---
key: mechanic/roguelike--family-25
type: mechanic
id: roguelike--family-25
lang: en
title: Healing and recovery
summary: >-
  Recovery restores a depleted resource at a cost in time, items or another
  opportunity. The player chooses when to heal.
updatedAt: '2026-10-21'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/roguelike--family-25/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/roguelike--family-25.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/roguelike--family-25.md
aliases: []
tags:
  - Roguelikes and roguelites
  - Mechanics catalog
sourceIds:
  - source-7f09c8a736762f4f
sources:
  - id: source-7f09c8a736762f4f
    title: Slay the Spire
    url: 'https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/'
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: roguelike
    id: family-25
    title: Roguelikes and roguelites
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/roguelike/#family-25'
    categoryIds:
      - section-1
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-21'
    title: Healing and recovery
    description: >-
      Recovery restores a depleted resource at a cost in time, items or another
      opportunity. The player chooses when to heal.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/slay-the-spire-rest.webp
      width: 1440
      height: 810
      game: Slay the Spire
      sourceUrl: 'https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/'
      originalUrl: 'https://www.megacrit.com/images/ss11.jpg'
      credit: Mega Crit
      rights: © Mega Crit. All rights reserved.
      caption: Resting at a campfire
      alt: >-
        Slay the Spire: a campfire offers rest or a card upgrade as alternative
        actions.
      markers:
        - x: 43
          'y': 34
          label: Rest restores health
        - x: 58
          'y': 34
          label: A card upgrade is the alternative benefit
    tips:
      - Make the healing cost clear before spending the resource.
      - A safe alternative makes the decision to heal more meaningful.
    examples:
      - title: Slay the Spire
        url: 'https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/'
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on
  2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are
  preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire
  classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and
  editorial review.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/roguelike
---
# Healing and recovery

id: roguelike--family-25
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/roguelike--family-25
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/roguelike--family-25/

Recovery restores a depleted resource at a cost in time, items or another opportunity. The player chooses when to heal.

## At a glance

![Slay the Spire: a campfire offers rest or a card upgrade as alternative actions.](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/slay-the-spire-rest.webp)

[Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/) · © Mega Crit. All rights reserved.

1. Rest restores health
2. A card upgrade is the alternative benefit

- Make the healing cost clear before spending the resource.
- A safe alternative makes the decision to heal more meaningful.

- [Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/)

## How it works

Restoration has conditions, costs and limitations that affect further risk.

## Variants

### Variants and applications

<a id="family-25-variants"></a>

- Consumable healing items <a id="variant-roguelike-25-01"></a>
- Limited supply of healing charges <a id="variant-roguelike-25-02"></a>
- Replenishment of treatment at special points <a id="variant-roguelike-25-03"></a>
- Passive regeneration <a id="variant-roguelike-25-04"></a>
- Recovery only outside of combat <a id="variant-roguelike-25-05"></a>
- Heal for damage done <a id="variant-roguelike-25-06"></a>
- Treatment for murders <a id="variant-roguelike-25-07"></a>
- Recovering recently lost health through aggression <a id="variant-roguelike-25-08"></a>
- Temporary health <a id="variant-roguelike-25-09"></a>
- Maximum Health Increase <a id="variant-roguelike-25-10"></a>
- Rest with time and supplies <a id="variant-roguelike-25-11"></a>
- Choosing between treatment and improvement at rest <a id="variant-roguelike-25-12"></a>
- Treatment at the expense of another resource or characteristic <a id="variant-roguelike-25-13"></a>
- Recovery with the risk of a chance encounter <a id="variant-roguelike-25-14"></a>
- Clearing negative states separately from treatment <a id="variant-roguelike-25-15"></a>

## Context and limits

A wide author's map of classic turn-based roguelikes, modern roguelites and hybrids. Families describe options for organizing a run, and not mandatory features of the genre. Constant metaprogression is not found in all roguelikes. Related systems can be combined; the list is not a closed standard.

## Connected materials


## Sources and provenance

Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review.

- [Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/) (id: source-7f09c8a736762f4f)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors