If you’re wondering how the roguelike Hades managed to become the dark horse of 2020, then Noclip has some candid answers. The media company - that specializes in video game documentaries - has created a six-episode series with developer Supergiant Games, featuring all the behind-the-scenes knowledge of Hades you could ask for - and the final episode has just aired.
Surprisingly, Noclip’s documentary is not a product built out of Hades’ recently-earned success. This series has been ongoing since December 2018, when the company met with Supergiant Games to talk development. Supergiant was just about to launch Hades for early access, and the team was also polishing the announcement trailer - first seen at The Games Awards. The series has been a real-time show, documenting Hades’ journey from the depths of development to renowned success. The sixth and final episode has just aired, commemorating an insightful journey that’s lasted just over two years.
The documentary’s first episode was very much our introduction to Hades and San Francisco-based developer Supergiant Games. The second installment covered the team’s struggle with updating and patching the roguelike. It provided a unique look at the pressures of tweaking a game during early access, and took three months to film. The third feature focused on the game’s art and music, with the fourth documenting Hades’ full launch on Steam. The penultimate episode brought an honest look at how the pandemic affected development, causing painstaking uncertainty over the course of six months. The final episode covered Hades’ post-launch success, as well as the team’s reflection on the development process and what would be next for Supergiant.
Hades received eight nominations at The Game Awards 2020, including Game of the Year. The Greek-themed title set in the underworld went on to become the best-reviewed Game on Steam for 2020, as well as scooping Game of the Year at the New York Game Awards.
Supergiant’s title was a big hit with TheGamer, and we had our reasons why it should have won Game of the Year at The Game Awards. In our review, we highlighted Hades’ “distinct art style and spectacular soundtrack,” going on to simply label it as a “masterpiece.” Games of this standard don’t come around too often, which is why Noclip’s intimate look at its development is a rare and rewarding watch.