What items do
Items are permanent for the rest of the run. Many give a bonus with a drawback, such as more damage for less speed. Fantasy Warden calls items probably the most important part of the game for beginners.
Unlike weapons, items do not take up slots. You can stack as many as you can afford. The challenge is choosing items that support one plan.
Item tiers and rarity
Items come in tiers from I to IV, matching the Common, Rare, Epic and Legendary colors. Higher tiers unlock in the shop as the run goes on. The first shop offers only tier I items, and all four tiers are available from the wave 8 shop onward.
Luck raises your chance of seeing higher-tier items, up to a cap for each tier. Luck also affects crate drops and the rarity of items inside crates. That is why some players take Luck early.
Best economy items
Economy items give you more materials to spend. Fantasy Warden names Piggy Bank as one of the best items for getting rich fast. Harvesting items such as Fertilizer are common in community builds.
A 2026 Danger 5 guide lists Recycling Machine and Bag as key items for its Entrepreneur build. The same guide recommends Crown, Fertilizer and Tractor for Harvesting. Earning more early is what makes a run snowball.
Luck and shop items
Luck increases rare shop offers, better level-up choices and crate drops. Lucky's community build stacks items such as Cyberball and Baby Elephant. Lucky also has a tag that makes luck items appear more often.
Dangerous Bunny gives one free reroll in each shop for each copy you own. A shop guide notes it does not raise the cost of the next reroll. That makes it more valuable as reroll prices climb in later waves.
Healing and defense items
Most characters need Max HP and regeneration, so defensive items are never wasted. Trees, fruit and the Lumberjack Shirt are highlighted by creators as strong healing sources. Life steal is another layer for fast-hitting builds.
Tardigrade can block a hit, and Wounded starts with one. Some characters change which defensive items appear, such as Wounded, which removes health and regeneration items from its shops. Plan around your character's rules.
Burn and elemental combos
A creator guide highlights Snake with Scared Sausage as a strong burn combo for any build. Sausages let your attacks ignite enemies, and Snake spreads the burn. With two or three sausages and a snake or two, crowds stay on fire.
Elemental builds with wands or torches push this even further. The same creator got their first Danger 5 clear with Elementalist using Snakes and Wands. Fire also helps light the fog on Nightmare.
New items from recent updates
The New Dawn update added six items: Fresh Meat, Fruit Basket, Candy Bag, Ghost Outfit, Will-o'-Wisp and Hourglass. It also added a Ban system that lets you block up to eight items per run after winning on Danger 3. Bans do not apply to weapons.
Paws & Claws added nine items and a new item type, Pets, with nine Pets to unlock. Primal Dread adds more than 30 items and three Pets for DLC owners. All Pain No Gain moved Pile of Books to tier II with a lower price.
- New Dawn: Fresh Meat, Fruit Basket, Candy Bag, Ghost Outfit, Will-o'-Wisp, Hourglass
- Paws & Claws: 9 items and 9 Pets
- Primal Dread: 30+ items and 3 Pets
Items that boost damage stats
Most item purchases should raise the damage stat your weapons scale with. Melee builds look for melee damage, while ranged builds look for ranged damage. Percent Damage and Attack Speed help nearly every build.
Community builds name items such as Coffee for attack speed and Anvil to upgrade weapons. Items that add piercing or bounce boost explosive and ranged builds. Always check an item's drawback before buying.
Items that work for any build
Max HP and regeneration items help every character survive. Luck items improve shops and crates for any plan. Economy items such as Piggy Bank help you buy more of everything.
Healing from trees and fruit pairs with the Lumberjack Shirt on many builds. Tardigrade blocks a hit and buys you time. These flexible picks are safe when the shop offers nothing on-plan.
Crates and item drops
Items also come from crates dropped during waves. Luck raises your chance of crates and improves the rarity of what is inside. Trees can drop crates too, which helps characters like Explorer.
Builds that spawn more enemies, such as Loud with Gentle Alien, get more materials and crates. That is how crowd builds snowball. Pick up crates quickly so you do not miss items.
What to buy first
Several guides recommend buying weapons first until your six slots are full, then switching to items. During those early shops, lock a strong item if you cannot buy it yet. Locked items stay through rerolls and the next wave.
After that, buy items that raise your main damage stat, then Max HP and regeneration. Skip items whose drawbacks hurt your build. See the Brotato shop guide for timing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best items in Brotato?
It depends on the build, but Piggy Bank for economy, Luck items for better shops, and Max HP and regeneration items for survival are widely recommended.
What items did New Dawn add?
Fresh Meat, Fruit Basket, Candy Bag, Ghost Outfit, Will-o'-Wisp and Hourglass.
Can I ban items in Brotato?
Yes. After winning on Danger 3 or higher you can ban up to eight items per run. Weapons cannot be banned.
What are Pets in Brotato?
A new item type added in the Paws & Claws update. There are nine Pets, each with its own unlock method.
Does Luck affect items in Brotato?
Yes. Luck raises the chance of higher-tier shop items up to a cap, and improves crate drops and their rarity.