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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →If you want a few quality-of-life improvements without turning Risk of Rain 2 into a different game, start with a separate r2modman profile and add mods one at a time. ItemStats makes item effects easier to read; QoLChests changes how interactables appear. These recommendations are based on the mods’ published feature descriptions, not hands-on testing, so check each listing’s current requirements before installing.
Which easy mods are worth trying first?
There is no universal must-have set: the right choice depends on whether you want more information, less visual clutter, or more help finding points of interest. The examples below have distinct purposes, and their current compatibility and dependencies should be verified on their individual listings.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Risk of Rain 2 - Nintendo Switch | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Risk of Rain 2 - PlayStation 4 | $19.47 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Risk Of Rain 2 (Nintendo Switch) | $21.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Risk of Rain 2 - Xbox One | $17.94 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Risk of Rain 2 (inkl. Risk of Rain 1) | $9.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| Mod | What it changes | Vanilla feel and considerations |
|---|---|---|
| ItemStats | Shows fuller item descriptions on hover and pickup, and displays descriptions when pinging items. | Information-focused; its listing describes it as client-side and vanilla-compatible. It does not calculate stacking statistics. Check the listing for current requirements. |
| QoLChests | Can hide empty chests and used shop terminals, and highlight chests and other interactables. | Convenience and visibility changes can reduce clutter, but highlighting may make points of interest easier to find and change the feel of exploration. Configure or disable features to suit your preference; check current requirements on the listing. |
For clearer item information: ItemStats
ItemStats is the straightforward choice if you are learning what items do and want descriptions available in more places, including when pinging an item. Its listing describes it as lightweight, client-side, and vanilla-compatible. Do not treat its descriptions as exact stacking math: the listing says it does not calculate stacking statistics.
For less clutter or easier searching: QoLChests
QoLChests combines two kinds of convenience: hiding some used or empty objects and highlighting interactables. Those features may make a stage feel tidier or easier to navigate, but they can also change how much you discover by looking around. Try only the options you want rather than assuming every feature belongs in a minimal setup.
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- Co-op Roguelike action
- Constant battles and incredible bosses
- Old favorites return and undiscovered challenges await
What about BetterUI and EmptyChestsBeGone?
A Thunderstore modpack called RiskyModpack describes its aim as quality of life while retaining a mostly vanilla experience, and includes BetterUI and EmptyChestsBeGone as examples. That is a curator’s selection, not proof that every included mod is current or suitable for your setup. Check each individual mod page and its dependencies before adding either.
Older community recommendation threads can suggest categories to explore, but they are not maintenance or compatibility guarantees. For example, a 2024 beginner discussion asks for must-have mods that do not add content; treat that as an example of player interest, not a survey of what players generally prefer. Read the discussion and verify any suggested mod on its current listing.
Rank #2
- Co-op Roguelike action
- Constant battles and incredible bosses
- Old favorites return and undiscovered challenges await
How to install mods with r2modman
The community modding wiki documents r2modman as a way to browse mods and download dependencies. A separate profile makes it easier to keep a small starter setup apart from an unmodded profile.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Explore. Prey. Die! Risk of rain 2 is the first co-op game!
Rank #4
- Co-op Roguelike action
- Constant battles and incredible bosses
- Old favorites return and undiscovered challenges await
Rank #3
- Procedurally-generated planets with terrain that can be reshaped under your feet as though it were made of clay. Survive on and explore carefully crafted planets that can be entirely deformed and traversed.
- Extract resources, trade or craft new tools, vehicles, and modules. Snap together components and objects to build bases, rovers, and spaceships to travel to new planets and moons.
- Play with friends in 4 player online drop-in/drop-out co-op
- Discover and uncover the mysteries of the solar system.
- Install and open r2modman. Select Risk of Rain 2 and the relevant game store, then create a fresh, named profile. The community guide recommends using a new profile rather than the Default one. See the Getting Started guide.
- Find a mod. Browse from the manager, or open its Thunderstore listing and choose Install with Mod Manager. Review dependency prompts and accept the required dependencies you intend to install.
- Check the listing before adding it. Review its current game-version compatibility, last-updated information, dependency list, and mod-specific notes. BepInEx and R2API are common foundations, but some mods require additional libraries. The installation guide explains dependencies.
- Start with only a few mods. Launch the game through r2modman when using the modded profile. Add one mod at a time so you can identify what changed if a problem appears.
- Troubleshoot by narrowing the change. If something goes wrong, disable recently added mods one at a time and consult the relevant listing’s instructions. Do not assume a combination is compatible just because its components have been recommended elsewhere.
How to keep a starter setup close to vanilla
- Choose information changes, such as ItemStats, before adding visibility or exploration conveniences if your priority is understanding items without changing how you search a stage.
- For QoLChests, decide whether you want used objects hidden, interactables highlighted, or neither; adjust or disable individual features where the mod allows.
- Use a separate profile and keep the first setup small. This makes it simpler to identify which addition caused a conflict or changed the experience more than you wanted.
- Use current individual listings as the authority on requirements and compatibility, rather than relying on old roundups or a modpack’s contents.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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