Your warrior died in bed, of old age, which in Norse legend is the wrong way to go. Hel, ruler of the dead, offers one shot at Valhalla: fight across her hall of pillars and step through the gate at the far end.
Hel's Trial unblocked is a short pixel-art tactics game by Sebastian Dorn, made for js13kGames 2022. Its big idea is that the number keeping you alive is the same number you spend to attack.
How to play Hel's Trial
Three story boxes set things up. Click through them and the hall opens with your fighter near the bottom. Each turn you may walk up to three tiles and attack once. Highlighted tiles show where you can step, and red numbers above enemies show how much a strike would take from them.
That shared pool is called soul power, or SP. Enemy hits lower it, and each attack spends some too. Direct Attack costs 2 and hits one adjacent foe for 12. Throw Hatchet costs 4, flies about four tiles and can pierce a line of enemies. Sweeping Blow costs 6 and hits every monster around you for 10. Each kill gives 5 SP back.
When you end your turn, any monster that spots you closes in or strikes. Beasts are quick, skeletons hit hard, floating souls see you from a distance and giants soak up the most damage. Hit zero SP and the trial is over. Reach the gate and Hel has the last word.
Controls
| To… | Keyboard | Mouse |
|---|---|---|
| Move to a tile in range | — | Click a highlighted tile |
| Attack an enemy | — | Click an enemy in range |
| Choose Direct Attack, Throw Hatchet or Sweeping Blow | 1, 2 or 3 | Click the attack name at the top left |
| End your turn early | E | Click End Turn |
| Zoom the view | — | Scroll wheel |
| Pause or resume | Escape | — |
| Read the next story box | — | Click Continue |
Tips
- Advance slowly. Most monsters only wake when you get close, so take a step or two and let them come to you.
- Always go for the kill. Finishing a weak enemy refunds 5 SP, so clean up wounded foes before hitting fresh ones.
- Line up the hatchet. One throw through a row of monsters is the best value in the game.
- Spin only when crowded. Sweeping Blow is pricey, so save it for two or more enemies right beside you.
- Hug the pillars. Standing next to walls cuts down how many monsters can reach you at once.
- You don't have to clear the hall. Your only goal is the gate, so skip fights that don't block your path.
Hel's Trial questions
How do I restart after losing?
There is no retry button when you fall. Refresh the page and the trial starts over from the first story box.
Can I play on a touchscreen?
No. The game needs a mouse pointer to pick tiles, and its story boxes and End Turn button don't react to taps.
How long is a run?
It is one hall from bottom to gate, so a careful run usually takes a short session. Losing sends you back to the start.
