Shelter 2

Cuter than before, Shelter 2 both melts and disintegrates hearts.

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"Shelter 2" is a single-player, open-world game where you play as a lynx raising cubs in a beautiful but brutal tundra. The game features stunning visuals, a compelling soundtrack, and unique gameplay mechanics such as hunting, calling cubs, and surviving as both predator and prey. Despite some bugs and grinding, the masterful atmosphere and emotional weight make it a compelling experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,390 reviews

graphics342 positive mentions

stability40 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and art style that create an immersive experience.
Emotional gameplay that allows players to form attachments to their cubs, making losses impactful.
Open world exploration with various environments and the ability to continue the family tree through generations.

Repetitive gameplay that can become boring after a few playthroughs.
Controls can be clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustration during gameplay.
Lack of clear objectives or guidance, making it difficult for new players to understand the mechanics.

graphics
604 mentions
57 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of Shelter 2 are widely praised for their unique and beautiful art style, which combines a charming, stylized aesthetic with immersive environments that enhance the emotional experience of gameplay. While many players find the visuals stunning and evocative, some critique the graphics for being overwhelming or difficult to navigate, particularly in terms of object recognition. Overall, the game's artistic presentation is a significant draw, contributing to its appeal as a relaxing and emotionally engaging experience.
- “The graphics are stunning and the cubs are adorable.”
- “The art style is absolutely unique, and a thrill to look at as you play the game.”
- “Beautiful graphics, interesting world to explore, and heartbreakingly cute cubs!”
- “The graphics and art style hurt my head so much!!!!”
- “The transition between model animations was misaligned causing a jagged effect, which only had the effect of making the graphics seem more like... just shitty, rather than being artsy or a style.”
- “Beyond bad graphics, boring gameplay.”
gameplay
415 mentions
25 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Shelter 2 has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its simplicity and repetitiveness, primarily revolving around hunting and caring for cubs. While the art style and atmosphere are praised, the lack of depth and variety in gameplay mechanics has led to feelings of boredom and frustration for some. Overall, the game offers a visually stunning experience but falls short in providing engaging and challenging gameplay, making it more suitable for those seeking a casual, relaxing experience rather than a complex gaming challenge.
- “The art style is stunning and unique, the characters are easy to fall in love with, and the gameplay provides nearly endless hours of fun.”
- “The gameplay is challenging but not too hard.”
- “Beautiful art style combined with some compelling gameplay that can calm the mind for a little while.”
- “Even with the DLC (which pushes the price well over double that of the first game), threats are still few and far between, and when they do eventually arise, they’re all mechanically lackluster.”
- “The gameplay is virtually nonexistent, ditto replay value.”
- “Unfortunately, it doesn't offer much gameplay and can become rather tedious when played for a long time.”
music
407 mentions
58 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, effectively enhancing the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Reviewers noted that the soundtrack captures a range of emotions, from calm and soothing to intense and heart-wrenching, making it a standout feature that complements the game's stunning visuals and narrative. While some players experienced abrupt music transitions, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's immersive and emotional journey.
- “The music is great, the art style is amazing and whenever I stop a predator from taking one of my cubs I always get a good feeling inside.”
- “The soundtrack is gorgeous and really elevates the atmosphere.”
- “The music captures the emotions in each moment, and the landscape is like a giant tapestry.”
- “The soundtrack doesn't help, because they do everything to destroy whatever atmosphere the game might have had before this occurred.”
- “The music can only be described as 'eco-touristy Californian trash'.”
- “Not that there's anything wrong with the soundtrack, but the one at the end is just too sad for me to listen to; I actually have to turn the volume off when that song starts.”
story
386 mentions
30 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The story in "Shelter 2" is a poignant and emotional narrative centered around a mother lynx raising her cubs in a beautifully rendered open world. While the gameplay focuses on survival and nurturing, the storytelling is minimalist, allowing players to create their own narratives through the family tree mechanic, though some find the overall plot to be simplistic and repetitive. The game excels in its artistic presentation and emotional depth, making it a touching experience despite its brevity and lack of a traditional storyline.
- “The story is very heartwarming and truly shows the struggles and truths of a mother raising her children in the wild.”
- “The story of a mother lynx is seriously a tragic but really amazing one that makes you feel like you're actually there.”
- “The story, the art, the gameplay, everything about this game is a piece of art.”
- “The game quickly loses my interest once the challenge of raising my cubs is gone; really all you're doing is hunting all the time and the only 'story' progression is a little blip of text on the screen.”
- “In an immense contrast to the first shelter game, there is no story here whatsoever.”
- “While shelter offered the storytelling aspect related to nurturing young babies as a mother, Shelter 2 does not have a solid plot (apart from cubs growing up).”
emotional
376 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Shelter 2" is widely praised, with players reporting profound attachments to their virtual cubs, leading to tears during moments of loss and bittersweet farewells. The game's beautiful art style and evocative soundtrack enhance the emotional experience, making it a heartwarming yet heartbreaking journey through motherhood in the wild. While some players found the emotional weight overwhelming, many consider it a deeply moving and rewarding experience that resonates long after playing.
- “I cried twice today over this game, and there is likely more to come.”
- “It was a very emotional moment when I finally realized that he was lost all alone forever in those swamps... and the fact that the other three kittens stayed with me until they were old enough to leave didn't make me feel any better.”
- “The story of the game, and its adventure to the end of it, is amazingly charming and heartwarming, surviving, giving birth, protecting and helping your cubs to survive, experiencing loss, and then moving forward, possibly seeing this cycle again with the same amazing impact.”
replayability
90 mentions
29 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The replayability of Shelter 2 is a mixed bag among players. While some appreciate the emotional depth and the ability to explore different family generations, others criticize the game for its repetitive gameplay and limited variety, leading to a perception of low overall replay value. Overall, the game offers decent replayability through exploration and achievements, but many feel it falls short of justifying its price due to its short length and lack of diverse gameplay experiences.
- “Incredibly replayable, with so much to explore and collect.”
- “The endless amounts of replayability with family generations is quite unique.”
- “All in all, Shelter 2 is a beautiful and intensely replayable game with lots to discover.”
- “Annoyingly, Shelter 2 has next to zero replay value.”
- “The only thing the game can offer in terms of replay value is a select number of achievements and an absurd amount of collectibles.”
- “You can then choose to continue playing and raise another litter of cubs as one of your offspring from the previous litter, but the game plays exactly the same way every time, so little replayability is gained.”
atmosphere
79 mentions
67 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of Shelter 2 is widely praised for its stunning visuals, unique art style, and beautiful soundtrack, which together create an immersive and emotionally resonant experience. Players describe the game as relaxing and contemplative, with a dreamlike quality that enhances its narrative depth. However, some critiques mention that gameplay issues and repetitive elements can detract from the overall atmospheric experience.
- “The art style is so unique and gorgeous, the atmosphere is stunning and really pulls you in, and the open world factor makes me just overjoyed.”
- “The stunning soundtrack and unique scenery create a very beautiful atmosphere and the simple but at the same time 'not too easy' gameplay complete the game perfectly.”
- “The music is absolutely amazing at setting an atmosphere and giving one chills, the entire game invokes so many emotions throughout and it does it all without a word being said.”
- “This is another atmosphere breaking issue.”
- “I got this for under 3 euros on sale, but in the end, while there is atmosphere in the game, it is just not enough, given the barely existing gameplay.”
- “The soundtrack doesn't help, because they do everything to destroy whatever atmosphere the game might have had before this occurred.”
stability
41 mentions
7 % positive mentions
-5 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting various glitches and bugs, including freezing, graphical issues, and problematic controls. While some users found the glitches entertaining and not game-breaking, others described the experience as frustrating and indicative of a lack of polish. Overall, the game appears to have a range of stability issues that can detract from the gameplay experience, though some players still enjoyed it despite these problems.
- “I enjoyed the graphics, and the game was, in my experience, bug-free.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it never interrupted my experience.”
- “The game freezes after less than 1 minute of gameplay.”
- “It's a fine game with unique graphics and simple gameplay, but the game is far too buggy.”
- “For a game out of early access, I keep getting the weirdest glitches like falling through the ground or doing a headstand in one spot.”
grinding
23 mentions
0 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
83 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and repetitive, often requiring players to invest significant time without clear goals. Many reviewers noted that while the initial experience may be enjoyable, the constant cycle of hunting and collecting becomes monotonous, detracting from overall enjoyment. Despite some variation in environments, the core gameplay loop is seen as a grind that can lead to boredom over extended play sessions.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The collectables are also very hard and tedious to find.”
- “Unfortunately, it doesn't offer much gameplay and can become rather tedious when played for a long time.”
optimization
19 mentions
21 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
32 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant technical issues such as stuttering, frame rate drops, and poor performance, particularly in open world areas. While some users have experienced smooth gameplay on lower-end systems, others have noted that high-end setups struggle with performance, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game appears to require further optimization to address these persistent issues.
- “It still runs smoothly; I have played this game for years and finally got it back, and I say it's worth the little money you have to pay.”
- “I should also mention that in all my hours of this game, I never experienced a single glitch; much like the first game, the performance has been amazing.”
- “The core game is solid, and while there are some performance issues here and there, I haven't encountered any game-breaking bugs.”
- “The open world format doesn't work well here; game performance has issues on a high-end system, the camera feels janky and uncooperative, and the gameplay is a repetitive slog.”
- “This causes the game to feel like a blurry, stuttering mess when moving the camera left or right for anyone that uses a monitor over 60Hz.”
- “Optimization could also use some work, as there are frequent stutters and FPS drops in areas where distant loading meshes require loading on demand.”
humor
11 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players enjoying the comedic elements such as quirky character interactions and amusing glitches, like rabbits sliding away instead of running. Many find the game's lighthearted tone and funny scenarios, particularly involving the cubs and the lynx character, to be a significant draw, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience. However, some players note that while the humor is entertaining, it can occasionally become repetitive or annoying.
- “I can't stop playing and replaying this game, love being a funny big cat who catches prey for the lil big cats.”
- “On my travels including one adolescent cub that wouldn't stop running on the spot and most hilariously of all, rabbits that just slid away instead of running.”
- “This game is so beautiful and can be funny with comedic commentary.”
monetization
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy for the game has been criticized as exploitative, with reviewers feeling that the developers prioritized profit over quality by releasing a lackluster game and charging for additional content as DLC. This approach has led to perceptions of the game as a quick cash grab rather than a genuine continuation of the series.
- “I enjoyed the first Shelter game and had high hopes for Shelter 2, but unfortunately it feels like the developers lost their passion and used the excitement of an open world game to release a quick, low-effort cash grab instead.”
- “Considering how short and bland this game already is, releasing part of the game as a DLC and charging people for it just makes it feel even more like a cash grab.”
- “It is sad that it would not enjoy the superiority in advertising, misguided hype, and sales of the AAA titles these days.”