Helltaker: Complete Guide

A full guide to Helltaker, vanripper's free puzzle game about assembling a harem of demon girls: how the push-puzzles work, how to plan move-efficient solutions, the cast in chapter order, the boss fight, the Examtaker bonus chapter and the achievements.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the Anniversary Update (May 11, 2021), which added the Examtaker bonus chapter; the game has not been patched since. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

It is free. Helltaker is free to play on Steam (Windows, Mac and Linux). The optional paid extras are an artbook and the soundtrack, which support the creator and composer Mittsies.
Each chapter is a Sokoban-style puzzle with a move limit. You push boulders, kick skeletons and dodge spikes on a grid to reach the demon girl before your step counter hits zero.
Running out of moves just restarts the puzzle. There is no penalty beyond a (very dramatic) death animation. Experiment freely.
Every move counts, including kicks. Pushing a boulder or kicking a skeleton costs a move even though you do not move.
Spikes cost you. Standing on active spikes drains an extra move, so a longer path around spikes can be cheaper than a short path through them.
After each puzzle you must answer the demon correctly. Pick the wrong line and you get a bad ending and restart. The right answer is usually the one that is confident, weird, or plays along with her personality.
You can skip puzzles. Open the menu and skip any puzzle, and since the anniversary update every action sequence is skippable too. Achievements still require beating them properly.
Chapter select exists. Once you have cleared chapters you can jump back in, which is how you mop up achievements.
Play with sound on. Mittsies' soundtrack was nominated for Best Soundtrack in the 2020 Steam Awards, and the rhythm of the music is part of the experience (especially "Vitality" in the boss fight).

Controls

Action	Keyboard	Notes
Move / push / kick	WASD or arrow keys	One grid step per press
Restart puzzle	R	Instant reset, no penalty
Menu (skip puzzle, chapter select, options)	Esc	Skip does not award achievements
Advance dialogue / choose answer	Enter or Space, arrows to select	Wrong answers lead to a bad ending and retry

Controllers work too; the game only needs a d-pad and two buttons.

Puzzle Mechanics

Element	What it does	How to use it
Move counter	Shown on screen; each action spends one	Plan the full route before your first step
Boulder	Pushed one tile when you walk into it; stops against walls or other objects	Push only what blocks your path; a stuck boulder may force a restart
Skeleton	Kicked one tile when you walk into it; if it cannot move (wall, boulder, another skeleton), it shatters	Kicking a skeleton into a wall is the fastest way to clear it
Spikes	Standing on active spikes costs an extra move	Route around unless the detour costs more
Toggling spikes	Rise and retract as you take actions	Count your steps so you land on a lowered tile
Key and lockbox	Some chapters lock the goal behind a lock; grab the key first	Grabbing the key is a move; route through it
Goal	Walk adjacent to the demon girl	You win when you reach her, even with moves left over

How to solve efficiently

Work backwards. Start from the tile next to the demon girl and ask which obstacles must be cleared to reach it. Anything you do not need to touch, ignore.
Count the minimum path first. Count the tiles along the shortest open path, then add one move per push/kick and one extra per spike you will stand on. If that already exceeds the limit, the route is wrong.
Skeletons are cheap, boulders are expensive. Kicking a skeleton into a wall removes it in one action. Boulders only move, so pushing one out of the way can take several moves and can block you later.
Watch the toggling spike rhythm. Every action (including kicks and pushes) advances the cycle, so a single "wasted" kick can realign you with safe tiles.
Restart early. If you realize after three moves that your plan is off, press R. There is no benefit to finishing a failed attempt.
Leftover moves do not matter. You do not need a perfect solution, only one within the limit.

Recurring puzzle patterns

Pattern	What it looks like	Usual answer
The corridor plug	A single-tile corridor with a boulder in it	Push it all the way through, or find a side pocket to shove it into; never push it into a dead end you still need
The skeleton wall	Several skeletons stacked in a line	Kick the one against a wall first; each shatters in one move
The spike toll	The obvious route crosses a strip of spikes	Count both routes; sometimes paying the spike toll really is cheapest
The key detour	The key sits in a pocket off the main line	Grab it on the way rather than doubling back, and plan the lockbox approach from the key's position
The rhythm corridor	Toggling spikes along a straight path	Add or remove one action before the corridor so you enter on the safe beat

Example of counting a route

Say the goal is 10 tiles away on a clear path, with one skeleton to kick and two spike tiles you cannot avoid. That is 10 steps, plus 1 for the kick (you stay in place), plus the spike penalty for each spike tile. If the chapter's counter shows fewer moves than that total, look for a different path before touching anything.

Versions and Platforms

Item	Detail
Release	May 11, 2020, free on Steam
Platforms	Windows (64-bit, plus 32-bit since the week-one patch), Mac (May 2020) and Linux/SteamOS (May 22, 2020)
Last update	May 11, 2021 (Anniversary Update: Examtaker, skippable action sequences, new music, updated artbook)
Paid extras	Helltaker Artbook on Steam; the soundtrack on Mittsies' Bandcamp
Merch	Official merchandise exists, such as a Lucifer Nendoroid announced for the 2021 anniversary

The Cast (Chapter Order)

Each chapter adds one demon to your harem, framed by Beelzebub, the Great Fly, who narrates the story.

Chapter	Demon	Personality in one line
I	Pandemonica	Exhausted Hell's customer service; take her coffee problem seriously
II	Modeus	Lustful and very direct
III	Cerberus	Three demon girls sharing one goal; counts as one "demon"
IV	Malina	Sour, sarcastic gamer with a turn-based strategy habit
V	Zdrada	Malina's troublemaker sister, the "bitch demon"
VI	Azazel	A curious angel doing field research in Hell
VII	Justice	The awesome ex-prosecutor in sunglasses
VIII	Lucifer	CEO of Hell; the chapter everything builds toward
IX	Judgement	High Prosecutor and the final boss
Epilogue	Beelzebub and the whole cast	Wrap-up, pancakes

Answering correctly

Each demon asks you something or reacts to your arrival, and you choose between two lines. Tips that get you through without a walkthrough:

The "safe", normal answer is often the wrong one. The game rewards the Helltaker's confident, absurd persona.
Read her personality line. The right answer usually plays into what she already wants (coffee for the tired one, games for the gamer, being impressed for the show-off).
A wrong answer is harmless: you see a bad ending, then retry from the dialogue. Try both answers if you want to see every death screen.

Chapter IX: The Judgement Fight

The last chapter swaps Sokoban for a rhythm/bullet-hell sequence. Judgement's machinery sweeps chains and hazards across the screen in patterns; you keep moving on the grid to dodge them while pushing forward to the end of each phase.

Tips:

Move on the beat. Hazards telegraph where they will strike; watch the warning, then step.
Stay near the middle. It gives you two escape directions instead of one.
Learn the phases. Each phase adds pattern variety. Losing restarts the current stretch, so treat early attempts as scouting.
Skippable, but not for achievements. Since the 2021 anniversary update the action sequences can be skipped from the menu, but you must win the old-fashioned way for the related achievements.

The Epilogue and the Two Endings

The Epilogue has two endings, and the second one is easy to miss:

Ending	How you get it
Regular Ending	Just finish the Epilogue; it closes on the police turning up at the Helltaker's door
Abysstaker Ending	Use the three stone tablets. Each has a set of moves inscribed on it, and you perform those moves in the Epilogue starting from the middle of the carpet, which opens a portal

The Abysstaker achievement's description is "Make the steps", a direct hint at the tablet sequence. At about 31% of players it is one of the more commonly missed story achievements.
Write each tablet's move sequence down before you try it. One wrong step means starting again from the carpet.
vanripper's canon comics continue the story from both before and after the Abysstaker Ending.

Examtaker (Bonus Chapter)

Added on May 11, 2021 for the first anniversary, Examtaker lives in the chapter select. It continues one of vanripper's post-launch comic arcs: Azazel stays in Hell and becomes its new ruler, and Lucifer ends up working as a maid under the Loremaster.

What to expect:

Harder puzzles than the main game, with tighter move budgets and longer multi-step setups.
New Mittsies music composed for the chapter.
Action sequences, which (like all action sequences since this update) can be skipped via the menu but must be beaten for achievements.

The artbook was updated alongside it with Examtaker concepts and Beelzebub dancing sprites.

Achievements

Helltaker has 10 Steam achievements. Official descriptions and Steam global unlock rates (September 2026):

Achievement	Description	Unlock rate
Doomtaker	Romance a demon	90.6%
Queentaker	Survive the audience	69.8%
Gatetaker	Reach the gate	54.6%
Lifetaker	Find some peace	46.3%
Sintaker	Face your sins	42.0%
Heaventaker	Abandon your quest	40.8%
Pathtaker	Disregard the key	39.3%
Abysstaker	Make the steps	31.4%
Puzzletaker	Hidden	14.3%
Battletaker	Hidden	11.0%

Notes:

Queentaker ("Survive the audience") comes from your audience with Lucifer, the queen of Hell.
Sintaker ("Face your sins") and Gatetaker ("Reach the gate") belong to the end-game stretch; if you have finished the story without them, replay the late chapters without skipping.
Puzzletaker and Battletaker, the two rarest, are hidden. Their low unlock rates line up with the harder bonus content, and the developer confirmed that skipped puzzles and action sequences do not award achievements, so clear everything legitimately.
Pathtaker ("Disregard the key") and Heaventaker ("Abandon your quest") reward doing something the game does not push you toward. If you are missing them, replay chapters and look for the option or route you have been ignoring.
Use chapter select to clean up; there is nothing permanently missable.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Pushing every boulder you see. Most are red herrings or only need one shove. Count moves before touching anything.
Forgetting that kicks and pushes cost moves. New players count only steps and come up short.
Walking straight through spikes. Each spike tile costs extra; a two-tile detour is often cheaper.
Finishing doomed attempts. Press R the moment the plan breaks.
Skipping puzzles and expecting achievements. Skips and skipped action sequences do not count.
Assuming the polite answer is right. It usually is not.

Advanced Tips

Write down the route. For tight chapters and Examtaker, note the plan as a string of directions (for example "D D R kick R U") and count it before playing.
Use skeletons as stoppers. A skeleton or boulder can serve as a wall to stop another object where you want it.
Toggling spikes as a timer. If you arrive one step early at a toggling spike, burn a move with a kick nearby instead of walking back.
Leftover-move check. When you finish with lots of moves remaining, you probably found the intended route; if you finish on zero, there may be a cleaner line worth learning for later chapters.
Support the creators. The Helltaker Artbook and Mittsies' soundtrack are the ways to pay for a free game; the OST is on Mittsies' Bandcamp.

FAQ

Is Helltaker really free? Yes. The full game including Examtaker is free on Steam. Only the artbook and soundtrack cost money.

How long is Helltaker? Short: a first playthrough of the main story is typically an hour or two, with Examtaker and achievements adding more.

Can I skip a puzzle I am stuck on? Yes, from the menu. Action sequences are skippable too since May 2021. Skipping blocks the related achievements.

What happens if I pick the wrong answer? You see a bad ending and go back to the choice. No progress is lost.

Is there a secret ending? Yes, the Abysstaker Ending. In the Epilogue, perform the moves inscribed on the three stone tablets starting from the middle of the carpet to open a portal.

What is Examtaker and how do I play it? A harder bonus chapter added on the game's first anniversary. It is in the chapter select.

Does Helltaker run on Mac, Linux and Steam Deck? Mac and Linux/SteamOS builds were added in May 2020, and the game's tiny grid-based controls work fine on a gamepad.

Is there a sequel? No full sequel as of September 2026. vanripper continued the story through comics and the Examtaker chapter.