Race traits changed after the demo
Underkeep race traits were missing from the early demo, then announced as added in the developer's May 30, 2026 update. That version difference matters when an old race comparison seems to judge everything by starting attributes. A character's raw roll was not the complete racial design the developer was building toward.
The official Closer to the Depths announcement says traits were added to give party creation more variety. It also states that direct trait selection was not planned at that time, while leaving open the possibility of adding it later.
Traits and starting attributes are different questions
The developer's February explanation of character creation describes a class main-stat range influenced by race, separate racial ranges for the remaining stats, and background checks on extremes and totals.
That system should not be reduced to one Human baseline with fixed bonuses applied to every race. The developer specifically corrected that interpretation in response to player tests.
Traits add another dimension to the choice. The May update highlights Raven mutations as an example of a racial feature intended to be unpredictable, rather than a predictable min-max advantage. It does not publish a complete table of every race's final trait effects.
Choose from the version you are actually playing
Before selecting a race, check both the current description and the rolled values displayed for the class you want. Then consider what the rest of the party needs: a four-character group does not require every adventurer to excel at the same attribute.
Be careful with old community rankings. In the developer's response to a detailed demo race analysis, the rolling system was identified as bugged in some cases, and the developer said race traits and other resource-related systems were not fully implemented in that demo. Those observations are not a reliable final release ranking.
You do not need a complete trait spreadsheet to make a reasonable choice. You do need to avoid treating a missing demo feature as proof that the race has no identity beyond its old raw stats.
FAQ
Were race traits available in the early demo?
The developer said they were missing from that demo. A later May 30 update announced that traits had been added during development.
Can I choose individual race traits directly?
The May announcement says direct trait selection was not planned at that time. It does not establish a later selection menu or a reroll method.
Is there a confirmed best race for every class?
The supplied material does not establish one. Old demo stat tests had bugs and missing systems, and a complete final trait comparison is not provided.
What is special about Raven traits?
The developer highlights mutations designed to be fun and unpredictable. Exact mutation names, probabilities, and effects are not listed in that announcement.