Darkest Dungeon 2

Darkest Dungeon II will appeal to fans of the old game and new victims. I mean,

80%Game Brain Score

gameplay, story

grinding, optimization

76% User Score Based on 12,494 reviews

Critic Score 85%Based on 26 reviews

Platforms

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About

Darkest Dungeon 2 is a single player tactical role playing game with horror, fantasy, mystery, historical and others themes. It was developed by Red Hook Studios and was released on October 22, 2021. It received positive reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

The Oblivion Edition contains the main game and The Binding Blade DLC. The DLC introduced two new heroes, a special questline, wandering boss, and more.

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76%

Audience ScoreBased on 12,494 reviews

gameplay778 positive mentions

grinding680 negative mentions

Darkest Dungeon 2 features a striking upgrade to 3D graphics and animations that enhance the gothic, Lovecraftian atmosphere with fluid visuals and compelling narration.
The combat system is improved and intricate, maintaining strategic depth while adding new mechanics, making gameplay engaging for fans of the series.
The game delivers a strong, immersive atmosphere through excellent art direction, haunting soundtrack, and evocative storytelling that emotionally resonate with players.

The roguelite format introduces heavy grinding and slow progression, with repetitive gameplay loops and tedious mechanics like the stagecoach travel that drag down pacing.
Many players find the story fragmented and less cohesive than the original, with side quests and unlock systems that feel convoluted, frustrating, and poorly designed.
Darkest Dungeon 2 suffers from technical issues including optimization problems, crashes, UI freezes, and inconsistent performance, which negatively impact the overall experience.

gameplay
3,563 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
70%
8%
Darkest Dungeon 2 overhauls its predecessor's gameplay into a roguelite format, featuring a faster, more streamlined combat system with new mechanics like tokens and a relationship system that add depth but can also be frustratingly punitive. While combat remains strategic and engaging, the overall gameplay loop is lengthier, sometimes repetitive, and includes a slow, often criticized stagecoach travel mechanic, which some players find tedious. Despite mixed reactions to changes from the original—such as less permanent character progression and a heavier emphasis on RNG—the game offers substantial replayability and a fresh take that will appeal to fans open to its different style.
- “Fantastic roguelite, beautiful art direction and exciting gameplay features.”
- “The gameplay is a lot more intricate than the first game; the combat and hero and item design are all a lot more sophisticated and interesting to play with.”
- “The combat is beautifully crafted; it maintains the essence of dd1, and expands on it, changing many small mechanics, and making it feel similar, yet very different at the same time.”
- “It is very unfriendly to beginners with often obscure mechanics both in characters and the game itself, poor balancing, bosses with hyper-specific mechanics that guarantee party wipes unless you know the mechanic and build your party for it, massive grind with mediocre payoff, and is a roguelike sequel to a dungeon crawler because obviously that is what the fanbase wanted.”
- “Runs take hours, and one bad hero quirk or poorly explained mechanic can erase all progress. It is a slow-paced game, with rogue-lite elements, and a punishing 'learn by losing' mechanics.”
- “The game punishes you relentlessly as you desperately tried to keep your characters alive through opaque mechanics and unforgiving rng.”
story
1,483 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
73%
4%
Darkest Dungeon 2’s story expands on the first game's lore by deeply exploring individual heroes' backstories through interactive shrines and character-specific narrative arcs, featuring compelling narration by Wayne June. However, many players find the overall main plot less cohesive, more fragmented, and sometimes confusing compared to the original, with some criticizing the pacing and repetitive delivery of story segments during long roguelite runs. While the enriched character narratives and atmospheric storytelling are praised, the shift from mission-based progression to roguelite structure diminishes the sense of continuity and emotional investment, making the story experience more personal but less epic.
- “What draws me most to the Darkest Dungeon franchise is the immersive storytelling and world building.”
- “The story sections for the characters were probably my favorite part of the game - having to play out little mini-encounters personalized to each heroes tragic backstory (the Plague Doctor's was my favorite).”
- “This sequel focuses more on the individual classes themselves rather than having a roster of heroes you've recruited, as well as story.”
- “The "character story missions" or whatever this abomination of game design is called are so lame you think about avoiding them when you see them on the map.”
- “Terrible game design idea to force each character to have some idiotic side quest just to unlock additional skills, these sidequests are horribly designed as well and seemingly completely random and a complete waste of time.”
- “And lastly, my third gripe, to give some context you have to visit shrines that randomly appear on your playthrough that unlock your unit's/character's abilities, which is cool actually you get to learn about their backstories which is really neat, the problem however that is such a big problem that it's a strike alone on my list of grievances is the jester's storyline to unlock his skills is the most annoying thing ever, beware if you plan to use the jester, unlocking his skills is the dumbest, convoluted, vague, unexplained, mini-game ever that is made infuriating due to its random appearance so when you fail you have to wait for the next appearance and you better hope you don't fail then because you will waste a lot of time doing it again, even with guides I looked online it's still frustrating, speaking of which there are so many complaints about the jester's storyline to unlock his skills, it's insanely dumb, I hope it gets changed.”
graphics
1,475 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
52%
1%
Darkest Dungeon 2 features a striking upgrade from the original's 2D art to detailed 3D models and animations that retain the franchise's distinctive gothic, Lovecraftian aesthetic. The visuals are widely praised for their beauty, fluidity, and atmosphere, with excellent integration of artwork, animations, and narration enhancing immersion. While some fans miss the original's simpler 2D style and modding ease, the sequel’s graphics are generally considered a polished, impressive evolution that significantly enhances the game's thematic presence.
- “I don't usually mind graphics too much — I'm more of a gameplay guy — but if you pay a little attention to Darkest Dungeon 2's art, you're gonna go "holy sh*t, this is awesome!" The visuals are so stylish and everything — characters, animations, camera angles, how the story is told, the usage of the narrator and the talent of the guy who played him, the UI, the sounds, visual effects, etc. — is so well integrated, it all works so perfectly together that it's... baffling.”
- “The 3D graphics and animations add mannerisms and personality to characters we've become familiar with in DD1; you see them come to life and I find that their personality shines through much more.”
- “The artwork puts the first game to shame with the introduction of better 3D attack animations and the use of the iconic Darkest Dungeon art style in a 3D format.”
- “Icons of statuses and skills are hard to distinguish or just know what they are by just looking at it; feels like the art failed this task, and no indication if boosting will add to another level of your skill or if it is already maxed is also a fail in system and visuals.”
- “I don’t know how to describe why I dislike this sequel so much after such a short time, but it does feel like most of the budget went to 3D and visuals, which, in my opinion, didn’t pay off at all, since the old one looked fine.”
- “The 3D art style is disgusting in a lazy way; they should fire everyone who approved the wagon riding simulator, and I do not remember the first game's difficulty revolving around how many free buffs every round and extra turns enemies get.”
grinding
686 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
99%
Grinding is a major and often divisive aspect of this game, with many players describing it as more grindy and tedious than the first installment. The roguelite progression requires hours of repetitive farming—especially for candles and skill unlocks—leading to lengthy runs and slow advancement that can feel unrewarding and frustrating. While some appreciate the improved pacing and reduced penalties compared to the original, many find the meta-progression, repetitive encounters, and stagecoach mechanics dull and time-consuming, making grinding feel like a chore rather than a satisfying challenge.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Yes, we want a hard game, I guess, but not a tedious hard game for the sake of it.”
- “No grinding for heirlooms to finish that final patient cells upgrade, or build the mighty red hook.”
- “To fragment a character’s narrative across the map and demand repeated grinding for its completion—while simultaneously punishing those who fail to intuit the correct approach—represents a design philosophy of staggering cruelty, and not the interesting kind this franchise once promised.”
- “Optimal candle farming is not a satisfying gameplay loop and the investment to get all the heroes set up, all the trinkets/stagecoach items, etc., is just a agonizing process.”
- “So you will find yourself grinding dozens of hours for little to no rewards, while the game doesn't do much to make each run interesting or stand out, making everything seem repetitive, like a Sisyphean task.”
music
651 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
43%
2%
The music in Darkest Dungeon 2 is widely praised for maintaining and enhancing the atmospheric, haunting, and intense tone set by the original game’s soundtrack. Stuart Chatwood’s compositions deliver memorable, mood-appropriate tracks that amplify the dark, grim fantasy setting, though some find it less varied or iconic compared to the first game. Combined with Wayne June’s narration and high-quality sound design, the soundtrack is a key highlight, creating an immersive and emotionally resonant experience despite occasional critique of repetitiveness or tonal shifts.
- “The soundtrack is once again amazing, the artstyle with the animations and how the characters prepare for different skills are incredible, the narrator like in the 1st Darkest Dungeon nails every single line.”
- “Stuart Chatwood and Wayne June (God rest his soul) continued to excel at creating the pressing atmosphere via soundtrack and narration respectively.”
- “The music, the narrator, the satisfying weight of animations, it's all great as well.”
- “The musical compositions present a similarly bifurcated nature: some genuinely evocative pieces, undermined by the cosmic theme, which after fifty hours of exposure transforms from tolerable to a maddening, repetitive idiocy that burrows into the consciousness like something that ought not to be named.”
- “Music is horrible and godawful, far, far, far worse than in the 1st game.”
- “There is not enough music variety, and the music is toned down compared to its predecessor.”
atmosphere
462 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
44%
1%
The atmosphere of Darkest Dungeon 2 is widely praised for its dark, gothic, and Lovecraftian tone, maintaining and often enhancing the oppressive, immersive ambiance of the original through stunning art, haunting music, and compelling narration by Wayne June. While some note that the roguelite format and changes in gameplay slightly reduce the tense, claustrophobic dread of the first game, the overall mood remains thick with dread, horror, and grim endurance, effectively drawing players into its bleak and haunting world. The blend of visuals, sound design, and storytelling creates a uniquely atmospheric experience that is a core strength and highlight of the game.
- “The atmosphere, the punishing difficulty, the complex combat - it's all there!”
- “The animations, music, and atmosphere are top notch.”
- “The enemies and heroes all look fantastic, the environments are gorgeous - when paired with the incredible soundtrack and of course the iconic narration it all makes for a game that's stunning and dripping with atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is definitely lacking.”
- “Interface doesn't help to feel the atmosphere as well, and no artwork and art-direction can save that - interface feels like a mashup of an average mobile game and what was made in the 1st game.”
- “The atmosphere of the original is just gone completely.”
replayability
243 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
67%
5%
Darkest Dungeon 2 offers substantial replayability through diverse hero paths, varied team compositions, and multiple game modes like Kingdoms and Confessions, providing fresh and engaging runs. While some players find its replay value surpasses or rivals the original, others feel it lacks the depth, mod support, and longevity that made the first game endlessly replayable. Ongoing updates and expansions continue to enhance its content and replay value, though pacing and randomness can affect the experience for some.
- “With its procedurally generated dungeons, diverse hero classes, and branching paths, Darkest Dungeon 2 offers endless replayability.”
- “The introduction of hero paths has made each hero so much more replayable and adds a significant level of adaptability, making characters fit into teams they wouldn't have before.”
- “There's so much replayability here, and every run feels fresh thanks to the dynamic elements that keep things interesting.”
- “Darkest Dungeon II has the best parts of the original removed, and replaces them with uninspired roguelike mechanics that hurt its replayability.”
- “I had to change my opinion about the game; it just lacks the replayability of the first. There isn't anything to make you want to invest more time because you have no hamlet to work on, no heroes to grow; it's just a single-player experience like any other game now. You tried to do something else, and you did the same as every other boring studio does — a mediocre experience.”
- “There is 0 reason to go back to this one because there is no real replayability after you finish the game.”
optimization
93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
Darkest Dungeon 2 suffers from mixed optimization: while it generally runs smoothly on mid-to-high-end PCs and has had some improvements post-launch, many users report severe performance drops, stuttering, crashes, and poor frame rates in specific areas like the Tangle or during wagon traversal. The game lacks extensive graphical settings for lower-end hardware, causing frustration for players with older or less powerful systems, though patches have somewhat improved Steam Deck compatibility. Overall, performance issues remain a notable drawback amid its strategic gameplay and compelling presentation.
- “It's just so satisfying to see the performance of the team, and see how you are basically trampling the baddest bosses with it while you were struggling with a slightly different team (maybe even the same one but tweaked differently between activated skills and available trinkets).”
- “Bugs are very rare, optimization is solid, system requirements are mediocre at best.”
- “Darkest Dungeon 2 is competently made, no major bugs or glitches as you would expect, runs smoothly, has its moments of fun (the game is incredibly stressful, routinely giving me the fatalistic mental break).”
- “The game has a massive performance issue which causes it to slow down greatly after playing for a while.”
- “The only issue is that the game occasionally crashes or hangs indefinitely, and there are few accommodations for lower hardware specifications in the settings; resolution settings stop at about 1280x720, framerate cap only allows up to 30 FPS, and there are very limited graphical options.”
- “Terribly optimized, runs in slow motion all the time.”
emotional
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
94%
6%
Reviews on the emotional aspect of the game are mixed: many appreciate its intense, heart-wrenching moments and themes of perseverance and hope, delivering a strong emotional experience through character struggles and narrative. However, several users feel the sequel lacks the deep emotional investment of the original due to roguelike elements reducing character permanence, making losses less impactful and attachment weaker. Despite some frustration with pacing and progression, the game is praised for evoking a wide range of intense emotions, from despair to joy, resonating differently depending on player expectations.
- “When a character died, it could be heartbreaking; you named them, invested in their quirks, and shaped a story around their journey.”
- “Themes of perseverance, madness, and hope are interwoven beautifully into every element of the gameplay, making each run emotionally resonant.”
- “The absolute standout feature of Darkest Dungeon 2 is the improved combat system, mixed with the emotional weight each character carries.”
- “Those stupid alters that tell the most boring story and reward nothing, which you just have to visit to unlock heroes' skills (these start with a crippled skill set you can't change).”
- “You drive a wonky carriage that has a lantern on it, and have to sit through boring story scenes if you want to see a character's class get upgraded.”
- “They added boring story elements and a bafflingly lame horse and buggy.”
humor
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; some players appreciate its quirky character interactions, relationship dynamics, and occasional dark or absurd moments that provoke laughs, while others find it lacking the memorable, meme-worthy setups of the original and feel that frustrating game mechanics overshadow any comedic elements. The tonal shift toward a more hopeful narrative and roguelike format changes the humor style, resulting in a blend of funny incidents, ironic situations, and occasional unintended hilarity, though many fans miss the first game's balance of challenge and comic relief. Overall, humor exists but is often overshadowed by frustration, and enjoyment varies with player expectations.
- “The relationship system is fun, and it's a great feeling to have your entire party get along, or very funny when they all hate one another.”
- “Embark on a wholesome road trip and experience new antics of your favorite characters, meet old friends and quirky locals, participate in funny and inventive pranks, get your heart warmed by student years memories, spend romantic nights at motels, see how relationships bloom, buy pets, customize your vehicle and play funny minigames while you drive through the highway to the huge rock festival at the mountains!”
- “Your decisions matter and just like Darkest Dungeon 1 this game will have you crying for joy at times and laughing in dismay as your party is obliterated.”
- “However, I have the feeling the game has become so hard that it is not funny anymore.”
- “So much RNG that it's not funny.”
character development
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
52%
7%
Character development in the game is widely praised for being more meaningful and dynamic than in its predecessor, offering deeper relationships and impactful progression through unique character designs, backstories, and mechanics. The art direction and animations enhance immersion, with detailed and expressive characters that contribute significantly to the overall experience. Some critiques mention limited customization or progression and a shift towards class development over individual character growth, but the improved storytelling and design are generally seen as major strengths.
- “Dd2 makes a lot of stuff right like animations, combos, character development and roguelite.”
- “Character development is much stronger I think in this game, and there's a better sense that relationships between characters are forming, and have an actual impact on the game.”
- “The story and character development seems incredibly in-depth, but not overly complex.”
- “It lacks any meaningful story, character development, or gameplay.”
- “This game requires a significant amount of grinding towards class development rather than character development, as characters are treated as disposable.”
- “There is some character development/progression that you get to keep between 'expeditions' as long as the character survives, but even then it's quite limited.”
stability
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
Darkest Dungeon 2's stability is mixed, with many users reporting frequent bugs, freezes, and occasional frame drops, especially related to the UI and buggy mechanics like the traveling system or driving the buggy. While the core gameplay during combat generally runs smoothly, persistent glitches and unbalanced elements undermine the experience for some players. Despite improvements and patches, the game still feels unfinished and occasionally frustrating due to these technical issues.
- “The game is finished, not buggy, discounted for DD1 owners, and is fun.”
- “I'm also playing this game on the Steam Deck, and while it needs Proton to run for now, it still runs great.”
- “I waited for a couple DLCs and many patch/updates before purchasing, and still the game is buggy and unplayable.”
- “Random UI freezes make the need for frequent restarts required; you're literally not meant to do anything in the first four to six hours of the game but farm candles, learn mechanics, hope RNG doesn't fail you, and cry when you wipe to the most ridiculous, back-to-back death-door combos.”
- “The user interface is also bloated with frame freezes present at every window opening (this is baked into the code and not dependent on hardware).”
monetization
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
20%
68%
Monetization is widely criticized as a cash grab, with many users highlighting intrusive ads, a lack of meaningful in-game purchases, and DLC locked behind convoluted systems. However, some appreciate the absence of microtransactions and battle passes, considering it a rare positive in a market flooded with predatory monetization. Overall, users feel the game prioritizes quick profit over depth and innovation.
- “Zero microtransactions; the amount of free content they pump out is insane.”
- “I've given it a thumbs up because they don't have a battle pass or any in-game purchases, and that's a rarity these days.”
- “It feels more like a freemium game without the microtransactions.”
- “This is an example of a promising company falling into the misery of predatory monetization, lacking new ideas, and trying to squeeze the most out of a mediocre game.”
- “Entire game feels like developers made a quick cash grab using a few themes from the original game.”
- “The DLC is a cash grab, giving some characters you never asked for freely but locking the crusader—what you're buying it for—behind some esoteric, several-step process that didn't really explain itself.”

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85%Critics’ scoreBased on 26 critic reviews

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51h Median play time

108h Average play time

12-145h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 139 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Darkest Dungeon 2 is a tactical role playing game with horror, fantasy, mystery, historical and others themes.

Darkest Dungeon 2 is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 108 hours playing Darkest Dungeon 2.

Darkest Dungeon 2 was released on October 22, 2021.

Darkest Dungeon 2 was developed by Red Hook Studios.

Darkest Dungeon 2 has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Darkest Dungeon 2 for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

Darkest Dungeon 2 is a single player game.

Similar games include Darkest Dungeon, Iratus: Lord of the Dead, Across the Obelisk, For The King, Othercide and others.

Darkest Dungeon 2

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