Rotwood: 8 Beginner Tips

Learn the best beginner tips to play Rotwood!

Do you enjoy beat 'em up and dungeon crawler games with rogue-lite elements? If you also want to play co-op, Rotwood is the game for you. The game's charming graphics are just as captivating as its characters, making even the enemies endearing.

Your goal is to defeat the corrupted beasts of Rotwood, obtain better weapons and armor, and with the game's perks, it's possible to create different builds each time. If you're ready to embark on a journey to defeat the frenzied bosses in Rotwood and find your missing crew members, learning some beginner tips will be beneficial.

Rotwood is currently in Early Access — as a result, the details below are subject to change.

Make Using Dodge A Habit

You can't achieve success by constantly playing offense when battling opponents and bosses in Rotwood, and since you start with only one potion and have no chance to block attacks, you should make using dodge a habit. Moreover, the direction in which you dodge is crucial; before using dodge, you should quickly scan the enemies around you and escape towards the direction with the least enemies to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Another thing to consider when using dodge is the attack patterns of monsters and bosses, which is something that you will learn with a bit of practice and after getting to know them. For example, if you're dealing damage to Mother Treek from range, she'll try to hit you by swinging her arm from left to right or right to left, so in this case the most logical thing to do is to dodge downwards.

Some perks will give you shield segments. If you have a shield, it will disappear when you take damage, indicated by your character glowing blue.

Don't Enter Rooms Blindly

When doing a run, you must have a plan, so you shouldn't proceed blindly, and it's best to determine what you need more for survival and empowerment. Therefore, it's beneficial to know what the purple icons on the left side of the game interface mean.

If you progress without paying attention to the symbols, for example, you might end up in the room of a vendor who sells potions even though your HP is full and you have potions. Here are some types of rooms:

Utilize Environmental Damage

When navigating dungeon rooms and dealing damage to your opponents, your sole reliance shouldn't be on the damage dealt by your weapon, and utilizing objects that cause environmental damage can also be extremely advantageous to you.

For example, the purple spiky plants in the Great Rotwood Forest, which function like bombs, are a prime example of this; when you or an enemy damages them, they explode after a few seconds, dealing damage to everyone in their vicinity, and effectively using these can deal additional damage to your opponents.

However, be sure to avoid getting caught in the damage from such objects. Another good example is the Parting Gifts perk that drops a bomb every 10 seconds when you dodge, something you can use to your advantage, but if it's not used effectively it can also be a perk that works against you.

There Is Another Healing Option In Potion Room

When your health is low, you'll undoubtedly want to see the potion vendor among your room options, and an easily overlooked aspect of the potion vendor's room is another healing method that can be done therewithout spending any currency.

As you know, normally, the potion you purchase from them for 75 Teffra heals you for 500 health. However, let's say you're only missing 100 HP from your maximum health; in this case, using a potion wouldn't be a logical decision.

For such situations, there is a cauldron in the vendor's room that, when you approach it, you'll notice the phrase "Five-Finger Brew" written on it. You can drink this without paying any fee, and it will heal you up to a total of 250 HP.

Decorations Aren't Just For Fancy Looks

As you venture into dungeons, you'll gradually obtain certain materials; such as Great Rotwood Forest Twigs, Great Rotwood Forest Leaves, and so on. You can view these from the chests located on the left side of your base, and the materials you can obtain will vary depending on the dungeon you visit.

In addition to upgrading your weapons or armor with these materials, you can also use them to build structures in your base. These builds in your base aren't just cosmetic, and when you place them in your base for the first time, you'll receive the First Craft Bounty reward indicated on them.

Depending on the complexity of what you've created, this reward will increase even more, and you'll be able to obtain Corestones.

On the other hand, remember that you only receive First Craft Bounties when you first build something new on your base. For example, you won't receive a reward when you plant a second Bush in your base.

Corestones are harder to come by compared to Teffra, so planting these Decors in your base will be beneficial for you. Additionally, you can change the placement of decorations in your base using the Pick-Up Items button located under the Build section or remove them using the same button.

Don't Forget To Claim Mastery Rewards

You can view your Masteries by talking to Toot in your base, and to complete Masteries, you need to fulfill specific attack conditions; some may require you to use a particular weapon, while others may ask you to kill bosses or perform combos. As you complete them, you'll receive various rewards, including Corestones.

The most important thing to note about Masteries is that if you don't claim the rewards, new Masteries won't unlock. Therefore, knowing your active masteries and setting goals accordingly during your runs will be beneficial.

Don't hesitate to spend Corestones to unlock new weapons. When you unlock new weapons, Mastery screens for them will also open up , allowing you to quickly regain the spent Corestones by completing Mastery tasks.

Choose A Weapon That Fits Your Playstyle

Weapons are divided into four types:

• Striker
• Bammer
• Skewer
• Cannon

Each weapon has certain advantages and disadvantages, so it will be beneficial to spend your Corestones to acquire each weapon as soon as possible. This way, you can determine which weapon suits your playstyle.

Additionally, each weapon has different combos, attack styles, and ranges. Therefore, certain types of weapons will provide more advantages against specific bosses, and bosses won't be able to use some of their attacks against you because you won't be within their range.

Furthermore, from Frenzy 1 onwards, you may notice that armor and weapons with miniboss-themed and better stats are sold in the market. It's always a good idea to carry Corestones with you to purchase these, and if you lack Corestones, you can purchase them from the market in exchange for Teffra.

If you think that the item you purchased from the market is not suitable for your current run but still want to buy it, you can send it to your base without equipping it using the 'Ship It To Home' option.

Consider The Recommendation Levels Of Dungeons

Once you defeat the boss of each dungeon, the Frenzy version of that dungeon will unlock. Therefore, the mobs in the dungeon will become even stronger. Additionally, more loot will drop.

Each dungeon displays recommended attack and defense values for both normal and Frenzy levels, so if your stats are too low for that dungeon, you might struggle. In such cases, you should focus on playing to farm Corestones or materials to acquire new equipment or strengthen existing ones in a dungeon that is more suitable for you.

Also, remember that you will earn Heartstones when you defeat dungeon bosses and each boss at every Frenzy level for the first time. If you offer these to the machine in your base, you will gain bonuses; for example, if you defeat Mother Treek herself and each Frenzy version, your Health bonus will increase.