Ars Goetia's dark fantasy dungeon crawler released on 26 May 2022 through Dear Villagers, and it asks you to pick which of six demons your character serves before the first fight. That pact is the class system: Lucifer, Beelzebub, Baal, Satan, Asmodeus and Leviathan each hand you a different skill tree, different stat growth per level and a different Demon Form. Combat is turn based on a fatigue clock rather than a strict you go, I go order, so cheap actions can chain before an enemy ever moves.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best builds, equipment worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
Demonic pact instead of a class
You pledge to one of six demons at the start, and that choice sets your stat growth, your Demon Form and your entire skill tree. Lucifer gains 9 life and 4 mana per level, Leviathan only 5 life but 7 mana, and Beelzebub trades mana income for Rage.
Fatigue clock turn order
Every action costs time on a fatigue bar instead of simply ending your turn, so cheap skills can fire several times before an enemy acts. Abilities like Interruption and Time Warp add seconds of fatigue to enemies, which is how you steal whole rounds.
Momentums and Postures
Momentums are the active abilities on your battle menu and cost Mana or Rage. Postures unlock at character level 6 and work as passive stances, and each demon offers a different count of both, with Satan and Asmodeus reaching 11 Momentums apiece.
Demon Form charged over five fights
Your Demon Form charges across five fights, and several of the strongest abilities only recharge when it triggers. Apocalyptic Choreography, Satanic Power, Focus and Wound Aggravation all reset on Demon Form, so entering a boss with it ready doubles your burst.
Recipe scrolls and crafting
Crafting recipes appear as floating scrolls inside dungeons and cannot be bought from a merchant. Materials such as Infernium Ore, Abyss Coral, Demon Tooth and Stones of Arbenia feed the first seven recipe tiers, so selling them is a mistake you find out about later.
For a deeper dive into how these systems interact, see our Hellslave combat guide.
Builds Overview
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucifer | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Beelzebub | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Baal | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Leviathan | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Asmodeus | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our Hellslave builds guide. For rankings, check the tier list.
Equipment Guide
| Equipment | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Balam's Strike | Deals double melee damage in one action, the cleanest damage Momentum in the melee trees. | Consistent single target melee damage |
| Apocalyptic Choreography | Hits every enemy on the field for heavy damage but fires only once, recharging when your Demon Form triggers. | Opening a crowded fight or finishing a wounded pack |
| Wound Aggravation | Doubles all poison and bleeding stacks on every enemy at once. | Poison and bleed builds after two or three stacking actions |
| Time Warp | Adds 7 seconds of fatigue to every enemy, which on the fatigue clock is close to skipping their turn outright. | Emergency resets when a boss is about to act |
| Destruction | Cannot miss, adds 30 percent damage, and stacks another 20 percent for every critical you have already landed in the fight. | Long boss fights where crits have already piled up |
Balam's Strike: Deals double melee damage in one action, the cleanest damage Momentum in the melee trees. Cheap enough to replace your basic attack once Rage income is stable.
Apocalyptic Choreography: Hits every enemy on the field for heavy damage but fires only once, recharging when your Demon Form triggers. Treat it as a one per fight opener, not a rotation button.
Wound Aggravation: Doubles all poison and bleeding stacks on every enemy at once. On a Baal or Asmodeus build it turns a slow damage over time setup into an immediate kill window.
Time Warp: Adds 7 seconds of fatigue to every enemy, which on the fatigue clock is close to skipping their turn outright. It becomes available again once you drop into survival range.
Destruction: Cannot miss, adds 30 percent damage, and stacks another 20 percent for every critical you have already landed in the fight. It recharges on each kill, so it scales through trash waves.
Full breakdowns in our Hellslave weapons guide.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Byleth | Opening act | Merchant stock, stash access, first crafting recipes |
| Synok | Second half of the campaign | Late game merchant stock, quest NPCs, stash |
| Tomb of Heroes | Early game, before Demon Form is reliable | Early relics, crafting materials, a recipe scroll |
| Troglodyte City | Mid to late campaign | Troglodyte Golden Axe materials and dense packs for Rage generation |
| Lair of Zarrak | Late campaign | Boss loot and story progress |
Byleth: The first of only two towns in the game, and the hub for merchants, the stash, crafting and quest NPCs through the opening act. There is no fast travel, so trips out are round trips.
Synok: The second and final town, unlocked once the story moves onto the later map. It carries the same functions as Byleth with higher tier merchant inventory.
Tomb of Heroes: An early dungeon full of undead and one of the first places worth clearing fully rather than rushing. Its layout is where the game teaches demon shrines, traps and anomalies.
Troglodyte City: A mid to late dungeon that lends its name to the Troglodyte Golden Axe recipe. Fights come in larger packs here, which is where an all enemy Momentum earns its slot.
Lair of Zarrak: A named boss lair rather than a wandering dungeon, and one of the fights that punishes a half built skill tree hardest. Walk in with Demon Form charged.
See our maps & locations guide for detailed area breakdowns and our walkthrough for the optimal progression path.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Read the demon description before you pick. There is no way to change pact mid run, and each of the six lays its skill tree out differently even where the abilities overlap.
- Postures do not appear until character level 6. If you have been ignoring that tab, open it the moment you hit level 6 because they are free passive buffs.
- Fatigue is the actual turn order. Cheap Momentums let you act several times before an enemy moves, and Interruption or Decay pushes an enemy's action further back by seconds.
- Several of the best abilities only recharge on Demon Form. Apocalyptic Choreography, Satanic Power, Focus and Wound Aggravation are one use per charge, so a boss entered with Demon Form ready is a much shorter fight.
- Never sell crafting materials. Infernium Ore, Abyss Coral, Demon Tooth, Cobra Venom and Stones of Arbenia all feed the first seven recipe tiers and merchants do not restock them reliably.
- Recipe scrolls appear as floating scrolls inside dungeons and nowhere else. Clear rooms fully instead of beelining the exit, because a missed scroll means a weapon tier you simply cannot craft.
- Byleth and Synok are the only two towns in the game. Plan each dungeon trip around a full inventory, because there is nowhere else to sell, stash or craft.
- Damage over time bypasses armor. Against heavily armored bosses a Baal poison build or an Asmodeus bleed build outdamages a straight melee build that is losing chunks to mitigation.
- Martyr's Death Rattle and Time Warp only come back when you are near death. Do not treat them as rotation skills, treat them as the reason a losing fight is still winnable.
- New Game Plus raises difficulty and changes your starting demon. It is the intended way to try a second pact rather than a victory lap over the same content.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Spreading skill points thinly across the whole tree. Each demon's tree is wide, and a half built character has no Momentum worth casting in the fights that matter.
- Selling relics and materials for early gold. Relics with effects like reflecting poison back at attackers are worth far more than the coin you get for them.
- Saving Demon Form for a boss that never arrives. It charges over five fights, so using it and recharging usually beats hoarding it across a whole dungeon.
- Playing it like a standard turn based RPG. The fatigue clock means the enemy is not guaranteed an action after yours, and cheap abilities chain.
- Picking Satan for a first run because the name sounds strongest. Community guides call it fun but weak in the endgame, and Lucifer or Leviathan are friendlier openers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many demons can you pact with?
Six: Lucifer, Beelzebub, Baal, Satan, Asmodeus and Leviathan. Each one sets your stat growth per level, your Demon Form and your whole skill tree, and there is no switching mid run.
Which demon should a first time player pick?
Lucifer. It gains 9 life and 4 mana per level, alternates melee and magical damage, and forgives a badly spent skill point. Leviathan is stronger late but leans hard on spells and mana management.
Is Hellslave turn based?
Yes, but not strictly alternating. Every action costs time on a fatigue bar, so cheap skills chain, and abilities like Time Warp and Interruption add seconds to enemy fatigue to steal extra actions.
How long is Hellslave and is there replay value?
It is a single player campaign built around two town hubs, Byleth and Synok, with dungeons between them. New Game Plus raises the difficulty and changes your starting demon, which is the intended second run.
Does Hellslave have a party?
No. You control one character built around a single demonic pact, so damage, sustain and crowd control all have to come out of one skill tree.
More Hellslave Guides
- Hellslave Best Builds
- Hellslave Tier List
- Hellslave Walkthrough
- Hellslave Beginner's Guide
- Hellslave Tips & Tricks
- Hellslave Weapons Guide
- Hellslave Combat Guide
- Hellslave Boss Guide
- Hellslave Maps & Locations
- Hellslave Crafting Guide
- Hellslave Classes & Characters
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- Baldur's Gate 3 Guide: rpg game with similar mechanics
- Cyberpunk 2077 Guide: rpg game with similar mechanics
