Title: Hell Clock
Developer: Rogue Snail
Publisher: Mad Mushroom
Released: July 21st, 2025
Platforms: PC/Steam
Reviewed On: Steam
Price: $19.99 USD
Overview
From 1896 to 1898, a chapter in Brazilian history known as the War of Canudos laid waste on villagers in the northeastern state of Bahia, Brazil. The conflict arose from tension building between the religious locals and the Republican government regarding resources and development of the area. The result of the war totaled the deaths of 25,000 locals with the Brazilian Republican Government gaining control of the land.
Rogue Snail, a Brazilian studio, thought to adapt the story into a rogue-like, with a twist that the then religious folk of Canudos might’ve favored. Hell Clock portrays the corruption and evil force that pillaged and killed their people as demonic beings from another realm. You play as Pajeú, a clockmaker during the aftermath of the massacre who, in search of his mentor, must fight back against the terror and time itself to uncover the full events of the war.
Gameplay
When looking at action RPGs (ARPG) like Path of Exile and Diablo, the developers at Rogue Snail wanted to streamline the slow burn experience of those titles with a faster paced gameplay loop. The Hell Clock is a system that revives our character after every run by resetting itself by counting down to zero once entering the underworld. Once the clock strikes zero, wherever you may be, you are sent right back to the start. The only areas where the clock freezes are boss floors that contain waves of enemies that the game lets you take your time with.
Whether you are a fan of top-down ARPGs or not, Rogue Snail throws in gameplay implementations that aim to have a little bit everything for everybody. For example, if you feel like the clock is stressing you out, an option to disable it is available. Accommodation like this never hurts if the goal is to appeal to newer fans of the genre.
Hell Clock encourages the player to make quicker decisions and save as much time as they can with each floor of the underworld. What can make each run go by quicker are the available tools and upgrades provided. Permanent upgrades for Pajeú can be unlocked through the Great Bell by using a currency obtained after each run. The skills you have at hand are also customizable through The Reliquary, which uses relics to modify the effects of each skill. Shops with weapon and clothing upgrades are also provided by aiding a specific merchant on your first run. Saving the merchant from the underworld as well as restoring the fallen town of Canudos, results in even more efficient upgrades towards Pajeú’s skill set.
The progression system of Hell Clock is laid out to the player as early as the first couple hours of the game. What I have an issue with however is how slow the progression itself may feel at times. The Great Bell and the Relics you can collect are upgrades that don’t really seem to have a noticeable impact on your runs as you unlock more attributes, or with your stats being raised by a mere of 2-4%. With a rogue-like that takes its time to provide the player the tools they need to make it to the next boss room, the game can come off as repetitive. Spending over 10 hours slaying demons in Hell Clock, I got a feeling I’ve barely scratched the surface of what this game has to offer.
Final Score
Offering a distinctive perspective on Brazil’s War of Canudos, Hell Clock is a creative mix of historical tragedy with rogue-like gameplay. Its fundamental mechanics—such as the ticking Hell Clock—bring a novel spin to the ARPG genre with its quick-pace incentive. However, seasoned players seeking a more satisfying growth may find their patience tested by the game’s crawling progression system and lackluster upgrades. Nevertheless, Hell Clock is an erratic, game that’s worth the shot simply from premise alone.
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