Early Access starts with two distinct paths toward the Gloom. The major launch change is the Facility: it is no longer just a demo tease, but a discoverable route with its own card pools, enemies and rewards. Quests are the progression layer that opens characters, content and more options.
Version note: This page is written for the September 10, 2026 Early Access launch. Shroom and Gloom is actively changing, so treat older demo videos as historical unless the same behavior appears in launch footage or official notes.
Two routes, not one linear campaign
Official launch notes describe two paths toward the Gloom, each with distinct card pools. That means route choice changes more than scenery: it changes the rewards and problems your deck has to solve.
The older Grove/Forgotten Path-style material still teaches the core interaction verbs, while the Facility adds a much more mechanical, experiment-filled route.
The Facility is the biggest demo-to-EA progression change
Older demo completion screens could reveal the Facility while explicitly keeping it locked. At Early Access launch, the developers state that the Facility can now be discovered and contains new cards, enemies and rewards.
That makes old “how to unlock Facility” pages especially risky if they were written from demo footage. Use current quest progress, not a demo lock message, as your reference point.
Quests are the meta-progression spine
Official launch copy says quests unlock advanced characters, provide access to the Facility and bolster card pools. If something major appears unavailable, the safe first check is quest progression, not repeated runs hoping for a random spawn.
What carries between runs
Foresight choices and the game’s broader unlock systems can change what future runs have access to. The exact unlock surface is still being explored at launch, so this guide avoids pretending every condition is solved on day one.
For the new path itself, open the Facility Guide. For progression gates, use Unlocks & Quests.