In Hela, every mouse familiar carries a frog-shaped backpack gifted by the witch — a small vessel for a small piece of her magic. With it, you can glide across open spaces, swing between branches, pull and plunge objects, nudge the world in playful ways, and, most importantly, create Shades.
Many challenges in Hela are designed with teamwork in mind, but they remain completely playable solo thanks to the Shade System.
Shades are spectral copies of your character that repeat the exact action you were performing when you created them. They let you form a full co-op team even when you’re adventuring alone, or add a few extra paws when you’re playing with friends. You can have up to four characters in play at once: when playing solo, you can summon up to three Shades; in co-op, Shades can fill the remaining spots.
Because of this, Shades aren’t AI companions — they don’t think for themselves. They simply carry out the action you imprint on them. This allows you to set up multi-step interactions, solve puzzles in clever ways, and reach places that would normally require another player.
Here are just a few ways to use them:
Build Bridges
Connect your lasso between two Shades to create a walkable — or bouncy — path across gaps or up steep climbs.
Create Anchors
Place a Shade above you and use it as an anchor point to climb, swing, or reach higher ground.
Move Objects with Precision
Let a Shade hold an object steady while you reposition yourself and pull it from a different angle.
Extend Your Glide
While gliding, spawn a Shade mid-flight and latch onto it to carry your journey even farther.
Set Your Own Checkpoints
Leave a Shade behind to mark a safe spot. If you fall, simply switch back, no restart needed!
Operate Co-op Tools Solo
Catapults and other co-op mechanisms, that look like a two mouse job, can be run entirely solo. When you find yourself in need of some catapulting, just pull the rope yourself, then create a shade to hold it down and then just hop into the scoop and enjoy the launch.
Together, these mechanics transform Hela into a fully flexible co-op experience, where every player can enjoy the same creative freedom. You can set out alone, enjoying the stillness of the forest, or explore with friends, sharing moments of creativity and cooperation.
Whichever path you choose, the world waits warmly for you.