I do not like Roguelikes. I do not feel a sense of reward from them, it took a friend who also dislikes them to strongly recommend Hades for me to check it out (being on sale also helped). This game is a masterpiece.

It makes me feel very similar to Dark Souls. I should hate it but manages to take the feeling of frustration and failure and weaponise both in the game's narrative but also its metanarratives. Every trip through the underworld I pushed further, learned more and understood the games systems... discovered how essential certain boons are. Now I've started clearing the game with weapons I thought I wouldn't care much for. Truly addicting stuff. And not once have I felt particularly set up to fail. Forget "prepare to die", Hades in both its gameplay and its story seems to dare you to learn to live.