Which survivor should I start with?

Commando is the default and the right starting pick. Balanced, no quirks, and ideal for learning the fundamentals. Once you've cleared a run or two with Commando, branch out to the survivors you've unlocked and find the one that fits your playstyle.

What's a teleporter event?

Each stage has a teleporter. Activating it triggers a boss encounter where you survive roughly 90 seconds in its radius. Delaying activation lets you gather more items, but enemies scale up the longer you wait — that tradeoff is the strategic heart of the game.

What items should I take?

Early on, take everything you see. Duplicate items stack, so even commons are valuable. Items come in white (common), green (uncommon), red (rare) and other rarities — green and red are far more impactful, so always grab them when offered.

What do I spend gold on?

Unlocking chests, buying from shops, and activating drones. **Drones** are especially strong — combat drones, healing drones, repair drones — they're powerful allies. Gold doesn't carry between stages, so spend it before you leave.

Risk of Rain 2 Beginner Guide｜Time, Items, Teleporter Strategy

The Stage Loop

Every stage runs the same loop. Getting good at Risk of Rain 2 is really just getting fast at this cycle.

1

Gather chests and items

Sweep the map for chests, shops, and altars. Stack duplicates aggressively.
2

Activate the teleporter

Activating spawns a boss. Enemies scale with time, so don't wait too long.
3

Survive the teleporter event

Hold for about 90 seconds. Use drones and favorable terrain.
4

Move to the next stage

With the boss down, take the portal to the next environment.

Find the teleporter first, then sweep items around it. Knowing where the teleporter is means you can pull the trigger the moment you're ready, instead of running back across the map mid-fight.

Pickup Priority

Target	Effect	Priority
Chests (white items)	Common items, stack for power	High (take all)
Green/Red chests	High-rarity items, big damage spikes	Top priority
Shops	Direct purchase with gold	High (if affordable)
Drones	Combat, healing, repair allies	High (spend gold)
Altars (Newt, etc.)	Conditional rewards and effects	Medium

Green-or-better chests are always worth opening. A handful of rare items contribute more to late-run damage than dozens of commons. Spend down to zero gold to crack open a green chest before the stage ends — it's almost always the right call.

Time Management

Enemies scale up with elapsed time, so damage taken climbs the longer you stay. "Pick up everything, then leave" is usually worse than "pick up efficiently and leave early." This matters even more if you plan to loop, where tempo decides whether your build outscales the enemies.

Next Steps

Once the basic loop clicks, branch into survivors and item synergies. For survivor evaluations see the Survivor Tier List, and for build-defining item picks see Item Strategy.

★Honest Take — The Time Pressure Is the Point

Honestly, the first few runs the "hurry up and grab items" pressure can feel stressful. Once it clicks, though, that pressure is the entire game. Activate the teleporter early, sweep efficiently, move on — once that rhythm sets in, you can sink hours into single sessions without noticing.