While Diablo 4 is chugging along with assured inevitability and its biggest rival, Path of Exile 2, is ambitious but unfinished, there are some great ARPGs from small teams that have grabbed my attention. From the cheerful pixel art frolic of Slowmancer to the dark fairytale action of Raven’s Watch, we’re spoiled for choice. One of the best among them is hell clockif you missed it in July, now is the perfect time to change it up. Developer Rogue Snail has delivered a major update that completely changes the feel of movement, enhances melee builds, and dramatically increases endgame potential.
Hell Clock update 1.2 has arrived. This makes one of the year’s best games like Diablo much easier to recommend. I already had enough love for what Rogue Snail brought to the table. Its art direction is immediately captivating, transporting you into a fantastical race against time set during Brazil’s brutal Canudos War of 1896. Structurally (and a little thematically) it’s similar to Hades. You fight through hell trying to save the soul of your fallen master, empower yourself with chosen blessings, and battle demons spawned from dark conflicts.
However, despite this core, Hell Clock actually plays like an ARPG. You can gradually collect equipment and relics that empower your character, funnel points into branching skill trees that help you grow stronger over time, and incorporate this more firmly into the “roguelite” camp that continually progresses between runs. There’s also a vast constellation map to rival the Path of Exile skill tree, offering a long-term upgrade path as you take on endgame’s Ascension and Hell modes.
However, my biggest takeaway was how the action actually played out. We felt it was good enough to enjoy the real highlights like Build Craft and Style, but it just couldn’t match the other giants of the genre. Hell Clock update 1.2 aims to fix this. You now have full 360 degrees of freedom of movement and can use all your skills on the go, albeit at a 50% reduction in speed. In addition to this, we will be introducing a variety of new unique items created by the community, as well as several more constellations.
After the 1.1 update, melee builds that had proven to be a bit underpowered are now loved across the board. Endgame and Ascension modes give you free access to all 52 constellations, opening up a world of possibilities. We’ve also added new search functionality to both the constellation and various bell screens to make finding the right talent easier.
But that’s not all. Rogue Snail says that currently, “the majority of the team is focused on next year’s expansion, which will bring a new story containing about a third of the base game’s content, along with exciting new skills.” If you want to support the team and get everything there is to see, you’ll need paid components, but the developers say that “the vast majority of improvements are free and never behind a paywall.”
The next free update, which will arrive alongside the 2026 expansion, already sounds pretty substantial. Endgame can expect 12 new biomes, improved dungeon generation and randomization, a point-by-point respec system for skill trees and constellations, a new mapping system called “Endless Nightmares,” dozens of additional relics, the final version of Ascension mode, and “a few more surprises.”
“It’s been the time of our lives developing Hell Clock with you all since the release of 1.0. We appreciate all the support and feedback you’ve given us,” writes Rogue Snail. “We hope you enjoy this update and have a great end of the year.” Currently, with this major overhaul, we recommend checking out what Hell Clock has to offer, as the price is set to be significantly discounted to just $14.
Hell Clock update 1.2 has been released and the game is on sale for 30% off until Saturday, December 6th. That means you’ll only pay $13.99 / £10.55. If you’re ready to embark on a quest for revenge and redemption, get it here.
