Dungeon Keeper™ 2

About

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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 467 reviews

graphics7 positive mentions

replayability3 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 retains its charm and depth, providing hours of fun and nostalgia for both returning players and newcomers.
Despite some minor bugs and outdated graphics, the gameplay remains engaging and enjoyable, with a unique setting that stands out in the genre.

The Steam version suffers from known bugs, such as the inability to summon certain powerful creatures in the campaign, which can disrupt gameplay.
Some players have reported issues with AI behavior, leading to frustrating moments where minions do not follow commands effectively.
The game lacks modern resolution support and requires manual tweaks to improve mouse sensitivity and other settings, which can be inconvenient for new players.

graphics
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
73%
8%
The graphics of Dungeon Keeper 2, while showing their age, are often praised for their charming art style and humor, which still resonate with players today. Many reviewers note that the game's visuals were cutting-edge for its time and have held up reasonably well, despite some dated character models and minor graphical issues. Overall, while modern audiences may find the graphics lacking compared to contemporary standards, the nostalgic appeal and unique atmosphere make it a worthwhile experience for both returning fans and newcomers.
- “For its time, Dungeon Keeper 2 boasted cutting-edge 3D graphics, and even today, its art style holds up remarkably well.”
- “I was also 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.”
- “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.”
gameplay
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
49%
9%
The gameplay of Dungeon Keeper 2 is widely praised for its innovative blend of strategy, humor, and immersive mechanics, making it a timeless classic that remains engaging even decades after its release. While some players note that certain mechanics feel dated and the interface can be clunky, the overall charm and addictive nature of the gameplay, along with its unique dark humor, continue to resonate with fans. However, there are calls for a remaster to modernize the experience without compromising its core gameplay elements.
- “Even decades later, Dungeon Keeper 2 remains a pinnacle of strategy gaming, thanks to its brilliant mechanics, razor-sharp humor, and unparalleled charm.”
- “Its seamless blend of strategy, humor, and immersive dungeon-building mechanics creates an unforgettable package that still feels fresh and engaging after all these years.”
- “A relic from an era when video games could take themselves less seriously, be creative with its mechanics, and still be both incredibly fun and incredibly challenging towards the end-game.”
- “You have to exploit some questionable game mechanics to complete the game, at least to do so without cheats, but that's just the way it is.”
- “The game’s charm can only do so much to mask its clunky controls and somewhat repetitive gameplay.”
- “Garbage game with garbage controls and voice acting, over repetitive gameplay and dumb lifeless sprites that do literally anything but what they are supposed to do. Goblins do not craft; they are just always eating or going to get paid, guards do nothing, the prison doesn't work, and the dominatrix ladies just torture themselves and ignore prisoners.”
story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
71%
14%
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 varied and enjoyable, some players find the endings anticlimactic and the gameplay can become repetitive midway through. Overall, the blend of story-driven quests and sandbox options provides a rich experience, despite some minor bugs and a desire for modern graphical updates.
- “Become the most evil keeper there is, in a unique story setting.”
- “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.”
humor
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in Dungeon Keeper 2 is widely praised for its darkly comedic tone, clever animations, and tongue-in-cheek commentary on fantasy tropes, creating a delightful contrast to its villainous gameplay. Players appreciate the game's ability to blend strategy with humor, making the experience both engaging and entertaining, even decades after its release. The charming and humorous elements, from the quirky narrator to the antics of minions, contribute to its status as a timeless classic in the strategy genre.
- “Even decades later, Dungeon Keeper 2 remains a pinnacle of strategy gaming, thanks to its brilliant mechanics, razor-sharp humor, and unparalleled charm.”
- “From the darkly humorous narrator ('it's payday!') to the comical animations of minions slacking off or dancing to your casino’s music, the game never takes itself too seriously.”
- “The tongue-in-cheek humor pokes fun at fantasy clichés while reveling in its villainous theme.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game's music is a standout feature, blending humor and nostalgia with tracks like "Disco Inferno" that enhance the playful atmosphere. Players appreciate the quality of the sound effects and voice acting, which contribute to an engaging and entertaining experience. Overall, the music complements the game's lighthearted tone and adds to its charm.
- “A monster winning the jackpot in your casino will cause every creature there to begin dancing to the song 'Disco Inferno'.”
- “No better dungeon game before or after it, and only the first beats it in music.”
- “Great music, great atmosphere, great voice acting, fun old school gameplay, no EA launcher.”
- “The music in the game feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged for long periods.”
- “While the game has a fun theme, the soundtrack quickly becomes annoying and doesn't match the gameplay.”
- “The sound effects are often overwhelming, drowning out the music and making it difficult to enjoy the overall experience.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with most users reporting smooth performance and no significant crashes or freezes. However, some players have experienced occasional glitches and bugs, particularly during critical moments, though these do not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment.
- “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!”
- “It glitches at the worst time, but it's entertaining.”
- “Can be a little bit buggy, but overall very fun.”
- “No crashes or freezes, except once when I pressed Alt+F4 and it froze so hard I had to reboot my PC.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The game's atmosphere is a standout feature, characterized by a blend of ominous and comedic elements, enhanced by stellar audio design, including ambient sounds and engaging voice acting. Players appreciate the opportunity to immerse themselves in the richly crafted environments, complemented by great music and a nostalgic gameplay experience. Overall, the atmosphere is described as both challenging and captivating, inviting players to fully engage with the game.
- “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.”
- “The game’s audio design is equally stellar: ambient dungeon sounds, the wailing of prisoners, and the snide, sarcastic quips of the narrator create an atmosphere that’s simultaneously ominous and delightfully comedic.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Users highlight that the game offers significant replayability, particularly praising its skirmish mode and enduring appeal even after two decades. Overall, it is considered genuinely fun and engaging, encouraging multiple playthroughs.
- “It's genuinely such fun, and you get a lot of replayability out of it.”
- “Even after twenty years, this game has great replay value.”
- “Replayability is where Dungeon Keeper 2 truly shines.”
- “The lack of diverse scenarios makes replaying the game feel tedious.”
- “Once you've completed the main objectives, there's little incentive to play again.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, running smoothly without any performance issues, making it highly playable on the Steam Deck. Overall, players report a seamless experience.
- “Great game, no performance issues.”
- “However, based on its performance, it seems it should be considered playable on the Steam Deck.”
- “Game runs smoothly with no problems at all.”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it nearly unplayable on lower-end hardware.”
- “Despite its potential, the optimization is so poor that it frequently crashes on my system.”
- “I was disappointed to find that even on high-end PCs, the frame rates drop significantly during intense scenes.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.
- “Grinding can be a rewarding experience if you enjoy the journey of leveling up your character.”
- “The grind is real, but it feels satisfying to see your hard work pay off with each new achievement.”
- “Investing time in grinding allows you to unlock powerful abilities and gear that enhance your gameplay.”
- “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.”