Treat status effects as damage math, not flavor text. Vulnerable creates a burst window, Inspired can make enemy damage dramatically more dangerous, Rage increases pressure as it stacks, and retaliation/Thorns punishes many small hits. Check the icon/text before committing a multi-card combo.
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.
Vulnerable
Vulnerable is a damage multiplier setup. Apply it before the attack that matters, not after. Multi-hit and heavily grown attacks get more value from a Vulnerable window than a tiny cleanup hit.
Inspired
Current boss footage explicitly calls out Inspired enemies as dealing double damage. If an add or boss can spread Inspired, that support effect may be a higher priority target than raw boss HP for the current turn.
Rage
Rage appears in both player and enemy interactions and can make a fight escalate quickly. Some passives create Rage when damage is dealt. When a room starts handing out Rage early, shorten the fight rather than assuming the next turn will look like the previous one.
Thorns / retaliation-style effects
These punish repeated small attacks. If every poke returns damage, concentrate your turn into fewer high-impact hits or clean up non-retaliating enemies first.
Fatal
Fatal is a trigger, not a status icon you can ignore. If a card says “If Fatal,” it needs the killing blow for the extra effect. Set up health totals deliberately.
The Boss Guide shows how these effects change target order.