The original Risk of Rain (2013) explained: RoR1's 12+ platforming stages, how Titanic Plains and Distant Roost carried into RoR2, and the Returns remake.
Original Risk of Rain 2 Maps — RoR1 Stages & the Original Game Explained
The short version: people who search "original risk of rain map" (often typed as "original risk of rain 2 map") usually want to know about the 2013 original — a 2D side-scrolling roguelike with 12+ platforming stages (Boar Beach, Damp Caverns, Sunken Tombs, Hive Cluster, Temple of the Elders…), whose stage names ROR2 directly inherited in two cases (Distant Roost, Titanic Plains) and whose story ROR2 picks right up from. This guide covers the original's maps, the story throughline, and the 2023 official remake Risk of Rain Returns.
Official resources: Original Risk of Rain store page · Risk of Rain Returns store page · IGN Wiki: Environments · Wikipedia
The Original Risk of Rain (2013): Where Everything Started
Risk of Rain is Hopoo Games' 2013 (November 8) 2D side-scrolling action roguelike ($9.99, later published by Gearbox/2K):
- Gameplay: side-scrolling platforming + shooting, with the item-stacking system that ROR2 inherited
- Stages: 2D side-scrolling levels, all hand-drawn
- Story: the cargo ship UES Contact Light is shot down over Petrichor V by a mysterious being (Providence); you play a surviving crew member who fights through every stage to kill Providence at the end
The Original's Stage List (RoR1's 12+ Stages)
The original progresses through increasingly hard stages. The representative lineup:
- Boar Beach: one of the opening stages
- Desolate Forest / Dried Lake: early forest and dried lake
- Damp Caverns: damp caves
- Sunken Tombs: sunken tombs (underwater mechanics)
- Hive Cluster: hive towers (elevated platform combat)
- Magma Barracks: lava barracks
- Temple of the Elders: ancient temple
- Ancient Valley: ancient valley
- Sky Meadow: sky meadow — this name carried over to ROR2's Stage 5 untouched
- Contact Light: the final stage, inside the crashed ship, arena for the Providence boss fight
ROR2's opening stage choice is Titanic Plains or Distant Roost — both are straight reuses of original-stage names (Titanic Plains existed in RoR1 too). Sky Meadow is another inherited name. Gameplay-wise ROR2's stages are brand-new 3D levels; only the names are the tribute (ROR2's full stage system lives in the stages and maps guide).
How the Story Carries Over: From Contact Light to Safe Travels
ROR2's timeline picks up directly after the original:
- Original: the UES Contact Light is lured to Petrichor V mid-voyage, Providence boards and wrecks the ship; the surviving crew (you) clear every stage, kill Providence, and escape
- Sequel: years later, the rescue ship UES Safe Travels arrives at Petrichor V hunting for Contact Light wreckage and survivors — ROR2's players are its crew (dropping in via escape pod)
- The core mystery: Providence and Mithrix are brothers — Mithrix is ROR2's final boss, imprisoned by Providence on the moon (Commencement). Why Providence wrecked the ship in the original and why Mithrix is imprisoned in the sequel are two halves of one story
ROR2's lore hides in logs, item descriptions and stage text (like Siren's Call's "CONTACT LIGHT SOS" log). If you want to dig it up yourself, finish a run or two before reading full breakdowns.
Risk of Rain Returns (2023): The Official Remake
- Release: 2023-11-08 (the original's 10th anniversary), $14.99, helmed by Hopoo
- Content: all original stages redrawn, new characters (Pilot and more), new items, an Artifact door system, and beefed-up co-op
- Reception: Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam, widely treated as a "textbook remake"
- Relation to ROR2: a standalone game, not a ROR2 expansion — but it fleshes out original-era lore details (like Contact Light's final fate)
Original vs Sequel: Which to Buy
| Dimension | Risk of Rain (original/Returns) | Risk of Rain 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Perspective | 2D side-scroller | 3D third-person |
| Co-op | 4-player | 4-player |
| Content volume | 12+ stages, 11+ characters | 40+ stages, 18 characters |
| Feel | Retro platforming | Modern shooter |
| Price | $9.99 / Returns $14.99 | $24.99 + 3 DLCs |
Our take: new to the series → go straight to ROR2 (modern, huge); curious about the original or want the full story → play Returns first (the remake is the best way to experience it). Both are worth owning. ROR2 onboarding is in the beginner's guide.
Digging Deeper: The Petrichor V Setting
- Petrichor V: the planet both games share (the name originally came from a ROR2 soundtrack track title, later adopted as official setting)
- UES: United Enterprise Shipping, the parent company of both ships (Contact Light / Safe Travels)
- Why the conflict: the planet's extreme hostility to humans, the Contact Light's crash, the Safe Travels rescue mission — the full thread is scattered across item text (the lore reads for Her Biting Embrace and His Reassurance live in the items and bosses guide)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many maps does the original Risk of Rain have?
12+ side-scrolling stages (Boar Beach, Damp Caverns, Sunken Tombs, Hive Cluster, Temple of the Elders, Sky Meadow, Contact Light and more); the Returns remake redraws all of them and adds new ones.
Are the original and sequel connected?
Yes, the story is continuous: the Contact Light's crash in the original leads to the UES Safe Travels rescue mission in the sequel, and Providence (original final boss) and Mithrix (sequel final boss) are brothers.
What is Risk of Rain Returns?
The official remake of the original, released 2023-11-08 ($14.99): every map redrawn, new characters/items/systems, Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam.
Should I play the original or Risk of Rain 2 first?
Series newcomers should start with ROR2; play Returns first if you want the full story or the retro feel. Both are worth it.
Is Distant Roost a stage from the original game?
Yes. Distant Roost, Titanic Plains and Sky Meadow are all original-stage names that ROR2 reuses (redesigned as 3D).
Related Guides
- Risk of Rain 2 Stages & Maps Guide — Every Environment in Order
- Risk of Rain 2 Characters Guide — All 18 Survivors, Unlocks & the Best Picks
- Risk of Rain 2 Items & Bosses Guide — The Best Items, Endgame Bosses & Looping
- Risk of Rain 2 Beginner's Guide — How to Play, Items, Loops & Multiplayer
- Risk of Rain 2 DLC Guide — All 3 Expansions & What's Next (2026)
Last updated: August 12, 2026.