Captain Vaas is the rather evil military leader in Hell Is Us that you'll find running things in the town of Jova. While a lot of the soldiers around the town back him, there are a few that don't like his cruel approach, and there's one in particular who's rather drunk and is very relaxed about his responsibility of keeping the key to Vaas' office safe. All he asks is that you bring him some alcohol, preferably mead, to allow him to continue with his binge-drinking. Here's where to get the mead for the soldier and get the key to Vaas' office in Hell Is Us.
Hell is Us' Healing Pulse is a Natural Evolution for Soulslike Combat
Hell is Us takes a little inspiration from the Soulslike genre, and it can be felt most when experiencing the game's healing surge.
How to Get Vaas' Office Key in Hell Is Us' The Captain's Office Mystery
As noted above, you can find a soldier in Jova sitting on a picnic bench near the blacksmith. Speak with him, and he'll tell you all about how he has the key to Vaas' office (the building with the flag out front, near where the musician is playing music on the back of a truck). He tells you that he's willing to give you the key in exchange for some more booze. To do this, you'll need to find some alcohol in a house in the town of Jova, as well as get him some mead from a building in Lake Cynon.
Getting the Moonshine
First, go to the house behind the well in Jova. It has 'Sabinian Family Tree' in graffiti next to the front door. To the right of the door, you'll find some pallets on a ramp leading up to the balcony. You can open this door to get inside.
Once you're inside, head downstairs and interact with the yellow glint on the fridge. This will give you a bottle of moonshine.
Return to the soldier and give this to him, and he'll give you some consumables in exchange. However, he'll say he wanted a full bottle and asks specifically for mead this time.
How to Get Mead in Hell Is Us
To get mead, you need to wait until Rebecca and Jaffer have made their way to Lake Cynon. Once they've arrived there, you can find them at a building on the opposite side of the region from where you park your APC. You'll know you've found the right place because there are bees surrounding the building, and Jaffar will be outside. Just next to him, you'll find the bottle of mead on top of a barrel by the building.
I noticed that Rebecca and Jaffer moved to Lake Cynon after I'd gotten two of the keystones that you're tasked with gathering as you play through the game. However, getting the first of the three keystones in Act 2 might trigger this, so you can always check at this point in your playthrough.
Return to the soldier in Jova and select the 'Trade' option again to hand over the Mead. He'll thank you and give you the key, hinting that you need to use the balcony to gain access.
How to Get Inside Vaas' Office in Hell Is Us
With the key now in hand, head around the back of the building until you find some boxes and barrels conveniently positioned to create a ramp leading into the roof space of the building. Head through and out the gap on the other side of the roof to drop onto a balcony. Use the key to get inside.
Vaas' office doesn't actually have a huge amount of interesting things to find inside. There's a cap on the coat holder, an audio diary to listen to, and a prison manifesto document to help fill out the lore further. If you're looking to get the 'Passion for Fashion' achievement, however, you'll need to visit here to grab it.
Hell Is Us
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 78 /100 Critics Rec: 79%
- Released
- September 4, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Rogue Factor
- Publisher(s)
- Nacon
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
