Guides
Graveyard Keeper 2 Energy & Insanity Guide
Restore energy, protect maximum energy from insanity, and choose food or rest for long crafting, anatomy and combat sessions.
Current energy and maximum energy are different
Ordinary work spends the filled portion of the energy bar. Food and energy potions restore that current value. Insanity affects the limit itself, so eating more cannot fill the missing section when the maximum has been pushed down.
Use this diagnosis:
- Bar is empty but its full length is available: eat food or use an energy item.
- The maximum is shortened: stop the work loop and sleep; also use food or drink with an insanity reduction if available.
- The cap drops quickly during anatomy: improve the relevant perks and mastery, then work in shorter batches.
Early recovery options
The structured item data currently records these effects for PC content:
| Item | Recorded effect | Best use | | --- | --- | --- | | Berry Pie | +30 Energy, -3 Insanity | General workday food with both effects | | Beer | -12 Insanity | Lower insanity when energy itself is not the main problem | | Energy Potion | +20 Energy and temporary regeneration | Long manual crafting or gathering sessions | | Energy Potion II | +50 Energy | Later, longer sessions |
These values come from the site's extracted item records and have not been independently reproduced in a controlled playthrough. Check the in-game tooltip if a later balance patch changes a value.
Build a sustainable work loop
- Carry one stack of reliable energy food before leaving the base.
- Reserve insanity-reducing items for anatomy, combat preparation or other stressful work.
- Sleep when the maximum bar is reduced instead of spending expensive food against a cap.
- Automate basic inputs so personal energy goes to quests, research and one-off construction.
- Stop before the bar is exhausted when practical, so the return trip and final interaction are not blocked by an empty meter.
For a cheap food pipeline, use the farming guide. For potions and studied ingredients, use the alchemy guide.
Version note for the Sauna bonus
Update 1.009 fixed a pre-order Sauna bonus bug that could permanently reduce the energy restored by food after the buff expired. The official notes say existing saves are corrected. If food still restores less than its tooltip on PC, verify that the client is on 1.009 or later before rebuilding your food chain.