Darkest Dungeon II

About Darkest Dungeon II

Darkest Dungeon II was made by Red Hook Studios, the makers of Darkest Dungeon. It began in early access on the Epic Games Store in October 2021 and was fully released on Steam and the Epic Games Store in May 2023, then on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S and Switch in July 2024. Its store calls it a roguelike road trip of the damned.

A failed experiment with an eldritch power has sent the world into madness. You form a party of four heroes, equip a stagecoach and set off across five regions, from the burning Sprawl to the diseased Foetor, toward the Mountain at the heart of the evil. Along the road you meet bandits, cultists and worse in turn-based battles where each hero's place in the line decides which skills they can use. Wayne June returns as the narrator.

The horror is in attrition. Every fight, every dark stretch of road raises your heroes' stress, and a hero pushed too far breaks down mid-battle. Heroes also grow fond of or sick of each other as the journey goes on; their bonds can give needed strength, or their resentments can tear the party apart. The flame on the stagecoach stands for hope, and when it gutters, things get worse. A run that ends in death still leaves resources to spend on the next one.

Alongside the main Confessions mode there is Kingdoms, a separate strategy campaign with a persistent roster defending a crumbling realm. It suits players who liked the first game and anyone who wants their horror as hard choices and slow ruin rather than jump scares.

How to play Darkest Dungeon II

1. Choose four heroes and set off from the crossroads in the stagecoach.
2. Pick your route across each region's map, weighing fights, shrines, loot and dangers.
3. In battle, choose a skill for each hero on their turn; their position in the line decides what they can use.
4. Rest at inns between regions to lower stress, heal and buy supplies.
5. When a run ends, spend what you earned on unlocks and try again.

Tips

• Watch stress as closely as health; a breakdown can ruin a strong party.
• Use inn items to steer relationships before a bad grudge sets in.
• Learn what each hero's paths change before committing to a party layout.
• Keep the stagecoach repaired and the flame fed; both matter more as the road gets longer.

Questions