Rising Hell

A run in Rising Hell has you launching upward through procedurally generated vertical chambers, chaining platform jumps and melee attacks to build momentum while waves of demons close in from every direction. Combat rewards aggression: hitting enemies fuels the combo meter, and maintaining that chain is both the offensive strategy and the primary survival tool, since stopping to breathe is rarely an option. Each run takes a character through distinct regions of hell, each with its own creature types, environmental hazards, and a named boss — Dagon, Beelzebub, and others drawn from demonological tradition — capping each layer. Talent choices made between stages let players bend a run toward specific playstyles, though the permadeath structure means every build is temporary.

Tahoe Games designed the progression around unlockable characters rather than passive stat accumulation between runs. Each character plays differently enough to alter strategic priorities, and the roster expands as players meet certain in-run conditions. Beyond the main campaign, a separate challenge mode with its own leaderboard provides a distinct competitive frame for players who have learned the systems. The pixel art aesthetic is paired with a heavy metal soundtrack that sets the tempo — players who prefer methodical, exploratory roguelikes tend to find the pace relentless in a way that works against them rather than for them. Rising Hell released on May 19, 2021.

The game had a substantial early access period stretching back into 2020, during which Tahoe Games shipped several public beta updates adding minibosses, a Redemption mode, weekly challenges, and new achievements. A boss stage update and performance improvements followed before the studio announced departure from early access in March 2021. The full launch in May 2021 was accompanied by a post describing a Deathrush mode. Post-launch updates continued through the rest of 2021, including a new character added in December and a controller and performance pass in September. The Bloodline Update arrived in January 2022, and a further update was announced in June 2024, indicating continued support well past the initial release window.