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Door Kickers 2: Task Force North

Door Kickers 2: Task Force North

KillHouse Games · released Feb 9, 2025

ActionIndieSimulationStrategyPC

Command military Special Ops Teams in gripping tactical combat against a Middle East-based terrorist network. Sequel to RockPaperShotgun's "Best Tactics Game of 2014".

Steam page ↗Metacritic 84 · users 8 ↗
90
VGC Score
■Stablehigh confidence

anchored at patch: “New content update!” (11mo ago)

88%
At launch
96%
Steam all-time
84%
Press
96%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (Metacritic)–8435
All-time Steam reviews96%911000
Metacritic user ratings––0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)96%911994
Calibration prior (typical game)–7250

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 90.6, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 13,595 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Sep 15, 2025) · 300 reviews sampled · 1994 total reviews in window · weighted 238.4 up / 8.2 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (6)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 80
    Oyungezer
    trust 61Feb 20, 2025

    “Door Kickers 2 is a game that has successfully left the early access period behind and has managed to make its followers happy with its full version. I recommend those who love the tactical strategy genre to give it a chance.”

    read full review ↗
  • 85
    Movies Games and TechMovies Games and Tech
    trust 58Oct 3, 2022

    “Door Kickers 2 is a phenomenal tactical war simulation title. Tackle a range of urban missions as you eliminate your foes, save the hostages, and perfect your approach. I loved the planning stage and the range of objectives that enhanced the difficulty and replay value.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    KeenGamerKeenGamer
    trust 56Mar 13, 2025

    “Door Kickers 2 brings a tactical experience like no other game and challenges you to consider many factors. Keeping everyone alive while you achieve your objectives is no easy feat but it is rewarding. The difficulty is high though and trial-and-error can be tiring since you often repeat the same tactical exercises. But if you stick with the game and enjoy the challenge, it's a tactical experience like nothing you've ever experienced.”

    read full review ↗
  • 85
    SoftpediaSoftpedia
    trust 55Feb 20, 2025

    “Door Kickers 2: Task Force North is the kind of game that fans can easily put more than a hundred hours in without seeing all the content it has to offer. The core mechanics are accessible and quickly explained by the tutorials. And then the game delivers a wide variety of carefully built tactical challenges to solve, even before the Campaigns enter the picture. The top-down view will not be engaging for everyone, even with the more varied and colorful combat areas. The game’s fiction is limited and there’s little in the way of narrative, even in the campaign mode. Door Kickers 2: Task Force North is a great pausable real-time tactical simulation that can get even better if coming updates add extra mechanics to its campaigns.”

    read full review ↗
  • 88
    The Games MachineThe Games Machine
    trust 55Feb 27, 2025

    “Door Kickers 2: Task Force North is a real-time tactical strategy that can be paused if necessary to give orders to your soldiers, becoming almost a turn-based combat game. This duality works very well, and each player can complete the mission by following the way that suits him best, in an almost sandbox mode. The detailed 2.5D top-down view shows the map architecture while hiding the enemy's location, forcing you to advance with caution. It offers compact maps, three playable factions and extensive unit customization. The game also shines in longevity, thanks to a multitude of missions as well as extensive modding support.”

    read full review ↗
  • 85
    GamesurfGamesurf
    trust 48Feb 27, 2025

    “Door Kickers 2: Task Force North is a real-time tactical game that expands and improves upon its predecessor, delivering a deep and rewarding strategic planning experience. With a variety of missions, detailed maps, and specialized units, the game challenges players to carefully balance action and strategy to successfully complete objectives. While the learning curve can be steep and some situations may feel frustrating, the satisfaction of completing a well-executed mission makes the game highly recommended for fans of the genre.”

    read full review ↗

Patch history

  1. Patch v1.12
    Sep 18, 2025
  2. New content update!
    Sep 15, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  3. Patch v1.10
    Jun 20, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  4. Patch v1.09
    Apr 17, 2025
  5. Patch v1.08
    Mar 26, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  6. Patch v1.07
    Mar 5, 2025
  7. Patch v1.06
    Mar 3, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  8. Patch v1.05
    Feb 25, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  9. Patch v1.04
    Feb 18, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  10. Patch v1.03
    Feb 14, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  11. Patch v1.02
    Feb 12, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  12. Patch v1.01
    Feb 11, 2025
  13. Biggest update yet - FULL RELEASE!
    Feb 10, 2025
  14. We have a release date for 1.0!
    Jan 30, 2025
  15. Update on progress towards full release
    Oct 8, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  16. The September Intermediary Update
    Sep 13, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  17. Intermediary patch for intermediary update v0.35
    May 16, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  18. Hotfix for v0.35
    May 11, 2023
  19. The May Intermediary Update
    May 10, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  20. Dushka vs You (and some AMD woes)
    Sep 1, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  21. QRF Duty and More
    Jul 4, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  22. Last discount before price increase, QOL update, Steam Deck improvements
    May 9, 2022
  23. hotfix v0.31
    Apr 20, 2022
  24. Arise, Nowherakis! SWAT joins the fight!
    Apr 18, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  25. hotfix for v0.29
    Feb 28, 2022
  26. The Random Mission Generator Update
    Feb 24, 2022
  27. Quality of life improvements and hotfix update
    Jan 18, 2022
  28. Darkness falls over Nowheraki
    Dec 22, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  29. Hotfix update v0.23/0.24
    Nov 22, 2021
  30. Suppressors et al
    Nov 19, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  31. Hotfix & various improvements update
    Oct 13, 2021
  32. Update: Tiny Maps, ASUS Aura and more sneaky stuff
    Oct 6, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  33. Hotfix for CIA update
    Sep 24, 2021
  34. The Big, Secret, Clandestine Ops Update
    Sep 23, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  35. Breacher Up! Shotguns are here.
    Jun 10, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  36. The Workshop is now Live / Level Design Contest!
    May 20, 2021
  37. Update: "Would you like to (RE)play a game?"
    Apr 7, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  38. hotfix for v0.12
    Mar 5, 2021
  39. Update: Timebombs, challenges, plan saving and more
    Mar 4, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  40. patch/hotfix v0.11
    Feb 4, 2021

…and 5 earlier patch announcements.