Risk of Rain 2 is a third-person roguelike shooter where players fight through procedurally generated alien worlds while a survival timer steadily increases the difficulty. Every stage offers a choice between rushing to the next teleporter or exploring further for items that stack into increasingly powerful builds.

Up to four players can team up, combining different survivors' abilities against escalating waves of enemies and bosses. Runs end permanently on death, but unlocked characters and items carry a sense of progression between attempts.