Darkest Dungeon 2 Update Enhances Its Kingdoms Mode with Intense Strategy Gameplay

Darkest Dungeon 2 has always been known for its intense and challenging gameplay, but with the addition of the Kingdoms mode, players are in for a whole new experience. Imagine the core elements of DD2 being mixed with a tabletop strategy game—this mode takes its gritty turn-based combat and visually dark aesthetic into fresh territory. Red Hook, the game’s developer, had promised more content updates, known as ‘modules,’ for Kingdoms, and they’ve delivered on that promise with their second expansion, Secrets of the Coven, now available.

If you’re not familiar with Darkest Dungeon 2’s Kingdoms mode, here’s a quick rundown. It’s like a strategy board game where each session unfolds on a series of tiled paths. Your mission is to prevent an evil force from conquering the land by navigating through these tiles to confront the final boss. Of course, enemy soldiers and followers will try to block your path, and you’ll have a limited number of ‘days’ to track down and defeat their leader.

Scattered across the game board are inns, which serve as safe havens for you to rest and recuperate. But beware! If you don’t defend these inns sufficiently, they can be overtaken by enemy forces. Depending on how tough you like your gameplay, losing a certain number of these inns can end your run. When you encounter battles, expect challenges similar to the original Darkest Dungeon 2—utilizing strategic team compositions and turn-based combat to succeed.

The first expansion for Kingdoms, Hunger of the Beast Clan, set the tone with its gritty vibes, but this latest update taps into themes of witchcraft. “Secrets of the Coven brings a whole new challenge as you face off against sinister witches,” Red Hook explains. The mysterious threads of witchcraft are unraveling the Kingdom, and it’s up to you to trace their clues and dismantle this secretive coven before their dark magic takes over!

In addition to introducing new enemies and stories in Kingdoms, some great quality of life improvements have been integrated as well. Now, at any inn you stop by, you’ll be able to store at least three items, with options to upgrade and increase your stash. For all you hoarders, now you can sell items back to vendors at a reduced price. Plus, a new help tool has been added to guide you in choosing balanced and effective team setups.

But that’s not all! Alongside the free Secrets of the Coven update, there’s also the premium The Binding Blade DLC now available, which adds two more characters for you to play with—the Duelist and the Crusader.

Secrets of the Coven, the latest update for Darkest Dungeon 2’s Kingdoms mode, is live right now. If you’ve been holding off on trying Darkest Dungeon 2, now might be the perfect time since it’s 50% off until Monday, April 21. Don’t miss out!

Not sure if Darkest Dungeon 2 is your style? No worries—have a look at our picks for the best roguelikes and RPGs available for PC right now.

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