Want to join the ‘Hades 2’ hype but haven’t played ‘Hades’? The original is on sale for 50% off

SAVE 50%: Supergiant Games’ massively popular Hades is available for digital download for just $12.49 in the Nintendo eShop, down 50% from its $24.99 list price. Grab it before the sale ends on Dec. 28 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

If you saw the Hades 2 trailer drop from the 2022 Game Awards and thought to yourself, “How have I not already played the original game, one of the best indie roguelikes ever made and Mashable’s best game of 2020?” don’t feel bad — you’re not alone.

In fact, you should feel very, very glad, as Hades is on sale for just $12.49 in the Nintendo eShop as of Dec. 19. This 50% price cut applies only to the digital download version, not the physical copy, which is still going for $34.99. (At the time of writing, the digital edition is listed at full price at GameStop, Target, Best Buy, and sold out at Amazon).

You’ve probably heard about the basic plot of the massively popular game. In case you haven’t: you play as Zagreus, Hades’ son, as he attempts to fight his way out of the underworld. You battle through randomized enemies, rooms, and boons with each run, fighting to make it to the final boss. If you die, you start all over, but you also collect resources for a stronger next run.

For experienced gamers, it’s a decent challenge, but for newer or more casual gamers, it isn’t so difficult as to be inaccessible (I’m speaking from personal experience here). Plus, the game has gorgeous art and incredible voice acting. As former Mashable reporter Kellen Beck wrote in his praise of the game, “I haven’t met a single person who hasn’t loved Supergiant Games’ Hades.”

Unfortunately, there’s no mechanism to gift a digital game within the eShop, but you can always grab an eShop gift card.

You can grab Hades for just $12.49 through Dec. 28 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Taking advantage of the sale not only saves you money, but gives you plenty of time to catch up before Hades 2, which is expected to have its early access release “sometime in 2023.” In the meantime, you can also check out a bunch of other sales on the Nintendo eShop going on now.