Darkest Dungeon 2 Wiki

About Darkest Dungeon 2 ♦ DLC ♦ Patch Notes ♦ Controls ♦ Combat ♦ Affinity System ♦ FAQs

Heroes ♦ Quirks ♦ Skills ♦ Stats ♦ Status Effects ♦ Builds ♦ Diseases

Weapons ♦ Armor ♦ Trinkets ♦ Items ♦ Stagecoach ♦ Stagecoach Upgrades ♦ Combat Items ♦ Inn Items ♦ Pets

Locations ♦ Enemies ♦ Bosses ♦ NPCs ♦ Lore

Walkthrough ♦ Game Progress Route ♦ New Player Help ♦ New Game Plus ♦ Bosses ♦ Trophy & Achievement Guide ♦ Builds

Darkest Dungeon 2: Early Access Preview

Darkest Dungeon 2: Early Access Getting Started Guide

What's new in Darkest Dungeon 2 compared to the first one?

• Changes to campaign length, Heroes and relationships, Stats have been made, while other stats such as Accuracy, Dodge and armor upgrades have been removed completely from the game. More information on the new features of Darkest Dungeon 2 can be found here.

Will the general mechanics of combat be changed or familiar?

• "The basic configuration of 4 heroes /4 monsters and two trinkets per hero is still true. But we are doing some significant changes to the base mechanics, stats, and so on that we are excited about and look forward to sharing in the future! Still, we feel that combat was a success in DD1 and are building upon that foundation."

Will Darkest Dungeon 2 be available on other platforms?

• Console plans have not been finalized.

Bounty Hunter Darkest Dungeon 2

Bounty Hunter was teased in September last year, Bounty Hunter was a fan favorite and players are happy to see a familiar face return to the roster. Unlike the other characters in the game, players can't immediately hire the Bounty Hunter at the start of the run. Even upon unlocking him, players would need to encounter his poster at the Inn. Hiring him will cost 4 Candles of Hope, and he will replace a hero of your choice. Unless you have one hero left in the party, then the Bounty Hunter will accompany that hero.

The Bounty Hunter will only remain with the expedition until you encounter your next Inn, then the original character you replaced will be back. To reflect his expensive price, the Bounty Hunter brings some very powerful skills to the table and has increased stats compared to the other heroes. He is also a unique hero that does not care about relationships, so incorporating him into your current party won't have any positive or negative effects on your Affinity. The Bounty Hunter will also be equipped with skills that were present from the previous game, these include the Collect Bounty, Mark for Death, and Come Hither. He also has some interesting new skills added, you can visit the Bounty Hunter page to learn more about this hero.

Vestal Darkest Dungeon 2

Vestal was just announced in February this year, Red Hook Studios decided to bring back this beloved character that was also present during the first game. In the previous installment, she was armed with the offensive skill Judgement, now she brings a mix of defensive support options as well as flexibility. She can now also unleash her wrath on far-away enemies. Her healing is now linked directly with her Conviction ability. As her Conviction grows, so does her ability to decimate her foes with holy power.

Blessing those in combat to empower them in battle through her Consecrations. An important part of her play is to choose which skills to use in combat encounters as Vestal has low speed and longer cooldowns, her unique Conviction token comes into play which is able to make some skills more powerful as Conviction stacks up. Players can unlock and upgrade the Vestal at the Altar of Hope. You can visit the Vestal page to learn more about this hero.

Flagellant Darkest Dungeon 2

Flagellant is the 12th and final hero of the game that was revealed last April, the developers plan on releasing the character on their launch date, May 8, 2023. The Flagellant was first introduced in the first game as a DLC for the Crimson Court DLC. Red Hook Studios didn't reveal what level the Flagellant can be unlocked, but it's immediately noticeable that he looks quite different from his previous iteration. This unique hero thrives on taking as much punishment as possible and is at his best when he's also at his worst. His attacks and skill tend to harm himself in the process while dealing damage to enemies or even healing the rest of his party. When the Flagellant is on Death's Door, he can gain various buffs but this is basically a dice roll since he's at critical HP.

The Flagellant can also take hits intended for other heroes in the party to allow him to reach Death's Door even faster to gain buffs. Players will also immediately notice that he's missing all his flesh, this is tied to what skills will be available to him. He can no longer deal bleeding DoTs to enemies and instead spread Blight all around. The Flagellant has some interesting new abilities, his Punish is a general physical Blight damage dealer, and he can also Endure by relieving stress from someone else and redirecting it at himself. Flagellating himself will cast Lash’s Gift which buffs an ally and Sepsis deals tons of Blight damage all around while also saving the Flagellant from his wounds. Do note that having the Flagellant in your party will give Death herself a chance to wreak havoc on your journey and will be a miniboss that can potentially trigger after every combat encounter whenever you have the Flagellant in your party. You can visit the Flagellant page to learn more about this hero.

What is Darkest Dungeon 2?

"Darkest Dungeon 2 is a challenging gothic RPG about the stresses of dungeon crawling. You will lead a band of heroes on a perilous side-scrolling descent, dealing with a prodigious number of threats to their bodily health, and worse, a relentless assault on their mental fortitude! Five hundred feet below the earth you will not only fight unimaginable foes, but famine, disease, and the stress of the ever-encroaching dark. Darkest Dungeon focuses on the humanity and psychological vulnerability of the heroes and asks: What emotional toll does a life of adventure take?

Recruit, train, and lead a team of flawed heroes through twisted forests, forgotten warrens, ruined crypts, and beyond. You’ll battle not only unimaginable foes, but stress, famine, disease, and the ever-encroaching dark. Uncover strange mysteries, and pit the heroes against an array of fearsome monsters with an innovative strategic turn-based combat system.

Darkest Dungeon is not a game where every hero wins the day with shiny armor and a smile. It is a game about hard trade-offs, nearly certain demise, and heroic acts." 

Darkest Dungeon 2 follows the events of the previous game, Darkest Dungeon where the corruption defeated during the playthrough of the first game was just a pawn of a far greater evil that is already dooming the world. As chaos spreads and madness consumes everyone, it is up to the player and their chosen heroes to journey along the treacherous apocalyptic lands with their last flame of hope to save what is left of the world.

Darkest Dungeon 2 Features

The first game, Darkest Dungeon, stood out with its unique gameplay features such as the Stress System, Roguelike structure, Interactions, and more. But in Darkest Dungeon 2, there will be more changes, updates, and new mechanics that will be added to the game's sequel, providing more depth in RPG and content.

• Gather your courage and ride out into the chaos of a world undone: Darkest Dungeon II is a roguelike road trip of the damned. Form a party, equip your stagecoach, and set off across a decaying landscape in a last-gasp attempt to avert the apocalypse. The greatest dangers you face, however, may come from within.
• Roguelike Run Structure: Each journey is less than 5 hours, and progress you make opens up new hero abilities, items, and stagecoach upgrades that can be used on your next adventure!
• The Affinity System: As travels progress, heroes bond with each other or grate on each others’ nerves, leading to desperately needed combat synergies or journey-ending dysfunction. Manage their stress and interaction to keep the team together until the bitter end.
• Rest your weary, shell-shocked heroes at the Inn, where you can manage their stress and relationships with a variety of diversions and delights.
• Uncover and experience the tragic origin stories of the heroes.
• A stylish and dynamic evolution of Darkest Dungeon’s signature art style.
• A return of the narration system and voice actor Wayne June!
• Exciting improvements to the turn-based combat from Darkest Dungeon.

Darkest Dungeon 2 Pets

The introduction of animal companionship, Pets, will now be added to the latest patch for Darkest Dungeon 2. There are a total of 10 Pets in 5 different cages, all of which can be unlocked via the Altar.

• Orphan Wolf Cub
• Pygmy Pliskin
• Unnatural Owlet
• Reanimated Rabbit
• Mucilaginous Slime
• Shrieker Chick
• Larval Carrion Eater
• Hatchling Crocodilian
• Crimson Tick
• Shambler's Spawn

The goal for these is to create Stagecoach builds focused around a pet. Now, various stagecoach items will have a GEAR type tag and its effects on a pet will scale based on the number of GEAR type stagecoach items equipped.

Darkest Dungeon 2 Gameplay

Darkest Dungeon 2 was first announced to be a sequel to the first game, Darkest Dungeon, which was teased with a trailer that was narrated by Wayne June who reprises his role as the narrator. Game Developer and Publisher, Red Hook Studios has placed the setting of the sequel in a world beyond the Narrator's estate, where players are thrown into a road trip of a "grueling journey" that involves unimaginable creatures, twists, and turns that are far more worse than the estate.

Darkest Dungeon 2 stays true to its heart, which makes it stand out from other games, but it is now been "tuned-up", providing improved, graphics, updated combat & gameplay mechanics, changes to some features, and more. So what should we expect in Darkest Dungeon 2:

• The game is now developed in Unity engine, showcasing 3D models for all the characters and enemies in Darkest Dungeon 2. This provides better immersion experience since it now has more refined details, added animations, and actions, and not just simplified and cartoon-comic designs from the first game, Darkest Dungeon.
• Instead of a larger roster, players now manage a single party of heroes, which allows you to select different teams with every rogue-like run.
• Although some mecahnics are still present, such as the Stress system, there are some changes to it, as well as other gameplay features, which provides a familiarity to those who have played Darkest Dungeon, but at the same time, gives new quality of life to both new and veteran players of the franchise.
• A new mechanic, the Affinity System is introduced in Darkest Dungeon 2 and is one of the game's main highlight. The Affinity System of Darkest Dungeon 2 provides having relationships towards the many heroes of the game that causes changes such as interactions and combat dynamics.
• More skills can now be unlocked for the Heroes which are obtained in different ways such as through story progression, unlockables, or special encounters on multiple runs.
• The setting of Darkest Dungeon 2 goes beyond the Narrator's estate and highlights that your journey revolves around a "road trip". And what better way to travel is by using a wagon. This is a travel mechanic where the heroes of the game use to get from Point A to Point B. The wagon does not only serve as a mode of transportation, but it can also be upgraded to imbue certain out-of-combat effects such as recovering HP, lowering stress levels, and more.
• Returning Heroes are featured in the game, but Red Hook Studios introduces new heroes such as the Runaway who is described to be as a survivor, a scavenger, and a scrapper who excels at disrupting foes, applying flames, and adjusting the flow and positioning of battle. The Runaway hero is to be featured in EA (Early Access), but more variations of heroes will be added to the full release of Darkest Dungeon 2.
• New and returning hostile characters are featured in Darkest Dungeon 2. Each region is said to have different factions of enemies and are now aggressive since they are now randomly encountered in a road-trip sequence. In Darkest Dungeon 2, anywhere and anytime isn't safe for your heroes.

Combat in Darkest Dungeon 2

Darkest Dungeon 2 features a turn-based Combat mechanic similar to its predecessor where players and enemies roll for initiative to determine who goes first and is influenced by an individual's speed. Every turn consists of two actions, a Free Action and a Main Action.

Free Action is tied to the Combat Item you've assigned to a specific Hero. These are usually potions that can restore HP, items that can remove different Status Effects or other afflictions, or items that can debuff or damage the enemy party. The Main Action refers to the activation of a Hero's Skills, it can either grant your party with buffs or can be used to target enemies. It is ideally best to use the Free Action first before the Main Action, as once you use the latter, you can no longer use the Free Action until your next turn. Also, note that not all actions can be used right away, and if you hover over each skill it will tell you where they can be used.

Stagecoach in Darkest Dungeon 2

Darkest Dungeon 2 features a new mechanic where players are now allowed to explore beyond the narrator's estate and are now able to explore and travel to other locations and dungeons by using the Stagecoach. Apart from being a vehicle, the Stagecoach can also be upgraded for it to obtain different effects that can help in the heroes' adventure.

The Stagecoach does not only serve as a mode of transportation, but it can also be upgraded to imbue certain out-of-combat effects such as recovering HP, lowering stress levels, and more. The goal is to travel from the starting area to the inn at the end of the route. Be careful as there is no way to travel and you can only move forward with the Stagecoach, so decide carefully on which path you choose before proceeding. Your Stagecoach is limited in how many items it can carry. Your shared inventory is split between all item types. Some items stack well, whereas others take an entire slot. Use the inventory TABS to easily see each item type. Some stagecoach upgrades increase stacking limits.

One of the most important parts of the Stagecoach is the Torch which is the narrative embodiment of hope in Darkest Dungeon 2. As you navigate the combat encounters, the darkness grows thicker. It is important to remember that making decisions during the adventure can increase or decrease the flame level of the Torch. Depending on what the flame level on the Torch is, it will ultimately impose combat effects on both the party of the player and the enemy raiders and ambushers. Once the flame level gets below 40, things will start to get difficult for the player as battle modifiers will take effect that will be advantageous to the enemy team. When the flame level drops to 0 however, the player's team will be ambushed by fiendish cultists. And if the player survives the ambush, the expedition will continue with a tiny flicker of light. If you want to learn more about the Stagecoach, please click here.

Heroes in Darkest Dungeon 2

Heroes include the unique types and starting classes players can choose from that each contain their own set of Stats, Quirks, Skills, and abilities. This also plays an important role in how the party interacts with any in-game events, circumstances, and environments and how this affects the different Heroes' relationships and sanity. Currently, there are 12 playable heroes in the game:

• Plague Doctor
• Grave Robber
• Highwayman
• Man at Arms
• Hellion
• Runaway
• Jester
• Leper
• Occultist
• Vestal
• Bounty Hunter
• Flagellant

You first start off with four heroes namely Man at Arms, Highwayman, Grave Robber, and Plague Doctor. To unlock the other heroes, you will need to reach a certain Profile Level in order for the hero to become available in your next run. By doing this, you will need to gather Hope resources which are used to increase the Profile Level. Earning Hope is done by performing well on a run, and several factors increase it such as meeting certain goals of a journey you embark on, as well as winning enemy encounters. An example of meeting certain goals of a journey is you can be rewarded with a certain amount of Hope if you manage to keep the light torch at 40+ or at least complete 3 Assist Encounters. If you want to change your team lineup, you will need to abandon your current run and start a new one.

Affinities in Darkest Dungeon 2

The Affinity System is introduced in Darkest Dungeon 2 which represents the relationships of each hero toward one another. As you journey through the road, your heroes will form relationships with each other which can heavily affect the overall flow of your combat encounters. The Affinity System is divided into two types, positive and negative, having each hero that has a positive affinity or relationship with one another grants beneficial effects between two heroes, while a negative affinity or relationship can demoralize the team, causing negative effects and debuffs.

Skills in Darkest Dungeon 2

In Darkest Dungeon 2, each hero has access to five skills by default and you will be able to unlock more along the way through the Shrine of Reflection when you're traveling via the Stagecoach. By choosing to reflect on the hero's past, the selected hero can unlock and learn more Skills. It is important to take note that once you learn a new skill after stopping by a shrine, this skill is permanently unlocked even after you restart or abandon your current run.

Quirks in Darkest Dungeon 2

In Darkest Dungeon 2, Quirks are affected by the different Heroes and can affect how Heroes interact with different NPCs, situations, events, and circumstances in the game, further also affecting relationships between Heroes. Once you start the game, your current heroes will already possess 2 random Quirks, one positive, and one negative. Throughout the game, each hero can acquire 2 or more Quirks. A hero can acquire a negative or a positive Quirk depending on the situation. For example, a hero having a meltdown further adds negative affinity towards the rest of the team's relationship, greatly reduces the HP of the hero who just had a meltdown, and may gain random Quirks and negative status effects. Another example is when a hero has done well in combat, building good relationships during combat can help you acquire a positive Quirk, by healing a teammate, or by taking an attack for them. There are other factors involved that will greatly impact your Quirk, it all depends on how the player handles each situation.

Diseases in Darkest Dungeon 2

Diseases are functionally similar to Quirks in Darkest Dungeon 2. These are random persistent negative status effects that are usually contracted by Heroes from enemy attacks. Heroes inflicted with diseases can be cured by using certain Items or by visiting a Nurse at a Field Hospital when you are traveling. While traveling with your Stagecoach, you will see on your map a plus icon, indicating there is a Field Hospital on that path. Curing a disease is not free, you will need to pay the required amount of relics to permanently remove a disease. Remember that Diseases can only be cured once the player chooses to do so.

Trinkets in Darkest Dungeon 2

In Darkest Dungeon 2, there are equippable accessory items that are commonly obtained as rewards, loot, and purchased from merchants, and these are called Trinkets. Each hero may equip up to 2 Trinkets at a time. Trinkets confer bonuses or special abilities and can drastically improve a hero. Trinkets may be removed or swapped at any time. They also have different rarities that play around Common, Very Rare, and even higher rarities.

Hero Positioning in Darkest Dungeon 2

At the start of every run, you would need to position your four chosen Heroes to ranks 1 to 4. The positioning of your heroes matters to maximize their certain skills and capabilities. Unlike in the previous game, you can no longer have multiple copies of the same hero and you would need to carefully position your heroes in certain ranks as some skills are locked out if your hero is in the wrong position. There are heroes who have movement skills and they're considered essential as enemies have to ability to shuffle your party's position.

Scout Points of Interests in Darkest Dungeon 2

While traveling on your Stagecoach, you can see what lies ahead by accessing the Minimap. The Minimap shows you different locations indicated by different icons. You would first need to find Watchtowers, these let you scout the road ahead and provides you information that reveals a part of the map to help you make informed decisions before deciding which path you'll take. Green lines shown on the map means the path is safer and the Blue lines means it's more dangerous but gives bountiful rewards.

Visit Shrines of Reflection in Darkest Dungeon 2

Shrines of Reflection are essential if you want to uncover the backstory of your heroes, as well as unlock new skills. But do note that this is limited to one hero per visit so you would need to decide carefully which hero you would want to have their skill unlocked. Not all of these encounters are conversation driven and you would need to win the battle to acquire the skill you unlock, otherwise, you would need to visit another Shrine of Reflection to have the chance to unlock it again. Once you receive the skill unlocked, you will permanently have them for all future runs. These shrines may also provide a Mastery Point occasionally to upgrade any skill.

Manage your Inventory in Darkest Dungeon 2

The Stagecoach has a limited number of Inventory slots. Whenever you reach the Inn, remember to upgrade your Stagecoach's slots by equipping Storage Trunks. This will help you in prioritizing valuable items and discard unnecessary ones.

Run Over Objects in Darkest Dungeon 2

As you travel with your Stagecoach, you will notice random objects laying on the ground. These can be seen as bundles of leaves or burning books, depending on the path you've chosen. You should constantly run over them as they will provide random items that can be useful during combat or added in the Inn. These are valuable given how challenging certain combat encounters are.

Pass by Assistance Encounters in Darkest Dungeon 2

You should always pass by Assistance Encounters every chance you get to raise your flame's value. Similar to the previous game, the lower the torch level will result in more challenging encounters as enemies will receive distinct benefits such as better critical hit percentages and other buffs.

Be Ready for Lairs in Darkest Dungeon 2

As you journey through different paths, you will eventually encounter Lairs. Lairs involve highly tough encounters with enemies but they also yield bountiful rewards. They consist of three increasingly difficult fights with the last one containing a stronger set of enemies. After every fight, you can choose to flee with the rewards you've obtained or continue until you've beaten everyone and obtain more treasure. If you ever decide to take on the challenge make sure you have enough HP and good stress levels, otherwise your demise will result in you losing all the rewards you've previously obtained in the lair once you've been defeated. If you're not confident in winning the next encounters do not be ashamed and flee with the rewards you've obtained.

Manage your Loathing & Stress Levels in Darkest Dungeon 2

A new Loathing mechanic has been added in Darkest Dungeon 2, you will notice on the upper left-hand corner of your screen the loathing mechanic that shows the evil overtaking the world. Higher loathing results in tougher conditions for the party. It also decreases the chance at accumulating Mastery Points which are needed to upgrade Skills. As long as your HP is above half and your relationships with other heroes are not mostly negative, then you should keep seeking combat encounters enough to keep your loathing in check.

Similar to its predecessor, Darkest Dungeon 2 will also feature the Stress system. This will continue to play an integral part in the game this time it's scaled from 1 to 10 instead of 1 to 100. When a hero reaches a Stress level of 10 they'll experience a Meltdown, this greatly reduces your hero's current HP and destroys any good affinity you have with the other heroes, and greatly increases the negative relationships you have with them even more. This is extremely hard to manage as you won't be able to assist them outside of combat unless you're in the Inn. It is essential to gather as much Laudanum as much you can, this item can alleviate the stress experienced by the party and the resources are hard to come by.