Darkest Dungeons 2 Releases In May, Demo Now Available

Darkest Dungeon II will launch on May 8, and if you’re looking for a sneak preview of what the sequel has to offer, a demo is now available on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Originally launching in early access on the Epic Games Store back in October 2021, Darkest Dungeons II has steadily added new features and updates ahead of its full release. A sequel to the cult-classic 2016 game, Darkest Dungeon II tasks you with managing a party of adventurers and exploring a series of catacombs in an effort to cancel a looming apocalypse. The big difference here is that the game has a brutal difficulty curve, as your encounters with horrors in the dark have lasting effects on the stress levels of your party.

Described as a roguelike road trip of the damned by developer Red Hook Studios, Darkest Dungeons II mixes the familiar turn-based combat of the first game with a host of new tweaks that puts a new spin on the original formula. For the demo, which is available from now until Steam Next Fest ends on February 13, you’ll be able to guide your heroes through a decaying city known as The Sprawl and the ruined farmlands of The Foetor.

Progress from the demo won’t carry over to the full release, but the complete game will include more heroes, regions, and expeditions to take them on. The early access version is currently priced at $27.

A console version is also in development, but there’s no concrete release date for that version of Darkest Dungeons II yet. If you’re looking for a tactical advantage when Darkest Dungeon II launches, you can check out our guides on how Affinity works, how Stress Resolve works, and how to form positive relationships with your party.