All Stages in Risk of Rain Returns

Stages are different environments that players are going through when playing Risk of Rain Returns. All of the stages were also in Risk of Rain but with new layouts. Players in stages encounter enemies and other interactable characters, which relive the gameplay loop but also the Environmental Tools that are used for maneuvers. You will also find artifacts in all of the maps, which are used to upgrade your character.

Related: How to Unlock Secret Survivor in Risk of Rain Returns?

Stages Risk of Rain Returns

There are 5 stages in each loop of Risk of Rain Returns, and in each stage, you can choose between a pool of 2 maps, excluding the fifth, where there is only one possibility. Here is the list of all stages in the game and their maps:

First Stage

• Desolate Forest

An intro stage in Risk of Rain Returns. It is a field in the mountains with castles and hills. Here, you will face enemies such as Wisp, Lemurian, Rock Golem, Jellyfish, and Trokk and bosses like Colossus, Wandering Vagrant, and Magma Worm.

At the end of this stage, you win the Honor and Cognation artifacts. For the Artifact of Cognation, you need to defeat a boss in a hidden room, which you can access from a vine that protrudes from the ground. With this artifact, enemies create a clone when killed, but don’t worry, the clone disappears after a while.

Artifact of Honor allows enemies to always appear as Elites. You can find it when you go through the tunnel located in the west of the map. Note that for this task, you will need a character with good jumping abilities.

• Dried Lake

One of the two possible stages at the start of the game. It appears as a dried-up lake with rocks, corals, dried plants, shipwrecks, etc. It’s basically a desert area in a place where once stood the lake. Enemies that spawn here are Lemurian, Sand Crab, Wisp, Jellyfish, and Tuber, and bosses are Colossus, Wandering Vagrant, and Magma Worm.

In the Dried Lake, you will find a single artifact – Kin. With Artifact of Kin, only one type of enemy will appear on each map. You can find it while searching for a broken wall, which you need to destroy in order to get the artifact.

Second Stage

• Damp Caverns

The best way to explore this circular map is by going clockwise or counterclockwise, the choice is totally up to you. Be aware that Mushrums spawn often on this map, so be ready to fight. Besides them, it is possible to encounter Lemurian, Spitter, Wisp, Greater Wisp, Black Imp, and Tuber. Magma Worm, Ancient Wisp, and Lynx Totem are possible bosses you will face.

The artifact you can gain here is Distortion. Artifact of Distortion is actually quite interesting because skills will have decreased cooldown, but note that it will happen randomly.

• Sky Meadow

Sky Meadow is one of the recurring maps from the previous games, also known as the Field of Sprites. It is an isolated peninsula located at the foot of a mountain range. Here, you will encounter some new enemies, such as Child and Parent, as well as previously known Rock Golem and Jellyfish. Bosses present in Sky Meadow are Ancient Wasp, Lynx Totem, and Magma Worm.

Here, you can find the Artifact of Spite. With this artifact, enemies will explode after they die, dropping bombs on both you and other mobs.

Players will find this artifact at the bottom of the map, where they need to enter a hole. Once you’re in, use something explosive in order to descend down a secret ladder. You will find the artifact on the final platform.

Third Stage

• Ancient Valley (plus Boar Beach)

Ancient Valley is located on the top of the mountain. It is basically a frozen area full of snow. You will find yourself on a long bridge, and visibility will be limited because of the fog. Here, you will find a number of enemies – Snow Golem, Clay Man, Mechanical Spider, Swift, and Bighorn Bison, as well as bosses such as Ifrit, Imp Overlord, and Colossus.

You will need to go down using a rope in order to find the Artifact of Glass. This artifact has its ups and downs since it increases Damage to +500% but also lowers the HP to only 10%. Search for the cave located in the cavity on either side of the map.

There’s also a chance you will bump into the entrance to the Boar Beach. It’s located in the top left corner of the map. Look for a ledge and use the Bounce in order to get high enough to reach it. Once you are there, you’ll be attacked by an enemy called Boarlit and a boss by the name Toxic Beast.

• Sunken Tomb

The Sunken Tomb is exactly what its name suggests – an ancient tomb submerged deep underwater. In rooms with high ceilings, you will see various murals, as well as well-preserved tables and pots. It reminds me of some kind of shelter. In these depths, you will find numerous enemies, such as Whorl, Sand Crab, Clay Man, Jellyfish, and Black Imp. There are also three kinds of bosses – Colossus, Wandering Vagrant, and Imp Overlord.

These underwater catacombs may seem a little claustrophobic at first, but the truth is they are a gem hidden deep under the water. Here, you can gain the Artifact of Enigma, which spawns random equipment and changes every time you use an item. The artifact can be found in the southwestern part of the map, in a pit.

Fourth Stage

• Magma Barracks

The complete opposite of cold Ancient Valleys, Magma Barracks bring in the heat. Above you, there are lava falls, which pour the lava into the large lakes. You will have to navigate through this maze and skillfully avoid the lava to reach the final goal. On the way there, you will encounter enemies such as Evolved Lemurian, Mechanical Spider, Bighorn Bison, Macrobe, and Macrobic Predator, as well as the bosses – Cremator, Imp Overlord, and Toxic Beast.

This map brings one of the trickiest tasks you’ll need to overcome in order to collect the Artifact of Sacrifice. The likely reason you have to struggle a bit to get this artifact is its use. Namely, the Artifact of Sacrifice makes it possible to remove all chests and instead get items by simply killing enemies. To find it, you’ll have to find and click the 3 red buttons. The first two buttons are visible and relatively easy to find, while the third one is to be found by exploring the whole level. Note that you’ll have to bring a weapon that pierces walls since buttons are mostly blocked by walls.

• Hive Cluster

This is a relatively small map, but carries an important artifact with itself. We hope you’re not squeamish because this map is full of pink goo. But on the other side, it also contains a lot of tendrils you can use to climb wherever you like. There are only 3 types of enemies here – Parent, Spitter, and Gup and 2 types of bosses, Toxic Beast and Imp Overlord.

We recommend the unlocking of the Artifact of Command as soon as possible. It allows players to choose what item they want to keep whenever they find one, which further opens a lot of potential for build crafting.

Look for vines in the upper right corner of the map. Be aware that sometimes you won’t be able to see the vines, but even when they are invisible, you can climb or grab them. Between those vines, there is a platform you have to reach. The artifact is on top of the structure that resembles a teleporter.

Fifth Stage

• Temple of the Elders

The fifth and next-to-last level in the game. Unlike all the previous, it does not have an alternative area. This map has a medieval vibe. You can see churches, towers, and similar objects all around you. Surprisingly, there are no bosses here, but we’ll take that as preparation for the final boss that awaits us in the final stage. As for the enemies, there are the Temple Guard, Elder Lemurian, Bramble, and Lemurian Cavalry.

In the Temple of the Elders, you will find the Artifact of Tempus. The trick to obtaining this artifact is that you need to reach the Temple in less than 13 minutes in order to unlock it. So try to avoid as many enemies as possible, eliminate those you can’t, and proceed forward as fast as possible. The Artifact of Tempus is located in the middle of one of the temple towers.

Final Stage

Risk of Rain

After you pass the fifth stage, the teleporter transforms into a divine teleporter, which will transport you to the final stage when you choose to. Once it is done, you will find yourself on the deck of a crashed spaceship called UES Contact Light. It is a large ship with multiple rooms, which, amongst other things, brings the final boss, Providence, whom you’ll have to defeat. There are no other enemies, but Providence itself will be enough, trust me. With a vast 9000 HP and a speed of 22 km/h, he is a formidable enemy, and you will have to put in a lot of effort to defeat him.

After you defeat the final boss, if you want to find the final artifact – Artifact of Origin, you’ll have to go down a level in order to find it. The Artifact of Origin enables Purple Imps and Imp Vanguard to spawn every 10 minutes through a portal.

We hope you found our article useful. For more Risk of Rain content on Gamer Journalist, see What does Egocentrism do in Risk of Rain 2 or How to Unlock the Void Fiend in Risk of Rain 2 Survivors of the Void.