What a run leaves behind
A run ends and your items vanish. What stays is progress: unlocked survivors, unlocked items, and unlocked artifacts.
That progress widens your choices. It does not raise your stats, so a win is always possible with what you already have.
Survivor unlocks
Some survivors start unlocked, and others open through challenges. Each unlock gives you a new kit to learn.
The first unlocks are the most valuable. They give you a new way to play the same stages.
Item unlocks
Some items only enter the loot pool after you complete a challenge. Until you unlock them, they cannot drop in a run.
This is why a fresh save feels thinner. The pool grows as you clear challenges, and the pool is where your power comes from.
Challenge-based rewards
Most unlocks come from challenges tied to a feat. Land a difficult kill, clear a stage under pressure, or finish a run on a higher difficulty.
The challenge often teaches the skill the unlock supports. Treat each one as a lesson, not a chore.
Artifacts
Artifacts change the rules of a run. You unlock them, then enable or disable them in the lobby before you start.
Some artifacts make runs easier and some make them harder. Learning them is the deepest form of self-imposed difficulty.
What to chase first
Start with the challenges that unlock new survivors and common items. They widen your pool fastest.
Higher-difficulty clears and artifact hunts come later, once a normal run feels steady.
Continue with Monsoon and Eclipse or revisit which survivor to start.