I am not entirely sure why I was not expecting the Darkest Dungeon II Kingdoms DLC. The first Darkest Dungeon had two spectacular add-ons that added depth and challenge to the already formidable base game, so it only makes sense the sequel would follow suit. But after my reviews of both the PC and Switch versions of Darkest Dungeon II, I felt satisfied by the base game, making DLC seem unnecessary.
So imagine my surprise when CGM was invited by Red Hook Studios for a first look at its Kingdoms DLC—a brand-new way to experience the core game with added strategy and challenge. While the preview was interesting, actually playing it was an entirely different story. As such, while this will function mostly as a review, I would be remiss not to include some insights from the developers shared during the preview.
What is most interesting about the Kingdoms mode is how much it shakes up the core Darkest Dungeon II experience while incorporating its essential elements. Unlike the Colour of Madness and Crimson Court expansions of the first game, which added unique features to the base game, Kingdoms takes the foundation laid by Darkest Dungeon II and builds a House of Leaves on top of it.
“Essentially, it is kind of…we have been referring to it as a remix album of Darkest Dungeon II,” said Tyler Sigman, co-founder of Red Hook Studios, adding, “It takes a lot of the core elements of DD2 and mixes in some of the values and design philosophy from Darkest Dungeon I to create its own thing.”
In my review of the Switch version of Darkest Dungeon II, I noted that the game felt more like a tabletop adventure in how players experience moment-to-moment encounters. The Darkest Dungeon II Kingdoms mode takes that philosophy and cranks it to 11, placing players on a procedurally generated map consisting of several areas and inns in need of protection from besieging hordes. Depending on your difficulty setting, each game has a set number of days—with each turn taking one day. During each run, players must complete a series of quests before the final day; otherwise, the kingdom will be overrun.
There is an incredible amount of depth to how the Kingdoms mode plays, combining the game’s nail-biting combat and stress mechanics with deeper roguelike elements and a distinct sense of tabletop strategy. Unlike the base game, where players could unlock permanent upgrades for their characters and lands, Darkest Dungeon II Kingdoms has players starting fresh with every run, requiring them to build their characters and teams with greater thought.
What I found incredibly interesting about how quests function is their connection to the game world. Unlike typical RPGs that provide detailed explanations of where to go and what to achieve, the Darkest Dungeon II Kingdoms mode treats quests with an air of mystery. Players are given quest items with descriptions that add flavour to the item and world while subtly hinting at what needs to be done.
“Essentially, the tension of this mode is: can you complete the quest, reveal the boss location, and kill the boss before the number of days expires…”
Much like how many Soulsborne games flesh out their world—and, in some cases, deliver the bulk of their lore—through item descriptions, I appreciate how this approach incentivizes players to deduce what needs to be done without being overly obtuse. Players must actively pay attention to their progress. In fact, during one of my first runs, I rushed down a dangerous path without realizing where I needed to deliver a quest item, which ultimately led to my demise.
Then there are the inns. Unlike in the base game, where inns were safe havens, in Kingdoms, they are vulnerable places of despair that players must actively build and upgrade as they travel throughout the kingdom to access features like the Mastery Trainer or Wainwright. Additionally, inns will randomly come under siege, giving players a set number of days to reach and defend them. If they fail, and inns are left defenceless, they will be destroyed. Depending on your difficulty level, if a certain number of inns fall, it is game over.
As Chris Bourassa, creative director and co-founder of Red Hook, explains, “Essentially, the tension of this mode is: can you complete the quest, reveal the boss location, and kill the boss before the number of days expires…and the tension between what the player has control over versus the ticking clock creates a sense of urgency.”
And you can definitely feel it while playing. Every journey into the corrupted lands carries tension about what horrors you might face and whether you are prepared, but in the Kingdoms mode, there are always multiple active fires that need extinguishing within a set time. It becomes a delicate balancing act of deciding whether to address immediate threats or focus on long-term gains.
While the Kingdoms mode is larger in scale, its moment-to-moment gameplay has been streamlined. As in the base game, when players venture into the corrupted lands, they are given a set of paths to choose from. However, each map has been pared down, creating a faster, more immediate sense of gameplay without sacrificing challenge.
But the Darkest Dungeon II Kingdoms mode does not sacrifice depth for speed. Because this is a broader adventure, players have access to a wider pool of heroes. While they still choose their dedicated four at the start, every available hero is stationed at an inn somewhere on the map, and if players reach them, they can swap them into their party.
This may be necessary for utilizing characters better suited to specific situations, but it also ties into the new “exhaustion” feature. The longer a character adventures, the more exhausted they become, limiting their maximum health. If players leave them at an inn, they will recover over a set number of days, making them more effective for future battles.
Additionally, the Darkest Dungeon II Kingdoms mode introduces player relationships, an extension of the stress mechanic. Over the course of the adventure, heroes can grow to like or hate each other, with substantial consequences during combat. However, if characters spend time apart, their tempers will wane, making them more effective when reunited. This incentivizes players to mix up their party regularly.
“We’re trying to just play with wonderment and surprise a little bit and deliver something unexpected, and hopefully that that creates the sense of like vulnerability and excitement…”
As Bourassa says, “All of this comes together to create a different kind of play experience or fantasy than Darkest Dungeon I or Darkest Dungeon II.” I am inclined to agree. Despite shorter-form adventures, every additional element feels amplified, creating a truly harrowing experience. It heightens the sense that every decision matters, a hallmark of the base game.
However, if I have one complaint, it is that the Kingdoms mode struggles to end gracefully. If your party is wiped out, you will swap to every available hero on the board—one by one. If you can reach another inn to recruit a new hero, you may recover, but as anyone who has played Darkest Dungeon I or II knows, facing challenges with one hero is impossible.
While you can use an item to call in basic support fighters, this only lasts for one fight, making it ineffective. If you have not upgraded an inn—or lack the resources to do so after a team wipe—to obtain the backup item, you are left stranded. I wish the game offered an option after a wipe to acknowledge, “You are basically screwed, but you can keep trying if you want,” allowing players to either end their game or desperately continue.
In a meta-sense, this highlights the futility of fighting an ever-growing horde of horrors with dwindling resources, but in a slow-paced, turn-based game, it is not as effective as it was in Halo: Reach.
The team at Red Hook has created something special with the Darkest Dungeon II Kingdoms DLC. While it utilizes the core experience in a familiar way, it feels distinctly different from both the base game and its predecessor. As Bourassa explains, “We really value subversion, all the way down to the core mechanics of DD1, so taking players by surprise is my favourite thing,” adding, “and ultimately Kingdoms is a grand extension of that philosophy.”
The added sense of style, challenge and strategy makes this mode something fans of Darkest Dungeon I and II will enjoy. As Bourassa concluded, “We are trying to play with wonderment and surprise a little bit and deliver something unexpected, hopefully creating the sense of vulnerability and excitement you can only get when you open something for the first time.”
