Kingdoms Development Notes

Welcome to Darkest Dungeon II: Kingdoms!

This release is the result of a year-long grand experiment.

In December 2023, we were brainstorming about what interesting things we could add to Darkest Dungeon II. While new heroes and regions are always well received, we were feeling that familiar itch we got when planning out Darkest Dungeon I expansions. Namely, what if we did something…different? Something unexpected or…uncommon.  Something that would challenge us as developers, and surprise our players.

This creative impulse is the same one that led us to make the enormous Crimson Court, the endless Color of Madness mode, and the out-of-nowhere multiplayer arena of The Butcher’s Circus. It’s just part of our creative DNA to want to try experimental things - no two Red Hook releases have ever been the same, and we’re quite proud of that! In this crowded game market, wonderment is the only commodity that trades, and that’s not just true for players, but for developers as well. When we are inspired by what we’re building, we believe you’ll be inspired playing it. As our discussions took shape, we hit on 3 powerful ideas.

#1: A Remix Album

We challenged ourselves to think about what we could do if we took all of the ingredients we had on hand with DDII and then added in some elements of DDI like persistent rosters and a larger self-contained campaign. In essence, we could remix our own game. “Who does that?” we mused.

What came out of this mental exercise was the core idea for Kingdoms: a board-game inspired strategy metagame that delivered a more persistent sense of space and time than the somewhat allegorical Confessions mode. Picking up the pieces of a ruined kingdom, defending it from attack - these were interesting concepts. Similar to a board game, we wanted to structure it with tons of replayability: multiple quests (the first of which launches Jan 27th), multiple maps, multiple customizable difficulty settings.

#2: It’s Free

We’ve been fortunate that our hard work has found an audience. How best, then, to deploy this risky creative endeavor? A paid DLC would delight most boardrooms, but we felt that ultimately our fortunes rise and fall based on engagement. Players playing.  Having fun and getting wrecked. The ultimate aim of game development.  So, we asked, what if we just…gave it away? Yes, we’ll be drawing down on our war chest significantly, but perhaps we’ll attract new players, wishlists will convert, and word of mouth will buoy our sales.  This approach felt more honest, more authentic, and more in line with what we hope Kingdoms elicits in our fans.

#3: And a DLC too, right? 

So if Kingdoms is free, how do we cover some of our costs? Another DLC, released alongside, that integrates into both modes and provides more variety and challenge, is of course the answer.  But damn if that’s not hard to develop in tandem! Our team proved up to the task, however, and we’re thrilled with the results.

“Inhuman Bondage” introduces an all new underground region (The Catacombs) and the return of one of DD1’s favorite heroes: The Abomination. One of the neatest parts of the DLC is that it adds content to both Confessions and Kingdoms game mode. Whichever one(s) you like, we have you covered. The existing Binding Blade DLC works similarly–the character content in there will work in Kingdoms, too.

We’ve spent over a decade working on Darkest Dungeon. We’ve delighted in our explorations and iterations, and we’re nowhere near done.  On January 27th we invite you to experience the results of our latest experiment. If you already own DDII, you’ll get Kingdoms for free. If you are new to Darkest Dungeon II, you will find a complete game bundle is on sale at a hefty discount. Inhuman Bondage is also available on its own, modestly priced. Your purchases directly enable us to keep making these games..

There has never been a better time to board the stagecoach.

–Chris Bourassa & Tyler Sigman, Red Hook Studios