Short answer
Reviews are positive but split on one point: the grind. On September 23, 2026 OpenCritic listed a Top Critic Average of 83 with 76% of 17 critics recommending it ("Strong"), and Steam showed Very Positive — 88% of 1,144 user reviews. Critics who enjoy layered crafting loved it; those who wanted less busywork scored it lower.
Graveyard Keeper 2 promotional artwork
View full-size image ↗Official promotional artwork · © Lazy Bear Games / tinyBuild · Official media kit · Material credits
The scores at a glance
OpenCritic: Top Critic Average 83, 76% of critics recommend, 17 reviews, rated Strong (checked September 23, 2026).
Steam: Very Positive, 88% of 1,144 user reviews positive on the same day.
Both numbers are still moving in launch week, so expect small shifts as more reviews arrive.
What reviewers praised
DualShockers (8.5/10) called it "a fantastic sequel that delivers in almost every way" and singled out the overarching story.
GameSpew (8/10) praised the voice cast and its range of regional UK accents, and the way the crafting systems feed into one another.
Netto's Game Room (4/5) said to "absolutely pick up Graveyard Keeper 2", and CrazyGameCommunity (7.5/10) described "a solid, ambitious, and honest sequel".
Town combat from the official media kit, one of the new systems reviewers discuss. Not taken from any review.
View full-size image ↗Official promotional screenshot · © Lazy Bear Games / tinyBuild · Official media kit · Material credits
What reviewers criticised
Shacknews (7/10) found it deliberately tedious, with simple goals buried under chains of prerequisites, and summed it up as a game for people who enjoy spreadsheets and min-maxing.
GameSpew also warned it can feel grindy and overwhelming early on, and that the tutorials could explain more.
Steam Deck HQ flagged unskippable, non-pausable cutscenes and a limited save system alongside its performance notes.
Steam Deck performance
Steam Deck HQ measured roughly 30–50 FPS and recommends a 30 FPS cap, Low graphics and a 96Hz refresh rate.
With that lock they saw an 11–14W power draw and about four hours of battery on a Steam Deck OLED.
Their verdict: playable, but the optimisation needs work.
Should you buy it?
If you liked the first game's loop of gather, craft and automate, the reviews suggest the sequel is a clear step up, with a bigger world, a voiced story and zombie automation.
If the original's grind put you off, the Shacknews review is the one to read first — the sequel reduces grinding but does not remove it.
The free demo covers the opening hours and its save carries into the full game on the same platform, so it is the cheapest way to decide.
