Spelunky 2 arrives on PS4 and PC as a direct sequel to Spelunky, and it lands with a score of 9.1 out of 10 from critics. The game sends players underground and beyond, this time following the explorer’s daughter as she searches for her missing parents. Procedural generation returns, meaning no two runs look the same.
Trailer, via MossmouthGames.
The Explorer’s Daughter
The daughter of the original game’s explorer leads the roster this time. Players can also open up a wider cast of characters as they progress, each cosmetic but tied to the game’s sense of discovery. The controls remain tight: jumping, whipping, bombing and rope-throwing all carry over from the first game, sharpened rather than changed at the core.
Death comes fast and often. That is the point.
Caves, Ice, and the Moon
The cave systems expand outward from the original’s four worlds into new territory, including areas below water and the Moon itself. Traps, shopkeepers, and hostile creatures fill every level, and the game punishes carelessness without mercy. Below is a partial list of hazards players will meet:
- Dart traps and arrow traps in the entrance caves
- Man-eating plants and cave dwellers in the forest
- Ice physics and ice creatures in the colder zones
- Large fish and pressure hazards in the water levels
- Moon-based enemies guarding the final stretch
Each new area demands new tactics, and the game rarely repeats a trick twice.
Spelunky 2 supports online and local co-op, letting up to four players descend together. The game also introduces a spectator mode, allowing players out of the run or online viewers to watch a run in progress. Multiplayer runs feel chaotic in a good way. Friendly fire and shared falling objects mean players working together does not always stay smooth.
Two Games Compared
The table below sets out some of the differences between Spelunky and Spelunky 2, based on features confirmed for the sequel.
| Feature | Spelunky | Spelunky 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Lead character | The original explorer | The explorer’s daughter |
| Setting goal | Treasure and escape | Reaching the Moon |
| Co-op | Local only | Local and online |
| Spectator mode | Not present | Present |
| Water areas | Present | Expanded |
The sequel keeps the bones of the original in place while building outward in nearly every direction.
What Keeps Players Coming Back
Spelunky 2’s procedural generation means runs rarely repeat themselves. Faster routes become available over time, letting players reach later worlds once they’ve proven themselves in earlier ones. The game also hides layers of secrets, some requiring specific item combinations or sequences of actions across multiple runs to find. Word of these secrets has already spread among players trying to piece together the full scope of what the game contains, in a manner that echoes how the original game’s following operated for years after release.
The learning curve is steep. New players should expect early runs to end quickly and often.
Despite the difficulty, the design never feels unjust. Every death in Spelunky 2 can be traced to a specific mistake, a missed jump, a missed trap, a move made too fast. That simplicity in cause and effect is part of what critics have responded to, and it’s central to why the score sits as high as it does.
Spelunky 2 asks players to learn its rules through repeated failure, and it rewards patience over force. Its online co-op and spectator features give it a social side the original never had, while its wider caves, its expanded water levels, and the Moon setting give returning players new ground to cover. Few sequels manage to grow so much without losing the shape of what came before, and that balance is the strongest case the game makes for itself.
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