Risk of Rain 2 is an exhilarating third-person roguelike that blends chaos with progression. While its mechanics may seem overwhelming at first, this guide is here to help new players understand the fundamentals, unlock survivors, and avoid common pitfalls. With over 1,700 hours of gameplay experience, I’ll walk you through the essentials and sprinkle in some pro tips along the way.

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How the Game Works

1. Core Gameplay Loop

• Begin with a basic survivor on Stage 1.
• Defeat enemies to earn gold and XP.
• Spend gold to open chests and collect items that enhance your power.
• Locate the teleporter, activate it to summon a boss, and once defeated, move on to the next stage.

2. Progression and Objectives

After Stage 5, you can choose to:

• Loop back to Stage 1 (with all your items and increasing difficulty),
• Fight the final boss on Commencement,
• Or enter Bulwark’s Ambry for artifact challenges (if unlocked).

3. Item Rarities

• White – Common: Basic utility or damage boosts.
• Green – Uncommon: Stronger, more specific effects.
• Red – Legendary: Run-changing items.
• Yellow – Boss-specific drops.
• Blue – Lunar: Powerful but have trade-offs.
• Orange – Equipment: Usable on cooldown.

4. Difficulty Scaling

• Time is your enemy—difficulty increases the longer you play.
• Ideally, move fast enough to outscale enemy power with items, but don’t skip necessary loot.

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Unlocking Survivors

Here’s how to unlock each character:

• Commando – Default survivor.
• Huntress – Unlocked by default.
• Bandit – Reach and complete Stage 3.
• MUL-T – Complete the teleporter event five times.
• Engineer – Complete 30 stages.
• Artificer – Purchase at the Bazaar Between Time for 10 Lunar Coins.
• Rex – Carry the Fuel Array from your pod to Abyssal Depths and insert it into the robot.
• Loader – Defeat the Alloy Worship Unit on Siren’s Call (triggered by destroying egg nests).
• Acrid – Enter the Void Fields via the Bazaar Between Time and survive all rounds.
• Mercenary – Obliterate yourself at the Obelisk on Stage 8.
• Captain – Defeat the final boss (Commencement).
• Void Fiend – Unlock by completing the Void Ending.
• Heretic – Not technically a selectable survivor; assemble all four Heresy items during a run.

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Key Mechanics and Tips

1. Finding the Teleporter

• Teleporters are never near the spawn. Check cliff edges, high points, and map corners. Look for red particles in the sky.

2. Chest and Loot Management

• Small Chests – Mostly white items.
• Large Chests – Better chance of green or red items.
• Multishops – Choose one of three items.
• 3D Printers – Trade any item for a displayed item (same rarity).
• Scrappers – Convert items to scrap to control what printers consume.

3. Shrines and Interactables

• Shrine of Chance – Gamble for items.
• Shrine of Blood – Trade health for gold.
• Shrine of the Mountain – Adds extra boss spawns for better loot.
• Shrine of Combat – Spawns enemies.
• Newt Altars – Unlock the Bazaar Between Time (requires Lunar Coins).

4. Looping and Endgame

• Looping increases difficulty but allows more item stacking.
• The final boss, Mithrix, has four phases, including a gear-stealing mechanic. Be prepared to fight without your items in Phase 4.

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Item Management

1. Early-Game Priorities

• Mobility: Paul’s Goat Hoof, Energy Drink.
• Survivability: Tougher Times, Bustling Fungus, Cautious Slug.
• Damage: Lens-Maker’s Glasses, Tri-Tip Dagger, Soldier’s Syringe.
• Crowd Control: Will-o’-the-Wisp, Gasoline, Ukulele.

2. Strategic Tools

• Scrappers: Scrap low-priority items to protect your build when using printers.
• 3D Printers: Use with caution—great for stacking key items, but risky without scrap.

3. Legendary Items to Look For

• Brilliant Behemoth: All attacks explode.
• 57 Leaf Clover: Increases chances for positive effects.
• Dio’s Best Friend: Grants a second life.

4. Caution with Lunar Items

Avoid early Lunar items unless you understand the trade-offs. For example:

• Shaped Glass: Doubles damage but halves your HP.
• Corpsebloom: Great healing, but it becomes delayed over time.

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Unlocking Key Items and Challenges

• “Death Do Us Part” – Activate two pressure plates in the Abandoned Aqueduct to fight hidden bosses and unlock elemental bands.
• “The Long Road” – Survive 20 stages to unlock 57 Leaf Clover.
• Prismatic Trials – Daily seeded challenges that unlock Harvester’s Scythe.
• “Her Concept” – Shoot the skeleton in Wetland Aspect to unlock N’kuhana’s Opinion.

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Recommended Beginner Mods

• BetterUI – Displays detailed item descriptions and stack values.
• ItemStatsMod – Shows exact stat scaling per item, great for planning builds.

Mods are easy to install via Thunderstore or r2modman and can significantly enhance your learning experience.

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Final Thoughts

Risk of Rain 2 rewards curiosity, risk-taking, and experimentation. Don’t be afraid to lose runs—each one teaches something new. Start slow, explore survivors, learn item synergies, and most importantly, have fun.

If you have questions or want live guidance, feel free to join the community or catch a stream. Now go forth and conquer the rain!

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