I’ve been dying to earnestly dig back into my roguelike bag for a while. The point and click genre has been grabbing me by the neck recently. And then came Hell Clock. I played the demo back in April and loved what I saw. Little did I know that I was only scratching the surface.

Hell clock is firmly steeped in brazilian culture

The most important thing about Hell Clock is that the developers at Rogue Snail are based in Brazil. And this game represents their alternate telling of a very significant event in Brazilian history, the War of Canudos. The story of the game is based on that event and having a level of understanding of what happened then will give you context as to how the story works and unfolds.

And it’s a great story. I found myself moved throughout my time playing. You play as Pajeú, who is fighting to save the soul of his mentor, The Counselor. Hell Clock takes him through a fairly emotional journey, but one that allows him to showcase the strength of not only himself, but the Brazilian people in the moment.

The gameplay is hectic in the best way

Hell Clock doesn’t just want you to be aggressive. It needs you to be aggressive. In the top left corner of your screen, there is an actual clock that ticks down. If it gets to zero before you reach the last floor and the boss, you’re getting shipped right out of the arena. But if you make it, the clock freezes. Why would you be taking your time you might ask? Because like any good roguelike, killing enemies fills up an XP bar that grants you run specific buffs. Not only do you get these, but you also get relics that further boost your abilities.

The game also carries a heavy Diablo influence in the way you chase loot. There are chests littered throughout the arena that give out gold and other boons. As well as side rooms with some treasure. It’s very easy to look up on the third or fourth floor and see that you only have about a minute and a half to get to the seventh. Now all that time you’ve spent attacking the very plentiful hordes of hell is coming back to bite you. Because those enemies are wildly aggressive themselves. Especially the crawlers. Trying to rush through each floor with about 20 or 30 of them on your heels is an exhilarating and harrowing feeling at the same time.

I’ve found myself blowing through my stock of three potions with two floors to go because I needed to get that clock stopped. Boss fights are similar dungeon crawling fare but even though the timer stopping here gives you the chance to be more measured in attacking, that doesn’t mean your enemies will be. It’s a really thrilling feeling that permeates Hell Clock. I feel Pajeú’s urgency because the game has appropriately provided the stakes narratively and then doubled down on them in practice through the gameplay.

tHERE’S STILL SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE HERE THOUGH

Don’t worry though, if you aren’t down for the stress of a clock ticking your game away, Rogue Snail did include a Relaxed Mode that lets you move at your own pace. If you want to get acclimated to the game, this is the way to go. But playing it in its purest form is the best way to immerse yourself in not only the story but the gameplay.

My time with Hell Clock was filled with challenge and the perfect amount of frustration that required me to go back and see how I had Pajeú outfitted. Adjustments brought success. My stubbornness (sometimes) brought failure. It’s the perfect amount of risk/reward that drives all great roguelikes and dungeon crawlers. Hell Clock is an intense ride from beginning to end.

Verdict: Highly Recommended

Hell Clock is available July 22, 2025 on Steam. A code was provided by the publisher for the sake of review. Reviewed on PC.