In this post, I’m taking you through my first look at Graveyard Keeper 2, starting with the demo and going through the early parts of the game. If you are just getting started, this should give you a good idea of what you will be doing first and where the story takes you.
I started with the demo, and one thing worth knowing is that the developers told me the progress you make in the demo will carry over when you get the full version of the game. So, you can jump into the demo, start playing, and continue from there when the full release arrives.
I played the first Graveyard Keeper a long time ago and really enjoyed it, so I was interested to see how this second game begins. There are some familiar ideas here, but the opening takes us through a different story, with a talking skull, zombies, an abandoned Inquisitor base, and eventually our first proper graveyard.
So, if you are starting Graveyard Keeper 2 and wondering what you should do first, we can go through the opening together. I’ll cover the escape from the dungeon, getting your first tools, reaching the town, finding a place to stay, dealing with the first body, and getting your new graveyard started.
Graveyard Keeper 2 Beginner Guide – Unlocking Technologies
The game starts with our character chained up in a dungeon. We have no real idea where we are or what is going on, and then we meet a mysterious character called Soul.
Soul tells us that it took us eight years to ruin the world and that it is now our destiny to save it. That sounds like a pretty big job when you have only just woken up chained to a wall.
Soul manages to break one of the chains, but there is not enough faith left in the world to break the second one. Things get a little more complicated from there, and eventually we are left to figure out how to get ourselves free.
After pulling at the chains for a while, we finally manage to escape.
But we are not alone.
Meeting Larry the Talking Skull
Once you are free, you meet one of the characters who quickly becomes your companion, Larry.
Larry is a talking skull who has apparently been your roommate for nearly a decade. He explains that you have spent most of that time either being tortured or being unconscious, so you never really had the opportunity to talk to him.
I really like the voiceovers between the characters here. Larry has a sarcastic personality, and a lot of the early conversations are built around him making comments about the situation.
Larry also explains that the Inquisitors packed up and left, which gives us a chance to finally escape the dungeon.
Keep pulling on the remaining chain and you will eventually break free. Larry then asks you to get him out of his sarcophagus too.
Once both of you are free, you can start moving around and learning the basic controls.
Understanding Energy and Insanity
At the top-left of the screen, you will see your energy and insanity.
Energy is used for different actions around the world. Things like gathering resources, cutting down trees, mining and crafting will use energy.
If you run low, you can use food and other consumables to restore some of it. Sleeping will also restore your energy, so you will want to keep an eye on how much energy you have before starting bigger jobs.
You will also see your insanity level. This is another part of the early game that you will need to pay attention to.
For now, mushrooms are one of the easiest things to pick up for food. They do not restore a huge amount of energy, but they are useful when you are just starting out and do not have many food options.
Collecting Your First Resources
After escaping, grab the first pickaxe and start collecting whatever resources you can find.
You will come across mushrooms, berries, steel and other materials while exploring. I recommend picking up anything useful that you see because you are going to need plenty of basic resources as you start rebuilding your new home.
The game also starts introducing different types of points and resources. You will eventually use these for your technology tree and character progression.
At this stage, do not worry too much if you do not understand every point immediately. You will get more familiar with them as you unlock more activities.
Finding the Note and Getting the Keys
As you explore the area, you will eventually come across a note.
The note explains that things started going badly after the mortal prisoner arrived. The writer mentions that the scouting parties never returned and that they planned to try reaching the outskirts of the city.
More importantly, the note tells us about a hidden stash containing some useful items.
Inside the stash, you can find:
- A royal signet
- An Inquisitor’s medallion
- A rusty key
The rusty key is what we need to open the locked door and continue our escape.
Larry, of course, is still following along and reminding us that we should try to look natural.
That is slightly difficult when you have a floating talking skull following you around.
Exploring the Abandoned Town
Once we get outside, we make our way into the town.
The town looks very different from what you might expect. It is almost completely deserted, and many of the houses are run down.
There are no people around, which immediately makes the place feel strange.
Larry suggests that we stay out of sight and avoid the palace because there are still guards around. We do not really know what happened to the town yet, so keeping a low profile seems like the best idea.
As you move through the area, you will find barricades blocking some paths. There are also zombies wandering around, so you definitely do not want to get too close to them without knowing what you are doing.
One of the zombies even tries to talk to us, although we cannot really understand what he is saying.
For now, follow the path around the barricades and continue looking for a way through the town.
Finding Somewhere to Sleep
Eventually, it starts getting dark, and we need somewhere to stay.
You can find a building with a working door that gives us a temporary place to sleep. There is even some cheese inside and, more importantly, a bed.
It is not exactly a five-star hotel, but after spending years inside an Inquisitor dungeon, it is definitely an improvement.
You can use the bed to restore your energy.
I would recommend taking advantage of the bed whenever your energy is getting low. There is not much point in wandering around with almost no energy when you can sleep and start the next part of the day with a full bar.
Larry stays nearby while you sleep, although he does point out that being a skull means he does not really need to sleep.
Learning What Happened to the Keeper
While resting, we finally get more information about our character.
The story explains that the Keeper originally came from another world. It started as an ordinary Friday, with the character returning home after work to someone special.
Then everything changed.
A mysterious man with a red eye appeared and talked about a new chapter in the character’s life. He created a clone and split the character in two.
After that, our character ended up at the Inquisitor’s headquarters, where they were accused of witchcraft and locked inside a dungeon.
This is an important part of the opening because the story is different from the first Graveyard Keeper. We are essentially following the other half of the character here.
The Keeper also explains that although he could not die inside the dungeon, the experience was still incredibly painful and may have affected his mind.
Larry reassures him and tells him to get some sleep.
Escaping Through the Sewers
The peaceful night does not last very long.
Something appears on the roof, and suddenly we need to move.
A character tells us to follow them if we want to live, and we are quickly sent toward the sewer route.
You need to demolish the outhouse to get into the sewers. Once inside, you will see just how many zombies are around the infected part of town.
This section is mostly about moving quickly and avoiding the zombies.
Keep following the route and eventually you will reach a safer part of the town where the guards are still holding their position.
Getting Mistaken for an Inquisitor
Once we reach the guards, they immediately start questioning us.
They found us wandering around the infected part of town with Larry and a bag containing some very suspicious items.
The royal signet and Inquisitor’s medallion make things even more interesting.
The guards assume that we might actually be an Inquisitor.
We do not exactly correct them.
A new wave of zombies is approaching, so the guards need all the help they can get. They decide that if we can hold a weapon, that is enough for now.
There is just one small problem.
We do not have armor or a sword.
Getting Your First Armor and Sword
The guards send us to the workshop to get equipped.
This is where Graveyard Keeper 2 starts showing more of its crafting and production systems.
You can use the workshop to create the equipment you need. The game introduces conveyor belts and a semi-automatic workbench, allowing resources to be moved toward the workbench and equipment to be produced.
For the early armor, you need iron and iron parts.
Once the armor is finished, equip it and then grab your sword.
The armor immediately changes the way your character looks, and the guards are even more convinced that you are an Inquisitor.
Joining the Fight
The guards need some motivation, so you are asked to help lead the soldiers.
You are given a banner and told to take your group toward the right flank.
Once you reach the correct area, you can use the space bar to attack.
The zombies start coming toward you, and the soldiers begin fighting alongside you.
There is also a rather confident character who arrives claiming that he has come to save everyone. Unfortunately, he spends more time talking than fighting.
He does not last very long.
The battle gives the group enough time to make a run for the gates.
Getting Into the Village
The problem is that the village gates are closed.
We try to convince the villagers to open them, but they refuse because the village chief has told them not to.
Eventually, Larry suggests showing the Inquisitor’s medallion.
That works.
The villagers see the medallion and immediately become much more interested in letting us inside.
We make it through the gates just before the zombies can reach us.
It is a close call, but at least we are finally somewhere safer.
Getting the Inquisitor Base
After reaching the village, we learn that there is an abandoned Inquisitor base to the west.
The guards tell us that we can use the place because we are supposedly an Inquisitor.
There is another important conversation here where the guard admits that he knows we are not really an Inquisitor.
He does not seem to care.
The important thing is that we might still be useful.
We are given our first major job: bury the fallen bodies on this side of the gate.
This is where the actual Graveyard Keeper gameplay begins to open up.
Finding Your New Graveyard
We are told to find a suitable place for a graveyard at the abandoned Inquisitor base.
The base is a huge area, and there is plenty of room to build.
You can clear trees, collect wood and sticks, remove obstacles and start preparing the area for future buildings.
There are already some empty graves around the property, along with areas that look like they can eventually become important buildings.
There is also a large area that appears suitable for a morgue.
The whole place is run down, but it gives us somewhere to live and plenty of space to expand.
Exploring the Inquisitor Base
Once you start exploring your new property, you will find several useful resources.
There are trees that you can cut down for wood and sticks, berries and mushrooms scattered around, a river nearby and even a place where you should eventually be able to fish.
You can also find clay deposits and other materials around the property.
There are some areas that you cannot access yet, including locked doors that require specific items or combinations.
One of the locked areas requires the Inquisitor’s medallion, so keep important items rather than throwing them away.
There is also a chest containing useful supplies and another copy of the note we found earlier.
Setting Up Your New Home
The abandoned base is not exactly clean.
Inside, everything is dusty and needs some work, but it is still much better than the dungeon.
There is a bedroom with a bed, storage areas and what looks like it will eventually become your kitchen.
For now, this is basically our new home.
You can place Larry near the bed, although he has already made it clear that he does not enjoy sitting inside a dark bag.
You can also find items such as beer in storage. Some consumables can affect your insanity, so make sure you check what each item does before using it.
Unlocking Technologies
As you collect resources and perform different actions, you will start earning points that can be spent in the technology tree.
The technology system is divided into different areas, including things related to woodworking, crafting, farming, building and working with dead bodies.
You will need different types of points to unlock different technologies.
Early on, one of the things you will want to work toward is improving your ability to cut down trees and process wood.
The game also introduces inspirations and talents. These can be earned by performing different activities and then spent on perks or improving your talents.
For example, cutting down trees, collecting berries, collecting mushrooms and crafting items can all contribute toward your progression.
Gathering Wood and Other Materials
You will spend quite a bit of time clearing the property.
Some trees are too large to cut down immediately, so do not worry if you cannot remove everything at once.
When you cut down trees, you can push the logs into a line and then move them toward your storage area. This makes collecting a larger number of logs much easier.
You will also want to gather stone, clay, mushrooms, berries and other basic materials.
Keep an eye on your energy while doing this.
If your energy gets low, eat some of the mushrooms or berries you have collected, or head back to your bed and sleep.
Meeting the Donkey
You will also meet the donkey who brings you your first dead body.
The donkey has a surprisingly advanced vocabulary and is not exactly thrilled about his job.
He considers himself a respectable magical animal, but apparently his main responsibility is carrying dead bodies.
Once he delivers the body, Larry tells you to take it inside the morgue.
This is where you start learning the basic corpse and autopsy systems.
Using the Morgue
Take the body to the autopsy table.
The game explains that you can extract organs from corpses and that the organs you remove can affect the body’s overall quality.
There are good and bad body points, and your goal is eventually to learn how to perform autopsies properly without making mistakes.
Some organs require a higher autopsy skill before you can remove them safely.
The basic idea is to inspect the body, choose what you want to remove and try to avoid making a surgeon’s error.
For Graveyard Keeper gameplay, this is going to become one of the most important systems because the quality of the bodies you bury affects your graveyard.
Burying Your First Body
After the autopsy, take the body to the graveyard.
You need to create a grave using a grave blueprint, dig the hole with your shovel and then place the corpse inside.
After that, place a sign on the grave.
The first simple grave does not give you much prestige, but it gets the job done.
As you progress, you can unlock better headstones, fences and other graveyard improvements.
The goal is eventually to build a much better graveyard with higher-quality graves.
Once the body is buried, you receive a burial certificate.
Completing the First Burial Quest
Take the burial certificate back to the head of the guards.
The quest system also starts becoming more important at this point.
Quests can have multiple stages, and you can check the quest information whenever you need to know what you should do next.
One of the early objectives is to figure out how to summon Soul again.
The map also becomes available, showing important locations such as the Inquisition base, the morgue and the town square.
From here, you can start working through the different objectives and gradually unlock more of the world.
Crafting Your First Items
There are several basic crafting stations around your new base.
You can build things such as a saw horse and use workbenches to create wooden materials.
Some workbenches require ingredients and energy when you craft something, while others can automatically produce items over time when they have the required fuel.
This is where the base starts feeling more like your own working area.
You will slowly clear the property, build new stations and improve the facilities around the graveyard and morgue.
That is basically where my first look at Graveyard Keeper 2 leaves off. We have escaped the dungeon, met Larry, survived the infected town, accidentally passed ourselves off as an Inquisitor, fought zombies and finally found an abandoned Inquisitor base to call home.
We have also started the actual graveyard-keeping side of the game by dealing with our first body, performing an autopsy and creating our first grave.
There is still a lot to build and clean up around the base. We need better tools, more resources, more technologies and a much better graveyard.
For a first look, though, I think this gives us a pretty good start. If you are playing the demo yourself, you can follow the same basic route and gradually work through the quests while collecting resources and improving the base.