The Fallout fantasy was already alive and well in Endzone 2, one of the most overlooked city-building strategy games around at the moment. Its post-apocalyptic setting, irradiated environment, ramshackled and upcycled buildings, and focus on exploration all made sure of that. But now, just like Vault-Tec, Endzone 2 is heading below ground. While your settlements will remain above the surface, two new expeditions will see you explore underground facilities, and one feels very much like a Fallout-style vault. The game’s new update has also added a new education system, a mission board, and much more.
Due to the noise of some fairly notable city building games and civilization-based strategy games over the last few months, I’d forgive you for missing Endzone 2. It dropped in early access back in August 2024, and despite the brilliance of its predecessor, reviews weren’t quite as sparkling as expected. However, it’s certainly found some of that Endzone magic again and sharpened up the experience in recent months. Its early access evolution has been super promising so far. It’s a great play if you were to jump in today, but if it continues on its current trajectory, the finished product will be a banger.
In the here and now, though, Endzone 2 is improving once again with its latest major update. The most exciting addition here for me, a huge Fallout fan, is the duo of new expeditions. In Endzone 2, you aren’t tied to building just one settlement – you can create a widespread colony if you venture out into the unknown and find suitable, safe locations to call home. Alongside this base layer of exploration are expeditions, which take you to bespoke locations where you can uncover secrets and some top-tier loot. The first of the two new expeditions in this update takes you to the underground facility beneath an airfield. The second sees you head back down into one of the subterranean shelters, known as Endzones, that you and your fellow settlers emerged from after the nuclear disaster. Consider my Fallout itch scratched.
A neat feature of Endzone 2 is that it lets you upcycle and repurpose ruins of buildings that you find on your adventures and turn them into new settlements or assets for your colony. The new update adds in some more restoration projects for you to encounter: a hospital, a fish farm, and a park.
Aside from all these new locations you can discover, there’s a brand new building type – the Paper Mill – that feeds directly into a core new pillar for Endzone 2. Children have been added to the game alongside an education system. You can set what you want your young settlers to learn, and over time they’ll earn badges that provide relevant buffs and benefits. Basically, you can mould them into the type of settler you need the most.
There’s also a new bulletin board, which is now your one-stop-shop for picking up missions from your settlers.
The new major update for Endzone 2 is live right now. If you want to check out some more screenshots of the new expeditions, or take a look at the full list of changes and additions, here are the full patch notes.
For more post-disaster titles, here are some of the best apocalypse games. If, like me, you’re a particular fan of Bethesda’s wasteland adventures, you can also consult our list of the best games like Fallout.
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