Endzone 2

About

Endzone 2 is a single player open world strategy game. It was developed by Gentlymad Studios and was released on July 24, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Endzone 2 is a strategy game where players manage multiple settlements across different zones, each with exclusive resources. The game features improved settler behavior for thriving communities and the addition of vehicles for flexibility in settlement placement and progression. Key changes and additions have also been made from the previous game, Endzone - A World Apart.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+28

Skip User Reviews

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 338 reviews

gameplay24 positive mentions

grinding24 negative mentions

The game features good and original ideas for strategy, particularly with the exploration mechanics and multiple settlements.
The tutorial is engaging and helps players understand the mechanics of the game.
The graphics and atmosphere are appealing, creating an immersive post-apocalyptic environment.

The gameplay loop can feel tedious and repetitive, especially with the micromanagement of resources and settlements.
Many players feel that the game lacks the depth and charm of the first installment, making it less enjoyable.
There are significant bugs and performance issues, including long loading times and crashes, which detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
74%
5%
The gameplay of Endzone 2 has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the deeper mechanics and exploration elements while others criticize the oversimplification of colony management compared to its predecessor. The game introduces new features like vehicle exploration and resource logistics across multiple settlements, but many feel these additions can become tedious and repetitive. Overall, while it retains core elements from the first game, the shift towards a more streamlined experience has left some fans longing for the complexity and depth of the original.
- “Endzone 2 is a post-apocalyptic city-building survival game that ambitiously expands upon the foundation set by its predecessor, offering a more complex and layered gameplay experience.”
- “The comprehensive tutorial system is a highlight, easing players into complex mechanics and helping to smooth the early-game learning curve.”
- “Endzone 2 retains the core gameplay mechanics of its predecessor, focused on the challenge of building and managing a settlement in a harsh, post-apocalyptic world.”
- “I can't recommend it; I didn't like the gameplay loop.”
- “This sequel tries to improve the exploration mechanics at the expense of the colony building and survival mechanics.”
- “I was incredibly disappointed to find out that the 'new direction' that they went with the sequel involved stripping away the many layers of depth and detail that the predecessor had in favor of a more simplistic gameplay loop, which has made the game feel very shallow.”
graphics
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
73%
7%
The graphics of Endzone 2 have received mixed reviews, with some praising the gritty, realistic art style that conveys the game's desolation, while others criticize the visuals as subpar and dated compared to its predecessor. Many players noted issues with visibility due to muted colors and chaotic designs, leading to frustration during gameplay. Overall, while there are improvements in certain areas, optimization and clarity remain significant concerns for many users.
- “Graphically, Endzone 2 embraces a gritty, realistic art style that effectively conveys the desolation of its world.”
- “The graphics are great, the gameplay is great, excellent casual player chill game.”
- “A city builder with the aesthetics of Endzone, also they improved the graphics and general art of some stuff and I loved that.”
- “I'm unsure whether to view this as a positive or a concern, as the graphics don't quite deliver the leap forward you'd expect from a sequel.”
- “Even at high resolutions, the anti-aliasing—both in static and dynamic visuals—appears poorly implemented.”
- “Ironically, the nail in the coffin for me ended up not even being related to gameplay: the muted colors make it incredibly hard to see no matter the graphics settings.”
grinding
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for being tedious and time-consuming, detracting from the overall enjoyment of exploration and resource management. Players find the micromanagement of multiple settlements and the repetitive nature of tasks, such as resource gathering and research, to be frustrating and unengaging. While some appreciate the introduction of new mechanics like expeditions, they too can become monotonous over time, leading to a gameplay experience that feels more like a chore than an adventure.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Instead of feeling exciting or immersive, exploration becomes a tedious grind.”
- “The balancing act you have to play to keep all the zones in the green gets tedious.”
- “You have to take your little van over to random points of interest around the map, run around them to 'loot' a random pitiful amount of resources, and when you complete enough of it you get your one research point; the points of interest are repetitive, and it feels tedious to say the least.”
story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
72%
14%
The story aspect of the game has received significant criticism, with many players noting a lack of depth and engaging narrative compared to its predecessor. The minimal storytelling leaves players to create their own experiences, and the missions feel hastily constructed, detracting from the overall enjoyment. While there are hopes for future updates to enhance the narrative and introduce more compelling content, the current state is seen as lacking in both story and character development.
- “Bottom line this is fun so far, and is a decent sequel. Hope it gets better as it finishes; the story gets deeper and stays challenging into late game.”
- “The story mode was what kept me playing the first game and sets it apart from other mind-numbing city builders.”
- “I especially love the 'puzzle' missions where you control a team of survivors directly to explore buildings in the wasteland.”
- “Additionally, the narrative is minimal, leaving players to create their own stories from the emergent gameplay rather than being guided by strong storytelling or character development.”
- “The demo had another aspect that could have differentiated it and gave it some flavor, distinct area housing, but they did away with that, so now it's basically Endzone 1 but boring and without any story whatsoever, and now you can't even tell one building from the next.”
- “It has some graphic issues that need to be fixed, but my main reason for not recommending this game at this time is lack of story.”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
52%
16%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the impressive soundtrack and voice acting, while others criticize it for being monotonous and repetitive. While certain tracks, like the intro music and specific songs, are highlighted as beautiful and catchy, many players found the overall sound design lacking, leading some to mute the game in favor of other soundtracks. Overall, the music is seen as a hit-or-miss aspect of the game.
- “The soundtrack and voice acting are spot-on and truly impressive.”
- “Game trailers songs and OST are great.”
- “The music is also quite catchy, as was the case with the first game.”
- “The in-game soundtrack is monotonous.”
- “Music that only gives a headache.”
- “Voice acting is wooden, resource reallocation is grindy, and the soundtrack is repetitive and subpar.”
optimization
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players noting performance issues such as low frame rates (around 30fps) and longer load times, especially in larger settlements. While some tedious tasks have been streamlined, the game struggles with pathfinding and can become unplayable with high population and multiple zones. Players express hope for future updates to address these optimization concerns.
- “Personally, I'm glad that numerous tedious tasks that you had to do manually in the first game were removed or optimized.”
- “Everything else is pretty solid - the tried and true city building elements like placement optimization, rerolling maps to get the best start, and discovering new ways to play are good fun, despite only 1 game mode currently.”
- “Some performance issues and long load times might affect players with less beefy PCs - but I'm guessing this can be easily resolved.”
- “Performance-wise, the game occasionally suffers from pathfinding issues and longer load times, particularly as settlements grow larger and more complex, which can disrupt the otherwise tense and immersive experience.”
- “The sore point, unfortunately, as befits games of the time and strategy, is the optimization; most of the gameplay runs around 30fps on the lowest settings.”
- “Optimization is needed for sure; changing the graphics settings doesn't seem to do anything at all to help this issue, and the game tends to chug when you have multiple zones and a high population.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability with minimal bugs and no reported crashes or freezes. However, some users noted the need for additional polish in the UI and controls, as well as optimization issues when managing larger populations and multiple zones. Despite these minor concerns, the game runs smoothly and is generally well-received in terms of performance.
- “I have had zero issues so far and the game looks good and runs great.”
- “Game runs great, very detailed and can't wait for more content to release over time.”
- “They took the concepts that worked (most of them) and expanded or polished them, they added some new things I didn't even know I needed, and they did it in a very bug-free and easy-to-dive-into package.”
- “Optimization is needed for sure; changing the graphics settings doesn't seem to do anything at all to help this issue. The game tends to chug when you have multiple zones and a high population. This is normal and expected in these types of games, but this game also doesn't look very graphically demanding as it should be. I never ran into any game freezes or crashes, though.”
- “If you overlook the buggy stuff, this is fun - building and managing several communities in a post-disaster land - junk everywhere, toxic waste, flooding, illness plague you, so you have to be smart setting priorities and building up your community. I say go slow at first and stay at 15 people until you build the brickworks, tailor, and kiln buildings.”
- “For example, there are two spots in my current game where once I powered them up with a generator, they start generating scrap periodically. Just send a vehicle there to transfer them over to your settled zone(s) that need it; this is where the buggy comes in handy. I have two of them at the moment that do nothing but run scrap to my settlements.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
The atmosphere in "Endzone 2" is described as gritty and immersive, with a blend of tension and bleakness that enhances the survival and base-building experience. While some players appreciate the detailed visuals and post-apocalyptic charm, others criticize the lack of life and comfort in the later stages of the game, leading to a more mechanical and less engaging atmosphere. Overall, the game successfully maintains a strong atmospheric presence, though opinions vary on its effectiveness in sustaining player engagement.
- “The atmosphere is thick with tension as each season and weather event poses new threats.”
- “For fans of methodical survival and base-building games, Endzone 2 stands as a solid and evolving entry that combines atmospheric world-building with robust gameplay complexity.”
- “There is no atmosphere to smooth the ultra sharpness of the endless entropy - and the colors are brutal and way over-saturated.”
- “When your city reaches a point where it's running smoothly, the game no longer provides any sense of comfort or visual appeal. There are no city atmospheres or additional interactive details; the entire game experience becomes a matter of merely maintaining data balance. There are no citizens, no life, everything is just numbers and data arithmetic, and you feel like a caretaker.”
- “The level of detail in the buildings and landscapes is impressive, with ruined structures, exaggerated forests, and running rivers all contributing to a bleak, but exciting atmosphere.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The game offers significant replayability through its layered systems and interconnected settlements, encouraging strategic decision-making. However, some players express concerns about the current lack of challenges, such as zombie encounters or community conflicts, which may affect long-term engagement. Overall, while the game is enjoyable and has replayable elements, it still requires further development to enhance its challenge and variety.
- “Its layered systems and interconnected settlements provide depth and replayability, rewarding patience and thoughtful decision-making.”
- “Overall great game, it's fun as it is and has good replayability.”
- “Looks replayable but most players may not like the lack of zombies or other communities making war on you - that hasn't happened, at least yet.”
- “Released (sadly still) in early access on Steam on August 26 by Gentlymad Studios and published by Assemble Entertainment, it promises to broadly evolve the city-building and survival mechanics that fans of the first game appreciated, while of course introducing new elements aimed at enhancing the depth and replayability of the experience.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game appears to focus on resource gathering and trading between multiple settlements, which may enhance gameplay but raises questions about its long-term value. Players express uncertainty about the effectiveness of this system and suggest that increased advertising could help highlight the game's quality and attract more players.
- “The monetization model feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “I find the in-game purchases to be frustratingly necessary to progress, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “The constant prompts to buy items disrupt the gameplay and make it feel more like a cash grab than a well-designed game.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is minimal, with players encouraged to craft their own narratives through emergent gameplay rather than relying on strong storytelling or character arcs provided by the game.
- “Additionally, the narrative is minimal, leaving players to create their own stories from the emergent gameplay rather than being guided by strong storytelling or character development.”
- “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack the depth needed for meaningful development throughout the game.”
- “There is little to no progression in character arcs, making it hard to feel invested in their journeys.”