Skip to main content

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 has a great presentation, a fun set of mechanics and a solid character progression system. There are microtransactions, as all sports games seems to be laboured with them these days, but it’s nowhere near as intrusive as some other sports games I have played. However, without any statistical tracking, limited number of players on the court and only a handful of modes, that this title won’t have quite the shelf life for me that a more involved simulation game like NBA 2K19.
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 Game Cover
81%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, graphics
Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
81% User Score Based on 828 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Playstation 4Xbox OneXboxWindowsPlayStation
Buy Nowfrom €29.99
Buy NowGet on Steam €29.99Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store Buy NowGet on PS Store $29.99
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 Game Cover

About NBA 2K Playgrounds 2

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is a single player and multiplayer arcade sport game. It was developed by Saber Interactive and was released on October 15, 2018. It received positive reviews from players.

NBA arcade action is back with NBA 2K Playgrounds 2. The sequel takes street balling to the next level with an expansive roster of current and retired NBA players, improved online matchmaking with dedicated servers, four-player online matches, three-point contests, new playgrounds, custom matches, and more

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 screenshot
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 screenshot
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 screenshot
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 screenshot
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 screenshot
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 screenshot
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 screenshot
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 screenshot
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 screenshot
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 screenshot
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 screenshot
+1
Skip Games Like NBA 2K Playgrounds 2

Games Like NBA 2K Playgrounds 2

Looking for games like NBA 2K Playgrounds 2? Here are top arcade sport recommendations, selected from player-similarity data — start with NBA Playgrounds, NBA 2K19 or NBA 2K20.

NBA Playgrounds Image
64%825reviews

NBA Playgrounds

2017Arcade Sport
Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPC+6
Games like NBA Playgrounds
NBA 2K19 Image
60%3.4kreviews

NBA 2K19

2018Sport
Nintendo SwitchPlaystation 4Xbox+10
Games like NBA 2K19
NBA 2K20 Image
64%10.3kreviews

NBA 2K20

2019Casual Sport
Nintendo SwitchAndroidPlaystation 5+14
Games like NBA 2K20
PGA TOUR 2K21 Image
80%9.1kreviews

PGA TOUR 2K21

2020Sport
Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPC+8
Games like PGA TOUR 2K21
Disc Jam Image
79%869reviews

Disc Jam

2017Casual Sport
Nintendo SwitchPCPlaystation 5+4
Games like Disc Jam
WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS Image
53%674reviews

WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS

2020Arcade Sport
Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPC+6
Games like WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS
Disney Speedstorm Image
62%3.1kreviews

Disney Speedstorm

2022Casual Racing
Nintendo SwitchAndroidPlaystation 5+17
Games like Disney Speedstorm
NBA 2K15 ImageNBA 2K15 ImageNBA 2K15 Image
54%1.1kreviews

NBA 2K15

2014Sport
Playstation 3Xbox 360Xbox Series X|S+9
Games like NBA 2K15
PGA TOUR 2K23 Image
75%7.6kreviews

PGA TOUR 2K23

2022Role Playing
Xbox Series X|SPCXbox Game Pass+8
Games like PGA TOUR 2K23
NBA 2K25 ImageNBA 2K25 ImageNBA 2K25 Image
64%16.5kreviews

NBA 2K25

2024Sport
Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SXbox Game Pass+7
Games like NBA 2K25
More games like NBA 2K Playgrounds 2
Skip User Reviews

Reviews

81%Audience ScoreBased on 828 reviews
gameplay27 positive mentions
grinding46 negative mentions
  • Fun, smooth, and easy to grasp gameplay that offers plenty of opportunity for the spectacular.
  • Beefed up online options make it a more complete package than last year’s game.
  • Caricatured players and unique courts are really well designed.
  • Player pack unlock system requires grinding, pointing you towards microtransactions.
  • The game lacks enough variety in modes and feels repetitive.
  • The AI can be frustratingly overpowered, making the game feel unbalanced.

  • gameplay

    56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    48% positive mentions, 47% neutral mentions, 5% negative mentions

    Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of enjoyment and frustration; while many players appreciate the fun, smooth mechanics and engaging multiplayer options, others criticize clunky controls, a challenging shooting system, and the grind to unlock characters. The game is often compared to classic titles like NBA Jam, with some praising its arcade-style fun, but concerns about microtransactions and AI difficulty persist. Overall, the gameplay is seen as entertaining but marred by issues that can detract from the experience.

    • “Outstanding gameplay”
    • “Very fun gameplay, tight controls, love the art style, great to play with friends”
    • “The fun, over-the-top, and easy to understand gameplay returns and the online options make it a more complete package.”
    • “If you're not willing to pay more after buying the game then you have to grind with your crappy 5 players you slowly unlock better players at a snail's pace, and that means playing this bad gameplay; where passing is disjointed; shots are release timing and percentage-based and nothing is satisfying or entertaining in any way.”
    • “The gameplay is like a mobile game, the CPU cheats like crazy when it wants to, you'll miss 3 85% dunks in a row, while the CPU gives itself extra points for laughs.”
    • “Unfortunately, the actual gameplay just doesn't justify such an extravagant ecosystem wrapper, so only real NBA and collector fans will see the appeal in potentially putting more cash down for the best players.”

  • grinding

    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    2% positive mentions, 2% neutral mentions, 96% negative mentions

    The reviews highlight that while the game can be enjoyable, it is heavily criticized for its excessive grinding required to unlock players and progress, often leading to frustration. Many players feel that the grind detracts from the overall fun and experience, with some resorting to microtransactions to bypass the lengthy process. Overall, the consensus is that the grinding aspect is a significant drawback, overshadowing the game's potential enjoyment.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The amount of grinding is absurd, makes the game not fun, and ruins what could be a pretty fun arcade style basketball game.”
    • “I cannot recommend this game in any way, shape or form, unless you enjoy grinding endlessly for in-game currency for anemic drop chance boosters, or handing over more money.”
    • “If you want to be reminded what is wrong with games of today, purchase this game and constantly be reminded that all of the characters require extensive grinding and/or pay-to-play, microtransactions, pay walls to overcome.”

  • graphics

    33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    61% positive mentions, 30% neutral mentions, 9% negative mentions

    The graphics in the game are widely praised for their vibrant, arcade-style visuals and well-designed player models that resemble their real-life counterparts. Many reviewers appreciate the blend of old-school charm with modern graphics, noting that the visuals enhance the overall fun and gameplay experience. However, some criticism arises regarding clunky game mechanics, which detracts from the otherwise strong graphical presentation.

    • “The visuals look great, the models are great caricatures of their real-life counterparts.”
    • “The graphics are great, the players look great, the mechanics are great.”
    • “I love this game and the updated graphics are awesome.”
    • “Nba Playgrounds 2 brings a lot of great improvements to the table with enhanced gameplay mechanics and visuals, but the package is brought down by unnecessary, backward changes.”
    • “The graphics are good but game mechanics are clunky, and it doesn't let you customize your controller.”
    • “Hey you, yeah you, are you thinking this is NBA Hangtime/Jam remake in modern graphics?”

  • monetization

    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    17% positive mentions, 70% neutral mentions, 13% negative mentions

    The monetization in the game features a mix of microtransactions and paywalls, requiring players to either grind extensively or spend money to unlock characters and content. While some users found the monetization less aggressive than expected, many expressed frustration with the reliance on in-game purchases, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a fun experience but is marred by its monetization strategies.

    • “The monetization isn't as bad as I thought either.”
    • “The way to go for me was to buy it on sale and make the in-game purchase to unlock all players.”
    • “While the introduction of microtransactions is hardly surprising considering the history of its new publisher, they don’t hit NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 as hard as one might expect.”
    • “If you want to be reminded what is wrong with games today, purchase this game and constantly be reminded that all of the characters require extensive grinding and/or pay-to-play, microtransactions, and paywalls to overcome.”
    • “The game is bigger and more fun; however, it does try to rip you off with in-game purchases.”
    • “The title sticks with last year's established formula too much and doubles down on the microtransaction aspects while it's at it.”

  • humor

    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its cartoonish and entertaining moments, making it a fun experience, especially when played with friends. Players appreciate the lightheartedness and comedic elements, which contribute to a relaxing and enjoyable gaming session. Comparisons to classic titles like NBA Hangtime highlight the game's engaging character editor and trivia, further enhancing its humorous appeal.

    • “Very good arcade streetball with funny moments, power-ups, and our G.O.A.T.s.”
    • “This game is so fun and hilarious.”
    • “It's pretty cool and fun to play with friends - anyway, if you start loving it, go and get NBA Hangtime 64 (a N64 predecessor) ~ no micropayments but a cool character editor, better humor, and 25-year-old trivia questions at the end of each game!”

  • stability

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    50% positive mentions, -25% neutral mentions, 75% negative mentions

    The game is generally stable, running well at 60fps on the Steam Deck, though some users report minor bugs that do not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “Playing at 60fps on Steam Deck and runs great.”
    • “The game is a little buggy but still enjoyable.”
    • “The game has frequent crashes that disrupt the experience.”
    • “I encountered several glitches that made it hard to progress.”

  • optimization

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    50% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game is noted for its stability and effective optimization, ensuring a smooth performance for players.

    • “It is stable and optimized well.”
    • “It is stable and optimized well.”

  • story

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 50% negative mentions

    Reviewers criticize the lack of a compelling storyline in 2K's games, noting a shift away from the engaging narratives and character customization found in earlier titles. Instead, players feel pressured to engage in local or online matches, with an emphasis on micro-transactions overshadowing the gaming experience.

    • “Unlike the old street games, there is no storyline or rise to the top or custom character creation, so you are forced to play local matches with friends and the CPU or online.”
    • “2K's obsession with becoming Electronic Arts and filling their storyless games with forced microtransactions.”

  • replayability

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 50% negative mentions

    The game's replayability is enhanced by a larger roster of playable characters compared to its predecessor, allowing for diverse competitive play and encouraging players to explore different strategies and matchups.

    • “Many more players were in the first game, and many more players were playable competitively.”
Skip Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

Skip Game Offers

Buy NBA 2K Playgrounds 2

Some of these are affiliate links — if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is a arcade sport game. Common tags for NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 include basketball.

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 was released on October 15, 2018.

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 was developed by Saber Interactive.

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include NBA Playgrounds, NBA 2K19, NBA 2K20, PGA TOUR 2K21, Disc Jam and others.