Return to Roots is a roguelike co-op horror game for up to 6 players. Complete randomly generated floors by locating items, consuming or otherwise using them to your advantage, and composting them in your elevator. Coordinate with your team to avoid unique monsters of varying danger levels. Visit the shop to buy items upgrades for your elevator, and pick upgrade cards at the end of each successful floor. There's a terrible secret lying in the roots of the great tree you're living in, and it's your job to discover what it is.
FLOORS
Each level in Return to Roots is unique - themed and randomly generated, with each map having different layouts, vibes, and custom music. You may be running across a mall and visiting each store to look for compostable items, going for a view in the garden, or checking into your room at the hotel. Every map provides a unique challenge.
ITEMS
Items of different rarities are scattered across each floor. These can be consumable items that turn into waste when used, passive items that give you on-hit effects, stat boosts and more, or burden items which are dangerous or otherwise detrimental to hold, though are worth more than regular items. There are 100+ unique items to discover. Whether it be a dodgeball you can throw to distract enemies that can hear you, a cute gleech whose value increases when giving blood, or a legendary cursed skull that offers immense speed and stamina efficiency at the cost of killing you when damage is taken, each and every item offers different strategic benefits
MONSTERS
As you and your team descend further into the tree, more and more dangerous monsters will start to appear. Some may be simple, like a goat that copies the sounds of other monsters. Some might not pose any danger at all, like a mischievous trader who might scam you. But, some may be extremely dangerous; a snail that devours items on the floor and grows big enough to swallow you whole. A living birdhouse that moves in short, lightning quick bursts. A pepper jester who is desperate to entertain, lest he takes on a horrifying new form. Teamwork is important in Return to Roots - your lives depend on how well you know your enemy.
METAPROGRESSION
When a run is completed or your entire team dies, you gain credits. These can be spent on equipment - reusable items that can be equipped at any time during your run. You can only bring a few of these items with you, so be sure to craft a build that suits your playstyle and synergizes well together. Running out of stamina often? Bring the Mini Broomstick to get a small amount of stamina back whenever you pick up an item. Can't lug enough items back to the elevator? Bring the Baby Snail along to swallow floor items and later spit them back up as a mucus ball worth as much as all of the swallowed items. Some equipment are passive, some are conditional, and some can be used in exchange for water, a resource that can be replenished in many ways.
AND MORE...
Shrines are small structures that can be interacted with throughout each floor, offering item duplication, trading, refreshment, and more. Finishing a floor allows you to vote for random upgrade cards that benefit your team or elevator. Certain items may be combined/crafted together. If you can't finish a floor, you can use an Emergency Skip.. but the next floor will be especially difficult. There's a myriad of things to do in Return to Roots, and it's up to you to discover them.
