Hopoo wanted to use this approach for the sequel, but the 2D graphic approach did not give them enough visual space to work with. The transition to 3D was partly inspired by fan art for the original game that showed the various objects the player collected shown on the character.

When they started development on the sequel, Hopoo started with a 2D-based prototype with the player in control of one of the monsters in the first game, as to mix up the formula for the sequel. In the metagame, players unlock access to new playable survivors, items, abilities and game modifiers by completing certain in-game achievements once unlocked, new survivors and modifiers become available to select from at the start of the game, and new items will start appearing randomly from in-game chests. Every few minutes, the aliens' level increases, thus scaling their max health and damage the longer the player's run progresses. The difficulty of the game increases as the player progresses through a playthrough, based on the duration of the current run, an initial difficulty scale set by the player, and the number of players in the playthrough. These coins can be used to access a special vendor in the game, who sells special items for the coins while additionally allowing players to pick the next level played using the coins. Additionally, there is another currency that has a chance to drop from defeated aliens called Lunar Coins. The items collected from chests offer a wide range of boosts to the players carrying them and provide both synergistic effects with other items as well as the potential to stack their effects if multiple copies of the same item are acquired. Currency cannot be carried between levels, as all currency is converted to experience before teleporting to the next level. Currency can be used to open chests found throughout the level that drop random items, or to activate turrets and drones which can either attack enemies or heal the player.

Enemies also level up, increase in health, and become stronger as time proceeds in each level. If enough experience is gained, the player will level up, slightly increasing their damage dealt and max health. Each alien killed drops experience and currency which the player picks up. On each level, the goal is to kill aliens while locating a teleporter randomly placed on the level once the teleporter is activated, the players must defend themselves from a larger onslaught of aliens, including bosses, until the teleporter is fully charged. Risk of Rain 2 features several of the same playable characters, creatures, and items from the first game, but also adds new survivors and most notably transitions the game from 2D to a 3D environment. Each survivor has their own unique set of skills, providing different approaches to gameplay based on which survivor the player chooses. There are a total of fourteen survivors, two of which are only available in the expansion.

Most survivors are locked until the player completes challenges pertaining to each one or purchases the Survivors of the Void expansion the only survivors available at first are the Commando and Huntress. Risk of Rain 2 follows a similar approach to the first title, in which one to four players must progress several levels while killing enemies. The game received generally positive reviews upon release. The game supports up to four players in online multiplayer. Over time, the game's difficulty increases, spawning more powerful and dangerous creatures. To survive, they navigate through various environments, killing monsters and looting chests to collect items that boost their offensive and defensive capabilities. Players control a survivor who is stranded on an alien planet. A sequel to 2013's Risk of Rain, it was released in early access for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2019 before fully releasing in August 2020 with a release for Stadia coming a month later. Risk of Rain 2 is a roguelike third-person shooter developed by Hopoo Games and published by Gearbox Publishing. Microsoft Windows, Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One

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