Jötunnslayer: Hordes of Hel Steam Charts & Stats

I'm posting a review because I'm tired of seeing this get review bombed by people with 1 or 2 hours played saying its hard, not much content, and skills/upgrades do nothing. This game can be as easy or as difficult as you make it. Read the multipliers on the maps and modifiers. Yes it can scale up quickly and catch you off guard if you're not paying attention. Skill points are essential to gaining power; giving new abilities, upgrades to current ones, and tons of passive buffs. Also, if you actually pay attention to what you're upgrading, both in game and in the skill tree, your decisions have huge affects on your abilities. Every point actually matters. Build variety is plentiful, I tried each character a couple times, but I've mained one character most of my time playing and I've never played them the same each time. You can reset the skill trees for free, allowing you switch up your style at any time. I have a certain path I take when doing easier maps, for grinding out skill points. Another for pushing max damage to get access to a higher difficulty/map. Different damage builds for AoE burst, DoTs, CC focused, auto attack focused, you get the point. The skill tree expands a decent bit as you play, it affects the game, and your play style, greatly. You also unlock different weapons that can change the way you want to build your character. Maps looks great, enemies look great, graphics are amazing and well optimized. This is a great game as it is, and I hope the devs continue adding to it because it has potential to be the best in it's genre.

After 2 hours play this game, i feel this game's not terrible, it has potential, but im not excited in the system. - Art design -> Beautiful! - Animations -> Better than many games in same Roguelike genre! But the big problem is when the countdown timer ends if you don't summon the boss you will be considered a loser. -> If so why doesn't the system automatically summon when the time is about to run out? The design of the skill tree feels unapproachable and sketchy to me personally. It is a bit disappointing compared to other games in the Rouguelike genre because the cost is higher but perhaps it is just used to invest more in the game's graphics. Hope the game gets more updates, also have some expectations in the future, I'm willing to pay extra for any DLC if the system is improved more.

As per some other reviews - there's a lot of stuff going-on but it doesn't come together in a way which is fun to play YET The game itself is quite disjointed - LOTS of levelling up - LOTS of choices - not all of which are that helpful - I'd like fewer choices which are more impactful. Levels also have Objectives which get REALLY boring REALLY quickly - they clearly exist to force you into moving around but the combat should do that - I don't need to be picking Mushrooms and other nonsense - thanks It also DESPERATELY needs someone to make some decent sound effects - the combat feels weak and it's mostly down to lack of crunchy/thuddy/explodey noises I think!! I will keep an eye - it's promising but the elements don't really fit togther YET

core mechanics. turned up to 10. +amazing graphics,framerates +polished missions: objectives, monster types, monster waves, time constraints,traps +difficulty just right. +music -long loadtimes.

That my kind of game.. of shorts. Beautiful graphic, easy to learn game-play, a lots of content for an early access game.

Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel is a gripping roguelike arena slasher that throws players into a vivid and brutal reimagining of Norse mythology. Developed with high production values and a clear appreciation for both action and atmosphere, it places players in the role of warriors battling across mythic realms like Niflheim and Muspelheim, fighting off relentless hordes and towering bosses in an attempt to hold back the forces of chaos. Though still in Early Access, the game already delivers a compelling loop of survival, build-crafting, and god-powered carnage that makes each run feel intense and rewarding. Each level immerses players in an environment steeped in thematic detail. Niflheim, for example, offers blinding snowstorms and skeletal enemies, while Muspelheim is a realm of flowing lava and fire-born beasts. These visual backdrops aren’t just cosmetic—they shape how players move and fight, adding danger and strategy to each zone. Though only two realms are currently available, they provide enough variation to keep the action feeling fresh, especially as different enemy types and arena hazards emerge with every wave. Combat is the core focus, and it’s executed with polish and flair. Players choose from a growing roster of unique hero classes, such as the shield-wielding Berserker or the long-range Seeress, each with distinct skills and playstyles. As runs progress, players collect god blessings—passive and active abilities granted by figures like Thor, Loki, or Freya—that drastically alter how each character handles the escalating threats. These divine powers combine with relics and skill modifiers, allowing for deep build customization. Whether you’re summoning lightning wolves or detonating healing explosions, each run becomes a new strategic experiment in destruction. The gameplay loop thrives on its balance of moment-to-moment action and long-term progression. Gold collected during a run can be spent on upgrading classes and gods, while rarer crystals unlock new weapons and blessings. Even failed runs push the player forward, giving each session a sense of purpose. Timed objectives and boss encounters break up the standard enemy waves, requiring quick thinking and adaptation as the pressure steadily ramps up. Visually, the game impresses with sharp, stylized character models and detailed effects. Attacks feel weighty, skills explode with color and force, and the environments are dynamic without becoming overwhelming. The audio work complements the visuals well—gritty battle sounds, otherworldly music, and ambient effects all contribute to the immersion. That said, some areas suffer from minor performance hiccups, especially during large-scale battles or graphically intense events, and these technical bumps occasionally pull you out of the otherwise immersive flow. While the game currently lacks the full variety expected from a finished roguelike—only two realms are playable, and god skills are limited to specific builds—it lays a solid foundation. The path forward looks promising, with additional realms, gods, and multiplayer support already confirmed for future updates. Community feedback has been mixed in tone but generally positive, with many praising the visuals and customization while calling for better balance and performance tuning. Overall, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel stands out in a crowded genre by combining deep build systems with an artfully realized mythological setting and strong combat mechanics. It’s not yet a fully complete experience, but what’s available offers a solid blend of chaos and strategy that rewards both action fans and theorycrafters. For players who love roguelikes with style, weighty progression, and a mythic edge, this game is already a worthy addition—and it’s only going to get better. Rating: 8/10

While this game both looks and plays nicely, it suffers from a problem that plagues a lot of different survivor-likes. RNG Pools. RNG pools randomize which bonuses appear at each level-up. You can re-roll and banish to adjust your results to try to get something to your liking. However this pool is booty. In typical bullet heavens, you have just a simple drop pool which typically self adjusts (slightly) to options you had picked previously, but in this game you first choose which God, and then said God shows the options for you to choose. Not only do you need the correct God to appear for which you are building around (which happens so rarely), you ALSO need the correct options to drop from the respective God. I usually just found myself choosing skills mindlessly because the point of building is lost when you only get to pick one skill from one specific tree and NEVER get to level it over time because it never appeared again. Which brings me to my second issue. The problem of the skill tree. Like in other survivors games, you can allocate skillpoints after rounds to enhance certain things for your character. The problem here is MOST of the upgrades apply to specific skills. So essentially, you are going to spend points to upgrade skills which have a high chance you will never see in a run. All of this makes, build options, useless. Skill investment, pointless. You would need upwards of 20 or so banish and re-rolls to make anything even remotely work in this game.

Coming from games like Soul Stone Survivors, Deep Rock Galactic Survivors, and Risk of Rain 2, this game feels right at home. I especially enjoy its unique twist on the genre of an epic nordic theme. It is a solid beginning, and I am excited to see how this game evolves over time. Give it a chance, you will enjoy it!

Mediocre. There's some things it does well such as the various the character + god skills. But overall the character balance is awful, the scaling is bad, the maps are very small, aren't well designed or laid out, and they are chock full of annoying areas with terrible collision aspects that get lost in the visual clutter. Speaking of clutter, the Rune Puzzle is the dumbest thing they've "added". They just posted that v1.0 is launching soon with a price jump to $14.99 and I cannot recommend the game without fixing all the glaring issues first, especially if they want to consider that the full release.

I got Hordes of Hel thinking it’d be a little roguelite throwaway—y’know, something to crack open on the Steamdeck while I decompose on the porcelain throne. A couple of runs, a couple of wipes, call it a day. I was wrong. This game is NOT poop-tier. It is poop-enhanced. What started as a casual “lemme see what this is” has turned into “babe I’ll be out in a bit, I’m… uh… busy.” I have completely restructured my digestive rhythm to maximize time spent playing this chaotic, crunchy, violently satisfying gem of a game. You like roguelites? Good. You like fast runs that make you say “ok one more” fifty-seven times? Good. You want a game that feels like Diablo but strips out the spreadsheet crap and leaves you with just the good slashy-slashy dopamine? HEL yes. The controls are tight, the upgrades feel meaningful, and the combat absolutely slaps. You want a game where every run feels like a punk rock Viking fever dream and somehow never gets old? This is it. It's like the devs put actual effort into it or something, which is suspicious, but appreciated. Plus they keep updating it. Like… more than they should? It's getting new features, polish, love—hell, even the bugs feel charming. I’ve played AAA games with less soul than this. If you’re into: Tight combat and buttery movement Dying stupidly and immediately doing it again Supporting devs who give a damn Sitting way too long and realizing your legs are asleep Roguelites that don’t waste your damn time Then Hordes of Hel isn’t just worth it—it’s a lifestyle choice. This isn’t bathroom gaming. This is throne-based domination. 10/10 would ruin my lower back again.