PLATFORM: Switch 2 PLAY TIME: 7h 25m
After playing, and genuinely enjoying, the first Dungeons of Dreadrock late last year, the sequel has been sitting patiently on my “I’ll get to it soon” list. Turns out, it was worth the wait.
The Dead King’s Secret sticks closely to what made the original work so well: tight, room-based puzzle design wrapped in a simple but effective dungeon-crawling format. It’s the sort of game that feels easy to pick up for ten minutes… and then suddenly you’ve lost an entire evening to “just one more room”.
I clocked in at just under 7.5 hours by the time I reached the end, which felt about right. It never outstays its welcome, but there’s enough here to keep your brain ticking over the whole way through. The pacing is especially strong, new mechanics are introduced steadily, and just as you feel comfortable, the game finds a way to twist them into something new.
The new monsters are a highlight. They don’t just exist as obstacles; they actively reshape how you approach each puzzle. Some demand timing, others force you to think several moves ahead, and a few exist purely to make you question whether you’ve understood the room at all. It keeps things fresh without overcomplicating the core formula.
Puzzle-wise, it hits a nice balance. Most rooms feel fair, even when they’re challenging. When you get stuck, it’s rarely because the game is being obscure, it’s because you’ve missed something hiding in plain sight. That “aha” moment when it clicks is still very much intact from the first game, and it’s just as satisfying here.
If I had a criticism, it’s that it plays things quite safe. If you were hoping for a dramatic evolution from the first game, this isn’t that. It’s more refinement than reinvention. Whether that’s a downside depends on what you’re after personally, I was happy to have more of what worked, but some might want bigger risks or new systems.
Overall, The Dead King’s Secret feels like a confident sequel. It builds on the foundation of the first game without losing sight of what made it enjoyable in the first place. If you liked the original, this is an easy recommendation. If you didn’t, there’s probably not enough here to change your mind.
A solid, clever puzzle game that knows exactly what it is and doesn’t waste your time trying to be anything else.
Descend into a mysterious dungeon filled with handcrafted puzzles, dangerous monsters, and hidden secrets. In this sequel, each level is a self-contained challenge that blends logic, timing, and clever observation as you uncover the truth behind the Dead King’s legacy. With a story woven through its puzzle design, the game delivers a focused, atmospheric adventure where every move matters.
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