What does the Safer Spaces item do in Risk of Rain 2?

The first premium DLC for Risk of Rain 2 is Survivors of the Void, and it brings with it multiple new mechanics and concepts to enrich every run. Safer Spaces is a new item brought by the new corruption mechanic in Risk of Rain 2, meaning it’s found within Void Cradles in exchange for 50% of the Survivor’s remaining health.

While many items within Risk of Rain 2’s Survivors of the Void asks players to make a difficult decision if increased power is worth the risks, the Safer Spaces item has playesr asking themselves how they fight. Safer Spaces blocks incoming damage once, every fifteen seconds (-10% time per stack) and corrupts the Tougher Times item.

10% is a relatively low cooldown decrease per stack, offering decreasing returns with each additional stack. In order to use Safer Spaces properly, staying away from rapid-fire enemies, such as the Golem, is key for maximizing the item. At ten stacks, the cooldown for Safer Spaces to proc is 5.2 seconds. The hyperbolic table for Safer Spaces stacks is:

In spite of Safer Spaces being able to totally mitigate one instance of damage, in practice, it can be difficult to properly rely upon due to the number of enemies in later stages. Relying on Safer Spaces to proc to defend against a Wandering Vagrant’s blast, for example, could go awry from a small tick of errant damage, resulting in a wipe against a mechanic that’s easily avoidable.

If Survivors pick up Safer Spaces, it’s best in practice to ensure that you don’t come to rely on the damage mitigation provided due to its cooldown. Tougher Times offers a 15% (+15% per stack) chance to block any incoming damage. Thus, it may be wise to avoid Safer Spaces entirely in exchange for a high stack of Tougher Times, due to its proc chance versus cooldown time.