With a ‘Very Positive’ user rating on Steam and an 84 on Metacritic, Hell Clock has taken the gaming world by storm over the last week.
As you can see detailed below, developer Rogue Snail has wasted no time captialising on the game’s popularity and has already rolled out a road map and Hell Clock’s very first patch.
Things don’t stop there, though, as they have released the game’s first major post-launch update. As detailed in the following Steam blog, several new modes and features have been tweaked:
- A rebalanced Regular Mode, with Veteran Mode maintaining the game’s current difficulty level.
- Two new end-game modes, Abyss and Oblivion, more akin to the New Game+ modes ARPG players are used to.
- Coming in 2026 with the game’s first expansion, Endless Nightmare will be yet another deep end-game mode.
Original: Hell Clock may have only launched last week, but developer Rogue Snail is already looking ahead with a new roadmap spanning to 2026.
This stylish action roguelike, if you’re unaware, features a unique mechanic where players must fight against the clock for survival. It’s also set during Brazil’s War of Canudos in 1896, where 25,000 people were left dead after they defied the new republic.
Hell Clock’s roadmap
As seen in the image below, the roadmap is split into three upcoming content drops following launch.
The first free update landing in September, known as Clockmaker’s Tools, adds a new crafting system, crafting currency, and more.
The second free update launching in November is called Movement 2.0. This adds the freedom to attack and move with all skills, a new character animation system, and makes all 52 constellations available.
The third and most tantalising update is planned to arrive in Q1 2026. This consists of two parts: another free content drop and a new expansion known as Cursed War. Cursed War contains Act 4 of the campaign, new biomes, new monsters, new bosses, new skills, new relics, and a cube crafting system.
If you thought that sounds like a lot, well, that’s not all. The free update landing on the same date also pads out the endgame with the full version of Ascension, 12 new biomes, and improved random dungeon generation.
Update 1.01 – Vengeance Mode
The devs have been busy indeed, as they have already rolled out the game’s first post-launch update.
Update 1.01 has seen the arrival of Vengeance Mode, a new way to play the game that is designed to prevent it from feeling grindy. Similar to Relaxed Mode, it can be enabled in the menu when you load your game, and it increases damage dealt, whilst reducing damage taken.
Whilst Vengeance Mode is the biggest draw here, several other meaningful changes have been made. New tips have been added to loading screens, and a new tutorial has been introduced teaching players how to upgrade their relics.
In the following Steam Blog, the devs also outlined the following issues that they are aware of and are currently working on:
- A “Search” function for the Stash and Constellations, filtering and highlighting items based on what you are looking for;
- A “Loadout” feature to quickly swap between builds;
- Improved “Banish” options to have more control over your Blessing draws;
- A “Blessed Gear Stash” to facilitate experimenting with builds;
- The ability to Respec your Constellations both in Campaign and in Ascension;
Our Hell Clock Review
I had a great time when I reviewed Hell Clock recently for the site. I concluded my review by saying:
“With a unique backdrop, a wealth of build options, and a challenging time-based system, Hell Clock delivers a fun, adrenaline-fueled experience that I really enjoyed.”
You can check out the launch trailer for Hell Clock below:
