Hades 2 relationship and gift guide, full gift order for all characters

Just as important as the roguelike aspect of Hades 2 is building relationships and potentially starting a romance with NPCs through its gift system.

Like the original game, Hades 2 has a colorful cast of characters that are interesting and at least a bit scary. Of the many characters Melinoe meets across her journey, players will likely want to learn more about their favorites. That’s why the game lets players build relationships with their favorite NPCs.

Melinoe can grow closer to certain characters by giving them the right items at the right time. These items can be hard to come by, however, so players will want to make sure they’re not wasting them. Here’s how to give gifts to NPCs in Hades 2, the right gifts to give, and how they’ll return the favor.

How to get the Book of Shadows

Players can see character relationships after acquiring the Book of Shadows and using the Empath’s Intuition incantation.

There’s no proper in-game guide on which NPCs have been met and how friendly they are at the start of the game. However, Headmistress Hecate gives Melinoe the Book of Shadows after the player defeats her three times on the path to the Underworld. The Book of Shadows lets players view which characters they’ve met, which is especially handy as it automatically updates itself.

The second and arguably more important step for building relationships with characters is using the Empath’s Intuition incantation. When used, the Book of Shadows codex also shows Melinoe’s relationship status with every character. The more hearts a character has, the closer Melinoe is to them.

Can you romance characters in Hades 2?

Players cannot romance characters in Hades 2’s early access. Instead, they can increase a their bonds by gifting NPCs Nectar, Bath Salts, Ambrosia, and Twin Lures.

The primary way to increase Melinoe’s bond with a character is by offering them Nectar, which can be found during runs or purchased from the Shadow Broker. All characters require Nectar to get the first heart, and every accepted Nectar improves their relationship with Melinoe by one heart. However, some characters don’t accept Nectar, which means players must complete certain prerequisites, like speaking with them more or breaking the ward to Olympus.

Nectar isn’t the only way players can increase character bonds, as the Rite of River Fording, Rite of Social Solidarity, and Rite of Vapor-Cleansing incantations unlock the Fishing Pier, Tavern, and Hot Springs respectively. Once unlocked, players can purchase Twin Lures, Ambrosia, and Bath Salts from the Shadow Broker to offer as gifts to NPCs.

Full gift order for all Hades 2 characters

In Hades 2, Melinoe can deepen her relationship with characters and eventually romance them by giving gifts. Each NPC has a set order for what gifts Melinoe needs to bring them. The order varies between all characters, though all draw from the same set of items.

Because players need to use the same four items to advance their relationships with all of the NPCs, players are well-served by planning which items to utilize, and when to use them. Planning this out can help prevent having five different characters from needing Bath Salts at the same time.

All Hades 2 gift items, and what they do

Gift items in Hades 2 serve as an invitation to an NPC to spend time together in a specific location. Here is every gift item, and which location they are attached to:

• Bath Salts– Hot Springs
• Ambrosia– Taverna
• Twin Lures– Fishing Pier

The Book of Shadows can be used to see what gift a particular character is interested in receiving. Text next to the character’s relationship status informs players what that character wants and whether Melinoe has to speak with them before gifting them anything.

Every character’s relationship progresses differently, and future updates might add more gifting options.

How do you get Keepsakes in Hades 2?

Melinoe receives a Keepsake from NPC after giving them Nectar for the first time.

Keepsakes are helpful accessories that can make runs easier. Melinoe can only equip one Keepsake at a time. Completing encounters while having a Keepsake equipped helps upgrade it, increasing the effectiveness of its buff.

Every character gives a different Keepsake that Mel can equip in the Keepsake Cabinet located in the Crossroads training ground. Using the Kindred Keepsakes incantations spawns the cabinet in the spaces between regions during runs, allowing Mel to swap them with each other.