later relationship progression may unlock more dialogue and, for certain characters, a Chthonic Companion. Keepsakes are selected in the courtyard, and a Contractor renovation later allows changes between regions.

This table is a selection of House-associated Keepsakes rather than a complete list of every Keepsake in the game. Gods, Charon, Chaos and other external characters provide the remainder.

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A consistent route helps avoid missed conversations and unused facilities.

This route is especially useful after major story events, because characters may shift rooms or become available only after Zagreus has spoken to somebody else.

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The House contains no standard enemy rooms, traps or boss encounters. Its dangers are social and progression-related.

Examples associated with House characters include

Keepsakes: steps

1. 01
   Start at the Pool of Styx. Speak to Hypnos if he is present and note his commentary on the previous attempt.
2. 02
   Check the Great Hall. Speak to Hades, Cerberus, Orpheus and the House Contractor when their dialogue markers are available.
3. 03
   Walk through the west wing. Check Achilles, Thanatos and Dusa, then inspect the Administrative Chamber or Hades’ bedroom if those rooms are unlocked.
4. 04
   Visit Zagreus’ bedroom. Spend Darkness at the Mirror and inspect the bed or Fated List.
5. 05
   Use the armory. Test the current weapon, change Aspects and speak to Skelly.
6. 06
   Visit the Lounge. Trade resources with the Broker and hand fish to the Head Chef.
7. 07
   Check the east wing. Speak to Nyx, Megaera and Dusa if present.
8. 08
   Return to the courtyard. Choose a weapon and Keepsake, then begin the next attempt.

No combat farming

The House is not a safe combat test chamber with respawning enemies. Skelly is a training dummy, and the armory is for testing weapons, not for earning rewards. Resources are obtained through escape attempts, trades, prophecies, fishing and other systems.

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The House is the game’s clearest expression of the Underworld as an institution rather than merely a mythological landscape. Hades is not shown only as a distant god or final boss. He is an administrator dealing with petitions, paperwork and an ever-growing population of shades. The House’s corridors, offices and staff make the Underworld feel governed and maintained.

The Lounge complicates that hierarchy. It is a social space where staff and shades relax, trade resources and share informal encounters. Its repeated destruction and restoration also reflect the game’s central idea that failure is not a dead end. The House survives, repairs itself and sends Zagreus out again.

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The House therefore functions as both

1. 01
   A mechanical hub, where persistent progression is managed.
2. 02
   A narrative machine, where repeated runs gradually change relationships and family history.
3. 03
   A social space, where apparently minor conversations can become major questlines.
4. 04
   A visual record of progress, because the Contractor’s purchases make the House more complete and personal over time.

Is the House of Hades the same as the Underworld?

No. The House is Hades’ residence and administrative centre within the Underworld. Tartarus, Asphodel, Elysium and the Temple of Styx are separate regions visited during escape attempts.

Where do I upgrade Zagreus permanently?

Use the Mirror of Night in Zagreus’ bedroom. Weapons and Aspects are managed in the armory, while House and Underworld renovations are purchased from the House Contractor.

Where do I sell fish?

Give fish to the Head Chef in the Lounge. The Chef exchanges them for resources rather than preparing meals.

Where is the Wretched Broker?

He is in the Lounge, in the eastern part of the room. His trades rotate, so check his offers after returning from a run.

How do I enter the Administrative Chamber?

Continue the story until its House Contractor work order becomes available, then purchase the access renovation. The chamber is reached through the west wing.

How do I enter Hades’ bedroom?

Progress the main story until Persephone returns to the House. The bedroom becomes accessible after that development.

Why is a character missing?

House characters do not always occupy their usual places. Some take breaks, leave after a run, appear only after a particular encounter or are temporarily involved in another conversation. Continue playing and check the House again.

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This guide treats the House of Hades as the complete in-game hub rather than reducing it to the Great Hall. The room divisions and major facilities are supported by the House layout descriptions and independent guide material.

The game does not present a single official numbered floor plan naming every corridor, decorative alcove and background furnishing. Some labels used by players, guides and wikis overlap, particularly around the courtyard, east and west wings, Zagreus’ bedchambers and the armory. For that reason, this guide preserves the commonly used functional divisions while avoiding invented room numbers or architectural boundaries.

The exact timing of certain Contractor work orders and character appearances can vary with story progress and run history. Where the game uses conditional or semi-random appearances, the guide identifies them as such rather than presenting a rigid schedule.

Sources

• House of Hades - Hades Wiki — hades.fandom.com
• Hades guide: The House of Hades characters and House Contractor upgrades - Page 2 of 3 - Prima Games — primagames.com
• Mirror, Keepsakes and Companions Reference: Hades systems | Game Design Lab — teemo.dev
• House Contractor - Hades Walkthrough - Neoseeker — neoseeker.com
• House Contractor - Hades Wiki — hades.fandom.com