QUICK ANSWERRecruiting is constrained by limited caravan seats, so “more survivors” is not automatically better. Add a character when they cover a missing function, improve your backline options, or give you redundancy for a role that would otherwise disappear when someone is wounded or lost.
01
Recruit by function
- Frontline control or durability.
- Reliable damage or reach.
- Sustain / recovery options.
- Backline utility.
- A second copy of a mission-critical role when the current holder is fragile.
02
What old footage can safely tell us
Demo/playtest videos show recruits appearing through events and a tavern-style hiring interaction, and they show different teams across runs. Those interactions are useful evidence that roster construction changes from run to run, but old prices and exact recruit pools are not treated as launch constants.
03
Seat test
Before taking a recruit: name the job that unit will do on the next two fights. If the answer is only “they look stronger,” compare their frontline and backline functions again.
Release facts checked 2026-09-15 against official Steam and developer news. Pre-release video observations are labeled where used.
