Risk of Rain Returns is an updated and revamped version of the original Risk of Rain, featuring new graphics, music, content, and more. In this game, you’ll play as one of 15 unique Survivors on a quest to escape from the hostile world of Petrichor V.
Of these 15 Survivors, you’ll need to unlock 13 through different challenges. Commando and Huntress are unlocked by default, and are great starter characters for unlocking the rest of the cast. Below, we’ll take a look at how to unlock every character in Risk of Rain Returns.
Enforcer
To unlock the Enforcer, you need to kill the Magma Worm, Wandering Vagrant, and Colossus. These three bosses all have a chance to appear during the teleporter event in the first stage. You don’t need to kill these bosses all during the same run; you can kill each of them during different runs and you’ll still unlock the Enforcer.
Bandit
To unlock the Bandit, you’ll need to beat the third stage. This means activating and completing the teleporter event on the third stage and progressing to the fourth.
Getting to the third stage shouldn’t be a problem. If you’re having trouble, try spending less time on each stage, prioritizing activating the teleporter quickly and gathering items while the timer counts down.
HAN-D
To unlock HAN-D, you will need to find it on the sixth and final stage, Risk of Rain. Here, you will sometimes find a stack of cargo crates on the left side of the level. One of the cargo crates will appear grey and slightly cracked open. Approach this crate and interact with it to unlock HAN-D for future runs.
Engineer
To unlock engineer, you need to purchase a total of 40 Drones throughout all your runs. This is pretty simple to accomplish; just buy every Drone you come across and eventually, you’ll get the Engineer.
Miner
To unlock the Miner, you will need to find him in the Magma Barracks, one of the two possible options for the fourth stage. Here, head to the bottom right corner of the map, where you will see a pool of lava extending off the side of the screen.
Make sure you have enough passive healing to survive in the lava for a few seconds.
Jump down into this lava and travel to the right. Eventually, you’ll come across the Direseeker, an Elite Elder Lemurian that is keeping the Miner trapped. Defeat this enemy, and you’ll unlock the Miner as a playable character.
Sniper
The Sniper is unlocked after the first time you beat the game. This means completing all five stages, proceeding to the final level, and beating Providence, the final boss. After this is complete, you’ll see the credits of the game and unlock the Sniper.
Acrid
Acrid can be unlocked in the third stage, Sunken Tomb. At the top of the map and to the right, you will sometimes find a crate against the right wall of the map. If you inspect this crate, Acrid will emerge. Fight and defeat him to unlock him as a playable character.
Mercenary
The Mercenary will unlock after beating the game five times. If you’ve done it once, you’ll know what to do. If you want to unlock the Mercenary faster, try increasing the damage you deal and reducing the damage you take in the optional settings when choosing your character. You can also use certain Artifacts to make things easier.
Loader
The Loader is unlocked by collecting 30 different items during a single run. If you’ve been going for long enough, this objective is pretty easily accomplished. As you run through the different stages, try to pick up items you don’t already have.
Chef
You’ll unlock the Chef after collecting a Meat Nugget, Bustling Fungus, Sprouting Egg, Bitter Root, and Foreign Fruit during a single run. Similar to Loader, this can be done easily if you’ve been playing on a single run for a while.
The Bitter Root will be unlocked for future runs after reaching 650 health.
The hardest item to collect here is probably the Foreign Fruit, as you’ll need to have it in your equipment slot for it to count toward unlocking the Chef.
Pilot
The Pilot can be unlocked by collecting 15 unique Monster Logs. These are rarely dropped from monsters when they die, and unlock a new entry in your collection for that monster.
There’s no fast way to collect 15 Monster Logs. As long as you are progressing to new stages and killing new monsters, you’ll eventually get all the Logs you need, and Pilot will unlock.
Artificer
The Artificer is unlocked by visiting ten unique stages. A run consists of five stages and the final level. Each time you teleport, there are two different levels you can arrive at, excluding the fifth and sixth levels, which are always the same. This means that, in total, there are 10 unique stages in the game, not including the secret level.
To unlock Artificer, you’ll need to visit every stage at least once. You can find a list of the stages required below.
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First Level |
Desolate Forest |
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Dried Lake |
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Second Level |
Damp Caverns |
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Sky Meadow |
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Third Level |
Ancient Valley |
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Sunken Tomb |
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Fourth Level |
Magma Barracks |
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Hive Cluster |
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Fifth Level |
Temple of the Elders |
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Sixth Level |
Risk of Rain |
Drifter
The Drifter is unlocked by recycling six Drones during a single run. Sometimes, you may come across a Drone Recycler. Interacting with this objective will destroy your Drone, giving you a random item in return. To unlock the Drifter, you’ll need to do this six times during a single run.
An easy way to do this is to get the Drone Repair Kit equipment. When used, this equipment will summon a unique Drone, which can then be recycled. If you really want to unlock the Drifter, you can stand next to a Drone Recycler and recycle the Drone Repair Kit’s unique Drone six times in a row.