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Survivors and Loadouts

Your choice of survivor dictates your entire approach to a run. Every character has a unique set of four skills that determine their mobility, damage output, and survivability. You begin the game with only the Commando and Huntress unlocked. You must complete specific achievements to expand your roster.

Unlocking Survivors​

The game features sixteen playable survivors, including the secret character Robomando. Unlocking them requires completing specific tasks during your runs. Some unlocks happen naturally as you play, while others require deliberate effort and planning.

  • Enforcer: Kill the Magma Worm, Wandering Vagrant, and Colossus.
  • Bandit: Clear the third stage.
  • HAN-D: Open a specific gray crate located in the final stage.
  • Engineer: Purchase 40 drones total across all playthroughs. (Using a repair station to fix broken drones also increments this counter.)
  • Miner: Defeat the Direseeker, an Elder Lemurian variant found by traversing a secret lava tunnel in the bottom-right quadrant of certain Magma Barracks variants.
  • Sniper: Beat the game.
  • Acrid: Defeat Acrid in combat after opening his containment cage in the top right of the Sunken Tombs map variant.
  • Mercenary: Beat the game five times.
  • Loader: Obtain 30 different items in a single playthrough.
  • CHEF: Obtain Meat Nugget, Bustling Fungus, Sprouting Egg, Bitter Root, and Foreign Fruit in one run.
  • Pilot: Collect 15 Monster Logs.
  • Artificer: Visit 10 unique stages.
  • Drifter: Recycle 6 drones in a single playthrough.

Focus on unlocking the Bandit and Enforcer early. The Bandit provides high single-target burst damage, while the Enforcer offers excellent defensive capabilities for players struggling with survivability.

Alternate Abilities​

Risk of Rain Returns introduces alternate abilities for every survivor. Each skill slot has two or three options you can choose before starting a run. These alternate skills fundamentally change how a character plays and allow you to tailor their kit to your preferences.

You unlock alternate abilities by completing Providence Trials. These trials are short, character-specific challenges accessible from the main menu. If you find a character's default kit clunky, check their available Providence Trials to see if an alternate ability fixes your issue. For example, the Commando's default combat dodge is a simple roll. You can unlock an alternate slide ability that allows you to fire your weapon while dodging, vastly improving his offensive mobility.

Building Your Loadout​

Before you drop into a stage, review your loadout carefully. Consider the synergies between your chosen skills. If you swap a movement ability for a high-damage attack, you need to rely more heavily on positioning and movement items during the run to compensate.

Always make sure your loadout includes at least one reliable source of area-of-effect damage. Single-target damage is great for bosses, but you will quickly get overrun by hordes of basic enemies if you lack crowd control.