Fix: Darkest Dungeon 2 Black Screen After Startup

Darkest Dungeon II is the highly anticipated follow-up to the popular role-playing game Darkest Dungeon, brought to life by the talented team at Red Hook Studios. However, some players are encountering a couple of notable technical issues with the game, such as a persistent black screen problem and difficulties exiting the game. If you’re among those experiencing these glitches, read on for a comprehensive guide designed to troubleshoot and resolve these issues.

According to multiple reports online, the affected players mention that it is just stuck on the black screen whenever they try launching the game. Another major issue is that during the black screen, there is no sound coming out as well. After waiting some time, players must press the Alt+F4 keys to get out of the screen and nothing else. So, this issue or bug is frustrating.

1. Disable Full-Screen Optimizations

First, go to the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Darkest Dungeon 2\Binaries\Win64 directory. [If you’ve installed the Steam client or game on another drive or location, then head over there]
Right-click on the Darkest Dungeon 2.exe file and click on Properties.
Go to the Compatibility tab > Uncheck the Enable Fullscreen Optimizations toggle.
Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.

2. Run the game as an Administrator

To avoid user account control regarding privilege issues, run the game exe file as an administrator. You should also run the Steam client as an administrator on your PC. To do this:

Right-click on the Darkest Dungeon 2 exe shortcut file on your PC.
Now, select Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.

Make sure to click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to checkmark it.
Click on Apply and select OK to save changes.

3. Check Graphics Driver Update

Check out the graphics driver update on your PC, whether outdated or not. Sometimes an outdated GPU driver version or corrupted driver can cause several issues. It’ll also help you to fix the black screen-related issues with games or applications. To do so:

Press Windows + X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
Now, click on Device Manager from the list > Double-click on Display adapters.
Right-click on the dedicated graphics card that you’re using.

Device Manager Update Display Adapter

Next, select Update driver > Choose to Search automatically for drivers.
If an update is available, the system will automatically download & install it.
Once done, restart the computer to apply changes.

4. Update Darkest Dungeon 2

If in case, you haven’t updated your Darkest Dungeon 2 game for a while, then follow the steps below to check for updates and install the latest patch (if available). To do this:

For Steam:

Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
Click on Darkest Dungeon 2 from the list of installed games at the left pane.
Now, the client will automatically search for the available update.
You’ll see the Update option > click on it if an update is available.
Wait for a couple of minutes to complete the update process.
Once done, make sure to close the Steam client.
Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes and launch the game again.

For Epic Games Launcher:

Open the Epic Games Launcher > Head over to Library.
Now, click on the three dots icon of Darkest Dungeon 2.
Make sure the Auto Update option is turned on.

5. Check System Resources

If the game loads slowly or takes too much time in a startup, check out the system resources after launching the Darkest Dungeon 2 game on your PC by following the steps below to check whether the RAM or CPU Usage becomes higher.

Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open Task Manager.
Click on the Processes tab > Select the task you want to close.

End Task Manager

Once selected, click on End Task. Make sure to do the steps for each task individually.
Once done, just restart your computer to change effects immediately.

6. Disable Overlay Applications

According to some affected players, overlay applications can run in the background while gaming, and it consumes system resources which will cause issues with the gameplay too.

So, disabling them before the game will come in handy if you’re not using any dedicated overlay application for chatting, taking screenshots, or recording gameplay sessions. To do so:

Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
Now, right-click on Darkest Dungeon 2 > Select Properties.
Head to the General section > Here, just uncheck the Enable Steam Overlay checkbox.
Go back to Library > Re-open Darkest Dungeon 2 to check whether the black screen issue is happening or not.

7. Check Windows Updates

The chances are also high that your Windows OS build becomes outdated for a while. In that scenario, your gameplay performance will impact a lot apart from bugs or stability issues. So, it’s always better to check for Windows updates and install the latest version (if available). To do that:

Press Windows + I keys to open up the Windows Settings menu.
Next, click on Update & Security > Select Check for updates under the Windows Update section.

Windows Update Windows 11

If there is an update available, select Download and install.
Wait for some time until the update gets completed.
Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes immediately.

8. Lower in-game Graphics Settings

Try lowering the in-game graphics settings from the game menu to check whether that helps. Disable V-Sync, Shadow effects, and Anti-Aliasing, and try running a lower display resolution for the game to fix black screen-related issues.

9. Update DirectX

Sometimes an outdated DirectX version or missing DirectX can cause multiple issues with the game launching or gameplay. You should try following the steps below to update it.

Head to this Microsoft link to download the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer on your PC.
Next, install or update the DirectX version manually.
Once done, restart your computer to apply changes.

10. Press ALT+TAB Key Combo

Some affected PC users have mentioned that by pressing the ALT + TAB key shortcut combo, they can switch between the opened programs on the PC. So, keep pressing the ALT + TAB to switch between programs and then go back to the running game to check whether the problem has been fixed. It’ll change the display mode from full-screen to windowed mode and then full-screen mode, which can fix the black screen issue.

11. Try Disabling Other Overlay Apps

A couple of popular apps seem to have their overlay program that can eventually run in the background and cause gaming performance or even launching issues. You should turn them off to fix the issue by following the steps below:

Disable Discord Overlay:

Launch the Discord app > Click on the gear icon at the bottom.
Click on Overlay under App Settings > Turn on the Enable in-game overlay.
Click on the Games tab > Select Darkest Dungeon 2.
Finally, turn off the Enable in-game overlay toggle.
Make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.

Disable Xbox Game Bar:

Press Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings.
Click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar > Turn off Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game bar option.

If, in case, you’re unable to find the Game Bar option, then just search for it from the Windows Settings menu.

Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay:

Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience app > Head over to Settings.
Click on the General tab > Disable the In-Game Overlay option.
Finally, restart the PC to apply changes and launch the game again.

Also, remember that you should always disable some other overlay apps like MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, or any other third-party overlay apps that run in the background.

12. Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime

Make sure to reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime on your computer to fix multiple gaming issues or errors completely. To do that:

Press the Windows key from the keyboard to open up the Start Menu.

Type Apps & Features and click on it from the search result.
Now, locate the Microsoft Visual C++ program(s) in the list.

Select each program and click on Uninstall.
Visit the official Microsoft website and download the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime.
Once done, install it on your computer, and restart the system to change the effects.

13. Verify Game Files and Repair

Verifying and repairing the game files automatically using the game client is also recommended.

For Steam:

Open up Steam > Go to Library.
Right-click on the Darkest Dungeon 2 game.
Click on Properties > Go to the Local Files tab.
Select Verify Integrity of Game Files…
This process will start by verifying and checking all the installed game files to determine whether a missing/corrupted file is located.
Let the process be completed. Once done, close the Steam client, and restart your computer to apply changes.
Finally, re-open Steam and try rerunning the Darkest Dungeon 2 game.

For Epic Games Launcher:

Open Epic Games Launcher on the PC.
Click on the Game Library > Click on Darkest Dungeon 2.
Select Settings > Click on Verify.
Close the launcher, then restart the PC to apply changes.

That’s it, guys. We hope this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.

Fix: Darkest Dungeon 2 Black Screen After Startup