7 best beginner tips and tricks for Hell is Us

When you first jump into Hell is Us, it’s easy to feel a little lost, and that’s by design. The game doesn’t give you a minimap, there are no glowing quest markers, and tutorials are kept to the bare minimum. Instead, you’re expected to explore, experiment, and actually listen to the world around you. That makes the game feel unique compared to most modern action titles, but it also means newcomers can stumble hard in the early hours.

You’re playing as Remi, a man returning to his war-torn homeland, where reality is breaking apart and strange creatures stalk the ruins. To survive, you need to balance careful exploration, smart combat decisions, and attention to detail. If you treat it like any other hack-and-slash game, you’ll die quickly. But if you approach it with patience, curiosity, and a little strategy, it becomes incredibly rewarding.

To help you settle in, here are seven beginner-friendly Hell is Us tips that’ll make your journey through Hadea smoother and far less punishing.

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7 best beginner tips and tricks to get started with Hell is Us

1) Keep track of clues

The game doesn’t log everything for you. Sometimes you’ll pick up an old letter or overhear an NPC talking about a landmark, and it won’t show up anywhere in your menus. That doesn’t mean it’s useless. Down the line, that scrap of information might unlock a vault or help you solve a puzzle.

Don’t ignore scraps of paper or vague NPC hints, they often connect to puzzles later (Image via Nacon)

Here’s what you should do: keep a small notebook or use your phone to jot down codes, symbols, and place names. It feels old-school, but you’ll thank yourself later when you don’t have to wander around wondering where that “statue in the east fields” was.

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2) Make the APC your home base

The APC is more than just a fast-travel point. Early on, it feels like just a way to get around, but as you play it becomes a hub for upgrades and story progression.

Don’t be afraid to backtrack using it. Old areas often change once you’ve picked up new items or tools and you’ll uncover things you couldn’t access before. Later, when Tania joins you, the APC becomes even more important.

Fast travel back with the APC whenever you’ve picked up new tools (Image via Nacon)

It adds lore, lets you trade in research items, and eventually points you toward Vaults of Forbidden Knowledge, which contain some of the best rewards in the game.

Don’t treat the APC like a taxi. Treat it like your safe space and information center.

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3) Use your compass like it’s your map

There’s no map in Hell is Us. NPCs usually give you directions in plain language, like “head north past the ruins” or “look west from the river.” If you’re not paying attention, you’ll get turned around fast.

NPCs speak in directions, not markers; keep that compass up to avoid wandering aimlessly (Image via Nacon)

The compass might seem small and forgettable, but it’s your lifeline. Keep it equipped, check it often, and use landmarks to orient yourself. Once you get into the habit, exploring feels less like wandering and more like actual discovery.

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4) Learn the Healing Pulse early

This mechanic is easy to overlook at first, but it’s the key to surviving long fights. When you land attacks, you’ll see a faint white glow around your character. Trigger the Healing Pulse at the right moment and you’ll absorb that energy back as health.

Time your strikes and pull in white particles, it’s the only reliable way to heal mid-fight (Image via Nacon)

Your health and stamina are linked. If your health drops, your maximum stamina drops too, which makes combat much harder. Consumable healing items are rare, so if you rely on those, you’ll always feel short. Mastering the Healing Pulse keeps you in the fight without burning through supplies.

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5) Block and parry, don’t just swing wildly

Enemies in Hell is Us hit hard, and button-mashing is the fastest way to get flattened. Blocking should be your default move. It reduces damage and builds pressure on the enemy’s stagger meter. Once that meter breaks, you can unleash a heavy finisher that turns the fight in your favor.

A well-timed parry turns the fight in your favor (Image via Nacon)

Parrying takes practice, but it’s worth learning. When an enemy glows red before an attack, that’s your cue. Time your block just right and you’ll stun them instantly, opening them up for big damage. Fights that feel impossible suddenly become manageable once you get the rhythm down.

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6) Use your drone and glyphs

Your drone isn’t just for shining a light in dark places. As you find modules, you’ll unlock skills that let it distract enemies, spin in a wide attack or even slam into foes. These skills are on cooldowns, so don’t hoard them; use them to control the battlefield when things get overwhelming.

Your drone and Glyphs aren’t optional, they add crowd control, buffs, and extra damage when used smartly (Image via Nacon)

Then there are Glyphs. These attach to your weapons and add special effects like draining health from enemies or reducing stamina usage. Visit the blacksmith in Jova to upgrade both your weapons and glyphs. A strong loadout makes fights less about brute force and more about strategy.

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7) Close Timeloops as soon as you can

If you see a big glowing dome full of enemies, that’s a Timeloop. As long as it’s active, enemies in the area will keep respawning, which makes exploration a nightmare.

An active timeloop is a sign of infinite respawns (Image via Nacon)

To shut one down, you need to find and defeat the Guardian tied to it, then use an Amine Prism to collapse the loop. Some loops require specific types of Prisms, so keep an eye out for those as you explore. Clearing a Timeloop makes an area permanently safer and usually rewards you with useful loot, so don’t put it off.

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Hell is Us is designed to make you pay attention. The lack of waypoints and markers isn’t there to frustrate you, it’s there to push you into noticing the world, listening to NPCs, and piecing things together yourself.

If you keep notes, use your APC wisely, practice parrying, and take Timeloops seriously, you’ll have a much easier time. The game will still challenge you, but instead of getting lost or stuck, you’ll be moving with purpose.

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