Dungeon Keeper™ 2

96%
Game Brain Score Based on 380 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • story
Dungeon Keeper™ 2 Game Cover
Starting at €4.99Buy now
Get on Steam

In Dungeon Keeper™ 2, you build and defend an evil underground kingdom, attracting devilish creatures to join your dark hordes. Use torture devices, traps, and magic to create a deadly dungeon, while managing and maintaining the morale of your minions. Play with up to 4 friends in multiplayer mode, proving who is the most ruthless dungeon keeper.

Play Modes

Reviews

96%
Audience ScoreBased on 380 reviews
graphics6 positive mentions
music3 negative mentions
  • Dungeon Keeper 2 is a timeless classic that combines strategy, humor, and dark fantasy, making it a must-play for fans of management games.
  • The game successfully evokes nostalgia while still providing enjoyable gameplay, with charming voice acting and a unique setting.
  • Despite its age, the game holds up well with engaging mechanics and a fun campaign that challenges players as they progress.
  • The Steam version suffers from bugs, including the inability to summon certain powerful creatures in the campaign, which can break the experience.
  • Graphics and controls feel dated, and the game lacks support for modern resolutions, requiring players to tweak settings for optimal play.
  • Multiplayer functionality is limited and requires third-party software to work, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • graphics27 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally considered outdated, reflecting its late 90s origins, yet many players appreciate the stylized art design that still holds some charm today. While some users express a desire for a graphical refresh to modern standards, they acknowledge that the visuals can still be enjoyable despite their age. Overall, the game's graphics may not appeal to younger audiences accustomed to contemporary visuals, but they remain a nostalgic highlight for long-time fans.

    • “I was pleasantly surprised by the first-person mode when you possess your creatures; the graphics hold up very well for their age, and touring your dungeon and exploring the maps in first person is very cool.”
    • “While the graphics may show their age, the game's charm and depth make it a title worth revisiting for both nostalgic players and those new to the dungeon management genre.”
    • “Dungeon Keeper 2 is the successor of the original DK game with great improvements in graphics and gameplay mechanics for its time (released in 1999).”
    • “The graphics are outdated, sure, but the art design is executed so well, it still looks fantastic to this day.”
    • “Graphics might be off-putting for younger audiences.”
    • “However, it seems to lack some resolution modes and a lot of minor graphic problems.”
  • gameplay22 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by its dark humor, simple mechanics, and a challenging difficulty curve that evolves throughout the game. While some mechanics may feel confusing or outdated, the overall experience is engaging and entertaining, particularly for fans of real-time strategy and dungeon management. The game successfully combines fun building elements with a unique setting, making it a nostalgic yet enjoyable experience for players.

    • “This game has great dark, tongue-in-cheek humor along with simple-to-learn gameplay and a tough but fair difficulty curve.”
    • “For a game where one of the major mechanics is knocking out enemies, and then deciding whether to leave them to die or take them to your prison, the game has a delightful sense of humor and doesn't take the subject matter seriously at all.”
    • “Its innovative approach to the real-time strategy genre, coupled with entertaining gameplay and a unique setting, solidifies its status as a must-play for fans of management games.”
    • “Few gameplay mechanics that do not make much sense and make it hard to keep track; it kinda needs a remaster or remake. However, 'War for the Overworld' is identical and is way more modern, so go check that out.”
    • “For a game where one of the major mechanics is knocking out enemies and then deciding whether to leave them to die or take them to your prison, the game has a delightful sense of humor and doesn't take the subject matter seriously at all.”
    • “---{ gameplay }---”
  • story20 mentions

    The game's story mode features a substantial amount of content, including 20 main missions and 5 bonus levels, alongside a freeplay pet dungeon mode that allows for creative dungeon building. While the missions are generally varied and enjoyable, some players find the endings anticlimactic and the gameplay can become repetitive midway through. Overall, the engaging progression and sandbox options contribute to a rich experience, despite minor critiques regarding mission execution.

    • “Another plus, there is a lot of content; the single player story mode is 20 missions longer plus 5 bonus levels you unlock by finding hidden items in the campaign, plus there is also the pet dungeon mode which is essentially freeplay on a series of different challenge maps where the goal is simple: just to build a dungeon as you please and get a certain number of points.”
    • “Blending FPS with base building, it blows my mind that this Bullfrog beauty is as old as it is... great progression through the story-based quests as well as sandbox options for those that want to build their ideal dungeon.”
    • “The missions are varied and exciting, and it's amazingly bug-free!”
    • “My only real critique is that the end of each mission can feel a bit anticlimactic.”
    • “About halfway through, story missions can get repetitive in their completion.”
    • “It would be awesome if they could refresh the story and everything else, but just make it more modern graphics.”
  • humor10 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever blend of dark comedy and lightheartedness, enhancing the overall experience without taking itself too seriously. Players appreciate the amusing characters, funny cutscenes, and the game's ability to balance humor with its more serious themes, making it a timeless classic in the realm of strategy games. Overall, the humor is seen as a key element that contributes to the game's charm and enduring appeal.

    • “Each time I visit its dank, gloomy halls and hilarious characters, it enthralls me all over again.”
    • “The game strikes a great balance between its humor and seriousness in tone.”
    • “Dungeon Keeper 2 is a timeless classic that successfully combines strategy, humor, and dark fantasy.”
  • music4 mentions

    The music in the game is highlighted as a standout feature, particularly with the inclusion of "Disco Inferno," which adds a lively atmosphere when monsters celebrate in the casino. Players appreciate the great overall soundtrack, voice acting, and how the music enhances the fun, nostalgic gameplay experience.

    • “Great music, great atmosphere, great voice acting, fun old school gameplay, no EA launcher.”
    • “A monster winning the jackpot in your casino will cause every creature there to begin dancing to the song 'Disco Inferno'.”
    • “I have thought of this game my whole life every time I heard the song 'Disco Inferno', then I think about right-click slapping the snot out of my minions in the casino.”
    • “I hear music in the air.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, running smoothly on Windows with no significant crashes or freezes reported, aside from a rare instance triggered by an alt+f4 command. Users express satisfaction with its performance and appreciate the inclusion of original language localizations.

    • “Runs great, looks great.”
    • “Runs great on Windows.”
    • “Great classic, runs great and happy to report that language localizations from the original release are included!”
    • “No crashes or freezes, except once when I pressed Alt+F4 and it froze so hard I had to reboot my PC.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised, with players appreciating the opportunity to immerse themselves in its fantastic environment, complemented by great music and voice acting. The combination of challenging gameplay and a captivating atmosphere creates a unique experience that players feel must be experienced firsthand.

    • “Most levels do allow you to take some time, which is great to soak in the fantastic atmosphere of the game.”
    • “It's such a wonderful, challenging, and atmospheric game that really has to be sampled to be understood.”
    • “Great music, great atmosphere, great voice acting, fun old-school gameplay, no EA launcher.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game is reported to be well-optimized, running smoothly on the Steam Deck without any issues, making it a playable experience for users.

    • “However, based on its performance, it seems it should be considered playable on the Steam Deck.”
    • “The game runs smoothly with no problems at all.”
    • “God bless you, Andrzej Butruk, for your outstanding performance!”
    • “The game struggles with frame rate drops, making it nearly unplayable during intense scenes.”
    • “Optimization is severely lacking; I often experience long loading times and stuttering.”
    • “Despite the potential, the game feels unfinished due to its poor optimization and frequent crashes.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
    • “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Dungeon Keeper™ 2

Similar Games