An old warrior crosses Hel's hall one turn at a time, trading soul power for every blow on the way to the gate.
Hel’s Trial casts you as an aged Norse warrior who has died and landed in the hall of Hel, goddess of the dead. She gives you one shot at earning your seat in Valhalla. All you have to do is cross her hall, past its pillars and monsters, and walk through the gate on the other side.
It plays out in turns on a grid. The big twist is that your life and your attacks pull from the same supply, called soul power or SP. Every swing you take leaves you closer to defeat unless you earn that power back.
How a turn works
The game opens with three short story boxes from Hel. Click Continue on each, and you’ll find your warrior near the bottom of the map.
Each turn gives you a walk of three tiles or fewer plus a single attack. Move the mouse over a tile to check whether you can reach it, then click. To attack, point at a nearby enemy. Red numbers show how much SP that strike will remove, and hovering any monster reveals how much it has left. Press E or click End Turn when you’re done.
Once your turn ends, any monster that can see you either closes in or attacks.
Your three attacks
- Direct Attack: spend 2 SP to deal 12 damage to one adjacent enemy.
- Throw Hatchet: spend 4 SP to hurl it about four tiles. It can pierce a row of enemies, doing 2 less damage to each extra foe it passes through.
- Sweeping Blow: spend 6 SP to strike all adjacent foes for 10 each.
Switch between them with the 1, 2 and 3 keys or by clicking the names in the top left.
Know your enemies
Four kinds of monsters stand in your way. Beasts cover two tiles per move, skeletons hit hard, souls spot you from a long way off, and giants carry the most SP. Beating any of them gives you 5 SP back, which is your main way to recover.
Winning moves
Most monsters stay still until you get near, so creep forward and let a few come to you. Finish off weak enemies before starting on healthy ones, since each kill refunds soul power. Save Sweeping Blow for moments when two or more enemies surround you, because it costs triple a basic hit. Line up hatchet throws to damage a whole row at once.
Pillars and walls block movement, so standing next to them cuts down the number of monsters that can get at you. When the next step would put you in a giant’s reach, end your turn early instead.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse |
|---|---|---|
| Move to a tile in range | — | Click a highlighted tile |
| Attack an enemy | — | Click an enemy in range |
| Choose Direct Attack, Throw Hatchet or Sweeping Blow | 1, 2 or 3 | Click the attack name at the top left |
| End your turn early | E | Click End Turn |
| Zoom the view | — | Scroll wheel |
| Pause or resume | Escape | — |
| Read the next story box | — | Click Continue |
Hel's Trial FAQ
Can I play Hel's Trial on a phone or Chromebook?
A Chromebook or any computer with a mouse works. Phones and tablets do not, because tile selection relies on hovering with a mouse, and the story boxes and End Turn button ignore taps.
Is it a one-player game?
Yes. You control a single warrior against the monsters in Hel's hall. Every decision is yours, and the enemies take their turn after you finish yours.
What happens if my soul power runs out?
The trial ends in defeat. There is no restart button on that screen, so refresh the page or the game window to begin a new attempt from the start.
Do I have to defeat every monster?
No. You only need to get through the open gate on the opposite side of the hall. Fighting is a tool, not the goal, so skip any battle that would cost more soul power than it gives back.
