Deal | "Finally be the bad guy again": Strategy classic drops below $1 on Steam for the first time

Dungeon Keeper 2 turns the classic fantasy role on its head: instead of saving the world as a hero, you build your own underground realm as a dark ruler. Released in 1999 by Bullfrog and EA, the title is considered an icon among base-building games and has also been available on Steam since 2024. According to SteamDB, the current 80% discount has now brought the price below $1 for the first time.

A PDF of GameStar’s German cover story on Dungeon Keeper 2 from 1999 can still be found online. “Finally be the bad guy again” was the headline Gunnar Lott used in his review verdict. This shift in perspective to the side of the villains is what makes the title stand out. Beyond that, it is a fairly conventional strategy game.

With the help of your imps – small demonic workers – you excavate a branching dungeon, build rooms such as treasure chambers, training areas and torture chambers and attract increasingly powerful creatures. At the same time, you have to secure resources, keep an eye on your monsters’ morale and defend yourself against invading heroes. Those who want to can also step into the action directly and control individual creatures from a first-person perspective.

The retro classic is still well received by players today. The Steam version, released in 2024, has 92% positive feedback from around 1,200 reviews. Some players, however, would have liked a remaster, especially because the game does not always run smoothly on Steam. Players report occasional crashes and issues with the Steam overlay. Compatibility with the Steam Deck is listed as “Playable.” However, Dungeon Keeper 2 is designed for mouse and keyboard, so controls on the handheld are likely to feel cumbersome.

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