Skip to main content

Multiplayer and Co-op

By ScotPublished Updated Sources checked

Tactical Quick Answer

Co-op changes the math of a Risk of Rain Returns run. Loot is a free-for-all with nothing instanced per player, so a defeated boss drops one item for whoever reaches it first. Player count also lengthens the teleporter charge and can add extra bosses. Teams survive by distributing loot deliberately instead of grabbing whatever is closest.

Playing Risk of Rain Returns with a team changes the economics of a run. The default cap is four players, in online and couch co-op alike, and since patch 1.1.0 a host can raise the limit as high as 32 through an experimental lobby option that warns you above four that it is not properly supported.

How Co-op Actually Scales​

Co-op scaling in Returns is thinly documented, and where the game does publish exact numbers they are linear and not exponential. An Imp Shrine spawns 5 Tiny Imps for one player, 8 for two, 11 for three, and 14 for four, adding three each time.

Two effects are documented and both matter more than raw enemy stats. The teleporter charge gets longer with each player still alive, so co-op events run well past the 90-second solo minimum. And the teleporter boss "consists of one or several Bosses, depending on the difficulty and number of players", so a four-player event can put several bosses on you at once.

The real pressure in co-op is economic. Loot in Returns is a free-for-all and nothing is instanced. Chests drop a single item for whoever reaches it, and one random item drops from a defeated teleporter boss regardless of party size. Gold is the only thing each player holds separately. If everyone grabs whatever is closest, the whole team ends up underpowered.

Two caveats sit on the boss drop. Each item is rolled independently, so a fight with several bosses yields several items. And an elite teleporter boss can drop two items if a player is carrying a 56 Leaf Clover.

Spreading the Damage​

Enemies spawn in larger clusters as you add players, so area-of-effect damage gets more valuable and pure single-target builds get worse. Items like the Ukulele, Brilliant Behemoth, and Frost Relic all scale well against packs.

The advice to funnel everything into one designated carry circulates widely and comes from player frustration and not from any measurement, so treat it as one option and not the correct play. The game itself points the other way, since it ships an item-sharing option specifically to stop one player hoarding.

Communication and Item Sharing​

To mitigate the resource starvation inherent to co-op, use the game's own tools:

  • Forced Item Sharing: The host sets this as a checkbox when creating the lobby, not from the settings menu mid-game. It stops a player who is too far ahead on items from picking up more until the team evens out. Know the catch before you enable it: the blocked item is not handed to the player who is behind, it simply sits on the ground, and items disappear after 45 seconds. With strangers that regularly loses items outright.
  • The Ping System: Added in patch 1.1.0. Pressing the ping key marks the object nearest your cursor, or the first object in front of you if you play without a mouse, and marks a location if there is nothing to highlight. Items, equipment, monsters and interactables can all be pinged, and the chat message includes details like cost or contents. Pinging the same thing again removes the ping. The system is disabled inside Providence Trials.
  • The Emote System: Also new in 1.1.0 and separate from pinging. Mouse users get a radial menu, everyone else gets a menu beside their character, and keyboard players can hit 1 through 4 to fire an emote directly.

A successful co-op run requires viewing the team's total power as a single resource pool. Selfish looting leads to dead teammates, which leads to fewer targets for the enemy, which rapidly leads to your own death.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Does Risk of Rain Returns get harder with more players?

Yes, though the documented scaling is linear and not exponential. An Imp Shrine adds three Tiny Imps per extra player, the teleporter charge lengthens with each player alive, and a teleporter event can spawn several bosses depending on difficulty and party size.

Is loot shared in Risk of Rain Returns co-op?

No, and nothing is instanced. Chests drop one item for whoever gets there, and a teleporter boss drops one random item for the whole team. Only gold is per-player. Each boss item rolls independently, so several bosses means several items.

How many players can play Risk of Rain Returns?

Four by default, in online and couch co-op. Since patch 1.1.0 a host can raise the Player Limit as high as 32, though the game warns that anything above four is not properly supported.

What does Forced Item Sharing do in Risk of Rain Returns?

The host enables it as a checkbox when creating the lobby. It stops a player who is too far ahead on items from picking up more until the team evens out. The blocked item is not given to the trailing player though, it sits on the ground and vanishes after 45 seconds.

How does the ping system work in Risk of Rain Returns?

Added in patch 1.1.0. Pressing the ping key marks the object nearest your cursor, or the first object in front of you without a mouse, and the chat message includes details like cost or contents. Items, equipment, monsters and interactables can all be pinged. It is disabled inside Providence Trials.