Graveyard Keeper

Graveyard Keeper — A Weird, Dark, Hilarious Masterpiece That Could Have Been Even Better Rating: 9/10 I honestly didn't expect Graveyard Keeper to become a game I'd put well over a hundred hours into, but here we are. What looks like a simple medieval graveyard management game turns into so much more: farming, crafting, exploration, alchemy, fishing, cooking, church management, business, mysteries, bizarre characters, and surprisingly deep lore. Somehow, the game makes running a graveyard genuinely fun. One of the biggest things I love about Graveyard Keeper is its personality. The pixel-art style is fantastic, and the world has this dark medieval atmosphere while never taking itself too seriously. The Village, Graveyard, Swamp, Quarry, Morgue, and surrounding areas all feel memorable, and the humor fits the world perfectly. You're managing a cemetery while worrying about carrots, running questionable businesses, dealing with talking skulls, zombies, witches, the Inquisition, and mysterious gods. 😂 The game is weird, ridiculous, and surprisingly charming, and that's a huge part of why I kept coming back. The characters and quests are another major highlight. I love that the NPCs actually have their own stories rather than just existing to give you random objectives. Gerry is obviously one of my favorites, but characters like the Astrologer, Snake, Ms. Charm, the Merchant, and the Inquisitor all help make the world feel alive. The DLCs added even more to this, especially Stranger Sins, which made the world feel like it had a much deeper history than what we initially see. After completing all three DLCs and seeing the additional ending, I was left with even more questions about the world and its lore, which I really enjoyed. also love how the game doesn't explain everything immediately. There are places, characters, and mysteries that make you wonder what's actually going on. The Town is probably the biggest example. For most of the game, it feels like there's an entire world just beyond what we're allowed to explore, and now that Graveyard Keeper 2 is finally opening up the Town and its surrounding areas, I think that was some really clever world-building in the original. Of course, Graveyard Keeper isn't perfect. The biggest problem for me is the grinding. Sometimes gathering resources and unlocking new technologies feels rewarding, but other times it feels like the game is simply slowing you down. The technology tree can also become overwhelming, and quest progression can occasionally be confusing. There were definitely moments where I knew what I needed to accomplish but had no idea how the game expected me to do it. I enjoy figuring things out, but the game could have given players a few more clues without making everything obvious. Travel can also become tedious after you've played for a long time. The Teleportstone helps a lot, but there is still quite a bit of walking back and forth between locations. There's a difference between making a world feel large and making the player repeatedly travel the same path. That's why I'm really excited for Graveyard Keeper 2. I hope the sequel keeps everything that made the original special while polishing the rough edges. I don't want all the grinding removed, because progression and resource management are part of what makes Graveyard Keeper enjoyable, but I'd love more automation and ways to make repetitive tasks less tedious. Better quest guidance would also be great—not giant quest markers everywhere, just better clues so players can figure things out without becoming completely lost. I'd also love to see the graveyard itself become more important. It's Graveyard Keeper, after all! Give us more customization, meaningful upgrades, reasons for NPCs to visit, and more ways for the graveyard to actually feel like our graveyard instead of just another production system. Most importantly, I hope the sequel keeps the original's personality. I know GK2 is moving into 3D, but I hope it keeps the same humor, atmosphere, charm, and visual identity. Better graphics are great, but art direction matters more than graphical fidelity, and the original proves that. After completing the main game, all three DLCs, the additional ending, and eventually reaching 125/125 achievements, I can confidently say that Graveyard Keeper isn't just a game I enjoyed—it's a game I'm genuinely going to remember. It's funny, weird, charming, occasionally frustrating, grindy, sometimes confusing, and absolutely full of personality. The original isn't perfect, but that's okay. What I want from Graveyard Keeper 2 is simple: Keep the humor. Keep the strange characters. Keep the mystery. Keep the ridiculous medieval capitalism. Keep the soul of Graveyard Keeper. Just polish the rough edges, improve the quest design, reduce unnecessary grinding, make the world feel more alive, and give players even more freedom. Graveyard Keeper 9/10. A wonderfully strange, hilarious, charming, occasionally frustrating, and unforgettable game. Now I'm ready for the next chapter.