Perk guides usually rank things by what they cost against what they give. That does not work here, because every perk in Graveyard Keeper 2 costs exactly the same: one talent point.
All seventy of them, and not one costs spheres on top. The buyable mastery levels are one point as well, so a point buys either a perk or a level and the game never tells you they are priced identically.
So the question is not which perks are worth it. They all are eventually. The question is which ones to take in the first few hours.
Ninety five things to buy, and four hundred points
There are 95 nodes you can spend points on across the five tracks: 70 perks and 25 plain mastery levels, five levels per track. At one point each that is 95 points to own everything.
Points come from Inspirations, and there are 382 of those carrying 453 points between them. So the supply is nearly five times the demand and nothing is permanently missed.
The ones worth taking early
Two perks change what you can hold and how long you can work, which matters more in the first few hours than any yield bonus.
Carrier, in Building, lets you carry more items on your head, and it sits one mastery level deep. Deep Pockets, in Smithing, increases inventory size outright but sits behind two other perks.
Iron Will, in Smithing, stops insanity rising above 70 percent. It is three mastery levels into the track and it removes an entire failure mode rather than improving a number.
Researcher makes studying faster and cheaper in energy, and sits one level into Anatomy, so it is reachable almost immediately.
Scientist is three levels in and makes studying uncover stories or yield extra points. Since studying is how you get the spheres that buy everything else, both perks pay back into the system that funds them.
Two that solve problems you have not hit yet
Good fellow, in the Book track, raises your zombie limit without taking the PR penalty. If you have run into the message about having too many zombies, this is the answer, and it is one point.
Happy supplier sits directly behind it and makes Town orders pay more happiness. The two together turn the Book track into the town management track rather than the writing one.
Marauder is the only perk in the game with no prerequisite at all. It gives more rewards after battles and can be taken the moment you have a point, which makes it the earliest possible purchase.
What each track is for
The 70 perks are spread unevenly. Anatomy and Farming carry 16 each, Book has 14, Smithing 13 and Building 11.
Anatomy is the research track, and it is where the two study perks live. Farming is yield: seeds, crops, foraging, brewing and wine. Smithing covers metal, the two siege perks and Iron Will.
Building is craft quality and the carrying perks, and Book is the odd one: writing, ceremonies, jewelry, and the two town management perks that have nothing to do with books at all.
Graveyard Keeper 2 Perks FAQ
What are the best perks in Graveyard Keeper 2?
Researcher and Scientist in Anatomy, because studying is how you earn the spheres that buy everything else. Then Carrier and Deep Pockets for inventory, and Iron Will to cap insanity at 70 percent.
How much does a perk cost?
One talent point. Every one of the 70 player perks costs exactly one, and none of them costs spheres as well.
Should you buy perks or mastery levels first?
Levels, usually. They cost the same one point, and mastery decides which recipes you can run at all, so a level is worth more than a perk that improves work you cannot do yet.
How many perks are there?
Seventy for the player, plus 25 buyable mastery levels, five per track. That is 95 nodes at one point each.
Can you get every perk in one run?
Yes. There are 453 talent points available across 382 Inspirations, against 95 points of things to buy, so nothing is permanently missed.
Which perk raises the zombie limit?
Good fellow, in the Book track. It increases the limit without taking the PR penalty, and Happy supplier sits directly behind it.
Which perk needs no prerequisite?
Marauder, which gives more rewards after battles. It is the only perk with no parent node, so it can be the very first one you buy.
Which track has the most perks?
Anatomy and Farming with 16 each, then Book at 14, Smithing at 13 and Building at 11.
