90
A worthy sequel to an indie pioneer that delivers countless surprises in a refined package. Not for the easily frustrated, perhaps, but essential for everyone else. [Issue#181, p.87]
60
Spelunky 2 is a divisive game. A masterpiece for those who swear by the reward at the end of their suffering, it will be painful and boring for those who want a fulfilling and contemporary experience. Even more difficult than the first game, it is undoubtedly frustrating because of its lack of pedagogy and progressiveness. Even for a game that wants to be difficult, the shock will be rough from the beginning.
90
Spelunky 2 takes the baton from Spelunky 1 and hits its stride immediately. Jumping into the caverns, whipping bats, chucking rocks, and smashing pots is just as fun and challenging 8 years later. Mossmouth has kept true to its original vision in a way that will satisfy fans, but packaged enough new content to ensure things don't feel like a rehash. As a result, Spelunky 2 isn't attempting to convert any who weren't fans of the first game. The game has a very specific approach and will not be for everyone, but those who adored the first game are guaranteed to feel the same about its sequel. At a time when gamers are less inclined to take risks with their purchases, Spelunky 2 offers the comfort of the familiar.
9
Spelunky 2 has got to be one of the most unique games I have ever played. People who don't like the game will tell you that their deaths are "cheap", but in this game, there is practically no situation that you can't get out of unscathed. You just have to die enough to that situation to know all the things not to do, so hypothetically you will never die to it again. Therefore, every single death, is not because the games bad, It's entirely your fault.
This game is a cruel parent, but an effective teacher,
Highly recommend.
10
A masterpiece of procedural game design and one of, if not THE best, action roguelikes in the world. Spelunky 2 is superficially charming and simple, but hides gruelling difficulty just beneath the surface. A player's journey over the hurdles of Spelunky 2 is fraught with early peril and failure, but cumulative knowledge, expertise, and smart decisions crystallised over hundreds of playthroughs transforms it into something that simply cannot be put down. The pure simplicity of Spelunky 2 nails it in place. The tutorial can be beaten in under a minute. Movement is erratic and quick, especially during troubled moments of gameplay. Bombs and ropes present solutions not only to ease platforming, but also to overcome enemies and traps, the majority of which are injected with splendid personality from a perspective of design and gameplay. Spelunky 2's progression is based on knowledge; it offers a sliver of metaprogression through 'tunnels' which grant access to later levels from the hub, but this is neither the most efficient nor enjoyable way to play the game. By starting from the beginning every time, a player can rack up gold and items early on which grants them a better overall chance of surviving the run. It can be tempting to call Spelunky 2 'cheap', but once a player has a good grip on the game, this temptation begins to dwindle until it vanishes entirely. A first-time player may feel exhilarated when they reach Olmec for the first time. After a hundred or so playthroughs, they might feel frustrated if they don't effortlessly defeat him. Spelunky's early game quickly becomes a comfortable ritual marked by the occasional rarity, which only serves to accelerate the inevitable, sweaty terror which develops as soon as one reaches Neo Babylon. Spelunky 2 contains a plethora of traps, enemies, and unfortunate situations which can lead to instant death. This injects the game with a degree of uncertainty; it demands the player's full attention span at any time. Over the course of a standard 20-30 minute playthrough, this can cause a phenomenal flow state to emerge in which the player becomes hyper-aware of every danger in their vicinity, a sensation which becomes necessary to guarantee survival in the game's lethal later levels. Thanks to a variety of progressional 'choke points', Spelunky 2 provides entertainment to gamers of all skill levels. Beating Tiamat is enough for some people. For others, the game is not over until they have vanquished Hundun. Thrill-seekers can comb the game for its variety of secret levels, or attempt to reach the final horizon of the Cosmic Ocean - and even fewer will attempt to clear the whole thing. My personal tolerance was the space right before reaching the Cosmic Ocean, but the dream of one day achieving that goal compels me to open the game whenever it crosses my mind. All of this and more can be said about the game without drawing attention to its wonderfully bizarre yet completely fair procedural generation, which somehow manages to provide the player with a guaranteed road to victory in 99 out of every 100 runs. Alternate paths and the aforementioned secret levels prevent the loop from becoming stale even with the game's natural freshness in mind. Bundled with exceptional artwork, sound design, and music, Spelunky 2 is truly a masterpiece of the roguelike and platforming genres. It is a game that can not be easily forgotten; so simple a child could play it, and yet so compelling and nail-bitingly difficult that it could satisfy the palates of the most experienced gamers. It is a work of ceaseless artistry.
10
A Masterclass of difficulty. Spelunky 2 throws you in an awesome world and has you explore it without holding your hand even a little bit.
Spelunky 2
Released On:
Sep 15, 2020
Metascore
Generally Favorable
87
User score
Generally Favorable
8.0
My Score
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
87
95% Positive
39 Reviews
39 Reviews
5% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Sep 14, 2020
100
A thunderous sequel that surpasses its already incredible predecessor in every way that counts, Spelunky 2 is the ultimate roguelike and ruthlessly inventive platformer that never stops surprising and delighting those who pick up the controller. There are perhaps far fewer better ways to close out a console generation than this.
Oct 14, 2020
90
Spelunky 2 takes the baton from Spelunky 1 and hits its stride immediately. Jumping into the caverns, whipping bats, chucking rocks, and smashing pots is just as fun and challenging 8 years later. Mossmouth has kept true to its original vision in a way that will satisfy fans, but packaged enough new content to ensure things don't feel like a rehash. As a result, Spelunky 2 isn't attempting to convert any who weren't fans of the first game. The game has a very specific approach and will not be for everyone, but those who adored the first game are guaranteed to feel the same about its sequel. At a time when gamers are less inclined to take risks with their purchases, Spelunky 2 offers the comfort of the familiar.
User score
Generally Favorable
8.0
73% Positive
127 Ratings
127 Ratings
18% Mixed
31 Ratings
31 Ratings
9% Negative
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
Jun 21, 2026
10
A masterpiece of procedural game design and one of, if not THE best, action roguelikes in the world. Spelunky 2 is superficially charming and simple, but hides gruelling difficulty just beneath the surface. A player's journey over the hurdles of Spelunky 2 is fraught with early peril and failure, but cumulative knowledge, expertise, and smart decisions crystallised over hundreds of playthroughs transforms it into something that simply cannot be put down. The pure simplicity of Spelunky 2 nails it in place. The tutorial can be beaten in under a minute. Movement is erratic and quick, especially during troubled moments of gameplay. Bombs and ropes present solutions not only to ease platforming, but also to overcome enemies and traps, the majority of which are injected with splendid personality from a perspective of design and gameplay. Spelunky 2's progression is based on knowledge; it offers a sliver of metaprogression through 'tunnels' which grant access to later levels from the hub, but this is neither the most efficient nor enjoyable way to play the game. By starting from the beginning every time, a player can rack up gold and items early on which grants them a better overall chance of surviving the run. It can be tempting to call Spelunky 2 'cheap', but once a player has a good grip on the game, this temptation begins to dwindle until it vanishes entirely. A first-time player may feel exhilarated when they reach Olmec for the first time. After a hundred or so playthroughs, they might feel frustrated if they don't effortlessly defeat him. Spelunky's early game quickly becomes a comfortable ritual marked by the occasional rarity, which only serves to accelerate the inevitable, sweaty terror which develops as soon as one reaches Neo Babylon. Spelunky 2 contains a plethora of traps, enemies, and unfortunate situations which can lead to instant death. This injects the game with a degree of uncertainty; it demands the player's full attention span at any time. Over the course of a standard 20-30 minute playthrough, this can cause a phenomenal flow state to emerge in which the player becomes hyper-aware of every danger in their vicinity, a sensation which becomes necessary to guarantee survival in the game's lethal later levels. Thanks to a variety of progressional 'choke points', Spelunky 2 provides entertainment to gamers of all skill levels. Beating Tiamat is enough for some people. For others, the game is not over until they have vanquished Hundun. Thrill-seekers can comb the game for its variety of secret levels, or attempt to reach the final horizon of the Cosmic Ocean - and even fewer will attempt to clear the whole thing. My personal tolerance was the space right before reaching the Cosmic Ocean, but the dream of one day achieving that goal compels me to open the game whenever it crosses my mind. All of this and more can be said about the game without drawing attention to its wonderfully bizarre yet completely fair procedural generation, which somehow manages to provide the player with a guaranteed road to victory in 99 out of every 100 runs. Alternate paths and the aforementioned secret levels prevent the loop from becoming stale even with the game's natural freshness in mind. Bundled with exceptional artwork, sound design, and music, Spelunky 2 is truly a masterpiece of the roguelike and platforming genres. It is a game that can not be easily forgotten; so simple a child could play it, and yet so compelling and nail-bitingly difficult that it could satisfy the palates of the most experienced gamers. It is a work of ceaseless artistry.
Jun 2, 2026
10
A Masterclass of difficulty. Spelunky 2 throws you in an awesome world and has you explore it without holding your hand even a little bit.
Sep 23, 2020
90
Spelunky 2 offers a challenging, but rewarding experience. With so many new levels, items, and enemies, there's no shortage of exploration and mystery. It expands upon the addicting gameplay of the first game and offers an entirely unique experience each time you play.
Sep 18, 2020
90
Spelunky 2 is more of Spelunky, and that is all it needs to be. It is still ridiculously enjoyable, packed with content, and the right mix of challenging and engaging. It's still going to kill you a half-dozen times, too. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it revitalizes an experience that risked going stale after a decade. The only downside is that the online experience isn't the best, but the rest of the game holds up great. If you liked Spelunky, then you'll like Spelunky 2, and if you never played the original, then Spelunky 2 is a great place to start. Just remember to always look before you leap.
Sep 22, 2020
80
Simplicity and challenges are key components of the game, and they’re executed almost perfectly here in an accessible and skillful way. Spelunky 2 certainly won’t be for everyone, but for those who stick with it to see what it has to offer, the payoff is worth the investment.
Nov 4, 2020
60
Spelunky 2 is a divisive game. A masterpiece for those who swear by the reward at the end of their suffering, it will be painful and boring for those who want a fulfilling and contemporary experience. Even more difficult than the first game, it is undoubtedly frustrating because of its lack of pedagogy and progressiveness. Even for a game that wants to be difficult, the shock will be rough from the beginning.
Nov 18, 2025
10
i have no clue how to rate this game, i have gone from hating it to loving it in minutes multiple times. It is a bit annoying how you might not get any progress even after playing for 10 hours but when you set a small little step it feels sooooooooo rewarding dude it's insane.
Sep 29, 2020
7
It's good, certainly, but the first area is very similar to Spelunky, except much more difficult. This makes the early game feel redundant and exhausting. I think I played the original Spelunky too much to really enjoy this. I'll change this review if I make it to the later areas, but frankly I don't think I ever will.
Nov 11, 2020
6
I'm an not a hardcore gamer, that's true but i would really like to love Spelunky 2. It reminds me of Ricky Dangerous back the old days of Amiga. Anyway, it is very difficult and it annoys me the fact that you cannot save your progress and you have to go back to the start even you somehow reached 2nd, 3rd stage or further in the game. You will want eventually to use hacks to go on....
Jan 26, 2025
0
This game had the potential to provide a rewarding, challenging and fun experience. Instead it loves throwing stun locks and one shot kills in your face. Punishing mechanics aren't necessarily a flaw, but the way they've been implemented here make the experience very frustrating. Some of the traps are also quite cheap, since some of them can trigger when they aren't fully on screen. The randomness is something that makes this game very unique even amongst other rogue-likes. Sometimes it results in you getting powerful items early on, other times it sends off screen objects hurdling towards you through no fault of your own. The game definitely needed a bit more time in the oven to iron out any balancing issues. But based on what the developers have said, it seems like they don't see cheap deaths as problem. Its just "a part of the game". If there's one thing that's clear, the game really doesn't respect or care about your time
Mar 11, 2022
0
The software lacks any save, checkpoint or level codes (as were implemented on 1980s NES games that lacked the technology to store saves) as such you basically have to replay the same first few levels endlessly. I suspect the designers put some effort into the later levels but decided they do not want players to ever see them. This design is the equivalent of taking the script for "A Few Good Men" and instead making 19 seasons of NCIS and airing them in no particular order. Many TV viewers are happy to watch the same story over and over but they would not be happy if they went to a movie theatre and were shown a random sampling of NCIS episodes until they walked out.
Even Mega Man (released in 1987) allowed you to replay levels until you turned your system off, by Mega Man 2 codes were provided to restore progress. Mega Man has released many sequels and will continue to be enjoyed long after Spelunky is forgotten.
The online multiplayer has terrible latency, I assume this was done on purpose to make the game more difficult for the bizarre fans of this "genre".
The fans of this software certainly value feeling elite very highly and they would be very susceptible to a cult. This software contains interesting pieces that could have been used to make a game however the developers instead have made a challenge which could have been one possible game mode.
SummarySpelunky 2 builds upon the unique, randomized challenges that made the original a roguelike classic, offering a huge adventure designed to satisfy players old and new. Meet the next generation of explorers as they find themselves on the Moon, searching for treasure and missing family.
Rated Tfor Teen
