Sheltered 2

52%
Game Brain Score Based on 664 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • stability
Sheltered 2 Game Cover
Sheltered 2 is a game about survival by any means necessary; explore, hunt and craft across the destroyed world, all the while engaging the various factions that inhabit the land.
Starting at $2.52Buy now
Get on Steam

In Sheltered 2, survival is key 20 years after the world's end, as you build up your faction, manage resources, and face various threats. The Factions system lets you explore, forge relationships, trade, or confront other camps, with expanded combat options shaping your growth in the wasteland. Your choices will determine if you unite or conquer.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

52%
Audience ScoreBased on 664 reviews
gameplay26 positive mentions
stability75 negative mentions
  • The game builds on the original Sheltered with improved graphics and new mechanics, making it a worthy sequel.
  • The faction system adds depth to gameplay, allowing for alliances and conflicts that enhance the survival experience.
  • Despite some bugs, the developers are actively working on fixes and updates, showing commitment to improving the game.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs that can lead to game-breaking issues, such as characters getting stuck or items disappearing.
  • The user interface is clunky and not intuitive, making it difficult to manage resources and characters effectively.
  • The balance of gameplay is off, with resource scarcity and overly aggressive factions making early survival frustrating.
  • gameplay149 mentions

    Gameplay in "Sheltered 2" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant number of bugs and clunky mechanics that detract from the experience. While some appreciate the new features and improved graphics, others feel that the game is overly complicated and lacks the polish needed for a smooth experience. Overall, the core gameplay loop remains engaging, but many players recommend waiting for further updates to address the numerous issues before fully diving in.

    • “The diverse environments and encounters keep the gameplay fresh.”
    • “The core gameplay loop is actually really addictive and feels extremely good.”
    • “The new mechanics for crafting, exploring, encounters, factions, and quests are huge upgrades from the original and give the game much more depth.”
    • “Too many broken mechanics to be worth your effort.”
    • “Literally abandoned the game, 2 years since even a bug fix, gameplay is clunky and boring as hell; they had so much hype to ride on then just took the money and ditched us 1/10.”
    • “The gameplay is just the same and mediocre.”
  • graphics108 mentions

    The graphics in "Sheltered 2" represent a significant upgrade from its predecessor, transitioning from pixel art to detailed 3D visuals, which some players find appealing while others feel lack the charm of the original. However, many reviewers note that the game is poorly optimized, leading to high GPU usage and various bugs that detract from the overall experience. While the enhanced graphics are a selling point, they are not the primary focus of the gameplay, which centers more on micromanagement and survival mechanics.

    • “Upgraded graphics: 'Sheltered 2' brings a graphical overhaul, offering a more detailed and visually appealing experience compared to its predecessor.”
    • “The graphics are great, attention to detail.”
    • “Graphics are a huge improvement and a big selling point over the first for me.”
    • “The con side of this is the game looks rather drab in its shades of red and brown compared to the more colorful and charming art style of Sheltered 1, and is also way more GPU demanding than its predecessor.”
    • “Graphics are sad, the interface is not intuitive, and the physics are garbage.”
    • “The graphics are terribly optimized, the settings are abysmal and don't work, controls are sluggish and clunky; sadly, I could go on.”
  • stability75 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting persistent bugs and glitches that significantly impact gameplay. Many reviews describe the game as "buggy" and "unstable," with game-breaking issues, particularly in quests and mechanics, leading to frustration. While some players still find enjoyment despite these problems, the overall consensus is that the game remains in a problematic state, often feeling incomplete and in need of further development and updates.

    • “The game is buggy, and often downright unstable.”
    • “Now it's in a broken state, with some quests not working, plus, when you get to the endgame, it becomes unplayable due to lags and freezes.”
    • “Nearly 9 months later, and the game is still a buggy mess.”
  • story56 mentions

    The story in Sheltered 2 attempts to expand on its predecessor by introducing faction mechanics and quests, but many players find the execution lacking due to repetitive fetch quests, buggy missions, and minimal character interactions. While the game offers potential for deeper narrative elements and character arcs, the current state is marred by technical issues and a lack of engaging storytelling, leading to frustration among players. Overall, the narrative experience feels underdeveloped and requires significant improvements to reach its full potential.

    • “Sheltered 2 also tries to offer more story than Sheltered 1 by introducing faction mechanics. You can expand your control zone by storming outposts, or - and this is more rewarding - do various quests for every faction for an eventual alliance with them, while in the first game you just encountered them as variously clothed enemies.”
    • “The new mechanics for crafting, exploring, encounters, factions, and quests are huge upgrades from the original and give the game much more depth.”
    • “There are 6 factions, all of which have their own backstory, style, and objectives.”
    • “The quests for factions are literally just fetch quests for already scarce resources.”
    • “You barely interact with the factions outside of a very basic job system with repeating quests (acquire x materials for us, rescue a prisoner for us, etc.) which offers very few unique quests per faction.”
    • “Horrible quest lines.”
  • grinding29 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for being excessively tedious and frustrating, with players noting that resource gathering, base building, and micromanagement can quickly become a chore rather than an enjoyable experience. While some players appreciate the initial gameplay loop, many feel that the game's mechanics amplify the tediousness, turning what could be a fun survival experience into a prolonged grind that detracts from overall enjoyment. Despite its potential, the game is often described as a "grinding simulator," leading to a lack of motivation to continue playing.

    • “It's extremely grindy to an absurd point.”
    • “The game has a lot of potential, but quickly becomes tedious.”
    • “So far it is a mind-numbingly tedious journey of micromanagement hell.”
  • music16 mentions

    The music in the game has received largely negative feedback, with many users describing it as generic, repetitive, and lacking in originality compared to its predecessor. Complaints also highlight technical issues that cause the music to stutter or cut out entirely, further detracting from the overall experience. While some users noted a few new tracks, the consensus is that the soundtrack fails to enhance the game's atmosphere effectively.

    • “There is some new music.”
    • “Some music parts reminded me of 'This War of Mine'; I get the feeling it's trying to get the same vibe going on.”
    • “The OST is banging though.”
    • “The music is just wrong.”
    • “Music is repetitive and generic, when it's there at all.”
    • “Even the music sounds pretty dull.”
  • atmosphere10 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive tension and sense of urgency, effectively capturing a post-apocalyptic desolation that enhances the gameplay experience. While some players note that the audio can be repetitive, it contributes to the overall feeling of desperation and gloom. However, opinions are mixed regarding the sequel, with some feeling it lacks the same atmospheric depth and intuitiveness as the original.

    • “The game excels in creating an atmosphere of constant tension and urgency.”
    • “Its immersive atmosphere and strategic depth provide a compelling post-apocalyptic experience.”
    • “The best aspect of Sheltered was the desperation and gloomy feeling you get about the atmosphere and trying to keep your family safe at all costs.”
    • “The first game had the exact right atmosphere, especially because of the sound.”
    • “The audio is a bit repetitive, but it also gives the game an atmosphere of desolation.”
  • optimization7 mentions

    The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting severe performance issues, including high GPU usage and lag, even on capable hardware. Many players note that the graphics and settings are poorly optimized, leading to sluggish controls and various bugs, suggesting that while these problems are not insurmountable, they significantly detract from the overall experience.

    • “I admit it needs a lot of bug fixes and some time figuring out quality of life and optimizations, but for me, it ticks a lot of the boxes I look for in a game.”
    • “These are not irreparable problems, but in my experience, games with optimization issues tend to remain unoptimized.”
    • “The graphics for this game are so heavily lacking optimized coding that it runs the GPU at 99%.”
    • “The game is so badly optimized I can't even run it with a 1070 and a Ryzen 1700X.”
    • “The graphics are terribly optimized, the settings are abysmal and don't work, controls are sluggish and clunky; sadly, I could go on.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mix of dark and absurd elements, with players finding amusement in the chaotic consequences of survival mechanics, such as characters becoming messes from lack of water. While some bugs and character quirks, like a pyromaniac survivor, provide comedic moments, they can also lead to frustration. Overall, the humor is often derived from the juxtaposition of funny scenarios and the serious challenges of survival.

    • “So even if you have enough food, if you run out of water, your survivors will be reduced to a poo and puke-stained mess within days, which is hilarious and sad at the same time.”
    • “Watching one of my guys go crazy and start lighting things on fire was hilarious and upsetting at the same time.”
    • “Family was way more fun, and having the kids as repair goblins was infinitely hilarious to me.”
  • emotional5 mentions

    Players note that the game's character development enhances emotional investment, with varied character traits contributing to the experience. However, frustrations arise from the emotional management mechanics, particularly the shelter leader's emotional weaknesses, which can hinder progress and detract from the overall emotional depth compared to its predecessor. Some players feel that the removal of features like family and pets has made the emotional experience feel less impactful and more flat.

    • “The game introduces deeper character development, which adds a layer of emotional investment.”
    • “Overall, I think Sheltered 2 is quite well-paced; not too slow or fast. It has various levels of difficulty for different players, and I'd say it's pretty easy to become emotionally invested in your bunker's progress.”
    • “Good parts from Sheltered 1, like family, pets, and the journal, were stripped away, making the experience less emotional and flat.”
  • character development4 mentions

    The game features enhanced character development that fosters emotional investment, building on the survival themes of its predecessor. However, some users criticize the character designs and customization options, feeling they fall short of expectations.

    • “Character development: the game introduces deeper character development, which adds a layer of emotional investment.”
    • “In summary, 'Sheltered 2' successfully carries forward the survival spirit of its predecessor with enhanced graphics and deeper character development.”
    • “First off, the character designs look poor, and I was expecting much better customization, but somehow it's worse than the first one.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability due to its randomized maps and enhanced customization options, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging. Players appreciate the improved graphics and the variety of gameplay avenues compared to its predecessor, which struggled with replay value.

    • “This will be short and sweet: all the fun of the first game, better graphics, and highly replayable.”
    • “There's definitely a lot of replay value here, as it's a randomized map in every new game.”
    • “The original Sheltered failed at unlimited replayability, but this sequel offers much more customization and different playthrough avenues.”
    • “There's definitely a lot of replay value here as it's a randomized map every new game.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game is widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many users feeling that it lacks value and has been poorly supported post-launch.

    • “Clearly a cash grab.”
    • “Garbage cash grab that's been abandoned.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

65% average critic score

Buy Sheltered 2

Play time

46hMedian play time
58hAverage play time
20-100hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 12 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News