Grim Trials — Complete Deep Dive Strategy Guide

Overview

Grim Trials is a heavy metal action roguelite from Glory Jam (published by Soft Source / Neon Doctrine) launching August 20, 2026 on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5. You play as Avelin, a young woman who died too soon. Recruited as a trainee Reaper, you fight through hex-grid arenas, defeat seven Sinful Souls, and gather enough power to return to the living world and see your lover one more time.

This is not a Hades clone. The DNA is similar — room-based runs, hub between attempts, permanent upgrades layered over temporary blessings — but Grim Trials pivots hard into three distinct systems: a crafting minigame that determines gear quality, a dual-wield combat flow (melee + crossbow) with directional attacks, and a life-symbol health system that rewards preparation over reflexes.

Target audience: players who enjoy Hades, Dead Cells, or Rogue Legacy but want a fresh combat rhythm with heavier emphasis on gear crafting. Difficulty is medium-high. A first clear takes 15-25 hours depending on resource grind efficiency.

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Getting Started

First 30 Minutes

You wake up in the Academy with nothing. Do this:

1. Talk to every NPC. Morrigan (veteran Reaper), Finn (chatty 1920s soul), and Elena (recent arrival) each give you a side quest and unlock dialogue progression. The game marks NPCs with new speech, so you don't have to memory-check.
2. Equip your starter weapons. Scythe in melee slot, crossbow in ranged slot. You dual-wield both.
3. Craft potions. Go to the workshop bench. You start with zero. Make at least 10 before your first real run.
4. Spend your first skill points on +Life Symbols. This is the single highest-ROI investment in the entire skill tree. More HP = more mistakes you can survive.
5. Do one resource run. Enter a trial intending to die. Break every breakable object. Collect everything. Come back with materials.
6. Craft more potions. Repeat steps 3-5 until you have 20+ potions banked.

Beginner Mistakes That Kill You

HUD Quick Reference

┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ⬡⬡⬡⬡⬡⬡  Life Symbols (HP)    ⚡⚡  Special│
│ Active buffs below                          │
│                                    ┌──────┐│
│                                    │ Mini ││
│                                    │ map  ││
│                                    └──────┘│
│ [Potion] [Potion] [Potion]                 │
│                                Boss HP bar │
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Each life symbol = 2 hits. Start with 6 symbols (12 hits). Max out at 22+ hits through skill tree upgrades.

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Core Mechanics Explained

Dual-Wield Combat System

You carry one melee weapon and one ranged weapon simultaneously. No stamina. The only limiter is attack speed, which you can upgrade.

Melee attacks are directional. Your swing arc goes where your character faces. Enemies standing directly adjacent can cause you to miss if they're inside your swing arc. This is the single most important mechanical nuance to internalize.

Crossbow attacks can now be fired while moving (added in the June 2026 demo update). This was a game-changer. Before, you had to stand still to shoot. Now you can kite enemies while peppering them.

Special attacks charge up as you land hits. Start with 2 charge slots. Upgrade to 3+ through the skill tree. Specials vary by weapon — the scythe does a wide spinning slash; the axe does a high-damage overhead slam; crossbow specials fire a powerful bolt.

Dodge roll (space + direction) has invincibility frames. Use it through enemy swings and trap triggers.

Wall jump lets you bounce off walls. Combine with crossbow for aerial sniping.

No contact damage. Bumping into enemies doesn't hurt. Only their actual attacks do. This means you can play aggressively and body-block enemies into corners.

Weapon Types

The full game adds Greatsword, Dual Blades, and War Hammer beyond the demo's scythe and axe. Each weapon type has a unique special attack with different properties.

Life Symbol Health System

No HP bar. You have life symbols on screen. Each symbol absorbs 2 hits before breaking.

How damage works:

• A single enemy hit = 1 life symbol lost (2 hits worth of damage)
• A boss heavy attack = 1 full symbol
• Trap damage = 1 symbol per tick

How to heal:

1. Crafted potions — restore 1 symbol. Craft at Academy workshop between runs. Carry as many as you craft.
2. Healing blessing — passive recovery during runs. Base level: half a symbol every 3 combat rooms. Max level: 1 full symbol per cleared combat room.

That's it. No HP drops. No leech. No fountains. The game forces you to prepare.

Potion Economy Math

One potion = 2 hits. A single boss fight against the first Sinful Soul typically deals 10-15 unavoidable hits over its duration.

Minimum potions for first boss: 15-20
Time to farm materials for 20 potions: 2-3 resource runs (10 min each)
Skill tree investment to reduce need: prioritize +Life Symbols

Crafting potions is a valid use of a whole run. Enter a trial with zero boss intent. Break everything. Die intentionally. Repeat. This is the fastest way to stockpile.

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Progression Strategy

Skill Tree Priority Order

The skill tree offers permanent upgrades bought with skill points earned from kills (persist even on failed runs).

Full Skill Tree Route (First Clear)

Phase 1 (first 5-10 runs): +Life Symbols → 12 total hits
Phase 2 (runs 10-20): Dodge Speed → Special Slots → Special Speed
Phase 3 (runs 20-30): Start investing in weapon damage
Phase 4 (30+): Crit build / Attack speed / Defense nodes

The skill tree is forgiving. Every failed run still earns points. Eventually you outscale the content through raw stats alone.

NPC Relationships

The Academy NPCs aren't decoration. Building relationship levels unlocks:

• Morrigan — defensive synergy (damage reduction during runs)
• Finn — resource discovery (more materials per room)
• Elena — attack blessings appear more frequently

How to raise relationships:

• Talk after every run (game notifies you when someone has new dialogue)
• Give gift items found during runs — match the gift to the NPC's personality for double points
• Complete their side quests

Relationship gains are permanent. Maxing all three before attempting later bosses makes a significant difference.

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Blessings System — In-Depth

All Blessing Categories

Best Blessing Combinations

Survival Build (best for learning):

Healing Lv4 ─── mandatory, non-negotiable
Shield Lv3 ─── free hits every room
Dash Lv2 ─── mobility to avoid damage
Attack Lv2 ─── rooms end faster = less damage taken

Combo Aggro Build (speed runs / boss melts):

Combo Lv4 ─── ramps to +120% damage
Cooldown Lv4 ─── specials every few seconds
Attack Lv3 ─── base 45% damage
Poison Lv2 ─── extra DPS while kiting

Glass Cannon Boss Killer:

Attack Lv4 ─── +60% damage
Combo Lv4 ─── +120% at full stacks
Cooldown Lv3 ─── special spam
Poison Lv3 ─── 8 DPS for 6 seconds
Healing Lv1 ─── you take damage, deal with it

Blessing Tier List

S: Healing, Shield, Combo (late game)
A: Attack, Dash, Cooldown
B: Thorns
C: Poison (early game)

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Crafting System — Complete Breakdown

Crafting accounts for roughly half your total power. The system has three pillars: materials, quality minigame, and gear variety.

Materials You Collect

The Crafting Minigame

When you craft an item, a grid of symbols appears and flashes a sequence. You must repeat the sequence from memory.

The trick: the sequence is always the same for a given recipe. Learn it once, craft it perfectly every time. Higher accuracy = higher quality = better stats.

A Flawless scythe does 50% more damage than a Poor one. Always aim for Flawless. Practice the pattern on cheap items first.

Gear Slot Breakdown

Weapon Slots:
  └─ Melee Weapon (scythe, axe, greatsword, dual blades, war hammer)
  └─ Ranged Weapon (crossbow, or alternative ranged options TBA)
Armor Slots:
  └─ Chest Armor (defense, resistances)
  └─ Leg Armor (movement speed, dodge)
  └─ Accessory (special effects, stat bonuses)
Consumables:
  └─ Potions (HP recovery)
  └─ Blessing Charms (start a run with a free blessing)
  └─ Trap Kits (deployable during runs)

Each armor piece has 2-3 random stat rolls. The quality of the item determines the range of those rolls. A Flawless chest piece can roll max HP, defense, and a unique effect.

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Step-by-Step Strategy: Full Run Walkthrough

Phase 1: Academy Preparation (5 min)

1. Collect any new quests from NPCs
2. Check if you have materials for a weapon upgrade
3. Craft Flawless potions — aim for 30+ in reserve
4. If you have a boss waiting, craft the highest-quality weapon you can
5. Enter the trial portal

Phase 2: Early Rooms (Rooms 1-5)

1. Prioritize healing blessing. If it doesn't appear, take dash or shield
2. Break everything. Every breakable object drops materials
3. Learn the enemy types in each room. Approach carefully, watch telegraphs
4. Don't hoard potions. Drink any time you lose a symbol
5. Clear all side rooms. Don't rush to the boss — more blessings = easier fight

Phase 3: Mid Run (Rooms 6-12)

1. You should have Healing Lv2+ by now. If not, consider whether your build is viable
2. Treasure rooms — always enter. They give materials and sometimes gear drops
3. Resource rooms — break everything, collect every drop
4. Start stacking. If combo blessing appeared, start building stacks
5. Check your potion count. If below 10, play more carefully

Phase 4: Pre-Boss (Room 13-15)

1. You should have Healing Lv3+ or Shield Lv2+
2. Top off HP. Use potions to restore full symbols before entering the boss arena
3. Save special charges. Enter the boss with full special meter
4. Check your weapon — is it Flawless quality? If not, you'll need more potions
5. One last check: do you have 15+ potions? If not, it's okay — you can still win

Phase 5: Boss Fight

1. Phase 1 (75-100% HP): Learn the telegraphs. Boss attacks have a red glow wind-up
2. Phase 2 (40-75% HP): Boss adds a new attack pattern. Dodge timing changes
3. Phase 3 (0-40% HP): Enrage phase. Boss attacks faster. Use specials to interrupt
4. Heal between phases. Boss has downtime after phase transitions — drink potions
5. Don't get greedy. 2-3 hits then retreat is the rhythm

Phase 6: Post-Boss

1. Collect Sinful Essence from the boss arena
2. Interact with the portal to return to Academy
3. Talk to NPCs — new dialogue unlocked
4. Spend skill points earned during the run
5. Repeat

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Boss Strategies — The Seven Sinful Souls

Boss 1: Acedia (The Sloth Demon)

Arena: Dark forest clearing with trees blocking movement

Attack Patterns:

Strategy: Stay at mid-range to bait the charge. Side-dodge and get 2-3 hits on the recovery. Back off before the sweep. When spores spawn, kill them instantly — they explode after 5 seconds and deal heavy damage.

Recommended build: Healing Lv3+, Shield Lv2+, Dash Lv2+. Bring 15+ potions minimum.

Boss 2: Luxuria (The Lust Demon)

Arena: Crystal cave with reflective surfaces

Attack Patterns:

Strategy: Use pillars to block the charm beam — getting hit leaves you stunned for 3 seconds. When she teleports, roll the instant she reappears. At 50% HP, she creates mirror images. The real one has a slightly darker aura. Hit it to dispel all copies.

Boss 3: Ira (The Wrath Demon)

Arena: Volcanic chamber with rising lava floor

Attack Patterns:

Strategy: The floor shrinks as lava rises — this is a soft enrage. Don't let the fight drag. Go aggressive. When she enrages at 40%, your dodge timing needs to be perfect. Use crossbow from range during this phase.

Boss 4-7: Additional Sinful Souls

The remaining four bosses (Superbia/Pride, Invidia/Envy, Gula/Gluttony, Avartia/Greed) follow the same design philosophy: learn the telegraph, dodge into punish windows, manage arena hazards. Each adds one new mechanic:

• Pride — reflects projectiles. Don't use crossbow during its shield phase.
• Envy — copies your build. If you stacked combo, it hits hard.
• Gluttony — arena shrinks as it eats terrain. Stay in the safe zone.
• Greed — drops fake loot that explodes. Don't pick up gold during this fight.

Final Boss: Death (The Grim Reaper)

Phase 1: Death uses your own weapon against you. The better your gear, the harder he hits. Bring a backup weapon that you haven't upgraded heavily.

Phase 2: Death summons shadows of defeated Sinful Souls. Each shadow uses one attack from their original fight. This is a test of whether you learned the telegraphs.

Phase 3: Death's arena collapses. You can't dodge infinitely — the floor shrinks to a small platform. Burn him down. This is a DPS check.

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Advanced Tips

Economy Optimization

• Every run is progress. Even dying at room 2 gives skill points. Never feel like you wasted time.
• Resource runs are efficient. A dedicated resource run (break everything, ignore enemies, die at room 8) yields 40-60 materials in 8 minutes.
• Craft in batches of 10. The crafting minigame is faster when you do identical items back to back — your muscle memory is warm.
• Stockpile before boss attempts. Don't face a new boss with 8 potions. You'll die and waste the run. Have 25+.
• Sell nothing early. Every material has a use. Only sell duplicates after you've crafted your endgame gear.

Combat Technique Library

Dodge-cancel weaving: Slash → dodge roll → slash → dodge roll. This cancels recovery frames, letting you attack faster than the animation suggests. Essential for the axe, which has the longest recovery.

Wall jump crossbow snipe: Jump toward a wall → wall jump → aim down → fire crossbow. This gives you a height advantage and lets you hit enemies behind obstacles.

Corner funneling: Back into a corner or doorway. Enemies can only approach from one direction. Your scythe swing hits everything in a cone. Combine with thorn blessing for passive damage.

Special weaving: The optimal DPS rotation for most weapons: slash slash → special → slash slash → special. This keeps special charge generation maximized while dealing sustained damage.

Crossbow mobility kiting: Fire crossbow while backpedaling. Enemies that chase you take damage; enemies that don't chase you means you have space to breathe. Use this to isolate single targets from packs.

Speedrun Tips

• Skip treasure rooms if you already have a strong build. They waste time.
• Prioritize combo + cooldown blessings. These clear rooms fastest.
• Dual Blades are the speedrun weapon of choice. Fast attacks build combo stacks instantly.
• Ignore potions in speedruns — you're going for a perfect run anyway.
• Learn boss skips. Some bosses can be damaged during their intro animations.

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Build Compendium

S-Tier: Reaper's Stability (First Clear Build)

Skill Tree: +Life Symbols (max) → Dodge Speed → Special Slots → Special Speed
Blessings: Healing Lv4 → Shield Lv3 → Attack Lv2 → Dash Lv2
Weapon: Scythe (Flawless quality)
Armor: Chest — HP + Defense / Legs — Dodge + Speed
Potions: 25+ carried
Strategy: Slow, methodical room clears. Never rush. Heal between every fight.
Difficulty: Low
Clear Rate: 85%+

A-Tier: Combo Storm (Aggressive Clear)

Skill Tree: Special Slots → Special Speed → Attack Speed → Crit
Blessings: Combo Lv4 → Cooldown Lv4 → Attack Lv3 → Healing Lv1
Weapon: Dual Blades (Flawless)
Armor: Chest — Attack + Crit / Legs — Speed + Dodge
Potions: 10-15 carried
Strategy: Build combo stacks in first room, maintain through run. Melt bosses.
Difficulty: Medium
Clear Rate: 60%

A-Tier: Hammer of Wrath (Boss Melter)

Skill Tree: Damage → Crit → Attack Speed → HP
Blessings: Attack Lv4 → Combo Lv4 → Cooldown Lv2 → Poison Lv2
Weapon: War Hammer (Flawless)
Armor: Chest — Damage + Stagger / Legs — Movement Speed
Potions: 20 carried
Strategy: Slow room clear, instant boss deletion. War Hammer special destroys boss stagger bars.
Difficulty: Medium-High
Clear Rate: 55%

B-Tier: Crossbow Kiter (Safe Ranged)

Skill Tree: Ranged Damage → Dodge → HP → Special Speed
Blessings: Attack Lv3 → Dash Lv3 → Shield Lv2 → Healing Lv2
Weapon: Crossbow (Flawless, +damage rolls)
Armor: Chest — Ranged Damage / Legs — Dodge Distance
Potions: 15 carried
Strategy: Never stop moving. Fire while running. Use melee only when cornered.
Difficulty: Low (but slow)
Clear Rate: 70%

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FAQ / Common Mistakes

Q: I keep dying to the first boss. What am I doing wrong? A: Three things. 1) You don't have enough potions — bring 15+. 2) You're panic-rolling instead of watching for the red glow telegraph. 3) You skipped resource runs and don't have enough skill tree upgrades. Go grind.

Q: Is the axe better than the scythe? A: Neither is strictly better. Scythe is better for crowd control and learning. Axe is better for boss damage once you know attack patterns. Greatsword is the best of both but slowest. Pick based on your playstyle.

Q: How do I get Flawless quality consistently? A: The pattern sequence for each recipe is fixed. Craft the same recipe 3-4 times to memorize its pattern. Once memorized, you'll hit Flawless every time.

Q: Should I use controller or keyboard? A: Controller is recommended by the developers. The dodge timing and directional attacks feel better on analog stick. Keyboard works fine but has a higher skill ceiling for precise movement.

Q: Can I respec my skill tree? A: Not confirmed. Invest carefully. The tree is forgiving since you earn points infinitely, but early misallocations delay your power curve.

Q: What happens after I beat all seven Sinful Souls? A: The final boss (Death himself) unlocks. Beating the game unlocks New Game+ with harder enemy scaling and new blessings. Post-game content includes an Endless Mode in the Training Grounds.

Q: Is there a secret boss? A: When you enter a boss fight with maximum relationship with all three Academy NPCs, there is an additional dialogue scene referencing a "hidden eighth sin." Whether this is a boss or just flavor text is unknown.

Q: Do I need to play Rage in Peace first? A: No. Grim Trials is a canonical sequel but stands completely alone. You get more from the story if you recognize the connections, but the game explains everything you need.

Q: How long until the game is unbeatable if I don't grind? A: The skill tree is designed so that eventually, through enough attempts, you can brute-force any content through raw stat advantage. There is no permanent failure state.

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Release Info

Grim Trials launches August 20, 2026. The demo is available now on Steam.