# Common Questions > Source: https://indiegameswiki.com/wiki/rain-world/common-questions > Part of the Rain World wiki on Indie Games Wiki. License: CC BY-SA 4.0. > Last updated: 2026-10-18T23:18:09.135Z Rain World is a survival platformer by Videocult in which the player is a slugcat that must find food and shelter between torrential downpours. [Steam store page](https://store.steampowered.com/app/312520/Rain_World/) This FAQ covers karma gates, the base-game campaigns, Remix and co-op, the line between the base game and its expansions, and what carries over after a death. ## Why will a gate not open? By default, a karma gate lets the slugcat through to the next region only when its karma is high enough, and a death can leave it short of the requirement again. [Remix announcement, 31 August 2022](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/3229664706316528818) The requirement can differ between the two sides of a gate: patch v1.01 lowered it on the Shaded Citadel, Drainage System and Underhang side to keep players from becoming stuck in challenging regions. The same patch put gate karma symbols and shelter icons on the map once those places are discovered. [Patch v1.01 notes, 6 April 2017](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/4546903098691825152) Under the normal karma rules, surviving a cycle raises karma one tier and dying lowers it one tier. [Expedition Mode dev log, 13 December 2022](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/3645131352114363597) If the slugcat is short of a gate's requirement, return to a familiar food route and shelter and survive more cycles.
Spoiler: what raises the karma cap Echoes raise the karma cap. [Expedition Mode dev log, 13 December 2022](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/3645131352114363597)
Remix has two gate options: Monk-style gates in every campaign, which stay unlocked once crossed and never ask for karma again, or no karma gate requirements at all. [Remix announcement, 31 August 2022](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/3229664706316528818) ## Is Monk simply an easier Survivor? Survivor is the slugcat of the first campaign. [Local Co-Op Dev Log 1, 19 July 2022](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/5641338588665839262) Monk and Hunter arrived in update 1.5 as two new playable characters [Update 1.5 announcement, 11 December 2017](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/4546903098691825052), and the store page matches them to easier and more aggressive playstyles. [Steam store page](https://store.steampowered.com/app/312520/Rain_World/) Monk changes more than the difficulty: its official description begins "Weak of body but strong of spirit" and promises a significantly more peaceful playthrough for a slugcat in tune with the mysteries of the world and empathetic to its creatures. [Update 1.5 announcement, 11 December 2017](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/4546903098691825052) Its campaign has a higher creature reputation. [Local Co-Op Dev Log 1, 19 July 2022](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/5641338588665839262) Once Monk crosses a karma gate, that gate stays unlocked and does not require karma again. [Remix announcement, 31 August 2022](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/3229664706316528818) Remix settings, such as its "Breath Time Leniency" option, can change more, so check which campaign and settings a piece of advice assumes before comparing it with your own game. [Patch notes 1.11.7, 31 March 2026](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/502853900165973117) ## Can I adjust the difficulty without buying an expansion? Yes. Remix is a free update, and players who do not buy Downpour still get it. [Remix announcement, 31 August 2022](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/3229664706316528818) The store page's Updates section lists customization options in Remix, updated tutorial messages, and accessibility, speedrun and difficulty options. [Steam store page](https://store.steampowered.com/app/312520/Rain_World/) Besides the gate options above, the Remix announcement describes a threat music visual pulse that shows incoming danger on screen, a Slug Senses option that marks nearby creatures on the map, and an Alpha Red Lizards option that makes red lizards stronger. Remix as a whole can also be switched off to play the game unchanged. [Remix announcement, 31 August 2022](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/3229664706316528818) Look through these options before assuming that a control or survival rule cannot change. The base game also has Arena, a multiplayer mode for up to four players with Competitive and Sandbox modes. [Steam store page](https://store.steampowered.com/app/312520/Rain_World/) Campaign co-op is separate: local co-op campaigns for up to four players came with Downpour [Co-op campaign announcement, 18 July 2022](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/5641338588662010560), and the in-game mod loader toggles Downpour's More Slugcats Expansion and Jolly Co-op when the DLC is installed. [Steam Workshop dev log, 21 July 2022](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/3398546521169524646) ## Do the beginner guides require Downpour or The Watcher? No. [[Tips for Beginners]] is written for Survivor and Monk, and [[Food and Hibernation]] covers the base-game rules, noting where Downpour's slugcats or modes differ. Monk, Survivor and Hunter are the base game's campaigns. [Local Co-Op Dev Log 1, 19 July 2022](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/5641338588665839262) The store lists Rain World: Downpour and Rain World: The Watcher as separate downloadable content. [Steam store page](https://store.steampowered.com/app/312520/Rain_World/) Downpour adds five new slugcat campaigns, new regions and rooms, a co-op campaign mode, and Expedition, Challenge and Safari modes [Downpour launch post, 19 January 2023](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/3618110321725811932), and an owner of the DLC can toggle it off to play the classic game. [Downpour FAQ, 15 April 2022](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/3206008758327659069) Check the campaign name before applying an expansion guide to a first Survivor run. ## What carries over after a death? Since patch v1.01, the map keeps its explored areas when the slugcat dies, and food and Karma Flower regeneration ticks forward on deaths. [Patch v1.01 notes, 6 April 2017](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/312520/view/4546903098691825152)