Graveyard Keeper 2

Game images by RAWG

Graveyard Keeper 2

Lazy Bear Games

PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2Premium

Health Score

GOOD

Watch Gameplay

About This Game

Super Review

Graveyard Keeper 2 is a unique management sim where players build and automate a medieval graveyard with a dark, quirky sense of humor. It offers deep crafting and strategic thinking but involves mature themes like harvesting human remains and suggestive content. A premium game with no hidden costs, it's best suited for older players ready for complex systems and macabre jokes.

Super Review

Parent verdict

Graveyard Keeper 2 is a Good choice for mature players who enjoy intricate simulation and management games with a significant dose of dark humor. Its premium model means no in-app purchases or predatory monetization, making it a straightforward purchase. Parents should be aware of the game's explicit dark themes, grotesque characters, and references to drugs and alcohol. It’s a rewarding single-player experience for those who can navigate its complexity and mature content.

What players actually do

Players strategically manage a medieval graveyard, planning layouts and optimizing resource production to expand their enterprise.
Players gather resources, including human remains, to craft a wide array of items, build machinery, and automate tasks using an undead workforce.
Players engage in quests for town inhabitants and rebuild a ruined town, making choices that impact their progress and relationships.
Players lead an army of zombies into combat scenarios, defending against threats and furthering the twisted storyline.

Where it shines

The game provides deep, complex management, crafting, and automation systems that encourage strategic thinking and problem-solving.
Players have significant creative freedom in designing their graveyard, restoring the town, and setting up efficient production lines.
As a premium game, it offers a complete experience with a single purchase, removing any pressure from in-game monetization or hidden costs.

Parent watch-outs

The game features mature themes, including dark humor, grotesque characters, harvesting human remains, blood, suggestive content, and references to drugs and alcohol.
A weekly game cycle dictates when certain actions can be performed, which can require players to wait for specific in-game days, potentially feeling restrictive.
The game is a purely single-player experience with no in-game social interaction or cooperative elements, which may not appeal to players seeking multiplayer experiences.

Family rules worth setting

Set clear expectations around the game's dark and mature humor, discussing what is appropriate or inappropriate.
Discuss the weekly cycle mechanics, emphasizing that patience is often required to progress rather than constant action.

Talk about this

Discuss how the game's dark humor contrasts with real-world ethical considerations, especially regarding the treatment of human remains.
Talk about the strategic planning required to manage resources and build efficient systems, and how those skills apply to real-life problem-solving.

Play style

This is a single-player, open-ended simulation where players control their pace, though a weekly cycle for certain activities means some waiting is inherent. The difficulty is moderate, stemming from the intertwined, complex systems rather than reflex-based challenges. Younger players might need help understanding optimal resource chains and quest progression. Sessions can vary from short bursts of task management to longer stretches of intricate planning and building.

Score Breakdown

Positive Aspects

Educational Value

4/5

Creativity

4/5

Pro-Social

0/5

Risk Factors

Addictive Monetization

0/5

Time Pressure / FOMO

1/5

Social Risk

0/5

Content Intensity

3/5

Why this rating

Educational Value

4/5

The game scores a 4 in educational value by engaging players with complex management, crafting, and automation systems. This requires strategic thinking, resource optimization, and problem-solving to progress through its intertwined mechanics.

Creativity

4/5

Graveyard Keeper 2 earns a 4 for creativity by offering significant player freedom in designing graveyard layouts, town restoration, and automated production lines. Additionally, PC players can access community-created modifications via Steam Workshop, further extending creative possibilities.

Addictive Monetization

0/5

The game receives a score of 0 for addictive monetization because it is a premium game sold with a one-time purchase. This means there are no in-game monetization pressures, hidden costs, or microtransactions after buying the game.

Content Intensity

3/5

Content Intensity scores a 3 due to the game's mature themes, which include dark humor, grotesque characters, harvesting human remains, blood, suggestive themes, and the use of drugs and alcohol. These elements contribute to its Teen (T) and PEGI 16 ratings.

Negatives

•Contains mature themes including dark humor, grotesque characters, harvesting human remains, blood, suggestive themes, and use of drugs and alcohol.
•Features no in-game social interaction or cooperative elements, offering a purely single-player experience.
•A weekly cycle ties certain actions to specific days, requiring players to wait for the next cycle if actions are missed, which can feel restrictive.

Positives

•Engages players with complex management, crafting, and automation systems, encouraging strategic thinking and problem-solving.
•Offers significant creative freedom in designing graveyard layouts, town restoration, and setting up automated production lines.
•A premium game with a one-time purchase, meaning no in-game monetization pressure or hidden costs after buying.
•Supports community-created modifications on PC platforms, extending gameplay and creative possibilities.