Ranking Every Item in R.E.P.O. Like Your Steam Refund Depends on It
Welcome to the chaotic world of R.E.P.O., a game where you’re tossed into seemingly haunted, monster-infested hellholes to snatch valuables and make it out alive – preferably with all your adorably robotic limbs intact.
If you’re not familiar with this amazing bag of crazy yet, you can check out our full R.E.P.O. game review first, but in this guide we’ll be diving deep into the arsenal of purchasable items and buffs that can mean the difference between a successful haul and becoming delicious monster chow.
Please note that this is a review of all of the items currently in the live game, however, if you’re looking for a guide on all of the new weapons available on the R.E.P.O. open beta branch, you can check out our full guide on the new weapons here along with our latest, a guide including the Photon Blaster and new Tumble Wings Upgrade.
We’ll rank these tools of the trade, separating the must-haves from the hot garbage.
How Items Work in R.E.P.O.
In R.E.P.O., your success hinges on the equipment you bring into the field.
The in-game store offers a funderful selection of items, from weapons to drones, each with unique functionalities and price tags. Choosing the right gear can enhance your looting efficiency, combat prowess, and overall survivability.
But beware: not all items are created equal, and some might just be flashy money pits.
Looking for the Head Charger?
Look, I see the search queries for my site and I see a lot of people looking for the “Head Charger Item”, probably from seeing Tik Toks on it (ya nerds), but – IT’S NOT AN ITEM.
The Head Charger “Item” is part of a R.E.P.O. mod called “DeathHeadHopper by Cronchy” and I made a whole funderful article on R.E.P.O. mods, including this one, just so you can find it and learn how to install them all ez pz.
You’re welcome.
Now on with the items rankings!
Purchasable Items - Ranked From God Tier to Flaming Garbage
Let’s break down the purchasable items, ranking them based on their utility, cost-effectiveness, and sheer badassery.
God Tier Items (Sell a Kidney for These)
Shotgun ($74K – $97K): The undisputed king of firepower. With buckshot ammo and devastating damage, the shotgun turns monsters into minced meat. The recoil is a beast, but if you can handle it, you’re wielding destruction incarnate.
C.A.R.T.s ($14K-48K): Ok, hear me out! More loot capacity equals more money. These items allow you to carry additional valuables, maximizing your extraction profits. A no-brainer investment for serious looters, but only effective when you’re not playing solo (if that wasn’t obvious).
Indestructible Drone ($28K): Attach this to a valuable item to make it immune to destruction. Ideal for safeguarding your most precious loot during hairy situations.
Image Source: R.E.P.O. | semiwork
Sword ($23K – $30K): I’m going to throw this in the God tier, because I think it’s the best melee. Not only does it have 10 charges and admirable range/damage, but if paired with a Tranq Gun you can take down large monsters with the swiftness.
High Tier Items (Not Essential, but Damn Useful)
Feather Drone ($18K): You don’t need to get all buffed out to carry big items if you’ve got a feather drone with you. Simply slap this onto a large item and float it through the map.
Grenade ($3K): A classic explosive that delivers reliable area damage. Great for clearing rooms or creating diversions. Works well with Range buffs, Just don’t blow yourself up.
Sledgehammer ($41K – $47K): If you want to feel like you’re wielding the power of Mjolnir, this is the closest you’re gonna get. Great damage and range, but is very slow to swing and just unwieldy in general. If you’re playing in a group, mind you don’t take out your friends.
Tranq Gun ($15K – $18K): Tired of dealing with monsters? Tranq them down, toss them on the ground or into a pit, and make them regret their life choices.
Image Source: R.E.P.O. | semiwork
Mid Tier Items (Situationally Useful)
Baseball Bat ($25K – $29K): If you’re looking for something to help in narrow hallways, the bat has some speed, some range, and some damage – but not a great deal of any.
Zero Gravity Orb ($42K-43K): Creates an area where gravity takes a vacation, causing enemies and objects to float helplessly. I’m only ranking it so high, because it’s good for crowd control but more importantly, just creating hilarious chaos.
Explosive Mine ($3K): Set it and forget it. Triggers a damaging explosion when enemies step on it. Effective for area denial but can be tricky to place effectively and relies on enemy pathing.
Image Source: R.E.P.O. | semiwork
Frying Pan ($23K – $30K): A melee weapon that’s as humorous as it is functional. Effective for close combat, but its range leaves much to be desired. The sound when it hits though? Satisfying.
Roll Drone ($9K-$11k): Live out your dream of becoming Sonic the Hedgehog! Attaching this will make players, monsters, and items roll. Honestly, it’s ok for stun-rolling monsters, but that’s about it.
Energy Crystal ($12K+): Earlier on, you will never have a use for these. However, in the later runs, you’ll likely find yourself missing charges so you might want to take some of these for good luck.
Recharge Drone ($4k – $5k): Again, completely useless early on, but on later runs when you’re low on charges – this can be helpful and cheaper than an Energy Crystal if you’re low on funds.
Zero Gravity Drone ($23K – $29K): Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of the Zero Gravity Drone. BUT Atan222333 on Reddit had a good point that if the RNG gods haven’t shown you some luck, the Zero G Drone can help in place of the Feather Drone in a pinch.
Trash Tier (Save Your Cash)
Rubber Duck ($16K): An explosive duck that bounces around before detonating. Sounds fun, but its unpredictable nature makes it more of a troll novelty than a reliable weapon.
Hand Gun ($48K-ish): Never bring a knife to a gun fight…unless your gun does low to moderate damage and aiming is ridiculously difficult. I can’t really recommend the handgun, but to each their own if you’re a fan.
Stun Grenade or Mine: Temporarily incapacitates enemies within its blast radius. Useful for escapes or setting up attacks, but timing is crucial and honestly – it’s just not worth the cash.
Inflatable Hammer ($9K – $18K): A melee weapon with underwhelming damage output. There are better ways to spend your hard-earned cash and even if it was free, it would still cost too much.
Valuable Detector ($8K – $17K): At the risk of sounding rude, if you can’t find loot then you might be in the wrong game. Just get used to checking up high, behind doors, etc. and you won’t need to drop the cash for something optional like this.
Extraction Detector ($18K): Maybe if the decide to add a monster that removes everything from your map in the future this may find some use – but until then, this wins my coveted “why the heck is this even in the game” award today.
Buffs & Upgrades – The Juice is Loose
Enhancing your character’s abilities through upgrades can significantly impact your performance. Here’s a breakdown of the available upgrades:
Sprint Speed ($6K+): Increases your sprinting velocity, allowing for quicker escapes and faster looting.
Strength ($6K+): Boosts your carrying capacity, enabling you to lift heavier items and haul more loot.
Health ($6K+): Increases your maximum health by 20HP, providing a better buffer against damage.
Stamina ($2K+): Enhances your stamina by 10 points, allowing for longer sprints and sustained physical activity. A “must have” for anyone that wants to run more than 10 feet.
Range ($6K+): Extends your pick-up range, making it easier to grab and safer to use grenades.
R.E.P.O. Stat Buff Priorities
As far as buff priorities go, I would get a single Health buff immediately (more on that below), followed by Strength, Stamina, Range, and Running Speed. I think a good goal to shoot for early on is Strength 1 per level, Health 1, Range 1-2, Run Speed 1-2, and any extra cash just dumps into Stamina.
Image Source: R.E.P.O. | semiwork
Prioritize Stamina over Range and Run Speed early on though, as you can hold off on upgrading both before the 3rd map without an issue, but without at least 1 or 2 Stamina upgrades you’ll find yourself running out of breath faster than an asthmatic in a hamster wheel.
Purchase Recommendations – Git Rich or Die Trying
Alright, you’ve got the intel, now let’s talk strategy. Not all items and upgrades are created equal, and depending on your playstyle—or how many near-death experiences you’re willing to juggle – there are some must-buys you should consider right out the gate.
Strength: The Current Meta-Breaker (Until Devs Nerf It into the Dirt)
If you’re planning to go the distance, Strength is absolutely cracked right now. Once you’re beefed up enough, you can pick up the monsters and yeet them around like a Karen missing ketchup from her burger.
Yep, that hulking abomination that just crushed your buddy? Scoop it up like a Costco sample and smash him into the ground for funsies. It’s pure chaos, it’s hilarious, and it’s arguably busted in the best way possible.
That said, enjoy it while it lasts – because it won’t. The devs over at semiwork have already hinted at changes in the works by introducing an Overcharge mechanic to nerf strength.
Get swole now, worry about the nerfs later.
One Health Upgrade: Your Anti One-Shot Insurance Plan
For some reason, there are enemies that just don’t care how cool your loot is and if they catch you with only your base health they’ll send you straight to the shadow realm with one swift 100-damage hit.
Huntsman, Clown, Robe, Trudge – hell, even a group of 3 Bangers (if you get unlucky with environmental damage) can and will one-shot you straight into Loser’s Arena.
But if you spend just a little cheddar on a single health upgrade, suddenly you’ve got breathing room. Suddenly, you have a chance.
Image Source: R.E.P.O. | semiwork
That single upgrade bumps you up just enough to survive a fatal hit and get the hell out of dodge. It’s like wearing a helmet in a motorcycle crash – doesn’t guarantee survival, but it sure beats bare skin and a prayer.
Bottom line: get a single health upgrade early on. It’s cheap, it can save your life, and it could easily be the difference between a clutch escape and becoming monster mulch.
If you’re not sure how to handle some of the monsters by the way, we have a full R.E.P.O. Monster Guide breakdown to help you out too!
Feather Drone + Indestructible Drone = The Ultimate Loot Sherpa Combo
If you’re playing solo – just tired of teammates who keep getting devoured and dropping your precious loot – this drone combo is your new best friend.
Start with the Feather Drone, which lets you carry unruly items like a clock or a “this side up” box like you’re a futuristic UPS driver with no spine limitations. This bad boy ignores the standard weight limits, making those fat-ticket items (we’re talkin’ tens of thousands in value) a breeze to haul.
Image Source: R.E.P.O. | semiwork
But we’re not stopping there.
Pair it with the Indestructible Drone, and suddenly your loot is wrapped in some Isekai plot armor. No more heart-wrenching moments of watching your expensive haul get clipped by a stray Clown laser or a wall that “just jumped out at you” – this combo keeps your profits pristine and easy to maneuver no matter what chaos breaks loose around you.
This synergy turns your drone into a high-value bank vault on wheels. You carry more, risk less, and walk away richer. It’s basically the R.E.P.O. equivalent of putting your life savings in a titanium briefcase strapped to a tank that’s being airlifted by Iron Man.
Highly recommended for solo grinders, loot goblins, and anyone who’s ever cried after a shattered dinosaur skeleton…which I’ve never ever done and definitely not twice in a single run.
Don't Forget to Claim Your Free Recharges on the Ship!
Until matchmaking comes in the next update, I’ve been joining my fair share of LFG Reddit and Discord lobbies (yay?), but one surprising fact is that most players do not realize they can charge their items on the ship in R.E.P.O.!
I’m not here to name any names or throw anyone under the bus, but if you see this little electro-bin deal in your ship shown below, it’s not for decoration!
Image Source: R.E.P.O. | semiwork
Just throw your items into the bin on the left and automagically, it will replenish the charges spent. This is extremely helpful for droners (is that a word?) such as myself, so if you find yourself running low after or during a run – don’t forget to use the charger.
There is a limited supply that I believe regenerates after each map, so if you’re playing in a group just make sure you prioritize important items over anything dumb and if I see you recharge your inflatable hammer, so help me god…
Loot, Shoot, and Look Good Doing It
Whether you’re a trigger-happy solo grinder or rolling deep with your gremlin crew, R.E.P.O. is all about flexing your gear, surviving the madness, and getting the Tax Man filthy stinkin’ rich while dodging inevitable death.
Picking the right loadout isn’t just about maximizing profits – it’s about unlocking peak chaos in one of the most entertaining horror-extraction games on Steam right now.
From the almighty shotgun and zero-G clown fiesta, to jacked-up strength builds and a healthy disrespect for monster physics, there’s a lot of dumb-fun power waiting to be unlocked.
Just remember: the further you go, the weirder it gets – and only the well-equipped walk out with their spoils (and sanity) intact.
So grab that cart, pump your legs with some sprint juice, and start collecting monster cores like they’re Pokémon cards. Because in R.E.P.O., you’re either cashing in, or you’re checking out.
If you haven’t dove head first into R.E.P.O. yet, you can grab the game off of Steam and I’ll catch you in Loser’s Arena, my loot-hungry robo brothers and sisters.
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OLLIE
April 10, 2025
Sick guide thanks
Ayefkay
April 16, 2025
Hey Ollie, thank YOU for stopping by and I’m glad you liked it!
Press x to doubt
April 10, 2025
Are the extra carts actually good? I usually just play with one friend and I don’t see that as being super helpful tbh.
Ayefkay
April 16, 2025
Maybe if you’re only playing with 1 other person, I could see that as not being a game changer. BUT if you get the smaller cart, then you can both kinda go your separate ways for smaller items and just keep note of any big ones that you would have to come back for.
Dae
April 10, 2025
OK I never noticed theres a recharge station on the ship but I dont use aloy of rechargeable items. Still. You got me.
Ayefkay
April 16, 2025
Lol IKR! I think I figured it out just because you can see the recharge stone chilling inside of it.
Xin
April 11, 2025
Me and my friends use an anti meta build with zero strength. Pretty fun.
Ayefkay
April 16, 2025
Hey Xin, I never actually thought about using an “anti-meta” build, but that actually sounds pretty interesting. I’m not some R.E.P.O. Chad that doesn’t die all the time, so maybe when I get a bit better lol
Cass
April 22, 2025
This actually helped a lot
Ayefkay
April 30, 2025
Hey Cass, glad that you liked it and thanks for stopping by!
MarcusLalia
October 22, 2025
Fight alongside players
Ayefkay
October 23, 2025
Hi Marcus, thanks for stopping by and I will absolutely be playing with some friends on Steam!