Info about Hell Clock: Cursed War:

Official game description:
This is the fourth act to the epic campaign of Hell Clock. Explore Pajeu's origin story, which takes place during the Paraguay War and the pestilence that plagued it. Unlock new skills, grow your bell and explore an entirely new set of biomes in this expansion act to Hell Clock!

Release date: Jul 9, 2026

Categories: Roguelike, Dungeon Crawler, Action RPG, Build Crafting, Meta-Progression, Boss Rush, Endgame Content

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 15; verdict: Fair / Traditional DLC Price Complaint; summary: The available feedback focuses only on the price and regional exchange rate of a paid DLC. Reviewers complain that the DLC costs too much for the amount of content offered, but there is no direct evidence of in-game microtransactions, loot boxes, gacha pulls, battle passes, paid currency, or pay-to-win systems. Per the scoring rules, traditional DLC pricing complaints alone cannot push the score above 20.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $2.00 - $5.00
  - Reasoning: The only explicit pricing signals reject $10 as a rip-off, accept $2 as okay, and point to $3-$5 as a reasonable sale target. The translated Chinese review reinforces that the content is not generally worth buying and is mainly valuable to completionists, which further argues against a higher price. Because the pricing comments refer to a patch rather than the base game directly, confidence is low, but the community fair base-game anchor suggested by this evidence is roughly $2-$5.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: 0.2h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The only specific story-length report says the DLC 'adds 10 minutes to the story,' so storyCompletion is set to about 0.17 hours. The 30-hour patch playtime and the over-2-hour refund threshold describe cumulative or minimum play, not a completion time, session length, or endgame duration, so gameCompletion, sessionLength, and endgame are null.
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes:
  - Hardcore Veteran Build Crafter (buy)
    - Motivation: Mastering hardcore Veteran runs through specialized weapon builds and overcoming punishing miniboss difficulty.
    - Playstyle: Runs hardcore Veteran characters and optimizes unusual weapon builds such as plague ricochet shotgun.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - DLC Value Skeptic (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Getting enough worthwhile new content and endgame progression to justify continuing after the base game.
    - Playstyle: Completes base-game builds, enters Act 4 DLC content, and weighs continued play against repetition.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Lore-Driven Diablo-like Fan (buy)
    - Motivation: Experiencing the prequel story and new content while enjoying Diablo-like roguelike build power.
    - Playstyle: Plays through new DLC chapters for narrative, worldbuilding, and strong build progression.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Diablo


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- New Act 4 setting (weight 0.28): The DLC introduces a fourth chapter set during the Paraguayan War, adding a unique historical backdrop. It also brings new favorite biomes and engaging characters from Pajeu's past.
- Endgame loop enhanced (weight 0.2): The expansion adds significant value to the endgame gameplay loop, giving players more reasons to continue playing. It refines the endgame experience to a sharp point.
- More viable builds (weight 0.2): The expansion makes many more character builds viable, increasing gameplay diversity. New skills such as Tupa's Wrath and Jaguar Spear further expand customization options.
- Over 80 relics (weight 0.2): The DLC adds over 80 relics and unique items, significantly increasing loot variety. Relics also provide skill variations for deeper customization.
- DLC story praised (weight 0.19): The DLC's story is well written and engaging, drawing players into its narrative. It is considered fantastic and adds meaningful context to the game world.
- War horrors engaging (weight 0.19): The Paraguayan War atrocities turned into horrors to fight are engaging and thematically powerful. Saving Pajeu's past brothers by fighting physical manifestations of war is both fun and edifying.
- Complete ascension system (weight 0.12): A complete ascension system with 16 difficulty levels is added, providing a structured progression path. This system greatly extends the endgame.
- Over ten new biomes (weight 0.12): The expansion adds more than ten new biomes, greatly expanding environmental variety. Players appreciate the fresh locales to explore.
- New challenge bosses (weight 0.12): The DLC introduces new challenge bosses that provide tougher fights. These bosses add to the endgame challenge and excitement.
- Endless nightmare mode (weight 0.12): The DLC introduces an endless nightmare mode, offering limitless challenges. This mode adds substantial replayability for hardcore players.
- Essential for full content (weight 0.12): The DLC is considered essential for players who want to experience all the content. It offers a comprehensive expansion that feels necessary for completionists.
- Addictive gameplay (weight 0.12): The gameplay is very addictive, keeping players hooked for long sessions. Its loop is compelling and rewarding.
- Base game amazing (weight 0.11): Players find the base game amazing and satisfying on its own. It sets a strong foundation for the expansion content.
- Balanced hybrid mechanics (weight 0.11): The game successfully balances roguelike and Diablo-like mechanics, creating a cohesive experience. This blend appeals to fans of both genres.
- Talent tree progression (weight 0.11): The talent tree adds a sense of progression and character growth. It provides meaningful choices for building characters.
- Satisfying Hellclock return (weight 0.1): Returning to play Hellclock again feels satisfying for veteran players. The familiar mechanics remain enjoyable with the new content.
- Generous resource acquisition (weight 0.1): Health and mana are acquired frequently and generously throughout the game. This makes gameplay smoother and less frustrating.
- Spark Temporalis-like build (weight 0.1): Players can create a build similar to Spark Temporalis within this game. This offers a familiar yet fresh playstyle for fans of that archetype.
- Nice extra chapter (weight 0.1): Getting another chapter and additional skills is a nice bonus. It adds more content to enjoy without overcomplicating the experience.

Common complaints:
- DLC lacks content for price (weight 0.97): Many players feel the DLC is too short and adds too little new content to justify its price, especially compared to the base game. They say it feels like an extra layer rather than a substantial expansion.
- Pricing complaints and publisher anger (weight 0.48): Players are frustrated by the DLC's price, including a price change after purchase and unfair regional pricing. Some call it a money grab and are annoyed at the publisher for ignoring complaints.
- Difficulty spikes in veteran and NG+ (weight 0.34): Veteran mode becomes extremely difficult from the second miniboss, and the huge difficulty gap in new game+ remains unadjusted. This has caused suffering and numerous community complaints that were ignored.
- Item management and labeling issues (weight 0.33): Storage is a nightmare with too many relics and no quick sorting, and new Uber uniques and nightmare relics are not labeled. There is also no way to favorite items.
- New content feels repetitive and similar (weight 0.25): The new patch content is repetitive with same zones, same shrines, and only a couple new enemies. The DLC's new area feels very similar to base game dungeons, and act four can feel aesthetically fatiguing.
- Performance issues and stuttering (weight 0.19): The DLC has performance problems, and a major stutter occurs after the update. This negatively impacts the gameplay experience.
- Endgame lacks meaningful incentives (weight 0.19): New endgame tiers 12-16 offer no meaningful incentive to farm them, and the endgame does not fix the constellation system. Players find little reason to engage with the new content.
- Crafting is unsatisfying and limited (weight 0.19): Crafting is a pseudo-crafting mechanic that is just spam until you hit what you want, with extremely rare big hits. There is no real manipulation of items like in PoE or Last Epoch.
- DLC not a true sequel (weight 0.18): The expansion is not a sequel and does not offer three full new acts, and players need to have played through the base game to access new levels. This adds to the feeling of limited new content.
- New skills and content basic (weight 0.18): The DLC adds a couple of skills that are nothing special, and the unlocked content feels very basic for the price. This contributes to the perception that the DLC adds little value.
- No fixes while events announced (weight 0.1): Players are frustrated that no fixes were released while the developers announced three events. This gives the impression that feedback is being ignored.

Gameplay feedback:
- DLC adds new chapter and story (weight 0.61): The DLC introduces a fourth chapter that continues the narrative, including Pajeu's past and the Paraguayan War. It adds new story content and refines the endgame.
- Endgame tiers and constellations system (weight 0.41): The endgame features tiers 12 through 16 and a system called constellations. Act 4 refines the endgame experience, adding depth to the gameplay loop.
- DLC adds new skills and relics (weight 0.36): The DLC introduces new skills, relics, and unique items for character customization. Specific new skills include Tupa's Wrath, Jaguar Spear, and Lead Sermon.
- Game is a Diablo-like action roguelike (weight 0.34): The game is an action roguelike with Diablo-like mechanics, featuring an ARPG style. It includes room clearing and minibosses as part of its core gameplay.
- Veteran and casual difficulty modes (weight 0.33): The game offers a Veteran mode for hardcore players and a casual mode available in settings. There is also a new game+ mode with a difficulty gap.
- DLC adds new biomes and bosses (weight 0.28): The DLC expands the game with new biomes to explore and new challenge bosses to fight. It also introduces new enemies and items.
- Endless nightmare mode and ascension system (weight 0.28): The DLC adds an endless nightmare mode and an ascension system with 16 difficulty levels. The endless nightmare challenge is accessible through random portals.
- Build viability affected by DLC (weight 0.27): The expansion affects build viability, allowing players to create characters similar to the Spark Temporalis build. It also introduces a build or skill called Tupã's wrath (spark).
- Crafting and relics enhancement system (weight 0.26): Crafting involves spamming currency until the desired result is achieved. Relics can be taken out and enhanced, and there is a storage system for relics.
- Free skill combinations and level-up choices (weight 0.19): The game allows free skill combinations and offers a three-choice upgrade on level up. These systems enable diverse character builds.
- DLC changes in free update (weight 0.12): Many Hellclock 2.0 changes are also included in a free update, making some DLC content available to all players. This includes new skills and items.
- Metagame talent tree for progression (weight 0.12): A metagame talent tree provides permanent progression for characters. This system allows for long-term character growth beyond individual runs.
- Keyboard and mouse movement options (weight 0.11): The game supports both keyboard-assisted and pure mouse movement options, providing flexibility for player control preferences.
- Shrines and zones in game (weight 0.11): The game features shrines and zones as part of its level design. These elements provide additional exploration and interaction opportunities.
- Enemies drop equipment and relics (weight 0.11): Enemies drop equipment and relics upon defeat, contributing to loot acquisition. This is a core part of the game's reward loop.
- Optional level countdown system (weight 0.1): An optional level countdown system adds time pressure to levels for players seeking extra challenge. It can be toggled based on preference.
- Plague ricochet shotgun weapon (weight 0.1): A specific weapon called the Plague ricochet shotgun is available in the game. It features unique projectile behavior.

Performance notes:
- DLC performance issues (weight 0.1): Players report that the downloadable content performs poorly. This suggests optimization or compatibility problems specific to the DLC.
- Severe stuttering post-update (weight 0.1): A recent update introduced major stuttering, significantly affecting gameplay smoothness. This indicates a regression in performance that needs urgent attention.

Recommendations:
- DLC not worth full price (weight 0.34): Feedback frequently criticizes the DLC's price-to-content ratio, calling it a rip-off or money grab. Reviewers advise against purchasing at full price.
- DLC only worth on sale (weight 0.27): Many reviewers say the DLC should be bought only at a discount or skipped entirely at full price. The common recommendation is to wait for a sale.
- Little content for cost (weight 0.12): The DLC is difficult to recommend because it offers very little content relative to its price. This low value is a recurring complaint.
- Essential for completionists (weight 0.12): Some players consider the DLC essential if they want to experience all available content. This view contrasts with criticisms about its value.
- Only for main game fans (weight 0.11): Reviewers suggest buying the DLC only if you already enjoy the main game. It is not recommended as a standalone purchase.

Other player notes:
- Expansion sold as separate DLC (weight 0.27): The expansion is sold as a separate DLC following a previous supporter pack. This indicates it is treated as distinct paid content rather than part of the base game.
- DLC explores Paraguayan War prequel (weight 0.2): The DLC story is set in the Paraguayan War and explores Pajeu's origin story. It serves as a prequel covering the Paraguayan War.
- DLC adds skills and story content (weight 0.12): The DLC adds skills and story content to the base game. This enriches the existing experience with new abilities and narrative elements.
- Expansion includes fourth act (weight 0.12): The expansion content includes a 4th act. This adds a substantial new chapter to the game's storyline.
- DLC priced compared to base game (weight 0.12): The DLC is priced in comparison to the base game. This suggests players are evaluating whether the additional content justifies the cost relative to the full game.
- Free update accompanied DLC (weight 0.12): A free update came alongside the DLC. This provides additional content or improvements to all players, not just DLC buyers.
- DLC price reduced after purchase (weight 0.12): The DLC price was reduced after the initial purchase. This may frustrate early buyers who paid more.
- Regional pricing unfair in Poland (weight 0.12): The DLC costs $10 but 68 PLN in Poland, which is about $18 by exchange rate. This regional pricing discrepancy is unfair to Polish players.
- Steam refund policy limits playtime (weight 0.12): The refund policy limits to 2 hours of playtime. This restricts players' ability to get a refund if they encounter issues after that window.
- Publisher small but unresponsive (weight 0.12): The publisher is small and has potential but does not listen to the community. This reflects a lack of responsiveness to player feedback.
- Refunded then rebought DLC (weight 0.11): The reviewer eventually got a refund from Steam and then rebought the DLC. This indicates a change of heart or resolution of initial issues.
- Developers announced three events (weight 0.11): The developers announced three events: gaming PC, Twitch drops, and art. This shows ongoing community engagement and promotional activities.
- Crafting compared to PoE and Last Epoch (weight 0.11): The crafting system is compared to Path of Exile and Last Epoch. This suggests it draws inspiration from or competes with those systems.
- Base game based on Canudos War (weight 0.11): The base game story is based on the Brazilian Canudos War. This historical setting provides the backdrop for the original game.
- Would pay more for more acts (weight 0.11): The reviewer would have paid double or triple for more acts. This indicates high satisfaction with the content and desire for additional acts.
- DLC titled Hell's Bell: Cursed War (weight 0.1): The DLC is titled Hell's Bell: Cursed War. This is the specific name of the expansion.
- Game has unlocked content (weight 0.1): The game has unlocked content. This may refer to content that is accessible without additional purchase or after meeting certain conditions.
- Situation compared to GGG and PoE2 (weight 0.1): The situation is compared to GGG with Path of Exile 2. This likely draws parallels between the developers' approaches or community relations.
- Comparison to PoE2 Spark build (weight 0.1): The game is compared to Path of Exile 2 regarding the Spark Temporalis build. This suggests similar gameplay mechanics or build archetypes.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.27): Players feel let down because the DLC offers insufficient content relative to its price, often described as adding little or nothing new. Many expected a larger expansion or sequel with more acts, leading to a sense of wasted money.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.2): The DLC provides substantial value, particularly by enhancing the endgame loop and adding high-quality content. Players enjoy returning to Hellclock and experimenting with builds that are unaffordable in similar games.
- Frustration (weight 0.07): Veteran mode's balance creates suffering from the second miniboss onward, making progression feel unfair. Additionally, managing numerous relics without a quick sorting system becomes a storage nightmare.
- Anger (weight 0.07): Players are angry that developers announced events without releasing promised fixes, and they feel ripped off by the high price for minimal content.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Act 4 introduces new favorite biomes and enemies while refining the endgame, and playing a hardcore veteran character with a plague ricochet shotgun is particularly fun.
- Fatigue (weight 0.03): Playing act four after fully completing a build feels aesthetically tiring, likely due to visual or gameplay repetition.
- Boredom (weight 0.03): Gameplay becomes repetitive as players repeatedly enter the same zones and click the same shrines, leading to a sense of monotony.
- Overwhelm (weight 0.03): The second part of the fourth act is very difficult, overwhelming players with its challenge.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): The ability to play as a mage with fireballs and lightning generates excitement.
- Engagement (weight 0.03): The addictive gameplay loop of clearing rooms, collecting loot, and building skills keeps players engaged.
- Annoyance (weight 0.03): Players are annoyed when the price drops after purchase without any compensation given.
- Discouragement (weight 0.03): The constellation system and endgame content discourage players.
- Deep disappointment (weight 0.03): The publisher ignored complaints about the new game+ difficulty gap, causing deep disappointment.
- Sadness (weight 0.03): A small publisher with potential ignoring the community brings sadness.
- Feeling screwed over (weight 0.03): DLC regional pricing in Poland leaves players feeling screwed over.}