TBH: Task Bar Hero beginner guide: how to get started

What is Task Bar Hero?

TBH: Task Bar Hero is a free-to-play idle hack-and-slash RPG that docks near your Windows taskbar. Your party of up to three heroes fights automatically while you work — clearing stages, collecting loot, and gaining XP in the background. It pairs deep build-crafting (500+ items, synthesis, sockets) with real Steam Market trading, so gear has actual value. This guide is written against the current build, v1.00.06, published by the TBH: Task Bar Hero development team.

Because combat is automatic, the game is less about reflexes and more about smart decisions: which heroes to field, where to spend gold, and which stage gives the best loot-per-minute. The sections below walk you through all of that.

First steps

On first launch the game asks you to dock the window near your taskbar and pick your first hero. Do this before anything else:

The classes to start with

These three free classes are all you need to build a top-tier party. The free Ranger is a fine backup ranged attacker, while Hunter and Slayer are paid DLC you can safely skip as a beginner. The Priest is technically DLC but free, so grab it — see the full tier list for how every class ranks.

Best starting party

You begin with a single hero slot, and expanding it is your first priority — more heroes means more damage, loot, and XP at the same time. Once you have unlocked a second and third slot, the best free composition is Knight + Priest + Sorcerer:

The free Ranger works in the back slot too, but its AoE is weaker. If you ever buy one DLC class, the Hunter is the top-tier upgrade for that third slot. See the full class tier list for how every class ranks. Use the Formation tab’s arrow buttons to order heroes front-to-back — you can swap with no cooldown and even substitute a fallen member mid-fight to avoid failing a stage.

Rune priorities

Runes are your permanent upgrade tree, bought with gold. They are arranged by direction, each branch boosting a different part of your account. Early on, push south for formation slots first, then spread into gold and combat based on your playstyle. Late-game runes scale up to tens of millions of gold, so don’t expect to finish a branch quickly. For the full breakdown of every direction and the best priority order, see the complete rune guide.

Acts, difficulty & farming

The game has three Acts of ten stages each, across four difficulty tiers: Normal → Nightmare → Hell → Torment. Clear an Act on Normal before pushing higher tiers. Act 2 introduces elemental counters, and Act 3 is where Hero-dric Cube optimization becomes the focus.

Two habits matter most early:

• Use the Portal. The portal icon (bottom-right) fast-travels to any stage you’ve cleared. Walled by a stage? Drop back, farm gear and levels, then return — don’t bash your head against it.
• Highest stage ≠ best farming. An earlier stage you clear in seconds often gives better loot-per-minute than the hardest stage you can barely survive. Test a few and compare clear times.
• Hold your soulstones. They’re the keys that open Act Boss fights — tap the red portal in the bottom-right to spend one — and the Act Boss chests are the best loot in the game. Keep enough to clear the boss at your tier; don’t sell them early for quick gold. See the full soulstone guide for where to farm them and the four tiers.

The Hero-dric Cube is your crafting hub: synthesize nine same-rarity items into a higher rarity, convert junk into gold via alchemy (lock keepers with Alt+Left-Click so you don’t sell them), craft accessories (the only way to get them), and socket materials into Blue+ gear. It’s deep — treat Act 1 as a time to learn the basics before optimizing.

Mistakes to avoid

FAQ